Progress Report, in which I encounter a big if

Posted on May 24, 2010 by Matthew S. Rotundo

Rewrote the first four chapters of Wet Work last week, and you know what that means . . . 

Yes, folks, it’s time for the long-awaited return of Magic Meter!

Why, hello, old friend.  I’ve missed you.

All that note-making I’ve been doing over the past several weeks (aka The Roadmap) is apparently paying dividends.  If I can keep up this pace, I’ll have the second draft knocked out by the end of June, latest.

But wouldn’t you know it–I leave tomorrow for Hartford, CT, on day job goodness, and thence to NYC for a little Memorial Day weekend jaunt.  Laptop is primed and ready, so maybe I’ll get some work done on the plane, but anything beyond that is looking kinda doubtful.

So that’s a pretty big if, kids.

While I’m on the subject of the laptop–I’m pleased to report that Dropbox seems to work just fine on a Windows 2000 machine.  I’ve had it on the new PC for a few months now, and have been very pleased with it, but I was unsure if it would install on my aging laptop.  Turns out it did.  This makes my life a little easier, and anything that makes my life easier gets a thumbs-up.  So thank you, Dropbox.  Much obliged.

No updates for Write Club.

Gotta pack now . . .

(And if yer in NYC and available for a meetup with the wife and I, let me know in comments, wouldya?  Maybe we can work something out.)

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Announcing: The 2010 Rotundo World Tour!

Posted on May 23, 2010 by Matthew S. Rotundo

Con season is upon us again, so I thought I’d update all and sundry on where I’ll be this summer:

July 23-25
Omaha, NE
OSFest (The Omaha Science Fiction and Fantasy Festival)

August 5-8
Raleigh, NC
ReConStruction (NASFiC)

September 3-6
Atlanta, GA
Dragon*Con

I’m also trying to decide between MileHiCon and World Fantasy Con.  Can’t do ’em both.  The former would be considerably cheaper for me than the latter, as we can stay with friends in Denver–so that’s the way I’m leaning for now.  Will update you when I know more.

Unrelated to any conventions–I’ll also be in NYC over Memorial Day weekend.  I hear there might be a thing or two to do there . . .

If you’ll be at any of these venues, drop me a line in comments.  I sure hope to see you.

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Progress Report, in which I do the math

Posted on May 17, 2010 by Matthew S. Rotundo

Finished my rewrite roadmap, and have just barely begun the rewrite proper of Wet Work.

I had hoped, thanks to all the prep work I’d done, to bull right through this thing, to bust out a chapter a day.  Yet I find myself tentative for some reason.  I’m thinking it’s just that I haven’t gotten into the rewrite groove yet, and when I do, things will start to rock and roll.

Either that, or I just don’t really feel like working.  Knowing me, I’d say it’s about a toss-up between them.

The sale of "Right Before Your Very Eyes" to IGMS also gave me occasion to do just a little basic math.  See, since I’ve committed to writing a novel a year, my short story output has, predictably, dropped.  Plummeted, actually.  I’ve written one short story in each of the past three years.  I’ve also been fortunate enough to make several sales over the same period.  I’m actually selling short stories at a faster rate than I’m producing them–which sounds pretty impressive until you realize just how low the numbers are.

That trend is unsustainable.  You’d think I would have figured this out before now, but as I might have mentioned previously, math was never my strong suit.  Just imagine my surprise.

So.  Need to figure out a way to up my short story output.  Check.  But at the moment, I have a novel to rewrite.

Write Club updates:

Tier one bounce from an agent on a novel query, and a nice note from Asimov’s.  Response times, just over a month and about a month and a half, respectively.

Gotta motor . . .

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