Writers' Bloc - Creative Writing Off Topic Thread

Insect Overlord · 06-07-2020 3:20pm

Congrats, Das Kitty!

I've spent the last while working on a draft in Irish. It now contains 40 pieces, the earliest of which were first written in 2005/2006. :eek: Eight pieces still need work, but this is already by far the biggest translation project I've ever attempted.

Das Kitty · 06-07-2020 3:35pm

pixelburp wrote: »

A short story right? "Full of riding" hehe; I have at least one immediate request for clarification ...

Yeah a short story.

So do we have a timeline of when we might expect?

It will be the autumn I think, but I'll let ye know when I know for sure.

echo beach · 06-07-2020 11:20pm

Das Kitty wrote: »

I had 18 submissions in a row that came to nothing before this one. I haven't had anything published since June two years ago. Keep on plugging away, you just need the right person to read it.

This "new" story's first version on my laptop is dated March 2013. It's been driving me bananas for 7 years.

Delighted for you.

Now I can tell myself there’s nothing wrong with my writing. My only problem is a lack of persistence.

Das Kitty · 08-07-2020 8:43am

echo beach wrote: »

Delighted for you.

Now I can tell myself there’s nothing wrong with my writing. My only problem is a lack of persistence.

It's true. When I started someone told me to always have at least two things on submission, so you always keep the little bit of hope when you get a rejection. The good thing about getting rejected is you have your piece back to send out again.

pixelburp · 27-08-2020 4:15pm

Ooooh how exciting: out of curiosity I thought I'd see if there were any updates on the portal used to submit to that RTÉ competition from months back. The status of my entry has changed (again) to ... "In Progress". Crazy that was back in May. Not that it hasn't been said a thousand times already but this has been a very long year so far.

Mr E · 27-08-2020 4:55pm

From here:

https://www.rte.ie/radio1/francis-macmanus-short-story/

"Over 4000 entries received; shortlist to be announced early September"

km85264 · 27-08-2020 8:58pm

pixelburp wrote: »

Ooooh how exciting: out of curiosity I thought I'd see if there were any updates on the portal used to submit to that RTÉ competition from months back. The status of my entry has changed (again) to ... "In Progress". Crazy that was back in May. Not that it hasn't been said a thousand times already but this has been a very long year so far.

Yup, I noticed my status was in progress earlier this week with the shortlist to come next week. I got momentarily excited but then I realised they are probably not using submittable the way it should be used, i.e. not declining people as soon as they drop out of contention. I presume they'll go through and mass reject people after the shortlist is announced. Shame. :-(

Scuid Mhór · 31-08-2020 6:22pm

Mr E wrote: »

From here:

https://www.rte.ie/radio1/francis-macmanus-short-story/

"Over 4000 entries received; shortlist to be announced early September"

Haha, with four thousand entries this is basically akin to a lottery at some point.

km85264 · 31-08-2020 9:28pm

Scuid Mhór wrote: »

Haha, with four thousand entries this is basically akin to a lottery at some point.

Just as well I hid my lucky numbers in the story so!!

Scuid Mhór · 09-09-2020 12:45pm

The RTE page has been updated to say the shortlist will be announced “very soon” — we are to keep an eye on our inboxes and RTE’s Culture webpage.

Scuid Mhór · 09-09-2020 2:08pm

Update: shortlist will be announced on Saturday at 8AM.

pixelburp · 09-09-2020 3:15pm

Early in the morning; wonder why that is. Does it say if the shortlisted pieces will be published as well, or just the authors of each?

Haha, trying to imagine if by some grotesque confluence of the stars I made it onto the list. Passing out from shock seems the likeliest First Response!

km85264 · 09-09-2020 3:42pm

8am saturday seems an odd time, i wonder if that has something to do with the publication process for non-news pieces of rte.ie? Doesn’t make any sense. And in the meantime watch your inbox? T’is madness i tells ya.
Best thing to do is ignore them and scour https://www.dystopianstories.com/writing-competitions-contests/ for the next place to send your story

Scuid Mhór · 09-09-2020 9:18pm

pixelburp wrote: »

Early in the morning; wonder why that is. Does it say if the shortlisted pieces will be published as well, or just the authors of each?

Haha, trying to imagine if by some grotesque confluence of the stars I made it onto the list. Passing out from shock seems the likeliest First Response!

Unsure re early in the morning, I remember last year it was roughly around six o' clock in the evening. I imagine only the authors will be named -- the stories aren't usually published until the actual winners are announced, then the top three are usually published on the journal and the rest of them are published in tandem with their radio reading.

km85264 wrote: »

8am saturday seems an odd time, i wonder if that has something to do with the publication process for non-news pieces of rte.ie? Doesn’t make any sense. And in the meantime watch your inbox? T’is madness i tells ya.
Best thing to do is ignore them and scour https://www.dystopianstories.com/writing-competitions-contests/ for the next place to send your story

Watch your inbox -- I assume they'll be sending out acceptances and rejections via submittable ahead of time.

Mr E · 12-09-2020 8:13am

Short list. No joy for me.

https://www.rte.ie/culture/2020/0911/1164660-rte-short-story-competition-2020-shortlist-announced/

pixelburp · 12-09-2020 10:32am

Neither long nor short for me, to be expected. Just glad it gave me a little push.

Having read the odd winning entry here and there it comes across like judges gravitate towards the more experimental or intense material. That's not meant to sound bitter mind but it's not my jam so doubt I'm ever in with an ass' roar.

It's funny cos I'd predominantly read sci-fi of all hues yet when I try my hand at it, it comes off phony. Especially if I go really nuts with the premise. So while I've thought of entering smaller niche competitions around the genre I've nothing to show either.

echo beach · 12-09-2020 6:44pm

Mr E wrote: »

Short list. No joy for me.

https://www.rte.ie/culture/2020/0911/1164660-rte-short-story-competition-2020-shortlist-announced/

There’s always next year, as they say in Mayo😀

km85264 · 13-09-2020 2:30pm

pixelburp wrote: »

Neither long nor short for me, to be expected. Just glad it gave me a little push.

Having read the odd winning entry here and there it comes across like judges gravitate towards the more experimental or intense material. That's not meant to sound bitter mind but it's not my jam so doubt I'm ever in with an ass' roar.

It's funny cos I'd predominantly read sci-fi of all hues yet when I try my hand at it, it comes off phony. Especially if I go really nuts with the premise. So while I've thought of entering smaller niche competitions around the genre I've nothing to show either.

Very pleased to say that I got a special mention. Probably about the 10th time I've entered and the fist time I've got anything so maybe I'm getting the hang.

I think experimental/intense is a good way to grab the judges' attention. In a field of 4000 entries you need something that makes you stand out, but if that's not your thing then no point doing it. You have to be true to yourself. What I was going for was a strong voice, something that would sound good read by an actor. Having said that, mine was also experimental (the narrator is the wind/rain/sea) and intense (the protagonist's baby dies, then his wife commits suicide) so maybe you're right.

I agree on the sci fi thing, have read sci fi all my life but when i try to write it, it's crap. I get too obsessed with the details of the world and the characters become flat.

Scuid Mhór · 14-09-2020 12:13am

No luck for me either, onto the next one I suppose! Posting together up to the deadline was pretty fun, is there another competition deadline in a month or two that we could all submit to?

km85264 wrote: »

Very pleased to say that I got a special mention. Probably about the 10th time I've entered and the fist time I've got anything so maybe I'm getting the hang.

I think experimental/intense is a good way to grab the judges' attention. In a field of 4000 entries you need something that makes you stand out, but if that's not your thing then no point doing it. You have to be true to yourself. What I was going for was a strong voice, something that would sound good read by an actor. Having said that, mine was also experimental (the narrator is the wind/rain/sea) and intense (the protagonist's baby dies, then his wife commits suicide) so maybe you're right.

I agree on the sci fi thing, have read sci fi all my life but when i try to write it, it's crap. I get too obsessed with the details of the world and the characters become flat.

Fair play km, getting a mention out of 4k+ entries is an incredible feat. Would love to read your piece if you felt comfortable PMing it to me but if you would rather not, no bother, I completely understand wanting to keep boards/writing separate.

Das Kitty · 14-09-2020 9:21am

km85264 wrote: »

Very pleased to say that I got a special mention. Probably about the 10th time I've entered and the fist time I've got anything so maybe I'm getting the hang.

I think experimental/intense is a good way to grab the judges' attention. In a field of 4000 entries you need something that makes you stand out, but if that's not your thing then no point doing it. You have to be true to yourself. What I was going for was a strong voice, something that would sound good read by an actor. Having said that, mine was also experimental (the narrator is the wind/rain/sea) and intense (the protagonist's baby dies, then his wife commits suicide) so maybe you're right.

That’s brilliant news! Congratulations.
I can never write anything the right length for that one. I’ve only entered once and came nowhere.

My story is being published in November in The Stinging Fly. I feel safe enough it’s going to happen after all the editing work that we put in over the past month!

It will probably be on the website, though I’m hoping for the mag. It’s very long though, so I’m keeping my expectations low.

I also found out another story is going to be translated to Italian. It’s great to have a few boosts in a row!

pixelburp · 14-09-2020 9:45am

km85264 wrote: »

Very pleased to say that I got a special mention. Probably about the 10th time I've entered and the fist time I've got anything so maybe I'm getting the hang.

Congratulations, you must be delighted; I echo others' thoughts, if you feel like / can share the piece.

km85264 wrote: »

I think experimental/intense is a good way to grab the judges' attention. In a field of 4000 entries you need something that makes you stand out, but if that's not your thing then no point doing it. You have to be true to yourself. What I was going for was a strong voice, something that would sound good read by an actor. Having said that, mine was also experimental (the narrator is the wind/rain/sea) and intense (the protagonist's baby dies, then his wife commits suicide) so maybe you're right.

Yeah, I've tried pushing in more intense or experimental directions before - just to see if I could - and it almost always came off feeling inauthentic or overwrought in a very adolescent way. Or at least that was what the self-criticism said so who knows. In the main, I find it very hard to keep that kind of narrative intensity up for long - and quickly becomes uncomfortably adjacent to the whole "tortured artist" cliché I try to avoid. I want to still enjoy this hobby so try to keep it all light

km85264 wrote: »

I agree on the sci fi thing, have read sci fi all my life but when i try to write it, it's crap. I get too obsessed with the details of the world and the characters become flat.

Ian McDonald (Luna) sat an interesting course in the Irish Writers Centre back in 2018; one item he mentioned that still acts as a useful guide was to either write "the ordinary in an extraordinary world", or "the extraordinary in an ordinary world",which seems bloody obvious 'til I realised part of my problem was writing extra-ordinary in extraordinary worlds

Now comedy on the other hand ... I'd love to be able to write good comedy but I'd argue it's one of the hardest art forms around. Be it writing or performing.

Mr E · 14-09-2020 11:03am

Scuid Mhór wrote: »

Is there another competition deadline in a month or two that we could all submit to?

I echo this question. I'd love to write towards a goal like this.

Nanowrimo might happen this year for me (only 6 weeks away).
My girlfriend and I are thinking about collaborating on a short story collection under a pseudonym.

km85264 · 14-09-2020 9:21pm

Scuid Mhór wrote: »

No luck for me either, onto the next one I suppose! Posting together up to the deadline was pretty fun, is there another competition deadline in a month or two that we could all submit to?

Fair play km, getting a mention out of 4k+ entries is an incredible feat. Would love to read your piece if you felt comfortable PMing it to me but if you would rather not, no bother, I completely understand wanting to keep boards/writing separate.

I tried to PM it but my browser/the form objected to the o-fada. If you want to PM me your email I'll pass on a copy.

km85264 · 14-09-2020 9:23pm

Das Kitty wrote: »

That’s brilliant news! Congratulations.
I can never write anything the right length for that one. I’ve only entered once and came nowhere.

My story is being published in November in The Stinging Fly. I feel safe enough it’s going to happen after all the editing work that we put in over the past month!

It will probably be on the website, though I’m hoping for the mag. It’s very long though, so I’m keeping my expectations low.

I also found out another story is going to be translated to Italian. It’s great to have a few boosts in a row!

Well done, I've been trying for Stinging Fly forever and not so much of a sniff. Let us know when it's up/printed.

km85264 · 14-09-2020 9:31pm

Mr E wrote: »

I echo this question. I'd love to write towards a goal like this.

I always keep an eye on https://dystopianstories.com/writing-competitions-contests/ although it's quiet enough over the next month. I sent a later draft of this story to the Manchester Fiction Prize, closes on Friday, but it's £18 and I suspect with the size of the prize that it's out of my league. Still , the only way to win competitions/short listings is to keep entering.
Also don't know if I've mentioned this on here before but I'm a big fan of the ongoing competition in Writers' Forum magazine: https://writers-forum.com/short-story-contest/ £6 to enter and £5 for a critique, but I've found the critiques are superb and an excellent way to bring a story that bit closer to competition ready.

nigeldaniel · 15-09-2020 12:15pm

Well I didn't get there either, but, it was my first attempt and I am glad I gave it a go.

Das Kitty · 15-09-2020 3:04pm

km85264 wrote: »

Well done, I've been trying for Stinging Fly forever and not so much of a sniff. Let us know when it's up/printed.

Same here. It came after 18 straight rejections so all the sweeter.

Das Kitty · 15-09-2020 3:41pm

https://www.writing.ie/category/writing-comps/

Scuid Mhór · 15-09-2020 7:42pm

Between a Francis MacManus mention and an upcoming publication in The Stinging Fly, the rest of us are in good company! Congratulations to both of you, Das Kitty and km.

@km, I sent you a private message there with my email address but it didn't show up in my sent box so let me know if it went through.

Das Kitty wrote: »

https://www.writing.ie/category/writing-comps/

I think I could commit to this one. Anything before November would be too much for me with my current schedule. But if you guys would prefer to submit to something before then, don't let me stop you.

km85264 · 15-09-2020 8:27pm

Scuid Mhór wrote: »

Between a Francis MacManus mention and an upcoming publication in The Stinging Fly, the rest of us are in good company! Congratulations to both of you, Das Kitty and km.

@km, I sent you a private message there with my email address but it didn't show up in my sent box so let me know if it went through.

I think I could commit to this one. Anything before November would be too much for me with my current schedule. But if you guys would prefer to submit to something before then, don't let me stop you.

That's probably worth a tenner, though it's hard to know what they'll be looking for : "We set no limits on length or presentation and allow combinations of prose and poetry as well as dialectic and colloquial speech patterns, unusual grammatical formulation and anastrophe."
Still, all you can do is send your best work, then find the next competition.

pixelburp · 15-09-2020 8:40pm

Yeah, that's a nice deadline I think I can hit but the utter lack of constraints - even a simple wordcount - is itself daunting. Will have to have a good think about direction. Maybe with such a broad horizon I can try that experimental piece ha.

Das Kitty · 17-09-2020 2:05pm

km85264 wrote: »

That's probably worth a tenner, though it's hard to know what they'll be looking for : "We set no limits on length or presentation and allow combinations of prose and poetry as well as dialectic and colloquial speech patterns, unusual grammatical formulation and anastrophe."
Still, all you can do is send your best work, then find the next competition.

I thought I was having a stroke whilst trying to understand what they were after :pac:

Manchester Prize is closing tomorrow at 5pm. It's steep at £18, but if you have your McManus stories hanging around, it's an option.
https://www.mmu.ac.uk/writingcompetition/fiction-prize/

The Galley Beggar press one is closing on the 30th
£10 entry with 6,000 word limit.
https://www.galleybeggar.co.uk/prize

A heap open up in December usually.

pixelburp · 17-09-2020 2:29pm

Yeah, same; I read the Competition "rules" and had to go over it again, sure I missed some obvious notes about word counts & subjects. Hey ho.

Been trying to think of more off-kilter ideas and it's really hard! It's interesting to realise your own limitations and natural biases. A lifetime of cinema obsession means my mental narratives and ideas tend towards the melodramatic or set-piece driven. Not so much conceptual flights of literary fancy.

pixelburp · 21-09-2020 4:15pm

Got the bare bones of an idea for the Wordsmiths comp.: not a particularly experimental one but I'm going to go for a slightly different execution if I can. The total lack of a word-limit or theme is oddly limiting but my idea seems like it should settle in at the 2,000 word-count.

Insect Overlord · 08-10-2020 2:04pm

I have, at long last, submitted the final edit of my poetry manuscript with Revival Press/Limerick Writers Centre. Looks like I'll have my debut collection out in time for Christmas!

Insect Overlord · 08-10-2020 4:59pm

Insect Overlord wrote: »

So on Thursday afternoon, by pure coincidence, I bumped into the very man I wanted to see.

We chatted for a few minutes before I casually dropped it into the conversation that I've been working on something. He's interested in seeing it, both the electronic copy of the document and the printed prototype. There's a possibility of this becoming a book before the end of 2018. Exciting times!

This was in May 2018. LOL.

km85264 · 08-10-2020 7:42pm

Insect Overlord wrote: »

I have, at long last, submitted the final edit of my poetry manuscript with Revival Press/Limerick Writers Centre. Looks like I'll have my debut collection out in time for Christmas!

Delighted to hear it

Insect Overlord · 08-10-2020 9:27pm

km85264 wrote: »

Delighted to hear it

Cheers!

It's been an amazing learning experience. Every time I thought I had the thing perfect, I got feedback that showed me just how much more room there was for improvement.

Maybe Pickarooney was right to be so harsh when I started posting here 14 years ago! :P

km85264 · 08-10-2020 10:17pm

Sometimes you need to get a stark lesson in how to improve. Perhaps stark more than harsh :-)

Scuid Mhór · 10-10-2020 9:21pm

Congratulations @Insect Overlord, that sounds fantastic! I look forward to reading it.

For all the rest of you, I think I'm going to have to tap out this month and next -- circumstances in my life have shifted dramatically in the last couple of days (nothing serious, don't worry) so I won't have time to write properly again until December or so. I look forward to writing something for a competition then. Although I suppose I could always just submit one of the stories I've written before but I feel like writing competitions are more fun when you are writing something fresh for them.

@km I'll get back to you on your story when I've had a proper chance to sit down, read it and think about it. Thanks again for sending it on.

km85264 · 11-10-2020 9:26pm

Scuid Mhór wrote: »

Congratulations @Insect Overlord, that sounds fantastic! I look forward to reading it.

For all the rest of you, I think I'm going to have to tap out this month and next -- circumstances in my life have shifted dramatically in the last couple of days (nothing serious, don't worry) so I won't have time to write properly again until December or so. I look forward to writing something for a competition then. Although I suppose I could always just submit one of the stories I've written before but I feel like writing competitions are more fun when you are writing something fresh for them.

@km I'll get back to you on your story when I've had a proper chance to sit down, read it and think about it. Thanks again for sending it on.

Hope all goes well with you. Keep on writing, it's very good for the head, just do it for the enjoyment.
Don't worry about getting back to me :-)

Insect Overlord · 23-10-2020 10:51am

Scuid Mhór wrote: »

Congratulations @Insect Overlord, that sounds fantastic! I look forward to reading it.

I got the electronic files to preview/proof-read last night. I love the cover! They used the photograph I wanted for the front and cropped it beautifully.

I'll have to blog about this stage of the process when it's all done.

Livvie · 24-10-2020 3:24pm

Insect Overlord wrote: »

I have, at long last, submitted the final edit of my poetry manuscript with Revival Press/Limerick Writers Centre. Looks like I'll have my debut collection out in time for Christmas!

Congratulations.

Poetry is special - harder (imo) than straightforward story-telling.

Insect Overlord · 26-11-2020 10:04pm

Looks like an online launch is the only option for the book. At the moment it's scheduled for the same afternoon as the All-Ireland hurling final. :pac: I'm happy to share the link if anybody would like to tune in.

If not, "Inside Out" is still available for pre-order at https://limerickwriterscentre.com/product/inside-out-available-to-pre-order-now/

km85264 · 27-11-2020 9:48am

Insect Overlord wrote: »

Looks like an online launch is the only option for the book. At the moment it's scheduled for the same afternoon as the All-Ireland hurling final. :pac: I'm happy to share the link if anybody would like to tune in.

If not, "Inside Out" is still available for pre-order at https://limerickwriterscentre.com/product/inside-out-available-to-pre-order-now/

I’m not sure if I’ll be available but please pass the link on. I hope you have a fantastic day, you deserve the reward after all your work.

Das Kitty · 04-12-2020 5:35pm

Huge congratulations Insect Overlord. It must be so satisfying to hold it in your hands after all that work.

My Stinging Fly story was published today. I am chuffed.

https://stingingfly.org/2020/12/04/magnetic/

km85264 · 04-12-2020 10:51pm

Das Kitty wrote: »

Huge congratulations Insect Overlord. It must be so satisfying to hold it in your hands after all that work.

My Stinging Fly story was published today. I am chuffed.

https://stingingfly.org/2020/12/04/magnetic/

Beautiful story, Michelle, wonderfully written. I've been trying to get into Stinging Fly for over a decade and yet to get there. Congratulations!!

Livvie · 05-12-2020 8:36pm

Insect Overlord wrote: »

Looks like an online launch is the only option for the book. At the moment it's scheduled for the same afternoon as the All-Ireland hurling final. :pac: I'm happy to share the link if anybody would like to tune in.

If not, "Inside Out" is still available for pre-order at https://limerickwriterscentre.com/product/inside-out-available-to-pre-order-now/

I've taken the liberty of tweeting this - I'm assuming you are ok with that, but just let me know if not. It looks awesome.

Insect Overlord · 05-12-2020 9:50pm

Livvie wrote: »

I've taken the liberty of tweeting this - I'm assuming you are ok with that, but just let me know if not. It looks awesome.

No problem at all, and thank you! I was lucky to have a friend from my college days who takes beautiful photos and who was happy to let me use one for the cover.

echo beach · 05-12-2020 11:24pm

Das Kitty wrote: »

My Stinging Fly story was published today. I am chuffed.

https://stingingfly.org/2020/12/04/magnetic/

You have reason to be chuffed. That is a story to be proud of even if it never got published. It held my attention from the first line and I now so want to go there.

Writers' Bloc - Creative Writing Off Topic Thread

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