The importance of keeping track
Got home from my trip to find a rejection letter from SciFiction in the mailbox.
It was a form letter and did not list my story title on the page. I checked my records and Sonar says I have nothing at SciFiction. But they couldn’t have gotten one of my SASE’s… so I have no clue what story they’re rejecting.
Let this be a lesson to you. I now am hesitant to send any more of my existing stories to SciFiction because of this one mistake, as you do NOT want to send the same story to a magazine twice.
I will try my hardest to get an ISBW up today. It’s already planned out, I just have to *do* it.
About the Author: I am a writer and podcast producer, writing for magazines and RPGs. I am a wanna-be fiction writer with several short fiction, comic scripts, and one novel sale. Playing For Keeps will be out August, '08.
Lou_Sytsma | Sep 6, 2005 | Reply
Drop a post to Ellen at the SciFiction BB. I am sure she can clear this up for you.
Mur Lafferty | Sep 6, 2005 | Reply
Yes, I could…. but I’m not really keen on showing off my ignorance to a high-profile editor. I mean, she didn’t have time to write it on the letter*, I’m sure she’s not going to want to go through the trouble to look it up.
*And I don’t begrudge her this. I know she has a ton of slush to wade through.
Jay and Silent Mike | Sep 6, 2005 | Reply
Hey Mur! It’s great to hear you talking about being a struggling writer. It’s not an easy thing to be.
I wrote a large number of short stories last year. Keeping track was a pain. I did, however, manage to keep track and get 8 short stories published in multiple mags and zines.
I’ve spent this year working on longer works and my real job has bitten into my writing schedule. It’s inspirational to see how much you’re doing (Geek Fu, this podcast, Wingin’ It, and Escape Pod, KotDT) as well as your paying gigs, yet you still put up a word count each day no matter how small it may be. To see that % get higher and higer is awesome!
In a podcast long ago on Geek Fu, you mentioned that there aren’t enough strong, female protaginosists out there. I’m working on a YA Fantasy novel (rough title A Boy and His Dragon) and you made me go look. Sure enough there’s almost NO female characters out there in YA Fantasy. This made me change my current WIP to A Girl and Her Dragon. the main character had an ambigious name and it was an easy transition (and I wasn’t that far into writing it as of yet.)
Thank you for your words of support and encouragement!
Pod On!
J.R. Murdock
Lou_Sytsma | Sep 6, 2005 | Reply
Your call of course but scan the ask the editor thread and you will see others have asked similar questions to the scenario you have described.
BTW thanks for the link to Sonar - what a great piece of sofware!
Graham | Sep 7, 2005 | Reply
Hi Mur - I’ve just come across your podcast (show 1) and loved it - it was great to hear your comments on your progress and the tips too.
I took part in nanowrimo (http://www.nanowrimo.org/)last year and almost made it to 20,000 with a sci-fi novel, although it was very dull (I had difficulty in persuading my prota to leave his flat). After that experience, however, I do appreciate what you said about just getting on with the writing, knowing that you can fix it later with a rewrite.
Your podcast intrigued me - I actually blogged my novel for last year’s nanowrimo (and having an audience, albeit only three readers, actually encouraged me to write more), and you’ve given me the idea to podcast the experience this year, so thanks for that.
Look forward to listening to more of your shows, and good luck with the novel - I’d also like to volunteer to podcast a chapter-by-chapter reader report when your novel’s finished if you want one and think it’d be useful/fun. Let me know (email@grahamstanley.com)
SeanH | Sep 8, 2005 | Reply
The problem with strong, female protagonists is that too often, their gender defines them. They’re not just warriors, they’re warrior women - look! Just as tough as men! She’s not just a scientist, she’s a female scientist, and she’ll show you all she’s as good as any man, and so on ad nauseam. Female characters get reduced to caricatures because everyone’s so taken with the fact that they have ovaries.
Joss Whedon is quite good at avoiding this (as well might he be - he has, I believe, a degree in feminist and gender studies). What’s needed isn’t so much female characters, as characters who are female.
Mur Lafferty | Sep 11, 2005 | Reply
sorry I haven’t kept up with comments. JR, it’s awesome that you’re trying to work more women into your novel. And yeah, you’re right, seeing the little percentage creep up, no matter how little a step, is gratifying.
Graham, I may be getting in touch with you to discuss NaNoWriMo, as I’ve never done it but I’ve always been interested in it.
And Seanh, you’re right on with the Look, a WOMAN! comment. That has always annoyed me. Other things that bother me is people writing feminine-dominated societies where they have to REMIND us time and time again that “men do not inherit” or “Men should defer to their wives.” Because if it’s ingrained in society, then no one would even question it.
Alastair | Aug 30, 2008 | Reply
Rather a late response (I’m new here) but I include some indication of what I sent on my SASE’s — just a keyword from the title and the market above my return address.
That’s in addition to a tracking file I keep in each story folder on the computer.