Back in March I blogged about hitting 50 rejections for short fictions after close to two years of submitting. Well, now, about seven months later I have hit the big 100. The first 50 rejections took 2 years, the second took 7 months. What’s changed? Well I have a full enough pipeline to have 8 [...]
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The Writers of the Future Contest – A Class Act
The Writers of the Future Contest (WOTF) is a class act. If you write speculative fiction (sci-fi or fantasy) and aren’t a pro, then do yourself a favor and submit. I have been sitting on this for a while, since it wasn’t public, but I recently got my second honorable mention (2 honorable mentions in 3 [...]
Too Much To Do? Get Over It
So you got too much to do? Yeah me too. Sucks doesn’t it? The day is just never long enough, you can just never get to it all. It is frustrating and maddening. Right? You work all day, and having nothing left for yourself or your family when you get home. Your weekends are filled [...]
The Psychology of Writing, Part 2: The Shock Box
If you missed it see: The Psychology of Writing, Part 1. Writer L.M May just did a fantastic blog post titled: Fiction Writers and Learned Helplessness. In it she talks about some of the psychology behind what is happening in the writing world today with the indie vs. traditional publishing camps. The whole post is great, and [...]
50 Rejections and Counting
On 3/18/2009 I submitted a story called “As I Shall at Death” to Flash Fiction Online. It was rejected, and that rejection was psychologically hard. Now, nearly two years later, I am around 50 rejections and counting for a total of 15 stories. I am not completely sure of that number, I have a spreadsheet that I track [...]
Somewhere Between Denial and Depression
I wrote the following last August the 12th as we struggled with our dear Emerson’s illness. We helped her on to the next life on about August 25th (I don’t remember exactly what day it was, and I don’t really want to.) I am posting this now because in looking back at it, there is [...]
The Psychology of Writing, Part 1
Writing is hard… No, no, that’s not it. Writing is not hard; getting your writing read is hard. Hmm, that’s not exactly it either. Dealing with the rejection that goes with writing is hard. Actually dealing with success is hard too. It’s the psychological aspect of it you see. If you are trying to get [...]
Finding the Time
Writer John Scalzi has a great post on finding the time to write: http://whatever.scalzi.com/2010/09/16/writing-find-the-time-or-dont/ It is written with his usual sharp pointed wit, and right on the money. Here are some of my favorite bits: “So will you please just shut the fuck up about how hard it is for you to find the time [...]
A Big “First”
A contract, I just filled out a publishing contract! The 100 Stories for Haiti project is rolling along and legal issues needed to be dealt with. The first-ness of this continues, and I am doing my best to have the presence of mind to feel and enjoy the experience. Life is, of course, full of [...]
Goodbye Friend Leo
Leo, the dog, is a neighbor of mine and a friend. Today the cancer claimed his body and he is off to his next adventure. Yes, I am one of those dog-centric types and I have called many dogs friend. Indeed dogs have been some of this man’s best friends. Leo was a bright buoyant [...]
Books and Stories by Robert J. McCarter
Shuffled Off:
A Ghost's Memoir
Available from:
Amazon.com
BarnesAndNoble.com
Smashwords.com
Autographed copies at ShuffledOff.com
