Since will not have much time to write, I should read instead. Normally when I'm writing I concentrate so much on writing that I don't read. So, now is a perfect time to catch up on some of the books I've been meaning to read.

What did I learn this week?

Nothing here.

--William
 

On the Shelf:

DREAMER'S ROSE: Nothing for this month.
Such an easy goal.

MAGE STORM: Prepare for revisions to the first fifty pages.
Yes. I've made some notes. Hopefully, I'll be ready to start in a week or so.

SEVEN STARS: Let it rest.
Another easy goal.

BLOOD WILL TELL: Last round of revisions.
About two-thirds of the way through. Shaping up nicely.

OTHER:
Update my blog twice a week.
Yes.

Overall, a good week. Although, I'm befinning to get itchy to start something new.

Next Week's Goals:

On the Shelf:
THE SHAMAN'S CURSE
THE IGNORED PROPHECY
DREAMER'S ROSE:

I'm adding DREAMER'S ROSE to the shelf for the time being. I need to re-imagine the story, let go of some things that have been there since the beginning, and either rewrite or do some heavy revisions.

MAGE STORM:
Hopefully, get started on those revisions so I can get it back out there.

SEVEN STARS:
Get it to first readers and wait.

BLOOD WILL TELL:
Finish up the revisions.

OTHER:
Update my blog twice a week.

Quarterly Submission Stats:
THE SHAMAN'S CURSE: 23 queries, 23 rejections, currently on the shelf for a rewrite.
BLOOD WILL TELL: 34 queries, 32 rejections, 2 requests for partial that turned into rejections, currently finishing up a major revision.
MAGE STORM: 23 queries, 21 rejections, 1 request for a partial and 1 request for the full both of which turned into rejections. I'm going to make a few revisions based on comments from the agent who read the full and start sending it back out.
"Mage Storm" (the short story): 7 rejections before I withheld it. It made it as far as the second round at Daily Science Fiction
"The Bard's Gift": 8 rejections and currently out.
A (momentarily) nameless short story: 11 rejections. Expanded to a novelette, renamed and submitted.
"Heart of Oak": 6 rejections and currently out.

What I learned last week:
I have not been sending nearly enough queries. When I get BLOOD WILL TELL and MAGE STORM ready again, I need to start sending at least four times as many queries as I've been doing.
Also, I need to let stories and novels rest a little longer before starting to send them out if I want to give them the best chance.
 

This trick works wonders, but I hate when I say, "I wrote that?" in disgust. I'm referring to individual sentences, not the whole work.

That was such a rush, writing something that quickly. I want to do it again, but alas, I don't have a solid idea spinning around my brain waiting to come out. I need to see something different to stimulate the creative juices.

Axe
 

I was going to say that I still haven't figured out how the bad guy knew where she was going to be but I just did. Of course---Duh.

Worked on "Angel Kin" I need another title for this one. That is more the working title and maybe the title of the series. "She Finds Herself" maybe but something with a little more punch.

Oh, and I'm having a little problem I don't want her to be a super hero or a Buffy clone but there's a reason she is stronger than normal and can resist spells etc...

Did a tiny bit of work on revising "Storm Born" . Still need a reader or two---no bites over at the F&F for novels thread. Even though I got a couple of nice crits for the opening.

Want to do a Urban Knight tale of some type. Hmmm, almost have the opening but not the organization that makes him a knight. Hmmm, have a short story about a guy who ends up joining a real Viking--yep, the viking is that old-- to fight supernatural creatures and bad wizards but I don't think that is what I want for this novel.

and axeminister you could try reading some short stories, or look over a bunch of new books. Or try to come up with some what if scenarios.

But as to your reaction to certain sentences- I do that to. Sometimes I say I wrote that, Yuck--Yicks. But I even did that with the one story that sold. They sent me the proofs and I wanted to change a couple sentences so bad but the editors-there were three- had already approved it. So I had to trust them.

[This message has been edited by LDWriter2 (edited July 04, 2011).]
 

This week:
Keep going on BD&L I'm up to Chapter 6 on the re-write and ultimate goal is to get it finished and sent out yet this year.
Keep making progress on TOB. I did settle on a new version of Chapter Three so making headway there. Need to continue on at a good pace.
I've been toying back and forth with two other pieces but really have no idea where they're going or what they are.

~kls
 

I've finally accepted the fact that my multi-tasking isn't working, at least when it includes a first draft. I've already lost momentum, so MINDWALKER is getting put aside until I finish my NULL PROPHET revisions.

On NULL PROPHET, I revised four scenes, cut one and added one, and got my word count down to 122,245 (from 125,978). I also had a really good conversation about it with my sister, who's forcing me to think about all kinds of things I hadn't considered.

Next Week:

I'm going to aim for five scenes this week, since I've already been over some of them, and it'll take me up to the halfway point (with this character, anyway). Continue to cut word count (aim for 120k).
 

My goals this week:
Write every day on my blog.
Resume writing on Glory Springs.
Write down a simple outline for second book in Pea series.

IP: Logged

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[This message has been edited by MDBHarlan (edited July 06, 2011).]