Another rejection (but a more encouraging one?)

Janklow & Nesbit sent back my synopsis and sample chapters today. Their letter was nice, though, saying they'd received a lot of very good work recently and were having to turn down anything which didn't quite "tick all the boxes."

Of course, it's possible that they just have a more encouraging standard form letter than some of the other agencies, but it softened the blow of rejection a bit...

None of the magazines and online markets I've submitted to have replied yet, so I'm hoping that I'll get some responses in the next fortnight or so. I'd really like to have a bit more to put on my writing CV before I send out the novel again.

Weekend in Oxford

The Boyfriend had to work Saturday and Sunday, so I went back to Oxford for the weekend and had a great time catching up with friends and family. This mostly took the form of scrounging as much food as possible: student habits linger still...

I had a very enjoyable lunch with a good friend from my Oxford writers' group, who I'd not had a chance to catch up with in a while, on Saturday. His Californian charm and enthusiasm about my writing are always inspiring, and he's encouraged me not to give up on the novel but to keep submitting it to agents.

Saturday evening was spent with my Granny, and it was lovely to have a chance for it to be just the two of us. Wonderful dinner -- chicken, new potatoes, salad, strawberries and cream, biscuits and cheese, coffee and chocolate...

(It's a good thing my jeans are stretchy.)

Three members of St Nic's were being confirmed on Sunday morning, so I was especially pleased to be there for that. As ever, the older folk look exactly the same as last time I was there, but the youngest ones grow up so fast.

I wrote barely a word over the weekend. I blame my biro, which expired in the Oxford Border's Starbucks, whilst I was trying to edit the first draft of Friday evening's story. (Incidentally, a cup of tea in there costs £1.40 ... I'm starting to think Oxford is as expensive as London!)

Dull work = More writing

Had a slow day at work, mostly involving data entry. Though in many ways it was quite a pleasant day (there's something stress-free and pleasantly mind-numbing about copying numbers and text between different types of document... I spent the summer between my 2nd and 3rd year at Cambridge doing data entry.)

Having had to expend so little power during the work day has made me astonishingly productive this evening: I've managed to draft a whole short story (1,800 ish words) in between doing a load of laundry, buying bread/milk/carrots (I am a bit obssessed with raw carrot sticks at the moment) and sorting out all the recycling. Whew!

Clearly, I need a job which is more regularly boring...

Royal Mail Ransom

After I paid the 6 pence (yes, that's not a typo) surcharge -- plus the £1 handling fee, of course -- Royal Mail saw fit to deliver the letter from my mother. It's the Computer Programmer long short story, which she's dutifully read and given me some useful comments on: I always need a second pair of eyes to spot the plot holes.

Have to admit I grinned at "However realistic, I think there's more bad language than needed here." I've toned it down a bit now. ;-)

Other than this, I've not done much writing this week: been busy living life -- got home from one of the Boyfriend's friend's birthday party at 1am last night. And I actually made it to work on time this morning...

Another Story in the Post

I posted off another short story (2,000 words) this morning, to The People's Friend. Having read a couple of their issues, I think the gentle family tone and rather old fashioned values might suit them. I even followed their submission guidelines, down to paperclipping the manuscript together and using an A4 sized envelope.

I've found the blog http://womagwriter.blogspot.com/ which has some useful advice on submitting to women's magazines -- and also contains submission guidelines for some.

Also got my official letter through from Writing Magazine last week, saying that the publication date for the story is 14th September and I'll get my cheque after then...

SF or mainstream?

The stories I've been writing over the past few weeks have included three which could be classed as science-fiction:

- The Programmers Downstairs (10,000 words, quite weird/playful in tone, not sure where I'm going to submit it)

- The Price of Houses Tomorrow (1,650 words, harder sci-fi than the others, future rather than modern-day-with-a-twist-setting, competition entry, complete)

- Seb's Scribblings (1,900 words, written in the form of a weblog, competition entry, entered)

The earlier short pieces I wrote were much more mainstream, and it took me a while to become more comfortable with the form -- a 1,500 to 2,000 story is a very different beast from a novel, and no more easily tamed.

Still, I think now I've got into my stride, I'm beginning to find more of a "voice" rather than just copying the style of the short stories I come across in magazines. I've really enjoyed working on the three above, and they've been challenging in different (but good) ways.

Weekend writing plans

I got my copy of Writing Magazine today, and found that I'd been shortlisted for their Duty short story competition: an encouraging start to the weekend!

Since I got the SFX story done and submitted earlier this week, I've been editing my "long" short story, The Programmers Downstairs. This has involved some heavy-duty biro work on a printout. No gaping plot holes so far, but a few stupid things (a hat-stand one character almost knocks over is later strong enough to support a fat man’s weight...) and numerous typos and notes to self which need sorting out.

Feedback from a friend indicated that the “techy” references are a bit obscure for most readers, so I’ve been attempting to tone those down without detracting from the characterisation and atmosphere.

This piece was a struggle to draft (at one point I nearly shelved it), and is involving a lot of rewriting – but I’m quite fond of it. I feel that it’s developed a certain voice, and I’m hoping it might be a way into the softer end of the SF market. I enjoy writing the more mainstream short stories too, but ultimately, I think the majority of my longer work is likely to be SF/F.

The Boyfriend is working this Saturday, so going to spend a few hours getting some solid writing done on The Programmers Downstairs. I also have a drafted entry for the Writers’ News House Agent competition which needs rewriting. And Saturday evening, there's a meeting of the East Dulwich Writers' Group which I'm hoping to make it to.

Competition success!

I got an email today to say that I'd come second in one of the Writing Magazine competitions (April's Sand-Timer one).

The prize is publication of the story on their website, and £50.

This has definitely brightened a hectic-looking week at work. :-) I now just have to find a suitable photo of myself and write a bio...

Three stories in the post

The Boyfriend was working today, so I spent the morning working on a few stories. Revising and editing always seems slow compared to writing first-draft, but I managed to get one competition entry out, and two other stories edited and sent off to magazines.

Nick has pointed me towards SFX magazine's annual short story competition. I may possibly give it a go, but the deadline's this Tuesday evening...