Monday, October 07, 2013

Writers Finish What They Write

Ha. I'm one to talk. I have 20+ story starts on my computer. But one of the rules of being a writer is to finish what you start. So I felt like the real deal tonight when I finished Beatings. A few beta readers will check it over and then it's off to the person who can make a decision on whether it'll be published or not. If my beta readers find some issues, I'll look them over and correct them if they make sense (especially typos and odd mistakes). But I hardly ever re-write whole sections. I cycle back through and edit as I go during the original composition time.

That's another rule for writers. Don't edit except to editorial order. In other words, as Robert Sawyer says, don't tinker endlessly with the story. Once it's done, send it off to market (Rule #4). We are hardly ever fit judges for our own work. Let the market decide and write the next one. That's what I'll do later today or tomorrow, send it off.

Speaking of editorial requests, I'm still waiting to hear from EDF about the two flash fictions they requested I expand: Possibly His Last Exorcism and I Just About Died! I like Every Day Fiction, but I've learned not to read the comments. A lot of them are simply mean-spirited. As Dean Wesley Smith says (I'm paraphrasing) - most reviewers are failed writers. Well, I don't know about most reviewers, but I suspect that most negative reviewers/commenters are failed writers. Successful writers usually offer encouragement or simply stay silent when it comes to what others have written.

New words today: 1200
So far this month: 6000

Thanks for reading.

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Keep it clean and positive. (And sorry about the word verification, but the spmb*ts are out in full force!)