Since I came back to work in mid-February I’ve been cranking out texts, both work related and fiction. I think this is one of my most productive months to date, even though I only worked half a month. Sometimes it’s amazing to see what you manage when you’re rested.
My goals for the month have been to submit all the stories that I got rejections for when I was on vacation, and to finish a few stories that I had clogging my hard drive[note]No, that’s not an allusion to anything dirty.[/note]. I have to say that I managed to do marvelously. Also, I’m writing while sitting in a child’s recliner which pinches my butt[note]Because my butt is too broad, that’s what vacation will do to you.[/note] and having my computer on the sofa table, which is way too low, while workmen take my workroom apart and install an new wardrobe. Which won’t have anything writing related in it, or even anything cool. Unless you count my 15-year-old Speedos.
Fiction
- New words of fiction: 7 500, that’s between Feb. 22 and Feb. 29
- Completed stories: 5
- Completed words: 8 300 (because I finished stories I’d begun earlier)
- Submissions: 17
- Rejections: 11
- Sales: 0 *sigh*
- Published stories: 0 *double sigh*
- Currently submitted stories: 17 (of 20 total in circulation)
Well, submitting to top markets is what I want to do. Of course, you don’t get published nearly as much as I would like. But that’s life for you. At least I’m writing a lot right now, and if nothing else I can publish stuff on my site for everyone to read.
Also, I’m starting to write longer stories, as opposed to flash fiction, that I’ve been writing a lot of before. So I’m getting better, and that’s all that counts.
Non-Fiction
- 4 200 new words.
- 4 new blog posts.
I used up my buffer during my vacation so now it’s time to refresh it. I expect this number to go up in March. I’m also thinking about why I’m writing this blog, and what I want to do with it. Yes, it’s fun to write and it is good practice but there should be something more that I could do with it.
I have a long-term plan of creating a blook out of my collated posts, and that’s something that would be fun to do. I also have a plan of publishing a book of quotes (which I habitually collect whenever I read something that strikes my fancy), but that’s also way off.
For now I’m happy with keeping a regular publishing schedule, and I’m looking at guest blogging when I can. Meaning that I have to find blogs in my niche that accept guest posts, and if I do want to make something more out of this blog I’ll have to split it up into pieces, one for writing, one for game design and one for personal development. Which might not be a bad idea. We’ll see what happens. If you’ve got any tips on places to guest post, or what to do with a blog, feel free to contact me, or add them to the comments.
Game Design
- New prototypes: 0
- Playtests: 0
- Games played: 1
All I’ve managed to play this month is a single game of Terra Mystica. Which I won, and I still have no idea why I won it because I didn’t do very well for a long, long time. All I can imagine is that everyone else did worse.
And I have focused on my writing so the game designing has fallen by the roadside a ways. I don’t see that changing in March but you never know.
