I have dozens and dozens and dooooooooooooozens of short stories I have been trying to force to become novels for years. No more. This year, I am done thinking of short stories as "the things people who can't write novels do." I love writing short stories. So I am going to write short stories this year and love it.
Yes! I love this too. I honestly wish I was better at short stories than I am, but to each her own. Alice Munro was always a short story writer. Same with Amy Hempel and many more. You're in a good crowd.
This sounds like a perfect goal: consistency and building good habits. And we'll start our live sessions on the 2nd, but tomorrow (the 1st) I'll run a bonus episode here on Substack that I pre-recorded with Michael Lowenthal about spitballing. Stay tuned!
My goals for this year are to finish the first draft of my new novel. This was my goal for fall, too, and so far I have written six chapters. Another goal is to not let it bother me that I have not been able to get an agent for the other two novels I have written. I tried hard for a number of years. I was distressed by the agents who ghosted me after requesting a full or simply did not follow up on a query. Instead, I followed a friend's advice and pitched a short story collection, written over 20 years, to an independent publisher. To my surprise, after all the rejection from agents, the publisher has enthusiastically embraced my work. So, my debut short story collection will be published in 2024.
Congrats! That's amazing. And often a good showing with a smaller publisher can impress the mid-level or big ones for selling your next project, so it's good for you in many ways. Yes, it is depressing to be ghosted. Honestly, I tell my students at this point to expect it. Ghosting seems to have become the widely-expressed form of saying: "I've got too much on my plate and can't take another client who is doing what you're doing right now, but I've got no energy to actually write that in a reply email to you, so thanks." It's sad. But I'm glad you're still going, still submitting. And I love that you're still working on your novel. I hope that January gives you some good energy back.
Thank you for this post! Often times it seems to me that advice of this sort (or redirections?) falls into the "Of course that's right" category, and, for me, at least, rightfully so. It's nice to have a mirror held up to my goal setting process, and I think my biggest sin is the focus on the product rather than the process. So I don't know that this year I'll adopt a time per day or word count (I know, I know . . . word counts cam be problematic), but it is going to be a focus on ass-in-chair time Thanks again.
Thanks for this morning wake us up email. This got me thinking about how, last summer, I was writing nearly every day-- a vague goal I had set. I was getting my novel ready for querying. Then I started querying and the research, sending off of letters and samples, and responding to them took up all the writing space in my life. Haven't been writing at all, until the last two weeks. Now that those 13 queries resulted in rejections or silence, I've found something I want to do with the book -- make the main character a year old - 13 -- so as to position the book as a YA book -- I can write again. My goal is to do this rewrite of the first third of the book and another full revision before I go to the Muse in May. I set goals like that without thinking, gee, I need a goal...
Thank you for inspiring me today. Looking forward to more inspiration in January 2024...
As an aside: the cost of the Muse this year is very troubling. Only rich people and very poor people will get to attend. I am not poor, but I haven't yet told my husband of 34 years that I spent that money for a conference.... Eventually, I will have to and that won't be pretty! I wrote to Grub Street my opinion about this change. Their answer was unsatisfactory. I think that, now that they have a fancy building, they need to charge a lot for he Muse to pay for it. This is not the way to run a great conference. I am getting off my soapbox now.
Thanks for this! I love your non-goal goal! As for the Muse, I'm afraid I don't have anything to do with planning it, though I do know that the hotel costs for conference rooms in Boston have skyrocketed. Earlier this year, I heard they were actually talking about not holding the conference in person again due to this and this alone, but they're somehow making it happen. Still, it is expensive! Hope you enjoy it.
I have dozens and dozens and dooooooooooooozens of short stories I have been trying to force to become novels for years. No more. This year, I am done thinking of short stories as "the things people who can't write novels do." I love writing short stories. So I am going to write short stories this year and love it.
Yes! I love this too. I honestly wish I was better at short stories than I am, but to each her own. Alice Munro was always a short story writer. Same with Amy Hempel and many more. You're in a good crowd.
2024: finish this damn book!
Nice and simple (I'm pushing for you to finish it too!)
I'm with you, Timothy.
Thank you! Im working on setting smaller goals that circle around consistency so I can build habits along the way.
Will the first episode be ON January 1st or on Tuesday, January 2nd? Thank you so much!
This sounds like a perfect goal: consistency and building good habits. And we'll start our live sessions on the 2nd, but tomorrow (the 1st) I'll run a bonus episode here on Substack that I pre-recorded with Michael Lowenthal about spitballing. Stay tuned!
My goals for this year are to finish the first draft of my new novel. This was my goal for fall, too, and so far I have written six chapters. Another goal is to not let it bother me that I have not been able to get an agent for the other two novels I have written. I tried hard for a number of years. I was distressed by the agents who ghosted me after requesting a full or simply did not follow up on a query. Instead, I followed a friend's advice and pitched a short story collection, written over 20 years, to an independent publisher. To my surprise, after all the rejection from agents, the publisher has enthusiastically embraced my work. So, my debut short story collection will be published in 2024.
Congrats! That's amazing. And often a good showing with a smaller publisher can impress the mid-level or big ones for selling your next project, so it's good for you in many ways. Yes, it is depressing to be ghosted. Honestly, I tell my students at this point to expect it. Ghosting seems to have become the widely-expressed form of saying: "I've got too much on my plate and can't take another client who is doing what you're doing right now, but I've got no energy to actually write that in a reply email to you, so thanks." It's sad. But I'm glad you're still going, still submitting. And I love that you're still working on your novel. I hope that January gives you some good energy back.
I so badly need to finish this novel.
How absurd it is to still be with it.
I have so many drafts waiting to be finished.
And so many things to say and share.
I am tired with myself.
Do you want to submit your own recording or paragraph about what's holding you back? You can send it to my 7amnovelist@substack.com email. Thank you!
Thank you.
I will treasure these advises.
They are on my wall.
Thank you for this post! Often times it seems to me that advice of this sort (or redirections?) falls into the "Of course that's right" category, and, for me, at least, rightfully so. It's nice to have a mirror held up to my goal setting process, and I think my biggest sin is the focus on the product rather than the process. So I don't know that this year I'll adopt a time per day or word count (I know, I know . . . word counts cam be problematic), but it is going to be a focus on ass-in-chair time Thanks again.
I think it's difficult for all of us to focus on the process instead of the product, but a few good reminders can help. Enjoy! And thanks.
Thanks for this morning wake us up email. This got me thinking about how, last summer, I was writing nearly every day-- a vague goal I had set. I was getting my novel ready for querying. Then I started querying and the research, sending off of letters and samples, and responding to them took up all the writing space in my life. Haven't been writing at all, until the last two weeks. Now that those 13 queries resulted in rejections or silence, I've found something I want to do with the book -- make the main character a year old - 13 -- so as to position the book as a YA book -- I can write again. My goal is to do this rewrite of the first third of the book and another full revision before I go to the Muse in May. I set goals like that without thinking, gee, I need a goal...
Thank you for inspiring me today. Looking forward to more inspiration in January 2024...
As an aside: the cost of the Muse this year is very troubling. Only rich people and very poor people will get to attend. I am not poor, but I haven't yet told my husband of 34 years that I spent that money for a conference.... Eventually, I will have to and that won't be pretty! I wrote to Grub Street my opinion about this change. Their answer was unsatisfactory. I think that, now that they have a fancy building, they need to charge a lot for he Muse to pay for it. This is not the way to run a great conference. I am getting off my soapbox now.
Thanks for this! I love your non-goal goal! As for the Muse, I'm afraid I don't have anything to do with planning it, though I do know that the hotel costs for conference rooms in Boston have skyrocketed. Earlier this year, I heard they were actually talking about not holding the conference in person again due to this and this alone, but they're somehow making it happen. Still, it is expensive! Hope you enjoy it.