Thursday 4 October 2012

To submit or not to submit?



Another writing rejection.  What’s wrong with me?

I expected it – the story didn’t feel right – but the deadline was there and I made it as good as I could without a dramatic rewrite.  What should you do at this point?  Should you put the story away for a rainy day, or submit and hope?  I chose the latter, and yet was crestfallen when the expected rejection came in.

I suspect I made it difficult for them to like the story – there was a theme for the story – and whilst I embraced the theme technically, I probably avoided the intention of the theme.  I tend to do that – rebel against the intent of the theme – and look for a different slant.  My theory is the story should stand out, but if it misses what the editor is looking for, wasted.

The positive side – I finished another story – about 5,000 words.  I have a strong sense of what is wrong with it, so it can be fixed another day, another time.

Onwards and upwards.  Canberra Speculative Fiction Guild has an anthology coming out – submissions due by 15th October.  I’m in Broome with a couple of children and a wife scared of the deep blue sea (more specifically, the unseen critters swimming around your legs).  I think it’s been done before – there’s a story about a shark, perhaps a story about a giant squid, but I’m here, I know the fear, so let’s write it.  It may not match the intent of their theme, but it has provided inspiration and a starting point.

If anyone is interested – details are here:

http://csfg.wordpress.com/publications/next-open-for-submissions/

Back to my earlier question.  What should you do with the story that doesn’t quite cut it?  Does submitting the story do damage?  Is it wasted if you don't submit?  Does the universe care?