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This past week I realized two
anthologies were in the process of accepting submissions. The editors of the anthologies have published my work before. I wanted to make entries to both. Of
course, both publications have deadlines for submissions.
One thing I’ve tried to do as a
writer is to become a reliable author for editors who put out anthologies on a
regular basis. I want editors see
me as someone who turns out publishable work on time. I also want to be known
as a writer who responds well to editing.
Fortunately for me, both publishers use excellent editors. I believe being known as reliable and
responsive for my short stories helps to earn time and attention for any novel or
short story collection I might want to submit later on.
Most of the time writing short
stories wouldn’t be that much of a problem. However, I’ve been engrossed in writing
a novel in a genre that’s new to me.
I haven’t been attending to opportunities for shorter work. Time for
submissions is limited.What to do?
I went to the equivalent of a writing “junk drawer” where I have stashed in my computer work that
for one reason or another I didn’t complete. I have the roughly hewn beginning of stories, opening lines
that didn’t work, half-baked ideas that sit and marinate plus random neuronal
firings. I also have ads,
newspaper articles and announcements that triggered my storytelling instinct in
an actual drawer.
I found three items that could and
did turn into short stories. One,
I think, fit within the criteria one editor stated for the anthology. The second one didn’t but it turned
into a good story all the same. The
third met the requirements that the second one did not.
Do you have a writing “junk
drawer?” What do you do with work
that doesn’t quite work?
Warren,
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned two things in your "writing junk drawer" that I also main. I have a clippings file where I store -- and periodically peruse -- ideas that intrigue me gleaned from newspapers, online articles, magazines, etc.
I also have a number of short stories in various states of incompletion. Several are finished but need more polishing [because no one wanted them :( ]. Others are partially completed either because I lost my way or the idea was fragmentary.
One of those might just work for an upcoming anthology call, but we'll see whether I can extract myself from my work on novels to find the time to tackle the short story.
~ Jim
Warren--I try not to have a junk drawer. I work on stories until I think I have them perfected, then I submit them if the short fits. If not, then it stays in my "short" file (not a junk drawer). I recently came upon an opportunity to submit one of those shorts I hadn't yet placed. I'm crossing my fingers, eyes and toes.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I want to be known as a professional submitting clean publishable fiction. I always meet deadlines and try to nail the theme. Problem? Editors who don't allow me to revise on my own work. I've received "my" work back already revised. I try to be open to suggestion, but when editors re-write my story changing the plot and character without my permission, I'm not happy.
I'm not exaggerating. I'm been blown away by what I consider to be "unprofessional" editorial behavior. Anyone else have these problems?
Warren, I have short stories started as well as poetry in my computer files. I have every intention of getting to them eventually and finishing them.
ReplyDeleteI also clip newspaper articles or from a magazine and have them in file folders or in a basket on my table waiting to be used in a plot or for an interesting character or for a blog.
I thank God for my computer. I'm such a writing hoarder that my office would be buried in paper. If only i was as organized as y'all are.
ReplyDeleteI also save interesting articles I run across that spark my imagination. I've written some short fiction that sold because of this.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, Warren. I have ideas for novels and stories in special files, partially written stories/novels in other files, and even a LINES file where I put lines and partial poems to use at some later time. Invaluable!
ReplyDeleteFor example, I wrote part of a story for the anthology, KANSAS CITY NOIR, for which I'd had a story commissioned. But I couldn't seem to make it come around and work, so I filed it and wrote another from scratch for that. Then, a few months later I had another story commissioned for an anthology. I pulled out that one I had stalled on, and now it finished and became one of my favorites.
I have a file of ideas in Google Docs, and I email myself clips from stories that sound like something fun. Eventually, I'll have these in the same place!
ReplyDeleteIn my computer junk drawer I have a file of short stories in various stages of completion, an idea file, and many (too many) files filled with research notes and links. I also have newspaper and magazine clippings in file folders on my desk. Sometimes, I'm tempted to toss or delete everything to free up extra space.
ReplyDeleteI hope to hear more about your novel, Warren.
I've got lots of what I call sketches, character studies, bits of stories, vague notions that should someday come into their own. I have found that I need to write these down and then ignore them, because otherwise I end up with several more works in progress than I can manage. When I get a bit stuck in my current project, a little voice always says to me, "Oh, but this other project would be much more fun! Stop your work on that and come over to this one!" I'd never get anything completed if I didn't jot down notes or bits and promise the little voice that I'd get back to it.
ReplyDeleteE.B, I sympathize. Seems like editors are always getting a bee in their bonnet over something. Because my main series is in a first person POV, and the character is not educated, I have trouble with editors correcting the grammar, etc. And at one point I got a bit testy with an editor over "sapient body parts." While I understand the concept of not wanting to have eyes roving around the room, for instance, sometimes I want to convey the impression that a person is not aware/in control movements. And I definitely don't want to say, "The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end" rather than "I stood the hairs on my neck on end."