Thursday, October 7, 2010

Writing Update

I'm finally getting back into writing somewhat consistently after giving birth to son #2. Yay!

I had a flash piece that I tried to sell to different magazines. No one wanted it so I chopped it up, changed the bad guy to a paranormal creature and submitted it to Pill Hill Press' Daily Flesh Anthology. A day later, I received a contract for it. Another yay! So now I will have two stories in it: Deadly Flat Tire and Zombies Don't Bite.

I also received contracts for a short sweet Christmas romance story called My Christmas Luck which will be in A Yuletide Wish from Night Wolf Publications.

I submitted a short story to Pill Hill Press' Gone with the Dirt anthology. Since Gone with the Wind is one of my all-time favorite movies, I had to submit a piece to this anthology. My story is called Black Roses and I should be hearing about it soon.

The Prideful Knight had been shortlisted for Pill Hill Press' Shadows and Light II anthology but when the editor looked over their slush pile, rejected it. So I sent them another story which is now on the shortlist.

I started to write a prequel to Hidden in Shadows to submit for an assassin anthology, forgetting that the market wants sword-and-sorcery type stories set before 1700's. So I started another story, with a FMC that I have a couple of other stories about, and submitted that. The editor liked it and asked for the rest of the story so I finished it and submitted it. This story is called Collecting Hearts.

I had written a paranormal romance short for ARe's contest but it wasn't picked as a semi-finalist so I submitted Never Shall We Part to More Scary Kisses. I really like this story. It's different than most paranormal romances.... no vampires or werewolves. But I'm gonna be a tease and not say what creatures. :P

I still have several other short stories currently on submissions to different magazines. One magazine, I've been waiting over 470 days on. It would be worth it though, I receive an acceptance. It's a pro market so that means 5 cents a word. Would definitely make my day to crack that market.

As for novels, a publisher and an agent both have the full MS of Hidden in Shadows. My stomach flip-flops each time I check my email. I also just about ready to start querying Alexia's Pen.

I'm also working hard on Champion of Valor. I've been slowly piecing together an outline and trying to make certain that there aren't any loose ends. I really want this book to satisfy my readers.

So that's my writing update. How's your writing going? What step are you at ? Querying? Submitting? Revising?

13 comments:

Golden Eagle said...

Good luck with all your projects, and I hope you get those acceptance letters!

I'm still in the writing phase.

Bast said...

Congrats with all those stories you'll be getting published. Hope the others get accepted.

I'm about to start editing my manuscript (second book I've written).

Meredith said...

Wow, you've got so much going on! That's so awesome--congrats! And good luck with querying :) Always terrifying.

Talli Roland said...

That's amazing, Nicole - you sound so busy and you've got some great stuff going on there! Congrats!

Theresa Milstein said...

Wow - you're getting a lot done. Since I didn't begin writing until my youngest was 4, I'm impressed!

Since 10/1, I've gone from about 5k to 12k on my WIP. It was slow progress from the first chapter in May until October first. I did a short story and was revising The Mist Chasers + looking my first manuscript. Lots of side stuff. It's great to be in the middle of a novel again, even if it's kind of like being possessed.

Tessa Quin said...

Wow - that's amazing! My teacher has been nudging us to write some short stories (some which we have to turn in). I never had interest in writing them until I wrote my last one. It's a bit of a twisted one, but in a subtle way.

Is there a list somewhere with the names of magazines you can submit to?

Unknown said...

You have got it going on! Congrats on all the published stories, and best of luck on the full requests out there. My fingers are crossed for you!

Waiting sucks!! Hang in there <3

Cherie Reich said...

Awesome about the short stories!! Good luck in the ones you haven't heard about. I'm waiting to hear back from a few too. Otherwise, I'm editing VIRTUOSO and planning my NaNoWriMo novel.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Wow you've got a lot going on!
Preparing for release of first book. Ready for NaNo so I can complete sequel.

Krispy said...

You're a busy bee! Go you! I'm suffering from intense writer's block. It sucks. Haha, but I'll keep plugging along.

Kelsey (Dominique) Ridge said...

Congrats.
You've been very busy. Quite impressive. :)

N. R. Williams said...

Congrats o n the new bundle of joy in your arms.

I'm impressed with so many short stories. They have always eluded me, but writing a blog is helping with that. Don't know why.

I'm editing.

Nancy

N. R. Williams, fantasy author

Anonymous said...

What a fantastic number of short stories you have out and accepted! Excellent. I’m trying to get there myself but is proving more time-consuming than I thought, but its ok I guess.