Writer’s Life: The Year of Insane, Rediculous, and Nonsensical Challenges

Photo by Derrick Tyson, Creative Commons

2010 was a pretty good year, but I have to be honest…I spent a good chunk of it staring off into space. Not outer space, mind you. That would actually be cool. I’ve been spending too much time in inner space, the realm between my ears, thinking about whatever aspiring writers think about. Word counts. Rejection slips. Blog posts. Chocolate.

In 2011, I want to do less thinking, because really what is it good for? Doing is better, right? So this coming year, I’m eager to take advantage of my awesome part-time work schedule and fill my days to the brim with ridiculous challenges. Ten of them sounds like a good number, so here they are in no particular order:

1. Write 1, Sub 1 (write and submit one story per week)

2. NaNoWriMo, because is there any other option?

3. Script Frenzy, because the rest of my writing group is doing it, and if they jumped off a bridge, I would too

4. Ride my bicycle every single day

5. Become fluent in Japanese, or at least be able to have a passable conversation

6. Story a Day in May, because sanity is overrated

7. Read 26 novels pulled off the shelves of Half Price Books at random (an author from each letter of the alphabet, different genres, $100 limit)

8. Learn to play an instrument, preferably a sitar if I can afford one (I am completely tone deaf, so this will be much harder than it sounds)

9. I’m pretty sure I’m going to regret this, but I’m going back to being a vegetarian (with exceptions made for turkey jerky, of course)

10. Learn to do a headstand, which probably means I’ll need to restart my yoga practice

And not counted in the above list, finishing three other novels that I’m working on in various stages of completion. I think it’s pretty doable. I mean, I can always practice my Japanese while doing a headstand, or play my sitar while reading, or figure out a way to rig a laptop to my handlebars so I can write while I ride. Multitasking will definitely be the key to a successful year.

Writer’s Life: 2010 in Review

Photo by me, Ocean view through trees, Martha’s Vineyard

I had lofty goals at the beginning of 2010. Midway through the year, I cut them all in half, and still came up short on some of them. But I did get a good bit of fiction written this year, and did some other semi-interesting things, so here is my 2010 in all of its dog-eared glory:

Started a writing blog and kept up with it somewhat reasonably

Completed 11 short stories, for about 15,000 words total

Sold 8 short stories/poems

Reviewed 29 published short stories

Read a depressingly low number of published novels (like in the single digits)

Made 100+ short story submissions

Had a short story adapted into a one-act play

Got invited to join two new critique groups (apparently I’m in high demand now)

Finished my 2009 NaNovel, (about 50,000 words added in 2010), sent it to my critique group, and started querying it

Started another novel that stalled out at about 20,000 words

Attended ArmadilloCon, volunteered and got to sit in on the board meetings, worked the registration desk, and got roped into running registration next year

Visited the Science Fiction and Fantasy Collection at the Cushing Library (highly recommended)

Attended Viable Paradise Writer’s Workshop in Martha’s Vineyard

Had my first piece of fan mail (see, I told you I was sort of a big deal)

Won NaNoWriMo 2010 (still writing on it)

Critiqued numerous short stories and novels for my fellow writers

Applied (unsuccessfully) for a couple of slush reader positions, because obviously I don’t have enough on my plate

Met a ton of cool writerly folks, some I would even venture to call new friends

Holding on to the last strand of hope for my first SFWA sale this year (still eleven days left in December!)

Not too bad, I don’t think. Certainly I can aim to do better next year. Facebook has been a huge time sink for me, and I’ll need to find a way to combat that. Honestly, do I really need to keep up with what my 200 closest friends had for breakfast?

Man, this year went by impossibly fast. It was a good one, though, so I won’t complain. So how was your 2010?

Writer’s Life: Write 1 Sub 1

I just heard of a short story challenge, Write 1 Sub 1. Basically, each week you write one story and submit it. Repeat for a year.

Sound fun?