I’ve submitted the story F&SF kindly rejected to another magazine, this one with a much shorter response time, specifically Clarksworld. Again, my expectations are very low, just hoping to eventually snag a personalized response.
Month: July 2023
Woot! I just got my first ever rejection notice, finally! Achievement unlocked!
Now that I’ve crossed that threshold, it’s nothing but up from here. 🙂
I apologize for the delay in my updates here. It seems I have been neglectful in keeping you informed of my progress. Allow me to provide you with a more detailed and engaging account of my recent endeavors.
After much contemplation, I made the decision to halt my work on the story I had been developing during Week 2. Although I had managed to write a substantial 1600 words, I realized that the plot was becoming entangled with organic chemistry elements that lie well beyond my area of expertise. If I am to continue making meaningful progress on this particular story, it is clear that I will need to consult with an organic chemistry expert. Their guidance will ensure the plausibility of my narrative and spare me the wrath of readers armed with o-chem textbooks. Let’s avoid that scenario, shall we?
Week 3 turned out to be a rather unproductive week in terms of word count. Despite my initial efforts on the Week 3 story, I found myself succumbing to a persistent cold, perhaps a delayed consequence of attending a convention. Unfortunately, it took me longer than I would have liked to recognize my illness and take the necessary steps towards recovery. Consequently, a couple of days were lost to this ailment. However, I refuse to be disheartened by this setback.
Fortunately, I did manage to assemble most of the outline for the Week 3 story on Monday. Regrettably, some vital components were still missing, particularly a satisfying resolution for the climax. Strangely enough, inspiration struck while I was resting and recuperating from the illness that had invaded my throat. While I am pleased with the answers that have come to me, I cannot say the same for the method by which they were obtained. My productivity was hampered from Tuesday to Thursday, but I finally returned to my writing desk on Friday. Although completing the story within Week 3 seemed unlikely, I remained determined to make significant headway.
Compounding my challenges, San Jose has been in the grips of a heat wave, and unfortunately our Air Conditioner compressor decided to take an unscheduled vacation. Given that my writing space is located upstairs, the sweltering conditions made it unbearable to work there. Even with the assistance of a small fan I acquired from Target, the heat proved too formidable. Nevertheless, despite it now being Week 4, I continue to toil away at the Week 3 story.
Today, I managed to add another 2100 words to my tale, bringing the total to 5195, slightly outside my target range of 3000 to 5000 words. And I think I’m just passed the half-way mark of the story. Oops. Regardless, I am thoroughly enjoying the process, and that’s what matters, isn’t it?
A busy week including BayCon (a review is forthcoming) and July 4th, along with car troubles for a significant part of Friday means I did not accomplish my goal last week of finishing the first draft of a story during the week (my deadline is by bedtime on Saturday). I have several hours free now, time to see if I can finish it. Pre-writing rituals complete, butt in chair, fingers on keyboard. Let’s go…
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