May Goals, Sims 2 and Other Stuff

Okay, so I think it's time for another update on my May goals. If it's just crossed out with no explanation, then I already covered it in my first update on my May goals.

- Write a 3000 word short story - it's pretty much all planned out now, and even has a working title (which is more than I can say for my NaNo), so I hope to get started on that in the next couple of days.

- Work through Lesson 8 of the How to Think Sideways course, Planning. - I have started this. Or at least, I've read through the lesson. I'm deliberately putting off the actual task, though, since I don't want to start properly until all my edits for my NaNo are typed up.

- Type up all my handwritten edits for my NaNo story and send it to my sister to read. Will also probably get my husband to read it, although he's insisting that he wants me to read it aloud to him! Try and line up another writer to take a look at it, terrifying thought though that is. - I'm getting there. I'm nearly at the halfway point. I scrapped 3000 words today. Ugh.

- Put the pre-plan modules from Lesson 7 of HTTS into practice for my new novel idea. - Done.

- Edit the short story.

- Put Lesson 8 into practice for new idea. - Nope - see above!

- Further research into possible markets for short story.

- Submit short story. - Done. First and second rejections already received. Third submission made - and this one gives mainly personalised rejections, so hopefully if I don't make it in I'll get some helpful feedback.

So I'm doing pretty well, all in all. I've also done some other stuff on my NaNo - I finally drew a decent map for it (yay!) and I also built two of the key buildings in Sims 2 (my gaming weakness). That's really helped me get a feel for the world and the layouts - I had most of it pretty much in my head anyway, but it's really helped to clarify a few things. I did create two of the characters as well - limited accuracy, really, but it made me think a bit more about the physical characteristics that I maybe haven't described as well as I should. I've also been doing some behind the scenes work on my new website - not quite ready yet, but it's getting there.

Oh yes, and I'm moving to Wales, where I will have a gorgeous view over a beautiful green park from the room I've already labelled my Writing Refuge. If that doesn't help my muse, I don't know what will.

Writing Resources

I'm still waiting on feedback for my short story, and in the meantime I'm getting on with typing up my edits on my NaNo 08 novel - which still hasn't got a title. I'm not even close to one. But anyway, it means there isn't really much to tell you, so instead I'm going to talk about writing resources.

As I'm still working out my process (and I hear that's something that can go on indefinitely) I like to try out new things from time to time, and here are a few of the sites, programs and other resources that I've found particularly useful.

Software

• yWriter 5. This is a completely free piece of software which I've found works really well for organising longer pieces of fiction. It allows you to create chapters and scenes, with individual notes for each if required, helps you build character bios, allows you to generate a timeline for your story and keeps you on track by letting you know how many words you've written that day. (As I'm editing at the moment, though, this isn't always a good thing - yesterday my word count was minus 1500.)
• SuperNotecard. Another free piece of software (although you can upgrade to the full version for $29), this is great if you like your 3x5 index cards. It allows you to group and move around notecards on the screen, so it's great for plotting and outlining. It has a number of other features I haven't quite got round to exploring yet - for example, factors, which look like they allow you to create relationships between cards.
• Evernote. I only downloaded this yesterday, but already it looks like it's going to be really useful, especially for keeping research notes together. I was sceptical until I actually tried it, since although I've heard lots of good things about it nobody had really explained what it does clearly enough for me to quite grasp. Essentially, it allows you to take 'clips' from whatever you're looking at or working on - a webpage, an email and so on - and save them to what's called a notebook, so that all the pieces of information relevant to one topic, from whatever medium, are available to you in one place. As well as being downloadable software, you can also access all the things you've saved straight from the web - so you don't even need to be at your own computer to bring up all those important bits of research.

Websites

• Remember The Milk. Okay, so this one isn't strictly just for writing, but it's been invaluable to me since I started using it a couple of months ago. Essentially, it lets you create to do lists - so for example, I have one list for work, one for personal stuff, and one for writing. You can schedule tasks for a particular due date, give them a priority level, and set them to recur. Currently I have 'Type up changes' on my writing list as a task which occurs every morning, and every weekday evening. I get so much satisfaction from ticking things off lists that sometimes I'll add things I've already done, just so I can hit the 'Complete' button. It's really helped me to organise myself - so if you're a bit absent-minded, like me, give it a try.
• Books And Such Literary Agency Blog. This is a fairly new addition to my favourites, but there's a lot of really good information here. At the moment they're doing a Kiss of Death series of blog posts - to quote, "The phrase “kiss of death” is shorthand for “Uh-oh, that writer has just stepped off a precipice.”" It's a very interesting look at some of the things writers can do wrong in their careers!
• BookEnd Literary Agency Blog. In another great agency blog, Jessica Faust's posts are very honest and fair, and always fascinating to read. She often answers questions which have been posted, and I haven't yet seen a post in which there wasn't something I was really glad to have read. Well worth checking out.
• Genreality. Another blog, but this time from the author's side. There are six bloggers, each of whom have a different day to post, and they all have interesting insights into the writing world. (I'll also point you specifically to this post, which is what prompted me to try Evernote.)
• Will Write for Wine forums. Writing can get lonely sometimes, but there are lots of other people in the same situation. If you can join a writers' group in your local area, then do it - but if not, there are hundreds of communities for writers on the internet. This is my favourite, which grew out of the fabulous Will Write for Wine podcast (which I'll get to in a minute). If you're looking for somewhere to find other writers, and especially if you also have a fondness for wine, Joss Whedon and procrastination with online games, then come on by and say hello. We're currently in the middle of our May Marathon, where we're all trying to psych each other up and get on with some writing, so now's a great time to join.
• Duotrope's Digest. Particularly good if you're writing short stories, this is a fantastic resource - a huge database of markets for your work, which lets you search, browse and find the publisher or magazine you're looking for really easy. It also allows people to track their submissions, and from that generates helpful information about which markets have a higher acceptance rate, how likely they are to give you personalised feedback and how quickly they respond. Really invaluable.
• How to Think Sideways with Holly Lisle. This is the writing course I'm currently working my way through. I have to mention it, because although I'm only eight lessons in it's made a really huge difference to my writing. I really do feel as if I'm learning a lot more as I go along - not just about the craft, but also a lot about me, my process and how I work best. And I'm definitely running into some surprises there. It's really spurring me on, and if you are looking for a course, this is well worth checking out.

Podcasts

• Will Write for Wine. Although sadly this podcast has come to an end, there are around sixty programmes in the archives. Presented by Lani Diane Rich and Samantha Graves, the podcast covers a huge range of publishing and writing topics, and is filled with useful information, as well as being highly entertaining. Definitely worth checking out.
• Writing Excuses. This one's really great when you don't have much time to listen, as each episode is only fifteen minutes long, which means that it's almost pure information. Although it's mainly aimed at writers of science fiction and fantasy, there's a lot of great advice in there for any writer.
• I Should Be Writing. First started when the podcaster, Mur Lafferty, was entirely unpublished, listening through the archives to this and following her journey is fascinating. As well as her own thoughts on various writing and publishing issues, Mur also posts regular interviews with other authors.

Fun Links - I'm not going to explain these ones. They really just have to be seen to be appreciated...

• Peter's Evil Overlord List
• Write or Die
• Tom's Glossary of Book Publishing Terms
• Fantasy Name Generator
• Plot Twist Generator
• Random Book Title Generator
• Editing Letter

Update on May Goals

Just over a week ago I set myself some goals for May as part of our May Challenge over at Will Write for Wine. Here's how I'm getting on - completed tasks have a line through them, my comments and additions are in bold:

- Write a 3000 word short story - it's pretty much all planned out now, and even has a working title (which is more than I can say for my NaNo), so I hope to get started on that in the next couple of days. - I had a first draft before the 1st May was over. It turned out that it wasn't quite going to make it to 3000 words - there wasn't enough story for that - but I was pretty pleased with it.

- Work through Lesson 8 of the How to Think Sideways course, Planning. - Haven't done this yet - seems silly to start it when I haven't finished the previous lesson's exercises yet!

- Type up all my handwritten edits for my NaNo story and send it to my sister to read. Will also probably get my husband to read it, although he's insisting that he wants me to read it aloud to him! Try and line up another writer to take a look at it, terrifying thought though that is. - Nothing yet.

- Put the pre-plan modules from Lesson 7 of HTTS into practice for my new novel idea. - I've started this - I've done character sheets for my protagonist and antagonist. Hoping to get some more done over the weekend.

- Edit the short story. - Done - I'm on the third edit now. First I showed it to my husband, who was very helpful, and followed his suggestions. Then I asked a couple of the people in my HTTS workshop to take a look at it, and have taken their comments into account. I'm waiting for their feedback on the changes now, and then I think it's about ready.

- Put Lesson 8 into practice for new idea. - Nope.

- Further research into possible markets for short story. - Done - I've found six I like and put them in the order I'm planning submit to them. I'm not expecting miracles - these are pretty difficult markets to crack and I am after all entirely new at this - but I'm kind of looking forward to that first rejection. Also a couple of them seem pretty good at personalising rejections, so that should be useful.

- Submit short story.