Gave in and got a Writer’s Market today for the first time in years. It will come in handy if I can ever write something that isn’t speculative. Ralan works best for those. The best thing about the Writer’s Market is that it comes with a year’s subscription to the website too.
So I spent a while trying to figure out an agent to send Skellyman to, which wasn’t easy, because few take horror. I have one that sounds perfect picked out. Now I just have to get my synopsis and query perfect…
Tomorrow I have a guest blog post going live here on S. H. Roddey’s blog at 10 AM. I’ll also have a Bruce and Roxanne story going live Valentine’s Day at 6:00 PM here. (Remember, those links aren’t live yet.) I also have a guest blog going live on Selah Janel’s blog on February 24th. I’m starting to like these guest blog posts. They’re fun to do. 🙂
I got my three submissions out today, but may not make it every day this week, as I head to Dallas for ConDFW on Thursday and won’t be back till Monday. I’ll try to keep up with my blog posts though.
Worked a bit on a story that I had left in the middle over a year ago, and I am not sure where it was supposed to go. I think I know where it will be going now, but I don’t know if it was the original idea or not.
Catalogued my jewelry for the Con. I have a LOT of pieces. If they don’t sell, I should have plenty to put up on Etsy when I get back…
Dishes were all that got done. I know, I suck.
The Pirates and the Ninjas
got together to parlay–
There was lots of posturing,
upon that fateful day…
The Pirates claimed the water
the Ninjas claimed the land,
and neither group was certain
just exactly where to stand.
But once they started drinking,
things began to slide,
and in the end ’twas lucky
that no one up and died!
Tracking:
Today I cleaned ― dishes mostly…
Today I weighed ― 182.6 😛
Today I wrote/revised ― synopsis for Skellyman, worked on short story
Hmmm…just realized that I must take some time tomorrow and start getting ready for the convention this weekend. All this writing is fun and all, but I do still have other obligations.
Speaking of writing–today I finished two short stories and sent them out without getting anyone to beta read them first. That was probably a bad step, but the deadline was coming up, and I wanted to make sure to get them out. Also finished yet another revision of Skellyman based on the last beta reader comments. Tomorrow I start getting an agent package ready for it. Scary!
Up to 4 rejections for the month so far. But that doesn’t seem so bad considering how many submissions are out. I think that is Newell’s point in this whole exercise. He just told me to search for “Rejection Therapy” on Youtube, and I have to share the results. (Hope that link works…if not, just try the search yourself.) This fellow’s plan to inure himself to rejection seems a bit more radical than mine, lol. But I think mine is working just fine. Now, a rejection comes in, and I have so many things out that it really doesn’t feel like too big a deal. Of course, if none of the things I send out get accepted, that might become a problem…but surely some of them will be accepted. Right?
So, most of today was spent writing while getting through The Walking Dead episodes on the DVR from the weekend. By the way, if you haven’t tried the “Dead Yourself” app, you should. It is SOOOO much fun.
Here’s mine:
I am not sure I like where they went this week though. We’d better still see Daryl!
On the other hand, I LOVE where I think Once Upon a Time is gonna go…
Poetry time.
Leaf Lace
The pattern left against the sky
can fool the mind and trick the eye–
it shows a caterpillar has been by.
And if he keeps it up, the tree might die!
Okay, lame poem, but the picture’s kinda pretty.
I’m done writing today!
Tracking:
Today I cleaned ― DVR cache, got the garbage cans in, made dinner
Today I weighed ― 181.9
Today I wrote/revised ― finished two short stories, Skellyman revision and a twitter-length story.Â
THIS JUST IN: 5th rejection of the month…at least the steak dinner looms closer. 😉
And so he did. 🙂
(Would you believe I sent one submission out this morning before we left?)
We had a lovely time, mostly listening to music and eating tasty food. Walking more than I am used to on very nasty ground cover. They had put down a load of woodchips to soak up mud, and they were very large and uneven under your feet. Had to spend most of your travel time looking down at your feet! Where’s the fun in that?
Had a lovely nice surprise when Marc Gunn handed me a royalty check for Don’t Go Drinking With Hobbits
We went exploring the new growth in the faire since last April, got something to eat and listened to Jason Gunn’s Drones ‘N’ Drums while we waited for Marc’s next show–first time bagpipes affected me so strongly, but they were playing the anthems of the branches of the military…
After Marc’s show we caught a bit of a Bedlam Bards show and a smidge of the Tulstin Troubadours before going on to Marc’s last show and ending with the Bedlam Bards’ “Dirty 4:30” adults only offering. Doesn’t sound like a lot of a day, but it was plenty.
Then I got home and finished my submissions for the day — including sending the poem I wrote on the way down to the American Poetry Journal. How’s that for “No Excuses Sunday”?!
So, everyday since the 7th, I’ve submitted 3 pieces/packages of work to a wide diversity of markets. And that doesn’t count the ones I had sent earlier in the year. The rule is, if something is rejected, it goes back out at least once immediately. A second rejection might mean it needs more work.
Here are a few pictures of the day:
Cory the Leprechaun
Newell and his Nuts
Wishing Well
Cow Fairy
Hawke of the Bedlam Bards
New Sherwood Keep
Chicken Lady
Jason Gunn of Drums ‘N’ Drones — he made me cry…
Marc Gunn
Cedric of the Bedlam Bards
Mark the Harper of the Tulstin Troubadours
Apryl Knight of the Tulstin Troubadours
Marc sings a lullaby
Cedric and Hawke don’t…
Tired bard
Knocking on the door
End of a long day
Poem:
Night Lights
Perspective matters when
you see the lights of
evening…
Time lapse trails of colored
luminescence dance
upon the black velvet sky.
And it is easy to lose
the clarity of
notion.
Tracking:
Today I cleaned ― dishes, got garbage out
Today I weighed ― 183
Today I wrote/revised ― two poems
Okay, so it is after midnight, and I am technically cheating, but I thought I would go ahead and do it anyway–I almost skipped it, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
Got my three submissions out today, but it is getting harder to find something in the trunk that can go out every day. Of course, I just got a rejection, so that story can go back into the mix…
Most of today was spent watching smaltzy comedies I’d never got around to seeing (He’s Just Not That Into You, The Back-Up Plan, and Couples Retreat) while working on Skellyman until I couldn’t take it any more! But I am probably at least two-thirds of the way through, and one more solid day of revisions and I am sending it out no matter what! In discussion with Newell, I think I am going to take the plunge and send it to agents instead of directly to publishers. We’ll see how that goes. I’ve been scared to seek a GOOD agent because I am afraid of writing to deadlines…but the last few weeks have made that idea a little less daunting.
Of course, tomorrow may blow my streak, because if it isn’t raining, I am playing hookey and going to Sherwood Forest Faire with my loving husband to see Marc Gunn play. It will be part of my Valentine’s Day. If it IS raining, I will be good and finish Skellyman. This is my goal at least. I would love a day off…is that bad of me?
I literally sat on that couch for a good ten or twelve hours working today, so I can’t say anything else got done today, but I feel pretty good about it.
And Death Wish coffee rules!
Today’s poem:
The sky was cloth of gold
this morning–
shot through with
threads of crimson.
A silhouetted applique
of branches
against the fabric
of the dawn.
Tracking:
Today I cleaned ― nothing
Today I weighed ― 183.2
Today I wrote/revised ― mostly Skellyman
It’ll be late again tomorrow probably…
Newell asked me to ride along today, so no cleaning…
But I still got my submissions done for the day. Including a poem to Asimov’s (Cross fingers HARD)
Then I came home and made jewelry. I think there is one spot left in my case that needs to be filled, and then I am DONE till the Con is over.
Very tired tonight, so not a lot more going to get done. But here is your poem:
There is no finer place to go
then deep within the pages of a book.
Sailing the seas with Long John Silver,
Learning to track with Hawkeye,
Climbing Mount Doom with Frodo and Sam.
Endless horizons,
countless journeys,
comrades in arms,
crafty adversaries.
Laughter,
tears,
mystery,
romance,
love,
hate…
The pages of a book
hold the secrets of the world.
All you have to do is
look inside.
Tracking:
Today I cleaned ― nothing.
Today I weighed ― 183.2
Today I wrote/revised ― a flash story, a poem, worked a bit on the new short story
Taking a chance and trying to blog from the regular computer tonight.
Boy! Has it been a busy day. First of all, Newell woke up really early today, so I got up too. Made a pot of my Death Wish Coffee, and I still feel it. Of course, my coffee pot is so tiny a “Full Pot” fits into a travel mug. Still, it’s a lot of caffeine.
Got him out the door, and sat down to start my submissions hunt for the day. Three poetry markets and a poetry contest today. Most of the poems submitted were written in the last two days.
I also got approval for my presentation at the Language Creation Conference. Now I just have to think of a really great poster layout. To balance that, I got a very nice rejection (yay! two this month so far) from Songwriter’s Market asking me to submit again next year. I think they were just being nice.
Started the Skellyman revision I put off till February, and got to Chapter Sixteen–that includes a new first chapter. I am hoping to finish this revision and GET IT OUT OF MY HOUSE for “No Excuses Sunday.” I am no longer having fun with it.
After dinner I made more jewelry. I’ve almost finished the pieces I want for the convention. And I got to the end of season two of Supernatural.
On the cleaning front, still didn’t get to the shower, but I did get dishes and laundry done as I cleaned the last of my shows out of the DVR. I am calling it a very productive day.
Poem time.
Gracefully gliding in a
water dance,
the swan drifts by,
bird ballerina in its
very own production
of Swan Lake.
Short, I know, but like I say, I was writing poetry all afternoon…cut me some slack. 😉
Tracking:
Today I cleaned ― dishes and laundry, emptied DVR
Today I weighed ― 184.1
Today I wrote/revised ― several poems and 15 chapters of Skellyman
Well, darn. I didn’t get my goal done today. Mostly because Newell worked from home so that I could take the car over to get the lock changed out on the new door, because they forgot to switch them the other day. This did lead to me writing three poems while I waited, so it wasn’t a total loss.
Then I came home and worked on my new story a bit, and got the day’s submissions out — three new markets hit, one of which was with a new poem written directly into the submission email.
Of course, as you may or may not have seen on Facebook, one of the submissions — to a market I have been wanting to approach for years, and have been waiting on pins and needles for the reading period to open — I accidentally sent prematurely, and had to resend. I apologized, but felt like an unprofessional idiot. I just hope they look past it and like the submissions.
Then it was three episodes of Supernatural while making jewelry. I am trying to create a wide variety of pieces and price points for the convention next weekend (the 15th – 17th). I just hope I sell something….
Hoping to actually get to the shower tomorrow. It really needs a good scrubbing, but it needs bleach to sit on the floor for awhile, so I didn’t want to do that with Newell working close by.
I am currently standing at the counter downstairs writing this quickly on my work laptop since the gaming computer where I usually do the blog is on the fritz. Let me see if I can find a picture for tonight’s poem on this puppy…
Oh. this will do. I know Wyndie likes this little guy…
Jack
He seemed a natural choice for
Holiday inclusion–
His face already present,
No need for blade intrusion.
And yet he sat unwanted
After the ghouls had fled…
I had no need for pumpkins…
So I took this shot instead!
Silly, but I’m tired (and that is the fifth poem I’ve written today…)
Tracking template is on the other computer, but:
Today I cleaned — dishes
Today I weighed — 183.9
Today I wrote/revised — 5 poems, worked on short story
Tomorrow, darlings!
So, my husband made me an interesting proposition this morning…see if I could get three hundred rejections this year. I really have to up my game! For one thing, he promised me a steak dinner if I get thirty in a month. I have one so far this month. 😀
I went up to Jim’s to hang and write today. Wound up submitting three pieces. That will probably get me at least one rejection, since one of them was a poem to The New Yorker!
Still, it was cool. I think I will push myself harder and see what happens. After all, the more things in the aether, the more often you hear one way or the other on something. I’d love to start getting at least one acceptance/rejection a day.
Needless to say, there was not much cleaning done today–read any. But I did just read an inspiring article that reminded me how lucky I am to get to stay home and write, so I think tomorrow that will be different. I have a goal of getting the shower back in shape. I’ll post before and after pictures again.
I got home too late to do much jewelry work before Newell got home, but since my game computer is crashing every time I start to play a game, maybe I’ll go back and do a little more this evening.
Tonight’s poem:
When I Was a Kid…
When I was a kid,
horses seemed like magical beasts–
standing in for dragons or
unicorns.
Carrying me away to
mystical lands and high adventures.
Especially since they rarely
entered my life.
Riding was fantastic–
even though my favorite mount
at summer camp ran away
with me…and then stepped
on my foot.
Still, I’d climb on
in a heartbeat
just to be a child again
and ride off into the
sunset of my dreams.
Tracking:
Today I cleaned ― nothing
Today I weighed ― 184.3
Today I wrote/revised ― two short stories and a poem
Heading out for the night, buckaroos!
Rie Sheridan Rose 
2/13/13
Today I strayed outside my comfort zone and between bouts of packing for the convention and Supernatural episodes submitted poems to markets I found on the Writer’s Market website that weren’t in the speculative fiction range. It was kind of fun.
I decided to seek out some acquaintances at the convention and force them to give me feedback on my synopsis. 😉
And I washed clothes and dishes, so a little cleaning was done.
But maybe I should change the name of my blog to “Here’s the Writing” 😛
Everyone cross fingers that I sell a lot of jewelry this weekend, ‘kay?
Mischievious Moon
A fan of clouds
obscures her face
tonight,
as she peeks
down from her
bower.
She flirts with the
steady Earth,
and he ignores her
advances,
enamored of the
sea.
Â
Tracking:
Today I cleaned ― dishes and laundry
Today I weighed ― 181.9
Today I wrote/revised ― poems, synopsis, worked on the new short story.