Weekly Goals - May 27, 2008

Unfortunately, the Memorial Day weekend wasn't as productive as I had hoped.

Results for this week:

1. Not started
2. Completed
3. In work
4. (Not on my original goals) Began reading a new book

And now the goals for the coming week:

1. Revise one chapter of Friends in Deed
2. Revise "Double Trouble"
3. Finish reading The Atlantis Prophecy

Submission status for the week:

Short stories:
"Entrapment" (since April 25)
"Redemption" (since February 29 - still under review, according to the mag)
"Obedience" (since May 15)
"Greed" (since May 15)

Aston West
novels
short stories
writing goals

Weekly Goals - May 20, 2008

Results for this week:

1. Completed
2. Submitted (under the title "Greed")
3. Started, not completed

And now the goals for the coming week:

1. Revise one chapter of Friends in Deed
2. Plot out a new short story
3. Revise "Double Trouble"

Submission status for the week:

Short stories:
"Entrapment" (since April 25)
"Redemption" (since February 29)
"Obedience" (rejected, re-submitted May 15)
"Greed" (since May 15)

Aston West
novels
short stories
writing goals

Weekly Goals - May 13, 2008

Results for this week:

1. Completed
2. Not yet submitted
3. Started, not completed

And now the goals (again) for the coming week:

1. Revise one chapter of Friends in Deed
2. Submit "Tough Luck" to an outlet
3. Plot out a new short story

Submission status for the week:

Short stories:
"Entrapment" (since April 25)
"Redemption" (since February 29)
"Obedience" (since May 3)

Aston West
novels
short stories
writing goals

Maybe I'm a Sociopath

Mother's Day is in a few hours...my mother has been deceased for over 15 years now, and Mother's Day doesn't much faze me anymore. I guess a normal person is supposed to be sad, upset, and depressed.

I'd like to think it's because I have faith in an afterlife, and believe I'll see my mother again one day. But then, maybe I really am just a sociopath.

For My Spanish-Speaking Visitors

Discovered an interesting website which apparently reviews short stories...but in Spanish.

Their take on Little White Truths
Their take on Ever Dark

And for those who can't read Spanish (like me), the translated version from Google:
Little White Truths
Ever Dark

Weekly Goals - May 6, 2008

Results for this week:

1. Revised two chapters of Friends in Deed (Just finished #2 tonight)
2. Submitted "Obedience" to a pro magazine
3. Not submitted
4. Finished Twelve Sharp

And now the goals for the coming week:

1. Revise one chapter of Friends in Deed
2. Submit "Tough Luck" to an outlet
3. Plot out a new short story

Submission status for the week:

Short stories:
"Entrapment" (since April 25)
"Redemption" (since February 29...waiting to hear back on my follow-up)
"Obedience" (since May 3)

Aston West
novels
short stories
writing goals

Subjectivity

I believe this is the biggest beef I have with the publishing business. Being an engineer, subjectivity doesn't always figure into things (though you'd be surprised how heated it gets when it does...engineers can be a brutal bunch).

In publishing, everything is subjective. Certainly, there are some guidelines (appropriate usage of the English language, submittal of the appropriate genre to the correct outlet, etc.), but all in all, everything comes down to whether a specific person likes your material at a particular point in time.

How ludicrous.

Take for example, a recent short story of mine. I worked it up, polished it, polished it some more, revised it and polished it even more. Then, I sent it to some readers for their feedback.

90% of the readers loved it...and not just friends of mine. There were only a few that didn't, and I even worked a few of their issues into the final product.

So, I've submitted it to a pro outlet (just mailed it out this morning). I have no delusions of grandeur, it's likely going to get rejected. And (if so) it will be because one person didn't care for the story at the very moment they received and read it.

Publishing is weird.