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What have you achieved this year?

edited December 2006 in - Writing Tales

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  • Okay I'll start.
    I've won two competitions, the 12+ novel writing competition at Winchester Writer Conference and the Foster Mum short story competition for Writers' News. I've completed a rewrite of a 7-9 year novel and re-submitted. I'm waiting to hear about another novel for the 12+ market from an agent. This has been an amazing year for me and I can only hope that this progression will continue in and throughout 2007.

    So how has your writing year been like?
  • Gone in a completely different direction from what I expected.
    I've had three articles in an online magazines, plus the Christmas Gift guide this month.
    Done location research for my novel, and intend to give some time to starting it in the new year.
    Had my e-mail letter in the online Sunday Times.
    A reasonable base to build on.
  • I've had 26 items published - a mixture of articles, book reviews, an interview and reports of Christian meetings I've attended. In March, I became a sub-editor of "Grace" - a Baptist magazine. I commissioned articles for the August/September edition and will begin shortly to commission articles for the May 2007 edition. I've also made some progress with a couple of books, though not as much as I would have liked. However, an encouraging year.
  • So much!  And yet I never quite see it till I stand back from it, like a painting...
  • The start of the year was great; not as much as I would have liked. I had one poem, a haiku, quoted in WN (whoo, hoo!) and a letter published and recieved my first writing related cheque of $25. The rest of the year, hardly anything.
  • Its good to stop and look how far you've come during the year. Sometimes you don't realise just how far you've come.
  • First publication!!! ( A review in Writer's Forum). Shortlisted for Writing Mag's bravey comp. Started and finished and sent out Novel for the first time in years!!! Attended 3 workshops run by Spread the Word. At the minute, the novels at the agents, Spread the Word have got two submissions for an Anthology/Workshop and a reader review will be winging its way to WM by the end of the week. Best year for Writing so far. Good Luck to all for 2007!!!
  • After a major career shift I've been able to increase my writing output significantly this year.  Although I'm feeling pretty positive about that I think there is still a lot of room for further improvement. 

    Sold a story to People's Friend.  My first success with them.

    Also had 2 letters published and had minor prizes in various competitions.  As a result of these gained £25 of gardening vouchers, a total of 7 books, a phone, some facial stuff and some kitchen bits.

    I suppose the main thing is that my focus this year has moved much more onto the writing.  It's become more central to my life, rather than an occasional interest.
  • Won WM Sea poetry comp, shortlisted in the fairy tale poetry and open unrhymed.  Fifth in the Writers Bureau comp.
    Second in a poetry slam and performed in a two-night variety show and an eleven-night show.

    Hoped to have my children's poetry book out in the summer but am being messed about like I don't know what, so my other plans have been put on hold.  Grrr.
  • 'All About Sex' was published in October, and has already sold 60 copies. 'The Dandelion Clock' reached 1,000 copies sold; while total sales reached 2,000. Reviews of 'The Dandelion Clock' and of 'Precipice' were printed in The Sunday Express, and good reviews turned up on Amazon. 'Precipice' got a mention in The Big Gay Read.
  • Its so wonderful to know what succsess others are having and knowing writers are getting their work in print.
  • My first two books were published and I've finished a third, which will be released in the spring.  I won a BBC Five Live radio competition with a monologue.  I've discovered a passion for screenwriting, which may have been the most important development this year.  I know where I want to go now.
  • I've had a great year!
    Won travel writing competition. Had the article published 3 times all over the world.
    Article published in My Weekly.
    Short listed with a short story (first time)
    Possibly of play being published.
    2007 cannot wait....
  • As a newbie, I feel quite encouraged.  Had five letters published in magazines.  I submitted two stories and, although they weren't accepted, I had nice letters back about both of them, rather than simply a rejection slip.  It gives one hope!  Good luck to everyone in 2007.
  • Keep the successes coming.
  • I published my first book myself at the beginning of this year called 'Scarab Eyes' a fantasy adventure for children and I set up my own web site.
    I found an agent in the middle of this year for my second book. Am now waiting for it to find a publisher.
    I have just finished my third book this time it is for teenagers.
  • Does anyone want to continue with this thread?

    Only this year I told myself I would send out at least one piece of writing per month, and I've done it.

    I am writing more because of it, and, I think now because of a group of us have joined in the Talkback Short Story Group, I am writing more because of that too.
  • edited July 2011
    I'm having a good year so far.

    Fiction: three stories published in the Static Movement Unquiet Earth anthology. Two submitted recently (one to Pages of Stories, one to Strange Horizons), and one nearly ready to submit.
    Non-fiction: pieces in This England, Aviation News, Think (a philosophy journal), theTravelRag.com, and hackwriters.com. Plus pieces due soon in The Skeptic and Canals Rivers + Boats magazine.
    Book reviews: several published in Real Travel.
  • Good year for me too.

    Writing something every day. I get things in print fairly regularly and generally I'm doing OK.

    For some reason I've started writing fiction - never bothered with it much. I think I'm more relaxed this year than I have been in the past, so maybe that has helped.
  • It's so good to hear about Talkbackers doing so well.

    I've had a brilliant year professionally, but a bad year personally.

    I won my first ever competition for my crime novel Vile City. Caring for Your Dog: The Essential Guide was published by Need2Know when I feared it wouldn't see the light of day. My first novel (a short one), How Kirsty Gets Her Kicks will be published by Pulp Press this year. Bullying - A Parent's Guide is being updated and published later this year. My labour of love The Greatest Guide to Living Cruelty Free will be published by Greatest Guides in Dec 2011.
  • It's weird reading what I wrote in 2006 above. Sadly my agent didn't find a publisher and that book Body Trapped is now out on Kindle.
    As for Scarab Eyes the publisher went bust. I have the file and am planning a rewrite one day.

    I've had a bad year personally too, but a good year writing wise, infact writing is what has kept me going throughout all the problems.
    And I've done really well with my poetry winning three first places; Artillery of Words, Swanwick and just last Saturday Winchester Writers' poetry and been shortlisted in various other comps.
    I've just started an article writing course with WM ( my Swanwick prize )
  • LizLiz
    edited July 2011
    .
  • [quote=kateyanne]I've had a bad year personally too, but a good year writing wise, infact writing is what has kept me going throughout all the problems.[/quote]

    Same here.
  • This is the year that's seen me finish a novel I started back in 2004.

    It's been a positive experience -I 've enjoyed it and it has changed my attitude to short story writing. (I am far more sleeves up and get on with it, now)

    I have two books of meditations (co-written) coming out next month and in the past month have sent out six stories - two WM Competitions and six to Womans Weekly.

    This is the year I've decided that I AM a writer, rather than wanting to be a writer.
  • Congratulations everyone. My year has not been brilliant, except that I have (almost) stabilised my income/outgoings. It's not brilliant but it's in the black. I keep thinking I have finished my debut novel and then for various reasons, discover that I haven't.

    It's been a year of rejections so far but I do believe I have almost finished it. Three quarters of it is up to standard, I believe, and I need to add one plot layer to the last part, make it 'bubble up' at the end (my tutor's phrase) and hopefully I can start another round of submissions.
  • Been writing lots - every day, in fact, and I haven't missed one of my creative writing classes all year (apart from when on hols)

    I'm just going to write off the top of my head here...

    Have had two haiku published and a further poem accepted by on Every Day Poets; poetry published in 'Shamrock', the Irish Haiku Society journal; two haiku published in literary journal, 'the view from here'; I won the A Vogel 'Story for Bedtime' pick of the month competition (just about to put £50 cheque in the bank!); have just had a haiku accepted for literary journal 'Notes from the Gean Tree'; poem published in local newspaper; two poems published in 'Alight Here' London Tube Project; several haiku published in 'Spook City'; won Jan poem of the month to be included in Writing4all.ie printed anthology; poem in two of Static Movements Poetry Anthologies; letter published in WN; letter published by Emerald Writing Workshops & short story shortlisted; short story published on CafeLit Project; Short story published in Bridgehouse Anthology 'Devils, Demons & Werewolves'; Two short stories in 'The Infection Anthology' in the US (currently available as e-book, later in print)

    ...and now i'll probably publish nothing for another year!
  • Wow!
  • [quote=paperbackwriter]Wow! [/quote]

    lol - it looks like a lot in a list like that, PBW...but I earned the grand total of £52 from all those words...oh well, I can dream on of making some real money out of writing, but in the meantime I won't give up my day job! :)
  • Not a single word on my novel.

    One re-hashed short story submitted to a WN comp.

    A handful of banal postings on TB

    Where did it all go wrong?
  • Why do I keep being taken to the top and not the bottom of this thread?
  • [quote=Baggy Books]kateyanne wrote: I've had a bad year personally too, but a good year writing wise, infact writing is what has kept me going throughout all the problems.


    Same here.[/quote]

    Same here as well, onwards and upwards now.
  • Started the year well with four stories accepted for the 2012 Daily Flash anthology published by Pill Hill Press.
    Submitted just five articles so far of which two have been published and one rejected (see my recent thread).
    Entered seven competitions - only know that I haven't won one of them - waiting on the rest...
    Can't remember how many One Word Challenges I've entered this year, but won the June challenge - yipee! :)

    So, not a prolific year, but I've had lots of other stuff going on: house building, travelling etc. I'm okay with output so far.
  • I finished my first book and tried the ebook route. Sold 18 copies in about 3 weeks.
    I submitted my manuscript to a literary consultant and based on their feedback, decided to start over. Removed my book from Amazon.
    Now working on several historical novels, one steampunk, one traditional regency.
    Learning a lot about formatting, publishers and queries.
    Building a network of writers and readers. Started an Author page on Facebook.
  • Well it's been a bad year so far.
    The accident set back my plans so I'm really only now getting back into my writing properly.
    So I'm aiming to complete the novella this year. If I can do that I will be happy.
    Otherwise, I've built on establishing my blog in the meantime, so writing has been done.
  • Wow! Some of you have achieved loads. I feel lazy reading some of the posts above. Children's fiction wise I've achieved mainly rejections, but one was a nice rejection so who knows! I've given up on writing the 11+ novel I was attempting because I've discovered I can't write for that age (or I don't think so at the moment anyway). For some reason I feel happier writing for younger and 9 to 11 readers. So I'll stick to that. A writer friend and I are looking into whetherto publish children's fiction on kindle.
    I'm working on putting my under-5's story, rhyme and language games project on a website - making it a kind of online resource.
    Non-fiction wise, I've written a couple of short articles on the theme of my two non-fiction books which were published online. I've also just had a third non-fiction book accepted.
    Personal/family wise the first half of the year was not good - very exhausting and stressful! Feels better now though. That's life I suppose, the ups and downs.
  • [quote=Daisy]Wow! Some of you have achieved loads. I feel lazy reading some of the posts above.[/quote]

    You know, I sometimes wonder where I'd be with my writing if I had never joined Talkback. The people on here have definitely been an inspiration over the years.

    [quote=Jay Mandal]Why do I keep being taken to the top and not the bottom of this thread?[/quote]

    Good question - the same keeps happening to me.
  • Yes it has been happening to me too.
    We need to let Webbo know.
  • This year has been my most exciting writing year so far, although I've not earned a penny from it (yet!!)
    I've found an agent and she's currently sending my first book out to publishers.
    I've just finished my second book and have submitted it to the RNA NWS for critique before I send that off to my agent.
    Non-writing but writing related, I've just come back from my first RNA conference and got to meet lots of my favourite writers which was fantastic.
    Haven't written many short stories (no time!) but did get longlisted in the Fish publishing one page prize.

    And now... time to begin book three!
  • Exciting times, Van. You're on a roll!
  • Oh, well done Van!!

    I've put my two books up on Kindle Amazon. They are selling better than the paperbacks, so far! Not making huge amounts, but still happy. :)
  • Writing wise, I've had 21 short stories/novellas released, with more to come by the end of the year.

    I quit my job to start my own business back in February which has freed up more writing time. I want to use this to start writing longer pieces. I started out with short stories, am working up to novellas and have the aim of having a full length novel published by the time I'm 30 (almost 4 years to go). Hopefully that's not too unrealistic!
  • What is your business? I am sure that having a novel published in 4 years would be realisitic, especially as you are on your way!
  • [quote=creativewriter1985]Writing wise, I've had 21 short stories/novellas released, with more to come by the end of the year.[/quote]

    How fantastic. How the heck do you find your market?


    [quote=paperbackwriter]A lot [/quote]

    Not doing too badly either. I think 2011 will be my most successful year - the first of many, hopefully!
  • So far, entered two competitions, third due out in the next day or two.
    Started my novella, submitted my Dorset nove'ls synopsis and first three chapters to a club competition judged by Sue Moorcroft (comments yet to be returned to me, but the prose secretary tells me there are positives).
    Done the OWC last month, and come up with lots of ideas for stories- mostly long.
    So actually I've done more than I've expected this year.
  • [quote=Baggy Books]How fantastic. How the heck do you find your market?[/quote]

    Thank you :)

    Well I write erotica and erotic romance, which has a huge market, even if people don't necessary admit to reading it ;)

    There are a few UK publishers which take the short stories, both for print and ePublication, and several more over in the US. Getting to know other writers in the genre helps too as you share tips, which publishers are good, which to avoid, etc.
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