Desperation<Antsy
September 27, 2016
Early in 2015, I got desperate.
My job wasn’t working out very well, and my boss thought that changing departments would help my case. It had the potential to do so, but I had no desire to be there. Aside from that, I wasn’t working typical 8 hour shifts at 40 hours a week, but anywhere from 8-12 hours a day for as many hours a week as I could cram in.
I hated it!
Not to mention, my debt was terrible. I had no discernable or legal way of getting it taken care of in the next ten years, if that. The clock was ticking and I was hurting. Of course I looked for new jobs like you wouldn’t believe, but I had to find a way to get that immediate, quick burst of extra money.
Well hey, I’m a writer, so I figured, why not write a story or two that might actually sell? I mean, I’ve been trying to sell stories for money for a while now, but if I pay attention to what the high paying markets are accepting, I’m sure to get published and make some moolah, right?
Yeah, no.
I searched for the greatest science fiction short stories of all time. Many lists came up, but most of the stories were the same, albeit in different slots. I bought several issues of current sci-fi magazines, and checked out what was popular online. A few things stood out to me, so I took some notes.
In February (2015, natch), I wrote two stories. Well, more than that, but two specifically for this purpose. One I wasn’t happy with, and haven’t touched. But the other, I was just certain it would be the moneymaker, the contest winner, the Hugo nominee, the claim to fame.
Nope.
I’ve been sending that thing out for practically nine months now (funny how immediate need for money doesn’t start attempting to happen until almost a year after we start it!). There have been some nibbles, some lingering interest, but nothing really. A contest gave it an honorable mention, but let’s face it, honorable mentions don’t pay the bills.
Now look, you’re probably yelling at your monitor now that I shouldn’t be writing just for money. It’s a labor of love, right? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this is what I went to college for. This is what I want to do for a living. I love writing, I’ll never give it up, but if I can call this a profession as opposed to the hobby I barely have time for, I’ll be a happy Myke.
So you’re thinking, Myke, you’ve written stuff like this before. Why beat a dead horse into the ground again? This isn’t Donald Trump vs. Hilary Clinton. Definitely not Fox News, ABC news, CBS news, or NBC news. There’s no need for this Kardashian kind of stuff!
There’s a publication that this story has been submitted to for several months now. I can’t argue that they’re going slow because A)They pay very well, and B)They have an open submission period. Still, I’m afraid that I’m going to be sitting here waiting, only to receive a “Sorry, but no” when something else, anything else, could have happened.
Maybe that’s just wishful thinking. Maybe I’m right. Or maybe they’ll email me today to tell me congrats! Whatever the case, I’m getting antsy.
I don’t want this dream to die. Hopefully, they’re not killing it.
Artist needed!
September 17, 2016
Hey all, if anyone can recommend or suggest an artist, I’d be grateful! I have a project in mind, and I’m interested in the Bruce Timm style (Batman: The Animated Series), so something close to that would be awesome.
There is money in this, so hopefully that can entice some people. I’ve had a lot of people flake out or simply not respond, so if you leave a comment with some suggestions, that would be even more awesome.
Thanks in advance!
The worst kind
September 16, 2016
I have a story up for critique on an online workshop. I love it, because some of my best stuff has come from the help and guidance I receive on there.
There’s one kind of critique I can’t stand, however, and guess what? I just got one of them.
To be honest, I didn’t want to finish reading the critique. Not because it was negative or made me doubt my abilities as a writer, but because it was, well…shitty.
Some people out there just don’t “get it” when it comes to fiction. I mean seriously, fiction means fake, right? So why do people look for “grounded in reality” stories and question even the most basic tropes of science fiction or fantasy? There’s an alien over there! Well that doesn’t make sense because we’ve never had any proof of that happening.
Sometimes it’s even worse. How many times can I explain that something is glowing orange, and the very last reference to it you question it? Or the fact that yes, character A is driving and character B is in the passenger seat. Why is that such a big deal? They’re just talking!
Gah…
I hate to vent like this, but geez…if you’re that clueless, should you be critiquing stories?
Probably not. But then again, I probably shouldn’t let it get to me like this.
I’m glad I’m not a heavy drinker, because this would probably cause me to guzzle half a bottle of the hard stuff…
Hard earned, hard spent
September 15, 2016
I took the plunge tonight. Facebook has a function where you can “boost” a post with the power of the almighty dollar. I put money into it ($7! Whoo!), and now I’m eagerly awaiting massive hits and downloads on “Omar’s Well” and pretty much anything else I put on Smashwords.
A watched pot never boils, but in the four hours since I’ve done it, not much has happened. Luckily, I have it running for a week. I hope it works…oh, I hope I hope I hope…
Was it a bad idea? Should I not spend money to promote? It seems like the only way to reach a lot of people is by money. There are tons of free methods, but paying for it is like, “HEY! LOOK OVER HERE! SOMETHING YOU’RE INTERESTED IT! DON’T BE A FOOL AND CLICK THE LINK!!!!”
A free promo is kind of like a cute kitten saying “I’d be happy if you’d do this, but you really don’t need to.”
That’s just how I see it, but I’m curious to know what others think. I don’t want to spend a whole lot of money on promotions, but how else will this work out for me? Editors and agents aren’t picking up on things (and to the few editors who are holding onto my stories currently out there in the ether, what do you think?), and word of mouth doesn’t work unless your name is Neil Gaiman.
Sigh…
In other news, I wrote a new ending to a story, and have been plowing out all sorts of great stuff. Soon, my sexies. Soon, soon, soon…
Omar’s Well
September 10, 2016
Very proud to announce my latest self-publishing venture.
Go check it out:
It’s free! Why are you still here?