The Hunter's Journal

Hear me out.

I want to apply to the EWU MFA in Creative Writing program. It's two years long, and then, I can set my sights on something else. But I've wanted to do this for a while.

Now!

Applications are closed for the fall. They closed on March 1st. That's fine. I can wait until Next Fall to go back. The thing that's really giving me pause is the 15-25 pages of "publishable" writing that is needed.

Can I come up with it? Yes.
Is it publishable? Eeeeeeh. I can edit between now and then, though.
Is it genre fiction? Yes.

See, I don't write "literary fiction" much. I really don't. And I have to come up with 15-25 pages of it now. Not only that, but it needs to be "publishable". I put that in quotes because EWU does the same.

It's giving me pause, because being judged on my writing is hard for me. I am planning on putting "Step" in the group of writing, because it was published. That's a step in the right direction, right?

I also have pause because they don't want genre fiction. I write genre fiction. That's pretty much my bread and butter. I write it and then I edit it and then.... well, usually it sits, but lately I've sent out a few pieces?

I just... don't know. Nothing else is giving me pause. It's a good program, and hopefully, I can work while going to school. Plus, there's getting letters of recommendation. Who do I even ask? The 800 word letter stating why I want the MFA is easy. I could do that practically in my sleep. But the rest of it?

And I need to edit all my "literary fiction" so that it's publishable quality. Well, except "Step". I'm working on edits, writing new things, and rewriting things every day.

It's not going well.

Ugh. This is complicated with things from Sam's side too. I know he wants to go back to school to become a nurse, and both of us going at once is a Bad Idea, but I don't know when he's going to go. Which is why I might just "do it".

... Anyone want to edit my stuff for me?

So, the question was asked: How to figure out how your writer brain works best?

We all have our routines. No matter what it's for. We have our work routines, our chore routines, our food routines. Routines keep our lives normal and keep us on an even keel. And, if you're like me, when those routines are disturbed things get thrown off kilter and it takes a minute to get back into the proper mindset.

How do you figure out how your writer brain works best? Is it a routine? Is it spontaneous? Well, let's look at some ways you can figure it out:

If you're writing, perhaps the best thing to do is to write down your daily word counts. Look at the days where you write the most. Then, write down what was going on around you at that time:

Think of how your environment was set up. Think of where you were (on the couch, at the table, at a desk...).

What about food and drink? Did you have some? Or were you without, so you could focus more?

Cleanliness is the next thing. Were all your household chores done? On hold? Did you just get out of the shower?

And see, here's what I suggest. Write all these things down that you can remember. Make notes on your tracker. Something along the lines of "On the couch, with laptop, water bottle, with chores done". Something that simple can tell you a lot about what you need to get your writer brain going.

Me? I need structure. I need a job so that I can get to work early and get in a little bit of writing time, before I punch the clock. Then, writing on lunch.

But see, I know this. I know this because I look at my word counts for the months I worked this year, and the months I haven't and noticed that the months I worked? I cranked out 15k in a month. Now that I'm not working? I’m lucky to crank out 2k. It’s still something, but it’s not what a part of my brain thinks is “enough”.

Okay, now you know your physical routine. You know where you need to sit, whether you’re drinking/eating, and you’re poised and ready to go. What next?

How do you begin your writing session? Do you freewrite? Open a new word document and just plaster down random words until something coherent forms? Or do you open one of your WIPs (if you only have one, you must tell me HOW) and read a little to get you into the scene, and back into your correct headspace?

I have a friend, who freewrites until something coherent starts to form. Then, she’ll switch to a current WIP and get into it. But she freewrites in a journal. No tapping away furiously at a keyboard, no no. That journal - I’ve seen it - is filled with random snippets of everything under the sun, which she also says is awesome, because sometimes, she needs an idea for something and BAM right there in the journal. But once she uses the idea, she’ll make a mark on the page, letting her know it’s been used. (I think she puts a star sticker on the page or something? I’m not sure)

Okay, so you’ve created your environment, you’ve done your prep. Now it’s time to settle in and write. You’ve set yourself up for success. That success could possibly need one more element: Time.

I’m not saying you need a lot of time. When I was working, and thus writing more (Structure is my friend; this freewheeling is not!) I knew how much time I had. About 45-50 minutes before work (I did this on purpose to have writing time) and an hour at lunch. I set an alarm at the proper times so I knew when to quit writing (8am and 1pm). Now, having that alarm was somewhat anxiety inducing, but I knew that it wouldn’t let me go over and if I stopped writing while in a decent groove, I’d be able to pick it up again, probably the next day. But sometimes, at home too.

And here’s my last little bit of advice: Leave the brain wanting more. Don’t write yourself out. Write to a place and stop. Put it to the side and tell the brain, it’ll have to wait until next session to put those words down. In this, at least for me, it means that writing is always percolating in the background and letting me rev it up faster, next time.

These are all suggestions. Your brain may not need the structure of a job. You may not need time set in your phone. You may not need the perfect circumstances. But give these suggestions a shot if you’re struggling. Can’t hurt, right?

So, what makes a story “fantasy”? What vital pieces of information are needed to declare something within the fantasy genre?

Magic? Technology? Fantastical races? What makes it fantasy?

( The checklist )

Good writing, and enjoy your day!

If I can get google docs to play right, I'm going to be working on Steampunk today. I'm about 40 pages from the end. That means if I can get a few done today, then a few more tomorrow, then a few more the day after that... Well, you see where I'm going with this. I've been getting burnt out on editing for a while.

But, I'm also picking up Lynx again. Lynx is a story about a psychologically damaged woman who becomes an anchor wife for a defected hockey player. She comes to care for her husband, who loves her, even though her parents are trying to rip them apart.

So, that's what I'm going to be working on next.

Once that is finished, Steampunk's editing should be finished too. And that'll be a load off, but then I have to start editing Faeries, Boy Bands, and Other Alternatives to Necromancy.

So, ya know.

Ugh, keep getting interrupted to do my job. (I signed up for OT and am working it until 9am)

I'm really looking forward to getting back to the writing stage again, even if the story isn't one that has long to go. I think that'll help, that sense of accomplishment. So, that's where I'm at. And OT is awesome because MONEY, which will help, immensely.

On the job front...

I keep getting told no. I want to be in an office, but no one seems to be willing to give me the chance to do that. I don't want to work retail again, just to get out of the house! But it's looking more and more that way.

I get interviews, and in fact have another one tomorrow. Meaning my resume and cover letter are good! The problem is they all want Washington Experience, and I don't have that. I have Ohio experience, and that's not good enough. I swear, we should have come out here earlier, and done my paralegal out here. I'm regretting going to Cincinnati State to get it now.

Sigh. Maybe I'm just bitter that not even Catholic Charities will hire me. They just sent me a rejection letter. With a "Thanks but no thanks" message to it. I'm not sure why, they didn't go into that. I'm just... tired of that happening.

So, that's where things stand here. I'm going to go get writing now.

So, I've been thinking a lot lately about submissions, and the guidelines therein. Everyone has their own guidelines, and thinks it's the bees knees about what way it should be done. I get that. Everyone has their preferences.

However. It would infinitely make my life easier if you just accepted the standard format of double spaced, Times New Roman size 12 font, with indented paragraphs. Is that too much to ask?

But no, there are other formats out there which means I have to go through and reformat everything! And it's frustrating, and I dun like it!

Anyway, I'm thinking of farming out a couple of things, they're shorter, but longer than I want to put on Patreon. They'd be a good thing to break into something, or somewhere. I'm kinda nervous about it, because I have sent out a novel that has not been read as of yet.

Or at least, I assume they haven't read it because I haven't gotten a rejection.

That's another thing. I'm okay with rejection, because I know, now, that they're rejecting the work, not me. They're not saying I'm a bad person or anything, just that the work doesn't fit what they're looking for. And that's okay. I'd rather rack up rejections, than just having my work doing nothing. Sure, I write for my own edification sometimes, but really, I'm writing for print, and have a need to get it out there and see if anyone else wants to read it.

Now, rejecting the work will still hurt, and I've no doubt that sometimes, I'll take it personally, but I gotta get the rejections to get anywhere else. To improve my craft, I need rejections. I need to know what works, and what doesn't. Oh, things still need edited, and yes, I actually sent something out that I didn't edit, but ya know, I'll take the rejection - form or personal - and see what is going on.

I'm wondering if this maturity as a writer has come from my "fuck its". Because recently, I've noticed that I don't have fucks to give, meaning, it may be that I'm just done pussyfooting around with some things. Oh, there are still things that I will namby pamby about, but my writing is beginning to not be one of them. I need some real honest feedback, and need to find it.

So, anyway... those are my thoughts on submission. I've been using Submittable to manage my submissions, and to find places to submit. Which is nice. I'm looking for more, and go back about once a week and see what new ones have been added. Might be shoving a story at a few places next week, depending.

Ugh. I had more to say, but things here went tits up and I just don't have it in me.

So, ya know I have a Patreon. But now I also have a Fiverr account because making time bits of money here and there helps. Some, anyway.

I'd work outside the home on gig things, but.... I don't have a car, so that's a thing that needs to be fixed, and then I can work gigs outside the house. Because while Uber/Lyft are slave economies, this is something that I may have to do until I can start making enough money to actually survive and not just float.

But, there are problems with gig economy jobs. Namely, it takes a while to get established, so patience is necessary, even when you want it right fucking now.

I'm hoping that I can get a few gigs here and there, and that I can maybe make a little bit of extra money, so that I can begin paying bills, and paying people back. Also need to call the attorney today and see where we're at there, since I haven't received any paperwork at all. Never mind, having just checked my email, I see where he told me to sit tight for three weeks.... a week ago.

So, I've been editing my STeampunk manuscript and still have no good title for it. I'm about to start calling it "Demons and Dirigibles" Just because it sounds funny. However, I shouldn't, so I won't.

Life continues apace. I haven't heard from the flash fiction that I attempted to submit. Not sure if that will be accepted or rejected. I am thinking, though, that gathering rejections shows that I am trying. It shows that the writing is worth something, not just sitting on a harddrive somewhere being stagnant.

Son is having some issues that we're currently working through. It means more work for me, but I don't mind. He's still my woobie, and that's all that matters (yes, he's 22, no I don't care).

So back to editing for me. After I edit the first time, I'll work on something else, then edit a second time before worrying about a rewrite. I think that'll work the best for me.

So; I finished a story that has two names. One is just the name I call it in my head, "Kalla's Wedding", and the other is a name I think would suit it well: "Keepers of the Empire". So, going to have to decide on a name for it, eventually.

However, since the story comes in at about 58k, I am going to need to edit it pretty badly and maybe even add to it.

But it's done. It was also my 2013 NaNo project, and now it's done. I'm very proud of that fact. The story is done, none of it was according to plan, but who cares? I like the story.

I'm in that weird liminal space of "I just finished something, but I need to write." I hate this space, because until my brain settles, I might be able to do RP tags, but not much more than that.

I've also got a scarf I'm working on! It's all crochet, so we'll see if/when that gets done. For right now, it's slow going, despite working on it a lot yesterday.

I have several pieces I could work on, NaNo 2014, Slayers, and Fae Hunter. I might need to go back and read NaNo 2014. Or perhaps I will edit? I really need to edit a few things: ( Editing things )

So, those are the four that really need edited, badly. I have others, but those four are the ones that I haven't worked on in a while, and thus, will be the most objective. I'm not sure that I can be objective yet, but maybe?

I need to write something to go up on Patreon, because I'm out of shorts. And I don't want my longer stories up there, yet. I doubt I ever will, because if I can get them edited, there's a few (Keepers of the Empire, Steampunk, maybe others) that I want to farm out, like professionally farm out.

But they need badly edited, and I know it. (I know I can write well, but that doesn't mean I don't need an editor. I am not Anne Rice.)

However, I need to find an editor. I'm having trouble doing that. I don't want to pay an editor, not unless there's literally no other choice. And right now, I have that choice. I may take Steampunk and farm it out as is. After all, a good agent will have an editor, and know what needs to be worked on, right? HOW DOES THIS WORK?

I'm blathering and I know it. I'm just stoked that I finished something, even if it's not ready for public consumption yet.

I'm going to be crocheting for a few days, just until my writing mojo comes back from minivacation. I have about 26 more rows to go on the scarf, so need to get that going. Here's to finishing things, and moving on.

See; I don't actually get grades until later this week, so, who knows if I pass French or not? Because I sure as hell don't.

But, let's look at what I'm doing come the new year, shall we?

Work: So, M, the pharmacy manager has done something wonderful. Not only am I working either 10-6 or 9-5, but I'm also only working M-F. Meaning, Saturdays are mine again! Meaning, I can do things with AJ, and around the house and don't have to worry about babysitting for him, or anything else!

This is something that has been two years in the making. This schedule actually starts Monday, as in tomorrow, so we'll see how well it goes.

Gradschool: So, I applied to three: Ole Miss, WMU, and GSU. Ole Miss, I'll hear something from them in January I believe, but the rest I won't hear about until March or April. So, who knows. It probably all depends on if I pass French.

Writing: I'm participating in two writing challenges starting the beginning of the year. One is inkingitout the other is getyourwordsout! The first is a word challenge, the second is a day challenge. I need something to keep me consistent.

Books: I'm also thinking of getting back into BookMooch. I have some books from school that I want to get rid of and this seems like the best way, since I really have some books I want. But, I'm looking at books to own, so if you have something I should own, let me know.

That's about all from here, though. <3 I've missed you all.

Edit: Spoke too soon. Fuck my life. I didn't pass French, and that means no degree.

My children return to school in the morning. This means my writing time returns and I can be as loud/quiet/etc that I want.

Things I'm going to be writing:

- KoO Yes, again. I've got a new way of beginning it and am cleaning up some plot problems.
- Bad Harlequin A romance story that I am rewriting because some of it just irritated me.

This will go on until the dreaded NaNo. I don't know what I'll be doing then, but... I will be doing NaNo, of course.

So, apparently, today is National Day on Writing. Who knew?

So, as I just posted to my twitter feed: "Because my head is too full of Other People. #whyI write"

There are some real gems in there:

From @spacejock: "To get the voices out of MY head and into YOURS."

From @neilhimself: "Because I can lie beautiful true things into existence, & let people escape from inside their own heads & see through other eyes."

From @LouMorgan: "Because I never trusted the primary school teacher who told me nothing good ever came of day-dreaming."

So, yes, apparently, today is National Day on Writing. Why do you write?

NYT article