Another Small Step

[akirlu]

So I sent off a manuscript to the Potlatch 16 Writer's Workshop, since the receipt deadline is Thursday and all. I sent them "The Arc of an Angel's Flight," which is kind of scary, because it is probably the best work I'm currently capable of, and if that meets a cold reception, well, what more can I show the world? I am curiously calm about it, though. Despite having sworn to myself that I would just ship it off without a redraft, I got sucked into cleaning it up, and one thing led to another until I was extensively rewriting the complex set-up for the sting, and now the ms is pushing the workshop size limit, but I think it's also a stronger story for it. I also did a bit of tinkering with POV in the second half, and I think it's stronger for that, as well.

And so, while I was still in that exhausted and uncritical refractory period when I just plain like my work, I reformatted it to mss format and shipped it off. Time enough for horrified second thoughts at a later date.

Now I must turn my attention to the story that is due tonight to DP. Wonder what I'll write? But first, a lunch.

Comments

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Good luck!

[athenais.livejournal.com]

You rock. It never occured to me to see about workshopping anything.

And me, too, what the hell am I going to write tonight? Better order pizza first.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I don't think there's any chance of getting turned down from the workshop, but there's still the existential dread of waiting endure the feedback.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Hey, thanks!

It never occured to me to see about workshopping anything.

Well, it's not strictly speaking too late, ya know. You're planning on coming to Potlatch, yes? You have finished stories sitting around, yes? The deadline for submission is February 1, but they're encouraging e-mail submission, and the workshop fee is ten bucks. You, too, could submit. Heck, if Tami comes too, we could all submit and commit a minor DP coup...

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

P.S. - FYI, I asked for the "Pro Workshop" since I explicitly want feedback from a published pro.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Yeah...well, good practice for the glacial epochs waiting for editors to get back to one...

[athenais.livejournal.com]

Yes, okay, but which of my stories is worth workshopping? I wouldn't mind having more feedback on "Bronya" I guess.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

"Bronya and the Russalka" seems like the obvious choice, since you know you're going to send it out anyway. Possibly your Roadside Cafe piece.