I think that's the question really. Not sure why someone would need to apologize, nice though it may have been.
How many of the middle tier mags are organised buddies? I told you before about Carve streaming their party. Honestly, we would have left the party and vandalised a car park. I mean, obviously, my story at 1, 3 and 4, @Rats at 2, 5. Couple of @Krispee paintings for 6,7,8. His meaning of life article at 9. Everybody else plus @Esconio Texas at 10. I think that's issue one. My homeless pal printed a magazine. I'm sure we can do it.
I haven't sent out anything new in two weeks. Sometimes I second guess myself. Sometimes, maybe always, that's just a bad combination. And I'm starting to think that I won't hear anything on quite a few submission for the summer. Does anyone know when publications nominate for Pushcart and such anthologies?
Found this quote interesting... "Serious writers write, inspired or not. Over time they discover that routine is a better friend than inspiration." -- Ralph Keyes
There was a funny/an old people kind of funny - a radio series called Ed Riordan's Week. Ed is a writer, divorced, his primary relationship is with a cat and he eats from tins, drinks, submits to Tractor Weekly...kind of thing. I was hooked for a while, the early clips are on utube. So...that quote resonates somewhat, but a little curmudgeonly to my taste. I might foresee a situation such as that, satisfaction from afar with my 'writes.' But for now I prefer the blend, getting out the door. I feel uncomfortable with the conflation - and you see it here on the threads - the indoors at all hours/ a twisted genius obviously - or needing a couple of friends and a job fantasy writer.
I'd go with that. It's a fucking grind. Really not that much different than stacking a woodpile or laying bricks. The artistic part of it is pretty small compared to the ungodly assortment of words that has to be accomplished every day. Of course, I'm working like 60 hours a week now, so the writing is non-existent. Whatever. Real life and adulting and all that.
That's the reason that I've always questioned whether I actually wanted to be a full-time writer, or artist. My day job I actually quite enjoy, for the most part, and it's important to me that I do enjoy my work. I love writing but I suspect that part of that is because I don't do it for a living. That's the theory anyway.
Writing is a hell of a lot more interesting than rising at half past five and stacking bricks. From my point of view I need to stack bricks occasionally to have some material [and money]. And also for health - if I don't work at all - I become the lard-arse version of myself and shout at newsreaders and people outside the window. It's nice to have an occasional real conversation. But y'know eventually - I'll stagnate to my chair - and just tapity-tap to snow eagle type websites. Probably by then we'll be sharing virtual hand jobs and such, [Potvin xxx] and not only that rather agricultural 'like' mechanism to bond us together. I do understand the quotation - these 'serious' writers with their diaries - 'I write from 10am until 1pm and then I share a small lunch with my wife in my fucking enormous house in Notting Hill. From 2pm until 5.15 I dedicate at my keyboard. Afterwards, a night at the opera or the Groucho club for cocktails, or a reading engagement, bleh bleh...'
I've been thinking about that quote. Am I a serious writer? Sometimes I create a routine and really try to stick with it as long as I can. But then for no good reason I slip. And I can slip for two weeks like I've just done, still writing at times but not when I planned and not nearly as much as I planned. I want to be a serious writer. I must be somewhat of a serious writer if I make serious attempts to be a serious writer, right? I think there is a real benefit to a routine. I just can't seem to stay on track. After coming across this quote, I'm going to really try again. Serious. Routine. Writing.
Ha, I like the enormous house in Notting Hill, nice touch, seeing as we are all best selling authors. From what I gather from what 'serious writers' are saying, that you have to write in a routine. Or you go mad, or get nothing done.
@Krispee -- I think there is more than a little truth to that saying. I guess I have somewhat of a routine, but it's nothing more than to just write a lot. I do think I would benefit from more of a scheduled routine. I have found it beneficial in the past. But even my routine of submitting something every week is getting hard. I think it's because it's summer. I'm going to try again and harder. I'll start Monday and probably pick mornings. Any of you guys have tips for getting into a routine you can maintain?
I think the main thing is to treat it like you would if you were going out to work. Set your alarm, get up and have your breakfast, get down to writing at a certain time. If you were going to work you would have to start by a certain time, say 8am. So get to writing at 8am. or 9 or whatever. The thing is to treat your writing like it is a job, a real job like everyone else is going out to do.
No, but you need the fresh air on your face, & water in your eyes - that's what I'm saying...to get you 'high' to write... ... I'm writing now, and I'm tipping, spilling, edging...it is good but not quite good-right. It is so awfully odd, as well, shishh. I'm going to do my usual of posting away to one mag in a foaming frenzy :/ Then I need to calm down for sleeping, do my stupid four day job and back to 3 day writing.
I get that, still think you need the discipline of a start time and break time etc, give yourself the illusion of a job if nothing else. But also you could go for a walk or do something else in the afternoon or something? Anyway, my penceworth.
I get what you're saying, @Krispee, but writing isn't like any other job at least not any I've ever had. I 100% agree that you need discipline and probably even more routine than I have. But I don't like to think of it as going to work. I don't even like to think of writing as work. When I write I sort of zone everything out except the story at hand. And I work best in long stretches, but I can't do that every day or I'll burnout. I think routine and discipline are important and I do have both on some level. I'm just wondering how to best figure out a routine that will benefit me and my writing. I don't think it's as simple as thinking of it as getting up and going to work. If I don't write something good, no one will pay anything for it. So just writing because its my routine won't really work, but if I can get in the routine of writing awesome all the time, that might work.
To OP. Coping with rejection, is unfortunately, all too necessary. Yes, a few will make it, yes a few will get that break, but far more likely, rejection will be at the forefront. And i firmly believe that bad writing and rejection do not necessarily go together. A lot of the time, it is a lucky break for people. I also think that agents/publishers do not have the time go through every piece of work given. Most proposals probably don't get read. At least not beyond your initial first few sentences in the email. At the end of the day, they are a business trying to make money, and get it wrong just as much as any human does. Look at all the rejections JK Rowling got, and all the other famous writers that struggled to get that first book out. I fully except this probably sounds quite cynical, but you have to remember it is a mind field out there, and to get through unhurt is near-on impossible. Rgds
Can I be 11? You know Spinal Tappish, turn it up to that and blow their eyedrums—I'll take off that staid cardigan you think I wear Matt, write from the wrist, nought but neat skin and quill, rather than it being ruffed with fluff/cuff. Finale, climax, a one off, straight from it, yes one from the wrist, call it that. This time next year—we'll be millionaires. < Can use this in your pitch to scarborough-kickstarter.ink
No, no, no staid cardigan on you, boss. I want prologue introduction and extracts at 2a + b, 5 - and yes 11 - if you must. Sorry @Rats, the editor feels that on this occasion there was possibly stronger material available for publication. Please, feel free to submit again after Haley's Comet, yours Ed, Woolfmag. [I don't mean it, DR ] ... Well @Seth, if you come in on this church hall start-up, I'll do it [in the winter].
Okey dokey, I'll take you up on that, lose the cardy, do some cokey (cola), be inspired, a bleak mid-winter's tale, hard as iron: impermissably editable [squirted to hotmat@woolfmail.com post-autumn]. Whoosh. Sorry @deadrats for infecting your thread.
