Friday, March 31, 2006
March GDR Report
Last night I was offered the opportunity of free flights and accommodation to a long stag weekend in Barcelona. There had been a couple of late call-off's, which left the spaces open to anyone with a valid passport and several hundred pounds cash drinking money.
I had to decline.
I would had loved to go but just don't have the cash even with free flights and room. Apart from the every-day stresses of staying afloat, my sister gets married in July and we will be off on a family holiday later the same month. It just wasn't do-able.
Then today, almost as if rubbing salt into the wound, we were handed our bonus letters. I had completely forgot we were getting them. It turned out to be slightly better than expected, though nowhere near the five-figure sum I was hoping for. After tax there'll be not a lot left anyway.
Despite the pre-tax amount we were given, based on a lot of messing around with calculators and managerial opinion, I still went to Clark's for lunch and an afternoon bevvy.
March GDR Report
Fiction
* Complete work on Stella - done.
* Complete new chapter of Hunting Jack - not reached that stage in editing
* Complete second redraft of Hunting Jack - upto 2nd chapter done
* Write a new short story - never got done
* Redraft The Great Misunderstood Artist of Lynedoch Street (TGMAOLS) and polish for submission - complete
* Submit TGMAOLS - Zygote in my Coffee 9/3/06
* Keep on top of submissions list - complete
Poetry
* Write poem for reading at my sister's wedding in July - not done
* Write poems if the moment takes - none written
Non-Fiction
* Start work on Scotland's Treasure for May column - WIP.
* Write story/article for Being Dad Anthology - pending
* Write four weekly blog entries for TSDR - done
* Write and submit another step-dad article for Interactive Dad - complete after 3 drafts - Displaying Affection With Your Step-Child. Submitted 21/3/06
Marketing and Promotion
* Continue marketing and promotion of Fringe Fantastic - Not as much this month. Review in ELL and drawing up SOR Contracts the main things. * Follow up FF review/interview requests - not done since reviews started appearing
* Keep website up to date - complete
Reading and Research
* Release Tall Tales and Short Stories Vol.2 into the wild - really have to do this
* Read friends novel WIP and prepare crit - almost finished
* Read from my 'waiting to be read' pile - The Black Book by Ian Rankin – stopped while above is in progress
* Research The Cold War - want to get some books on this as well as web research. Not as urgent now since Stella took a different direction while writing. Can be removed for now.
Other Projects
* Stay on top of editorial work for TSDR - Done.
Things That Turned Up
Fringe Fanatstic reviewed by East Lothian Magazine. Orders now coming in from new customers.
Successes
Under the Skin published by Wildchild 7/3/06
Failures
What A Waste rejected by Outercast 14/3/06
On A Monday Morning rejected by Wildchild 31/3/06
Statistics
Fiction - 7350
Non-Fiction - 13300
Poetry - 0
Outstanding Submissions
Short Stories
Insidious Reflections 1
Writing Magazine 1
3am Magazine 1
Barcelona Review 1
The Portable Muse 2
Zygote in my Coffee 1
One Story 2
Open Wide Magazine 1
Summerset Review 2
Adirondack Review 1
Fringe Magazine 2
Espresso Fiction 3
Non-Fiction
Interactive Dad 2
Poetry
Zygote in my Coffee 4
Summary
A good month, though interrupted somewhat by falling sick for a few days in the middle. I got off to a great start with the word count and managed to keep focussed on fiction, working heavily on Stella and some editing on Hunting Jack. After I got better I lost the thread somewhat but managed to pick it up again.
Did a lot of reading and am almost finished my friends manuscript. A couple for rejections came in, one was a close call and will require some editing before I put it back out into the circle again.
The highlight though was having Under The Skin published by Wildchild Publishing. I had been trying to get in to their publication for a long time now and was amazed when a story written on a train to Newcastle and turned around in three weeks got the go-ahead.
I learnt a lot this month, least not that the writing business is full of surprises.
For more information about Fringe Fantastic, please go to the website: http://fringefantastic.colingalbraith.co.uk
I had to decline.
I would had loved to go but just don't have the cash even with free flights and room. Apart from the every-day stresses of staying afloat, my sister gets married in July and we will be off on a family holiday later the same month. It just wasn't do-able.
Then today, almost as if rubbing salt into the wound, we were handed our bonus letters. I had completely forgot we were getting them. It turned out to be slightly better than expected, though nowhere near the five-figure sum I was hoping for. After tax there'll be not a lot left anyway.
Despite the pre-tax amount we were given, based on a lot of messing around with calculators and managerial opinion, I still went to Clark's for lunch and an afternoon bevvy.
March GDR Report
Fiction
* Complete work on Stella - done.
* Complete new chapter of Hunting Jack - not reached that stage in editing
* Complete second redraft of Hunting Jack - upto 2nd chapter done
* Write a new short story - never got done
* Redraft The Great Misunderstood Artist of Lynedoch Street (TGMAOLS) and polish for submission - complete
* Submit TGMAOLS - Zygote in my Coffee 9/3/06
* Keep on top of submissions list - complete
Poetry
* Write poem for reading at my sister's wedding in July - not done
* Write poems if the moment takes - none written
Non-Fiction
* Start work on Scotland's Treasure for May column - WIP.
* Write story/article for Being Dad Anthology - pending
* Write four weekly blog entries for TSDR - done
* Write and submit another step-dad article for Interactive Dad - complete after 3 drafts - Displaying Affection With Your Step-Child. Submitted 21/3/06
Marketing and Promotion
* Continue marketing and promotion of Fringe Fantastic - Not as much this month. Review in ELL and drawing up SOR Contracts the main things. * Follow up FF review/interview requests - not done since reviews started appearing
* Keep website up to date - complete
Reading and Research
* Release Tall Tales and Short Stories Vol.2 into the wild - really have to do this
* Read friends novel WIP and prepare crit - almost finished
* Read from my 'waiting to be read' pile - The Black Book by Ian Rankin – stopped while above is in progress
* Research The Cold War - want to get some books on this as well as web research. Not as urgent now since Stella took a different direction while writing. Can be removed for now.
Other Projects
* Stay on top of editorial work for TSDR - Done.
Things That Turned Up
Fringe Fanatstic reviewed by East Lothian Magazine. Orders now coming in from new customers.
Successes
Under the Skin published by Wildchild 7/3/06
Failures
What A Waste rejected by Outercast 14/3/06
On A Monday Morning rejected by Wildchild 31/3/06
Statistics
Fiction - 7350
Non-Fiction - 13300
Poetry - 0
Outstanding Submissions
Short Stories
Insidious Reflections 1
Writing Magazine 1
3am Magazine 1
Barcelona Review 1
The Portable Muse 2
Zygote in my Coffee 1
One Story 2
Open Wide Magazine 1
Summerset Review 2
Adirondack Review 1
Fringe Magazine 2
Espresso Fiction 3
Non-Fiction
Interactive Dad 2
Poetry
Zygote in my Coffee 4
Summary
A good month, though interrupted somewhat by falling sick for a few days in the middle. I got off to a great start with the word count and managed to keep focussed on fiction, working heavily on Stella and some editing on Hunting Jack. After I got better I lost the thread somewhat but managed to pick it up again.
Did a lot of reading and am almost finished my friends manuscript. A couple for rejections came in, one was a close call and will require some editing before I put it back out into the circle again.
The highlight though was having Under The Skin published by Wildchild Publishing. I had been trying to get in to their publication for a long time now and was amazed when a story written on a train to Newcastle and turned around in three weeks got the go-ahead.
I learnt a lot this month, least not that the writing business is full of surprises.
For more information about Fringe Fantastic, please go to the website: http://fringefantastic.colingalbraith.co.uk
Colin 11:33 am