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Writers' Bloc - Creative Writing Off Topic Thread

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    #1262
    km85264
    Registered Users Posts: 146 ✭✭km85264


    I’ve been submitting to stinging fly for ten years, pretty much put something into every submission window. I have a story in for this one but I’m beginning to get the message...


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    #1263
    Insect Overlord
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,857 Mod ✭✭✭✭Insect Overlord


    Scuid Mhór wrote: »
    Try not to beat yourself up about it too much - I've found that because of the pandemic, most people's creativity has been on the decline as well. Sometimes the best thing you can do to create is to rest and revitalise yourself.

    Yeah, that's the approach I've been taking to it. :) Nice and chill.


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    #1264
    Scuid Mhór
    Registered Users Posts: 2,326 ✭✭✭Scuid Mhór


    Got a personal rejection for my short story that I sent to The Stinging Fly. So close, yet so faraway.


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    #1265
    km85264
    Registered Users Posts: 146 ✭✭km85264


    I got the boilerplate “Unfortunately on this occasion...” email a few weeks back. One day, when I’m rich, I’m going to buy that publication and boil all the editors mwah hah hah!!


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    #1266
    Das Kitty
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 17,231 Mod ✭✭✭✭Das Kitty


    km85264 wrote: »
    I got the boilerplate “Unfortunately on this occasion...” email a few weeks back. One day, when I’m rich, I’m going to buy that publication and boil all the editors mwah hah hah!!

    I got the same. :pac:

    Is anyone doing any online courses / seminars at the moment? A pal of mine is trawling Eventbrite for stuff to attend that suit her interests. I went to a few events in Cuirt and enjoyed them.


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    #1267
    lambswool
    Registered Users Posts: 7 ✭lambswool


    Scuid Mhór wrote: »
    Got a personal rejection for my short story that I sent to The Stinging Fly. So close, yet so faraway.

    Out of interest, how can you tell if it's a personal rejection?


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    #1268
    Sunny_Arms
    Registered Users Posts: 79 ✭✭Sunny_Arms


    Scuid Mhór wrote: »
    Try not to beat yourself up about it too much - I've found that because of the pandemic, most people's creativity has been on the decline as well. Sometimes the best thing you can do to create is to rest and revitalise yourself.

    how I wish I can revitalize myself in a not revitalizing environment :(


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    #1269
    Scuid Mhór
    Registered Users Posts: 2,326 ✭✭✭Scuid Mhór


    lambswool wrote: »
    Out of interest, how can you tell if it's a personal rejection?

    Caveat: all personal rejections are different. But basically - and in my case - the rejection was literally personal, mentioning me and the merits of the work I submitted in a way that goes beyond form rejection. If you give it a google you will see examples of the distinction between tiered rejections.


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    #1270
    km85264
    Registered Users Posts: 146 ✭✭km85264


    My last stinging fly rejection:

    Thank you for sending us ****, and for your interest in The Stinging Fly. I'm sorry to say your story has not been selected for publication on this occasion, though we're grateful to have read it and wish you luck placing it elsewhere.

    The previous one

    We hope you are well in these worrying times. Thank you for sending us your short fiction, ****, and for your interest in The Stinging Fly.
    I'm sorry to say your story has not been selected for publication on this occasion, but we're grateful to have read it and wish you luck placing it elsewhere.

    Previous:

    Thank you for sending us ****.
    We receive many submissions and unfortunately we will not be publishing your work on this occasion.

    I guess they weren’t sorry to say it on that occasion, must have been a really crap story. Or they didn’t think I had the interest in the magazine.


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    #1271
    lambswool
    Registered Users Posts: 7 ✭lambswool


    Scuid Mhór wrote: »
    Caveat: all personal rejections are different. But basically - and in my case - the rejection was literally personal, mentioning me and the merits of the work I submitted in a way that goes beyond form rejection. If you give it a google you will see examples of the distinction between tiered rejections.

    Thanks. I suspect I got a personal rejection when I submitted about 3 years ago and didn't realise at the time. It said something along the lines of '...we thought long and hard about this...'or something. Of course I've deleted it now. Since then, the responses have been more generic.

    Anyone else thinking of applying for the novel fair?


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    #1272
    nigeldaniel
    Registered Users Posts: 1,333 ✭✭✭nigeldaniel


    Does anyone know about any new competitions coming up?

    Dan.



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    #1273
    km85264
    Registered Users Posts: 146 ✭✭km85264


    https://dystopianstories.com/writing-competitions-contests/


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    #1274
    nigeldaniel
    Registered Users Posts: 1,333 ✭✭✭nigeldaniel


    Excellent link, thanks for posting km85264.

    Dan.



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    #1275
    FunLover18
    Registered Users Posts: 6,793 ✭✭✭FunLover18


    Anyone know or hear anything about The Urban Writers, freelance/ghost writing gig - or has anyone tried anything similar?



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    #1276
    Insect Overlord
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,857 Mod ✭✭✭✭Insect Overlord


    Looks like this forum (like many others on this once-great site) has died a death.

    Anybody here still writing away? I got some good news recently anyway. It looks like I'll have a second poetry collection published in the spring.

    Expecting to have approximately 10 Irish language poems published in the winter, too (some in an annual journal, some in a monthly magazine).



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    #1277
    pixelburp
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 35,941 CMod ✭✭✭✭pixelburp


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121009669#Comment_121009669

    A lot of smaller fora were already quiet before the switch of software; think it just tipped many over the edge into outright obsolescence as Vanilla's learning curve and ... eccentricities put folks off.

    Creative Writing is a bit of solitary, anxiety ridden hobby at the best of times so I get how that sense of community can so easily dwindle. The writing groups I was part of in "real life" were the same; enthusiasm lessened over time 'til the groups dissolved. It doesn't take much, especially without a specific goal or purpose.

    Re. actual writing? I haven't written any creative fiction in a while but ... I didn't want to stop writing either. So I decided if I didn't have time or energy to fashion stories, I'd involve my other enthusiasm: film. I'm trying to keep up with writing through film reviews, added to my letterboxd account; not just trotting out glib summaries but genuinely attempting to write something considered, thoughtful and with a degree of what might pass for intelligence. It's not writing the next great bestseller but it makes me feel like I'm still doing what I enjoy, coupled with something else I enjoy - which is nice.



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    #1278
    Insect Overlord
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,857 Mod ✭✭✭✭Insect Overlord


    2 poems published in Comhar this month. Pretty happy with that. Hoping to see 5 more in another annual journal before Christmas.

    Two pieces away from finishing the first draft of my second published collection as well. Aiming to get that out in April.

    I've finished a second full book in English but a chunk of that is going into a bilingual collection - it all needed a bit more work/feedback/critique but at least I know some of it will be out next spring. Ditto two full collections in Irish that I put together between 2021 and 2023. With any luck I'll get a few volunteers to give me pointers on the dual-language book before the final draft goes to print.



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    #1279
    Insect Overlord
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,857 Mod ✭✭✭✭Insect Overlord


    New collection due in the first half of April. Woop-dee-doo.

    Much like this post, it's still undergoing edits. The typesetter won't be thrilled, but I want this thing to be perfect.

    On a different note, I'm hoping this one opens a few doors for me in the community. For example, I didn't know where to look to get feedback or constructive critique in Irish (despite asking on a couple of popular Facebook groups). It would be nice to get to know some more bilingual writers off the back of this.

    Post edited by Insect Overlord on


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    #1280
    Insect Overlord
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,857 Mod ✭✭✭✭Insect Overlord


    Getting more publicity than I expected!

    https://x.com/ansiopaleabhar/status/1778135138167038363

    Post edited by Insect Overlord on


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