Another month has flown by and it is yet again time for another Insecure Writer’s Support Group post.
All writers suffer from insecurity at times. I’m feeling fairly insecure because I have yet to place a story in an anthology, though I did make the short list in one of them. The editor wrote me a very nice rejection letter and said they’d like to see something else for their next anthology, which was a good thing I suppose.
I submitted another story this morning to a new anthology. This one’s theme is “Joining Forces” and they want stories of collaborations. They said a collaboration between more than one writer would be “doubly excellent” so I teamed up with one of my critique group buddies and we spent two months passing the manuscript back and forth and reading the latest version to the group. It’s as good as we can get it, so hopefully it will place in the anthology! Keep your fingers crossed for us…
And the June 2 Question: For how long do you shelve your first draft before reading it and re-drafting? Is this dependent on your writing experience and the number of stories/books under your belt? I generally try to let a story or manuscript sit for at least a week or so before re-reading and revising. Of course, sometimes a deadline looms so closely that I have to revise without letting it “percolate,” but most of the time I can afford to turn my mind to something else for a week or even a month.
I don’t like to let it lie there much longer than that, though, because you do eventually need to get a manuscript out on the market. But it’s been my experience that shoving your story into a figurative desk drawer and ignoring it for a while allows you to see it anew with fresh eyes. You’re more likely to spot weak spots and errors, and any plot holes will tend to leap out at you when it’s not so fresh in your mind. I’m not sure if this is a reflection of the number of stories and books I’ve got on the market or not. I seem to remember reading that piece of advice a long time ago and taking it to heart then. It does work, so if you don’t do it now, you should definitely start.
It’s a good question, innit! I tend to keep writing because, well, that’s what I do. I don’t have a day job and get bored quickly. Hope your vacation was fun!
Thanks Jacqui! I’m sure our vacation will be lots of fun this year. You’re lucky not to need a day job — wish I could afford to retire (or find a Sugar Daddy LOL)!
Fingers are crossed!!
Thank you Alex! I’m still looking to get into our anthology one day …
I think all things involving creative thinking involve a period of ‘percolation’. I used to do this when in school and when teaching…get all the available information and read it, then wait a while. I usually could rip off a first draft of the material pretty quickly. Another pause and then check/edit. I don’t know about others, but it works for me. 🙂
Sounds like an excellent system to me Helen!