Odyssey 2013–Start your journey!

Posted on January 8, 2013 by Matthew S. Rotundo

The dates and instructor lineup for the Odyssey Writing Workshop have just been announced.  Guest lecturers this year include Holly Black, Adam-Troy Castro, Jack Ketchum, Patricia Bray, Sheila Williams, and writer-in-residence Nancy Holder.  The workshop will run from June 10th through July 19th.  The deadline for applications is April 8th.

I heartily recommend Odyssey.  I made my first sale as a direct result of my attendance.  But more than that, I can honestly tell you it changed my life.  If you’re ready to get serious about your writing, you owe it to yourself to check it out.

You can find complete details at the website.

Hie thee to New Hampshire, kids.  Yer old pal Matt wouldn’t steer you wrong.

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Progress Report, in which you’re glad that I’m wrong

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Matthew S. Rotundo

Another 2700 words brings the first draft of “The Winter Palace” to a close.  Magic Meter marks the moment:

Got a little concerned toward the end of the week that I wouldn’t be able to wrap this up.  I’m quite glad to have been wrong.  And trust me, so are you.  Otherwise, I would have had to weary you with another litany of excuses.  Really, who needs that?

Anyway, I finished it, so you can relax.  You’re welcome.

One more snippet for ya:

She stood for long moments, listening for Gan’s voice, or his hissing laughter, or the soft rasp of his scales over the stones.  She heard only her own breath, her pounding heart.

Her feet would not move.  They remained stuck to the floor as if rooted there.  She told herself that had to be swift now, that if she moved quickly and quietly enough, Gan might not even know she was here.  But still her feet would not move.

She thought of all the things Gan had called her.  Brave.  Clever.  Wise.  They had all been sugar-coated lies–or so he thought.  But she would show him the truth of them.

“One step,” she whispered.  “Just one.”

She inhaled deeply and took a halting, jerky step down the passage.

Again, you’re welcome.

Next up, much admin work, and then we delve into the rewrite of Apocalypse Pictures Presents.  Here in Writerland, the party never stops.

No updates for Write Club.

Right.  Gotta get to bed.

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The Shape of Things

Posted on December 31, 2012 by Matthew S. Rotundo

It’s time once again for my annual year-in-review post.  Let’s get to it:

The Raw Data

New Fiction:  54,252

Other Verbiage (blog entries, crits, etc.):  16,560

Total New Words:  70,812

Rewrites:  43,122

Submissions:  27

Rejections:  29 (includes withdrawn manuscripts)

Sales: 0 (sigh)

Publications: 1

Conventions/Workshops Attended:  Launch Pad, WorldCon, MileHiCon

Assessment

My 2012 goals were as follows:

1.  Write at least 100K of new fiction.

Missed this by rather a lot, obviously.  But I did finish the first draft of a new novel in Apocalypse Pictures Presents.  And I really didn’t have any other novel projects ready to go.  Late in the year, I tried to force Escaping Canaan, but it just wouldn’t be forced.

2.  Write at least 100K in rewrites.

Also missed by a lot, but the number is up from 2011.  This is due to significant revisions of “From Earth I Have Arisen” and “Spectator Sport,” two projects that had been languishing.

3.  Improve submission statistics, including novel queries.

Submission stats were slightly down.  I can attribute this at least partly to having fewer stories in inventory.

4.  Continue critiquing.

Met this one by participating in the WorldCon Writers Workshop.

5.  Continue weekly progress reports.

Yep.  I keep chugging on.

I suppose I should be down about the diminished productivity and the lack of sales, but I’m just not in the mood for self-pity at the moment.  To put it in football terms, I guess I can consider 2012 a rebuilding year.  The rewrites of “From Earth” and “Spectator Sport” took longer than I would have liked, but in fairness to myself, they were pretty major revisions.  The latter story was rewritten from the ground up, and I lopped off a huge chunk of the former, which resulted a great deal of surgical repair.

In addition, I had my mind expanded at Launch Pad (in addition to making some new friends), and I learned from the abortive attempt at Escaping Canaan not to push on a project when my heart’s not in it.  So while there might not have been productivity, there was growth.

Seen in that light, 2012 wasn’t too shabby.

Looking ahead . . .

Goals for 2013

1.  Write at least 100K of new fiction.

2.  Write at least 100K in rewrites.  Most of this will come from Apocalypse Pictures Presents

3.  Improve submission statistics, including novel queries.

4.  Continue critiquing.

5.  Continue weekly progress reports.

Basically, the same goals as 2012.  No point in raising the bar when I haven’t met the previous one yet.  Emphasis on yet.

Onward.

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