Writing Update for October

Since my internet connection will be spotty through the end of the month, I'm posting my October update early. I expect to hear about one more submission before Nov 1, and I'll update this entry then.

• Submissions: 5 total -- 2 for publication, 2 for contests, 1 for a workshop
• Rejections: 2
• Acceptances: 1 (for a 2012 workshop). Also, 1 story was shortlisted for an anthology.
• Waiting to hear: 8 total -- 5 for publication, 3 for contests

What have I learned this month?

I continue to be a slow writer. It took me two weeks to write my last 5,600-word short story, however the good news is I'm getting better at identifying and fixing flaws earlier in the process. Not perfect, but better.

I once read some advice given to a young artist, though I can't find the source now: "Get good. Get fast. Then get good and fast."

This is October's motto.

I can tell my work is improving. I am juggling more threads in stories and consciously incorporating themes. As a result, stories are getting longer. There is one more story I hope to finish before November 1 -- the soft sci-fi one I've been talking about. I'd really like to get that out before NaNoWriMo eats my brain.

In November I need to work on subplots, long story arcs, and making sure I know what characters want and what's at stake.