March Updates

Herein lie all the updates!

I'm not going to ask how it's March already. It is and I just have to face that fact. I'm also going to face the fact that maintaining a website with free stories while I'm trying to search out publishing options is tough.

Like just about everyone else, I have a Day Job that I need in order to have things like a home, electricity and internet. Due to this, a large chunk of my daily life is gone.

This is not an excuse. We all have obstacles and demands on our time. We make time for things that are important to us. I am sometimes up until past midnight, but I make time for my writing.

The difference this year is I trying to follow the traditional publishing route. This means sending stories to magazines and cleaning up novels to query agents. This also means that new stories can't be put on the site if I want someone to pay me for the privilege of publishing it. I'm a pretty fast writer, but even I have limits.

I spent most of February running a 2nd draft on a vampire novel I penned back in '03. Let me tell you, I may not be the best writer on this planet, but I do think I've grown in 16 years. The 2nd draft is in the hands of two beta readers and their notes will decide how the 3rd draft will go (and, subsequently, if the sequel will be written).

What does this mean? It means, assuming I'm right and the foundation of the novel is there, I will be working my tail off to clean it up. I've already found an agent I want to approach. Now I just need to make my work shine before presenting it.

On a side note, no one ever told me looking for an agent to query was a bit like dating. I found a person I think would fit great with me. I have to be at my absolute best and write her a letter asking if she would like me too. Even at my age, I find this intimidating.

Back to the writing bits. I am attempting to work out a better schedule for the site and my current writing. My current goal is one new story a month on the website. This will only happen once my write-for-hire work is done. Considering I just started working on a secret project, I'm not entirely sure if that's possible right now.

For the secret project, I can tell you this. I may have found a way to put my quick writing into a payable format. If all goes well, I may not need the Day Job in 2020. This is by no means a done deal and I'm looking at a mountain of unpaid work before this would even be feasible.

Let me tell you, writing is hard work. Writing and editing in the hopes of making a career out of it seems insurmountable, but I'm going to do it. My biggest dream as a child was to make a living off my writing. I confess I've done little to realize that dream, but I am fired up about it now. I'm willing to take the risks and put in the work.

I thank everyone who has supported me and the website so far. It may not be making me money, but I enjoy having my work out there for anyone who wants to read it. I still hope to give you free stories, but the format that I envisioned when I started Fast or Write has changed. I want to bring my work to a wider audience and I hope you will continue with me on this journey!