Of course I did start writing about a week before the start of NaNoWriMo but only four stories were actually written before that time - ones I felt belonged with the theme for this short story collection. So, including the four pre-written ones I have a collection of twenty-eight stories. However, there is one story I haven't included because I still feel that there is much to work on. It's an older story. It has been heavily edited and I think I'm now getting closer to what I want with it.
Some stories need details filling out, explanations or bits need to be re-jigged, and I suppose when I look seriously at them some stories might not be strong enough. During NaNoWriMo it's more a case of getting the word count done - quantity rather than quality. Hopefully quality will come with the edits.
Having completed my 50,000 words and all but packed up, I had an idea for another story. It fitted the theme so I wrote it. Well, you can't dismiss an idea. Ideas have to be written whatever!
I do have a few favourite stories in this collection and the more I wrote the more ideas came. I'm sure I am not finished with stories of the unusual kind. The really long story I wrote set on an island is not included in the word count. It ran to around 15/16,000 words. Not quite sure where that one will end up. I do have another novella so maybe I should publish them together one day.
A friend asked me if I would put any of my published stories in the collection. At first I thought I might, yet I have enough without doing that.
Apart from a piece I wrote for Visual Verse (it was published on their website earlier this month). I have not sent out any other stories or poems. However, the other day I did look to see who had their submission windows open and I might be able to send out one or two stories by the end of the year.
One website quoted a waiting time of six months for a reply. Am I just being impatient....six months? I appreciate these magazines run on a voluntary basis and that they have hundreds of submissions but I'm not prepared to wait that long for one story or poem. If it was a novel, maybe. At least with competitions you have a date when results are published. I'm waiting on a couple of things now. One said 'two months' and it's coming up to four with no answer. Does that mean no? I hate the thought of chasing. I've never yet done that. Maybe I'll given them until the end of the year and try somewhere else. It's a dilemma as work gets caught up in the system.
The local NaNoWriMo meet ups have been great. They are a supportive bunch and we have lots of laughs. The group has dwindled somewhat but we have the final meeting on Friday and I think there might be wine involved. Yes, it's party time! I'm looking forward to it.
Now it's all about editing. I can see my months will be filled with nothing but editing. Wish me luck!
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