Start All Over Again.

I was hoping to have more good writing news to finish off the year, but sadly it seems as though that's not going to be the case. On the other hand, I do hope to shortly have some to see in the New Year. And that would get 2015 off to a flying start.

It's been a good year for me, although one that has been slightly odd. Changing schools in March, then finishing up there as the work dried up. Prepping to return to my old school. A great trip to the UK and Turkey, catching up with family and then going to Worldcon in London. A fabulous week in Istanbul and spending time with an old friend from Tokyo days. Setting goals and focusing on writing self-discipline, and actually seeing results from it. (Who'd have thought?) And having a few epiphanies about myself along the way.

Resolutions? I don't believe in them, and I don't make them. I believe if you want to change something, then just get straight into it. You don't need to wait until New Year to get started.

I do, however, see New Year as a time to wipe the slate clean and start again. Time passes, and years are what we use to measure that passage. As a teacher, who works to a calender academic year, I see this time as very much the ending and beginning. A time of recovery, re-energising and rebirth, so to speak.

And I feel writing wise, 2014, although successful in many ways, was not all I hoped it would be. It was the year I put several plans into action. It was the year I developed long-term writing plans. I know where I'm going and what I'm doing next year. And I have high hopes it will happen.

Happy New Year.

One Week Down, One Week To Go.

Halfway through the school holidays, and it's been great so far.

I received my welcome pack from the SFWA - I'm now an official member (associate), although my goal is to become a full member as soon as I can. It's a nice step, and another goal crossed off my list.

Writing has been good. I just returned from three nights down the coast on a writing retreat with David McDonald. There's nothing like being with another writer to keep you accountable. Lots of words, discussions, ideas and plans made.  Yeah, David, that private yacht is only a few more sales away.

Waiting and waiting on a couple of responses. Hopefully I'll hear something soon, and hopefully they'll be positive.

Caught up with a couple of friends from my old school, I've only been gone a month but it was great just hanging out.

And I have plans for the rest of the holidays. More writing, more catching up with friends, going to see a film with my new colleagues, and at least one lunch.

And music. There will be loud music.

I Hate The Phrase "On A Journey"!

I really do.

"I've been on a journey", or "it's been a journey", or "you're just starting on a journey." Unless you're actually travelling somewhere exotic, that is. But when people use it for some kind of experience or learning, it bugs me. Don't worry, I won't block or delete you if you do say it.  It's me, not you.

But Brad R. Torgersen could be forgiven if he were to use this phrase. (He didn't.) But he did post this.

It's November 5. I just realized today is the 4th anniversary of me finding out I'd won the Writers of the Future Contest with my story "Exanastasis." My first pro sale/publication. Wow. Where did the time go?

It's the 6th November here in Australia, but it's still the 5th in the U.S.A.  (Still behind the times....)

I actually remember that day. I remember Brad being announced as finalist weeks earlier, and then watching him sweat as he waited for the results. I was supporting him, cheering him on. (Sorry, guys, but 'rooting' has a far less salubrious meaning Down Under.) And then I remember the first hint that he'd received the phone call from Joni, that he'd won.

He posted a smiley emoticon.  That's all.

I messaged him to ask whether he'd won. I can't recall his exact response, but I think he acknowledged it without saying directly.

But I knew Brad (online) before that, and I remember him not really being sure of his own abilities, or even understanding much about how the industry worked.

Now, of course, he's won awards and been nominated for a bunch more. He's sold heaps of stories, has his own collection out (Lights in the Deep) and recently signed contracts for his first novel. (Now that he's big time, I hope he doesn't sue me for pinching his photo from his website.)

I haven't had the opportunity to meet Brad in person yet, although he does owe me a drink. I look forward to catching up with him as some point. I saw Brad as an inspiration then, and I still see him as one. He's pretty much where I'm aiming for at this stage. Step by step, inch by inch, goal by goal.

What a long strange trip it's been. (and continues to be!) Congratulations, Brad

Career Counselling.

My Chinese homestay guest left last week. He was the translator for the four staff members and eleven students from Wujiang Senior Middle School who joined our school program for a week. The program was a huge success, thanks to my school community. I worked closely with Robyn to plan and run the whole thing, and she truly deserves much of the credit. Well done.

But now they've gone, and I've been busy this week catching up on my careers counselling and course advice for students. This is one of my roles within the school, and I  have university qualifications and professional memberships in Careers Development. It's an interesting process, listening to students talk of their plans, goals and dreams. And it's a delicate balance, encouraging these dreams while pointing out the realities.

Of course there are always the few students who have completely unrealistic plans, the really short guy who wants to play NBA, or the  young girl who is failing every subject and refuses to go to university, but wants to be a doctor.

And then there are the 'creative' types. The musicians, the writers, the artists, the actors and the dancers. There is no qualification for these careers. No prospective customer is going to consider buying a painting from you, but ask to see your degree first. When someone buys your first novel from a bookstore, they're not going to do so on the proviso that you're qualified to write.

My advice to students in these instances is to follow their dream, but have some back up in place. (And believe me, this goes a long way to pacifying parents and encourages them to support their child.)  You want to be a writer?  Great! These university courses will develop your skills and knowledge, and in the meantime your work will improve. Have you considered a teaching qualification alongside that? How about a few editing courses to go with the writing, so you can support yourself until your first novel becomes an international bestseller.  And so on.

I always ask them whether they are currently 'doing' their art, and to what extent. So, you want to be an actor? Are you taking any classes? What productions have you been in? How many auditions have you undergone?

Sometimes I find these kids are in love with the idea of being an 'artist' rather than actually doing the art. And I advise them that they are going to up against all kinds of people who really love doing this stuff, have been studying it, and have been perfecting their craft.

No, I never tell them to give up. I do ask them to consider how much they really want to do it. Do your art, but do it well. And try to do it better than anyone else.

Or become a teacher. (insert irony mark here)

Smart Goals.

And so 2013 begins. I hope you all had a relaxing Christmas and New Year.

I was planning to write about an article by Germaine Greer that I read last week, but my friend Gitte Christensen beat me to it. So I'll simply link to her comments, and write about my plans instead.

I have made a number of plans for this year - I hesitate to call them resolutions. Resolutions have always felt a little flaky to me. My goals are definite and clearly defined.

Goals need to be SMART. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely. Anything less is simply a vague notion or a good intention.

• I aim to write a minimum of 35 stories this year. 
• I aim to submit them all.
• I aim to sell a minimum of 15 stories. 
• I aim to sell at least three to professional markets.
• I aim to SFWA qualify.

I also have  goals connected with writing, such as attending conventions and so on, and these too will be undertaken. And very specific goals that I won't elaborate upon in this blog. Be sure that I will achieve them all. And, hopefully, achieve well above and beyond them.

Have you defined your goals for this year?

Think Professionally, Act Professionally.

Jobe Watson won the Brownlow Medal this week. For those who don't follow Australian Rules Football, this is an award given yearly for the 'best and fairest' player in the league - the MVP, if you like. It's voted for by the umpiring team after each game (3,2,1 points) and players who have been suspended throughout the year are automatically disqualified.

Jobe plays for my team, the Essendon Bombers. He just happens to be the son of a fantastic player, Tim Watson, who played for Essendon in the 80s. So Jobe won the award. But of course he's a champion. He was always going to be a champion, wasn't he? His father was a champion, he was raised in that supportive football environment, he had the genes, he grew up around the club.

Kevin Sheedy, the previous coach, recently revealed that if he'd stayed at the club he'd have either traded or de-listed Jobe. You see, Jobe was simply sailing along, not working anywhere near his potential and not taking the game seriously enough to succeed at that level.

Jobe revealed this week that it was his father, Tim, who took him aside a few years ago and had a chat with him. It was OK if he didn't want to play AFL, but if he was going to play then he needed to be make an effort. Jobe says he was angry with his father, and didn't speak to him for a few days. But then he took the words to heart and now he's become the player on which legends are built.

It's time for me to become more serious in my writing.

I don't know how far I can take it. I'm not even sure I know where I'd like it to go, but I know I have some short term goals that I want to achieve, and in order to do so I need to take my plan to the next level.

• I want to SFWA qualify within the next year. For the first time ever, I have stories out at four pro-markets. I've never really targeted these markets much, as I knew I wasn't yet at that level of writing. But now I know I'm getting closer. I'm getting regular personal rejections from pro-mags, and I'm understanding what is needed to sell there. 

• I have a couple of semi-pro markets that are on my hit list. The editors (and slushreaders) there have played hardball with me so far. But again I've gotten very close and had personal rejections. 

• I'm allocating more regular time to my writing, and I have a chart up next to my desk with stories, markets, goals and deadlines on it. 

• I've taken, am taking and will take workshops and courses in order to learn more about the theory of writing and the structure of stories. 

• I'm immersing myself in reading short fiction from the markets I'm targeting.

I'm feeling optimistic about my writing at the moment. I'm productive, I'm seeing improvement and getting great feedback.

What are your goals? What are you doing to achieve them?

Hopes And Dreams And Goals And Aspirations.

In my 'other' life, I'm a High School English teacher. In addition to this I've recently qualified and taken on the role of Careers' Counsellor as well.

And so I've just spent the past few months counselling hundreds of teenagers regarding their future careers and course selections for next year.

Interesting, to say the least.

I love working with students about their hopes, dreams and ambitions. And I'm constantly amazed at some of the futures these students aspire to. Some, of course, are obvious. Some are complete surprises. And then there are those that I suspect are probably unattainable.

How do you gently suggest to a student that reaching their goal is impossible without crushing their spirit and aspirations? Simple. You don't.

You encourage them to reach that goal, while pointing out the practicalities and difficulties, and advise them to have back-up plans. As you do with every student. You never know, they might make it.

I've been heartened by the number of students who want to go into creative areas: photography, sculpture, painting film-making and, happily, writing. And of course these are some of the career paths where success can be quite limited. A back-up plan is vital.

A couple of these kids have been aware that I write and asked me about my experiences. It's been kind of humbling that a few have even read one of my stories.

Who knows? Among this group of teenagers with dreams and hopes and wishes and aspirations, there might be another Stephen King. I look forward to that.

WPS (Writer Positioning System).

Where am I?

Last week I mentioned my lack of firm resolutions and goals. By that I meant plans as specific as “I will sell x stories this year” and so on. They're great aims to have, but generally outside your control. 

That doesn’t mean I haven’t made plans for the year. And although I hate the term “journey” (as in “I’m on a journey”), I suppose if I switched on my WPS this is where I’d see myself at right now. 

• I have a bunch of notes, scribbles, thoughts and half-baked (or quarter-baked) ideas in my notebook. None of these are ready to go anywhere.

• I have seven or eight paragraphs written (from a couple of years ago) that need a fresh look. They are ready to be made into stories – maybe I’m just not quite ready to revisit them yet.

• I have a couple of stories that need rewrites. I know what’s lacking, I just have to let them bounce around in my skull a while longer.

• I have twelve fully formed ideas that just need to be written. All I need is to make the time to sit down and get into them. At least one of these I’m really excited about.

• I have 7 stories out at markets at the moment. All I need is for those editors to like my stories enough to take them. At least two of those are on hold.

• I have two stories already taken and patiently waiting for their publication in the middle of 2012.

• I have made plans to further my writing this year. Steps have been taken, threats have been made.

Let’s see where the WPS shows me at the end of the year.

Resolutions.

I'm not really one for making resolutions, although I can understand why some people find the beginning of a new year the right time to effect change. New beginnings and all that. I've just always figured if you want or need to change something, then do it.

And I could make promises about writing more regularly, but the truth is that life gets in the way and I write when I can.

Goals for 2012? Well, that's another matter. And yes, I have some goals. They're similar to last years goals, only further along the master plan, the big picture.

I was able to achieve last year's goals - even better them, and hopefully I can do that again this year.

Happy New Year.

How Will I Know?

Can I write?

This is a question that bugs me from time to time. And, after the rejection I mentioned last week, it's one that's been bugging me again.

Most people believe they can write. Most writers think they can write well. I often see writers who aren't selling discussing what they could have 'tweaked' in their story that would have lifted it to a sale. And there are those who never sell that think the world is against them, and that the slushreader just don't 'get' their writing. Sometimes these people count their rejections and proudly advertise the number as a measure of success.

OK, I haven't sold heaps of work yet, and like most people I'm probably blind to some of the flaws in my own writings, and I don't write anywhere near as much as I should, and why should I think that I can even write?

Some observations:

If a slushreader doesn't 'get' your work, what makes you think a reader will? Slushreaders are readers, and they see a far wider range of work than most casual readers. Yeah, OK, they make mistakes (and I KNOW they've recently made  mistakes a few times in rejecting MY work  - hehehe) but generally if your work is so good, it will sell elsewhere.

The tweaking thing. I've referred to this before. I call it the Feng Shui of writing. If I'd changed the character's name to Jeff, or chosen a better title (or hung a mirror over the sofa) then maybe it would have sold. I figure if the story is 'almost, but not quite', the editor will ask for a rewrite, or suggest changes and invite a re-sub. (And this actually happened to me a couple of weeks ago.)

Most people think they can write. I know this is true - as many people who never write tell me they plan to, and will one day soon, and then they'll sell lots and they'll be able to quit work and...  Any of you who do write knows how many times people tell you this. And you also know how not easy it is, what a slog it can be and how long the sub and sale process can take for so little financial reward. As a teacher and a writer, I read an awful lot of stuff from people who believe it's brilliant. Usually it's not. Some work never sells simply because it's crap. Be aware that your work maybe isn't of the standard you think it is.

Counting rejections. I keep track of my rejections, and I do count them. But they're certainly not in the hundreds. And I know of people who brag that they received X amount of rejections this year - as that was their target. OK, so that works for them. My goal wasn't to have a certain number of rejections, but to make three sales or more this year. (And I achieved that). Next year it's to make five or more. Anyone can receive a certain number of rejections, just submit your work to every market out there and start counting. In and of itself, it's not a measure of success or even progression. It's only a measure of submission and rejection.

Only three sales? Yes, but three sales I'm proud of, and to markets I'm thrilled to be in. I could have sold more if I'd been less fussy with my submissions, but early in my writing 'career' I decided against 'token' or 'for the love' markets, and aimed squarely at semi-pro. I worked out where my writing abilities lay and subbed to those markets with the intention of moving up. Quality over quantity. And while I know it works for some people, this is the very reason I don't do NaNoWriMo. (Plus November is when I get tied up with school stuff, reports and other deadlines) It's also the reason I choose not to self-publish the stuff that didn't sell.

So, why should I think I can write?

Some answers.

I have experience and training. I'm an English teacher in a High School. I teach writing, language analysis, contextual work and literature. I have an Arts degree in English and Drama, and an Education degree in teaching the same two subjects. I've also been a voracious reader since I was a child. I can recognise good writing, good dialogue and plot, and know why it's good. I also understand when it's not working.

I've been told I can write. Not just by my mum and friends, (and never listen exclusively to them!) but (over the past few years) by my critiquers, which has included literature teachers, other writers at my own level, and even professional writers. I've had a few editors and writers (people whose names you would recognise) tell me which aspects of my work they've liked. OK, so they didn't always take the story, but they spent time telling me why. (Might I point out I never asked - they offered comments in these cases.)

I'm developing. I can see where I'm improving. I listen to criticisms of my work and learn from them. I read LOTS of short fiction and learn from that too. I can see where older stories didn't work, and have either trunked or rewritten those. I know what my shortcomings are and am actively working to improving those areas.

I'm getting sales. Not lots, but some. And at the markets I was aiming for. I haven't yet sold to Analog or Asimov's, or even Ticonderoga. But those publishers are firmly in my sights and I have strategic plans to reach those goals. As they say in advertising, Watch this space.

So what does this mean for others?

Probably not a lot. You want to write? Then write. And submit, and prepare to receive rejections. Then don't give up. Take the time to think about why you are writing and what your goals are. With my senior students, I give them the following four points to consider in regards to their studies.

• What is your goal?
• What do you have to do to achieve that?
• What are you prepared to do (or sacrifice) in order to get there?
• Now do it.

Any monkey can get published. Write something, start a blogpage with a snappy title and post it. TaaDaa! Published.

Not that there's anything wrong with that if that's what you want. Or with any other publication and format. Just make sure it's something you want. Me? I want to be published in magazines and anthologies from publishers that I respect, and hunger for them to accept my work. But also be realistic about it. Are you really going to send everything you write to the big three? It will most certainly bring the rejection tally up. As mentioned above, I aim my work at the level I believe it is. If I'm not selling regularly at Semi-Pro, why would Pro markets buy it?

But I'm still developing and improving. And I do have a piece at a pro market that I have hopes for. And as I also said before, keep watching this space.

Lit Cred And Validation.

There seems to be a number of writers currently questioning the value of certain publications and e-zines. Over the past couple of weeks I've seen this subject rear its head a few times. And I think it's an important question for new writers. (And this is the category in which I firmly place myself.)

My views are no secret. I believe I could have a longer published bibliography, but I've been fussy about where I submit my work. And I believe that a few publications in quality markets are ultimately more valuable than many publications in any old market.

With the prevalence of the internet and the proliferation of POD, there has been an explosion in the number of publishers throwing together zines and anthologies. And as such, there has obviously been a dilution of the quality of published work. I'm 'old school', as you young folk with your zany rock 'n' roll music like to call it, and there's nothing like having a published 'paper' book in your hand. Not that there's anything wrong with online mags. But I do feel there's a certain quality control, checks and balances, when you've been paid a certain amount of money, and you have a professionally finished product that can be held.

I wrote something (as a comment) along these lines in response to a post by Alan Baxter a few weeks ago.  Then I discover that my crit buddy and friend, David McDonald, wrote something similar in response to the fabulous Jason Nahrung.

I suppose it all depends on what your goals are. I have a list of personal goals, a list of markets I'd like to crack, and I'm actively taking steps to achieve those.  Brad R. Torgersen, has listed an interesting set of goals on his website, and I must say I love those.

If you just want to say you've been published, then sub away, anywhere. It'll happen. If you want to achieve some kind of cred in this business, then make plans, take active steps to achieve them, and be prepared for a lot of rejections.

But when you do receive an acceptance, or receive some kind of recognition, it's amazing the confidence and drive that accompanies it.  Gitte Christensen, who has just been published in Ticonderoga's Year's Best Australian Horror and Fantasy, mentioned on her blog that I've been mentioned on page 22 of said book. Looks like a ploy by Ticonderoga to make me buy the book.

It worked. I'll be picking one up next week.

But when your friends and peers have some success, we rejoice together. I'm pleased for Gitte's deserved tastes of success, I'm pleased David McDonald has some new work coming out. And I'm absolutely thrilled that my long-time Tokyo-brother, Allan Tong, (he's the man who taught me to chase my dreams and grab opportunities, or to create your own) has just scored a huge success at the Toronto International Film Festival.  And I know these people are happy when it happens to me.

Speaking of which, keep an eye out for Anywhere But Earth in the coming months. It looks fantastic!

See you at Conflux.

Chimneys, Dreams And Goals.

A couple of dreams this week that stand out. One that I had, and another that a friend of mine had about me.

And yet they they held a number of similarities that suggest a few things to me. One of which is that I need to start aiming my sights slightly higher. I suppose that applies to my writing and publishing, but there are a couple of other areas where this holds true also.

I'm in the fortunate position of knowing a few people who have set goals and taken risks that I would never have dreamed of doing myself. And these people are achieving.

As an old friend of mine used to say, "Aim for the stars - even if you only hit the chimney."

I think sometimes I aim for the chimney, and then seem surprised if I don't always hit it.