Writing Update for October

Is it October already? The month’s more than half over too? Where did it go? Why wasn’t I informed???

Phew! Anyway, lots going on in my writing life and in real life. I will do my best to summarize all this excitement below.

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The Writing
If you follow my Twitter feed, you’ll know I’ve mused recently about “stepping back” a bit from the writing.

Sometimes, taking a few small steps back from your Work in Progress can let your subconscious figure some things out…Then, you can return to it with improved insight and freshness, saying, “Ah, yes! This is the path forward!” #amwriting

— Darius Jones (@DariusJonesWrit) September 30, 2018

And I did. A small step. But that small step helped me figure out a few things, namely where things are headed. Sometimes, you need a little breather, to let things settle in your mind and let the subconscious do its very slow-rolling (but effective!) attack on a subject. So, I did. Then, this past weekend I picked up the pen (really, the PC) again. I went back, did some editing and added some more words.

Wish I could have added more, but I’m pleased with the results. So, there you have it.

Total Word Count: 1,778 words. [Updated for month-end total.]

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Submissions
So, no new submissions this month. Bad Writer!

These literary fiction magazines are tough to crack and as you probably know, they’re my main target for my story “The Number Thief” a piece of historical fiction. It’s a good piece, but not one that it’s easy to find a market for. It’s not speculative, so all the fantasy journals won’t take it. And its historical setting seems to be a turnoff/not a good fit for many literary magazines. That being said, it’s with a magazine now and I’m hoping to send it to others soon.

In other Rejection news, I HIGHLY recommend Rahul Kanakia’s recent post on his 1600th (you read that right!) rejection. That’s how you do it, Folks!

And now my Stats:

Total Submissions this Month: 0

Total Stories Out to Magazines (pending submissions): 3

Rejections: 0

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Life
This real-life thing has been very hectic lately. What with work, vacation, more vacation, house guests, more work, etc., etc., it has been hard to squeeze in the writing.

But, there’s a change in the air and crisp days are beginning to descend. It’s my favorite time of year. And it’s a great time to get some Earl Grey tea, plug in the laptop, put on the headphones and get some fiction down. Let’s face it: it’s time.

See you next post!

,DJ