The Good: May flew by like Maverick in an F/A-18. I was super busy with non-writing things, important things, so the words didn't come easily, yet I managed to complete a draft of my epic fantasy novel. On Goodreads, I also received the most flattering review of Midnight Agency, Season Two, which warmed my soul.
The Bad: My word total for my WIP is about 12K short.
The Meh: The short story I'd hoped would be picked up by a pro market (because it had been with them far longer than their usual response time) was rejected. Because I typically only submit to one place at a time, I missed a deadline for another anthology. And it would have been the perfect submission for it. Damn me for playing by the rules.
Progress Toward 2022 Goals
Complete a draft of my epic fantasy novel by summer - Completed!
Word Count Goal: 90K
Words to-date: 78K
I'm not going to lie. May was rough, but I managed to slog through it and create another 15K words and write "The End" on May 30. I'm going to revise in June and July so I can send the next draft to beta readers.
Now that I've reached the end, I need to create a new thread of chapters through the book, in a new POV, so it's going to be difficult to create that voice and connect the right threads in the right ways at the right time. I look forward to the challenge, but it will be difficult. Wish me luck.
Short Stories - on track
Number of stories out there: 5
Total submissions: 12
Number of acceptances: 1
Magic Portals edited by Sam Knight (pre-order for June 10)
Number of rejections: 6
Writers of the Future Contest: 1 Silver Honorable Mention (May), one TBD.
Middle-Grade Novel - on track
I submitted to a couple agents with no word yet. Querying is the worst.
Blog - on track
I’ve written at least one post a month with a small number of views. I'm planning on writing a few new things that will be more interesting than a status report. Stay tuned.
What I’m Reading - behind schedule
Goal: 25 Books
Read to-date: 10
Drakemaster by EC Ambrose
I'm only a handful of chapters in, but E.C.'s latest epic historical fantasy novel is awesome in a way I haven't experienced in a while. Each chapter is told from a different, compelling POV with a skill I liken to some of my favorites - GRRM, Daniel Abraham, Robin Hobb. If you're an epic fantasy fan, do yourself a favor and pick this one up. Her other books are awesome, too. I'll write more about Drakemaster when I'm done, but it's already on my 2022 Faves list.
Rogues edited by George R.R. Martin & Gardner Dozois
You can't go wrong with a fantastic cast of contributors, including my top faves like Neil Gaiman, Patrick Rothfuss, Scott Lynch, Cherie Priest, Joe Abercrombie, Connie Willis, and Daniel Abraham. I'm only a few stories in, but Gillian Flynn's story is outstanding.
*Follow me on Goodreads for more info, and I'll follow you back.
Let's keep reading.