It is clear that NaNoWriMo is hogging all my available brain power. Case in point, I was reminded this morning that I had an episode of “Get Published” due for release today. I knew it was coming up, but for some reason I thought it was next weekend. Fortunately, I had my guest interview already done so the amount of effort was considerably less. Still, for me to forget the weekend for release is kind of a big deal for me. I’ve only been doing it for the last 22+ months with fail. You might think it would be top of mind.
Apparently it wasn’t today, but I did manage to get the episode completely recorded, produced and uploaded. Show notes created and added too so everything is good.
Now, on to my writing progress.
I did get some writing done this morning. Not as much as I wanted because I was working on the podcast. Noon was a bust because I was on the road and driving and writing don’t mix terribly well. My evening has also been largely dedicated to podcasting. I dropped by the local NaNoChat because I hadn’t been there in a while. I need to do more of that. Unfortunately, my schedule hasn’t really allowed me to attend any of the meet ups this year (so far, anyway). Anyway, long story short (or less long), I managed xxxx words tonight.
I also wanted to talk about a Tweet I made a few days ago that absolutely pertains to NaNoWriMo.
I Tweeted that everything I write is now intended for sale. As I thought about that Tweet, I wondered if I was being… well, overly mercenary in my writing. I was also afraid I might be coming across as egotistical and I certainly don’t want to have either of those things attributed to me.
I was assured by some of my Twitter friends that I should be writing with sales in mind. Some people write strictly as a hobby and I’m writing to make this into a career, so I guess I would agree.
But, I believe my Tweet didn’t quite convey exactly what I’m doing and why I feel the way I do so let me take this moment to explain myself a little further.
As you probably know, I have been trying to get my work published for a long time. Some days it feels like forever. However, all that has changed for me: In July my very first story appeared in Flying Island Presses’ e-magazine, Flagship and the next month my second story (but the first sold) appeared in Sorcerous Signals e-magazine.
The story in Sorcerous Signals was actually written for an anthology originally. It wasn’t accepted, but I still liked the story so I resubmitted it to Wolfsinger Publishing for Sorcerous Signals. When it was accepted I realized that my writing IS commercially viable. Even if I don’t succeed the first time, there is a very good chance someone else will pick up the story.
That lesson was recently reinforced. I wrote a Zombie Erotica story for another anthology. It wasn’t accepted for that one but someone else came forward and picked it up. That was a story I wasn’t expecting to find a home for because it is so different. Still, it was good enough to find a market.
So, does that mean I won’t be writing anything to share with my readers and listeners for free? Not at all. Does that mean I won’t write for non-paying markets? The same answer. Pay can come in many forms, exposure being one of them.
What it does mean is I will write with a market in mind. If it doesn’t get accepted by the first, then I will try another. And then another.
I know my writing is worth something now. There was a time I wasn’t sure but that has changed. If I’m to make a career of this I’ve got to treat it as a job, not a hobby and that means writing for pay. Is that mercenary? I don’t know. I’d like to think it’s pursuing a dream.
Daily word count:
Morning Word Count: ~100 words
Mid-day Word Count: 0
Evening Word Count: 3508 words
Total for Day: 3608 words
NaNo to date: 37,631 words
