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Welcome to The Literary Pig's blog - a safe haven for all those afflicted with
the unbearable urge to write.

Monday 4 March 2013

February round up


Last week I reminded the Indoor Writer that I'd soon be posting on her February achievements. This prompted a surge of submissions before the end of the month as follows...

The stats for Feb:

Write 1 Sub: 1 new short story written, 1 new serial synopsis and sample chapter written, 11 submissions (including novel opening for competition)
Publish e-collection: still collating the stories and now not sure if I should first try for The Scott Prize (Salt Publishing) before going straight to ebook.
Re-start the novel: am planning to use some of the existing novel for a short story (or stories). Will attempt this for BBC Short Story Competition (so need to pull finger out on this as deadline is 10am 11 March!)
Crack the Weekly News: Womagwriter's blog warned that TWN now has shut to new submissions until after 22 April. This is to allow the Fiction Editor Jill Finlay to clear the backlog. My story must be sitting in this backlog so I'm remaining positive on this goal.
Crack Woman's Weekly: story submitted - no response yet.
Write and sell a serial: synopsis and first chapter submitted, now waiting on a response...
Application for MA in Creative Writing: Application received, now waiting to hear if I will be invited for interview (chews on nails). 


Successes: Shortlisted in Flash 500 (but didn't make final 3), 75 word story published on Paragraph Planet, took part in Rattle Tales storytelling evening (read more on the event here), shortlisted for Write-Invite weekly competition (result not yet out). And no rejections for stories submitted - sometimes you have to celebrate the absences as well as the successes!

And now for the bad news... Income = zilch again. 
The Fish International Short Story Prize shortlist and longlists were also published. Disappointingly my entry didn't make the longlist. OK, so this was 348 stories out of 1600, but I really (REALLY) wanted to get on the longlist this year. Guess I have to 


Keep writing...

14 comments:

  1. Not a bad month's work! Keep it up.

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  2. Well done Tracy, a good month's work and don't be too disheartened by 'Fish' (that's one I didn't enter, by the way! I know we tend to enter the same comps!!) and your 'zilch' income in Feb. It's such a competitive market out there, we are all bound to have good days/months/years and not-so-good ones. Just remember the successes you HAVE had and remind yourself that more WILL come!

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    1. Thanks Helen - true and encouraging words. I will keep reminding myself!

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  3. Hi Tracy. I felt exhausted reading about all the things you've done this month. I am keeping my fingers crossed for you about the serial - that would be so exciting to do. Remember that the first to crack TWN buys cakes (I owe you a coffee as it is!)

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    1. Thanks Wendy. Hmm let's hope we both hear good news from TWN soon and we can feast on cakes!

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  4. Just wanted to say that I find your round-ups very motivating. Especially when I feel so lazy in comparison!

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    1. I'm so pleased to hear this Hayley - that you feel motivated not that you feel lazy! Never sure if this sort of post is helpful or downright irritating. And of course I can't stop now after 2 months...

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  5. You're doing well with those submissions, Tracy! Good luck with TWN - I've only ever managed one story in there so far.

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    1. Thanks Rosemary. Yes, TWN seem to be a tough one to crack! Well done if you have sold a story to them.

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  6. I think you've done brilliantly, Tracy!

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  7. Yes, keep writing! It's tough to keep going when you don't get positive results but the shortlistings and publication show you're headed in the right direction.

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    1. Wise words as always Patsy and much appreciated :)

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