Sunday, November 1, 2009

Only two months left in 2009!

Here is is, November 1, and I've written 800 words on my Nano book. I stayed up to midnight last night to start (since I was watching Ghost Hunters anyway). Those 800 words were like pulling teeth. I hate the story, I hate the setting, I hate everything about it. I suspect I'm going to pitch it and just start writing for fun. I never write for fun anymore; even my fun projects, like Bell-Men, are meant for publication. That's what Nano is for, after all: write and write and write, and have fun doing it even though at times it's hard. I think I'll just do this year's Nano book stream of consciousness style and see how it works.

For one thing, last night I dreamed I was stuck in a house that had me trapped. It was a magical house and I was its slave, keeping the magic going even though it meant I couldn't sleep or eat. I didn't mind, because I loved the house and I wanted it to be in good condition. I woke up feeling a little creeped out, because it's not a big jump to see that the house in my dream can easily stand for my writing career. I don't have to work 24/7. I can slack off and enjoy myself without trying to produce something I can necessarily sell.

Anyway, since we're sliding down the last hill toward 2010, I think I'll revisit my goals for 2009:

land an agent
sell a novel
sell a novel to a major publisher (i.e. one which will get my books on shelves)
sell at least four short stories
sell a story to a SFWA pro market
write at least six short stories (flash doesn't count)
write at least two novels
finish writing White Rose

Yes, BT, I know I can't control a lot of this. :) Still, I've done rather well in spite of my setting my goals way too high. I have sold a novel to Double Dragon--not a major publisher, but not a major novel either. I've sold far more than four short stories and written five (not counting flash). I've written two novels, Blood and Taxes and Bell-Men. I've already decided to jettison the last goal, since White Rose is pretty bad. If I'm going to write a bad novel, I should write it during Nano.

Since publishing grinds along so slowly, I think I can safely say I won't sell a novel to a major publisher in 2009. I'll push that goal, and the agent goal, to 2010. And I do have one story out to a SFWA pro market; we'll see how it does. I should hear just before the end of the year.

And now to The Baby Name Wizard, to pick out the name of my new Nano protagonist!

12 comments:

Jamie Eyberg said...

Sounds like your goals are progressing pretty well. It is just a matter of time before the rest of it happens. Good luck with the naming.

K.C. Shaw said...

Thanks, let's hope next year makes a lot of forward progress for both of us. :)

Cate Gardner said...

A novel sale sounds pretty good to me, major or not. You should turn that dream into a short story.

K.C. Shaw said...

The dreams I've turned into stories have made awful stories, alas.

Aaron Polson said...

Sounds like a solid tackling of your goals. Get crazy during Nano. It's all one can really do.

K.C. Shaw said...

I've forgotten how to do crazy, apparently. Mom's typing away on her nano story downstairs, and here I am watching TV.

Diana said...

You have to aim high to hit your target. :)

K.C. Shaw said...

I like the way you think. :)

BT said...

;c)

K.C. Shaw said...

:p

Danielle Birch said...

Write for fun, that's what I'm doing with it, then there's no pressure. Just go like the clappers and enjoy.

K.C. Shaw said...

Good advice! That's just what Mom and I were talking about, actually.