Matthew S. Rotundo's Pixeltown

Found the last 2200 words of "Just a Game," bringing it to first draft status.  Here’s Magic Meter to make it official:

Boy, is this one too long.  And that title has to go.  And . . . and . . . and . . . let’s just say there’s lots more work to be done. Here I was thinking I’d been unhappy with From Earth I Have Arisen.  That one’s a masterpiece compared to this one.

Ah, but these are thoughts for later.

It occurs to me that I now have three first drafts in need of rewrites.  This is both good and bad.  Good, because it means I’ve been working, albeit more slowly than I would prefer.  Bad, because, you know–rewrites.  Not to mention that I need to start a new novel project, and would like to do so soon.

Yeah, well, as so often happens, what I’d like doesn’t really enter into the equation.

Am currently getting some mss back in circulation whilst pondering my next move.  Do I dive into the rewrite of From Earth I Have Arisen, or do I start making notes for the new novel?  I’m telling ya, the suspense is killing me.

Oh, and since I mentioned getting mss out, maybe now would be a good time to note that I’ve entered the next phase for marketing Petra.  I’ve pretty much exhausted the agent avenue, and am now submitting directly to publishers.  There was a time when I would have approached this move with the greatest trepidation.  But if I’ve learned anything about the publishing industry, it’s that there is no one path to success.  Sure, getting an agent would be ideal–but only if I get the right agent.  It does me no good to sign with a Big Name Agency that is too busy with its Big Name Authors to give my work more than cursory representation.  Nor does it help to go with a green agent who has nothing to offer but a boatload of good intentions.  I’ve seen both happen to friends of mine.  No, thanks.  If I have to go it alone, I’ll go it alone.  Wouldn’t be the first time.

Actually, I’m kind of excited about this development.  Not sure why, really.  The odds are not good here.  But excited I am.

And don’t get me wrong; I’m not giving up on agents entirely.  Still have plenty of them to contact about Wet Work.  So if you’re an agent and you haven’t gotten a query from me yet, just hang tight.  I’ll be with you shortly.

Write Club update:  Two and a half weeks to a tier one reject from Daily Science Fiction.

Truckin’ on . . .

A meager 2K last week.  Magic Meter meekly says,

Lost two days of productivity to tax preparation.  Really, I did.  But the biggest problem was a serious crisis of confidence about my ending.  I didn’t like it.  No, sir, not at all.  I must have discarded it, then reworked it, then discarded it again about half a dozen times.

I think I kind of have it worked out now, but wow, is this going to need some major rewriting.  It’s way too long, for one thing.  For another, the story’s taken a couple of wrong turns.  One of the hazards of not outlining, I guess.  I haven’t crashed and burned, but I’ve certainly put some pretty good-sized dents in the body.  I can only hope I haven’t bent the frame.

And that’s about as much automotive metaphor as you’re going to get out of me, thanks.

This first draft will go over 10K, but I’m not sure by how much.  But I’ll be done soon.  I hope.

Write Club update:  A little over five weeks on a non-response from an agent.  I’m calling it.

And I’m out.