Tag: Progress

Progress Report –Second Quarter 2024

How was second quarter 2024 for writing? So I spent second quarter 2024 writing and editing a ton of short stories. But I am also looking for work. So, that takes precedence.

Second Quarter 2024 Posted Works

First of all, I worked on a number of new short stories. A lot of these had been drafted on paper and so I spent some time editing them.

Then on Wattpad I posted nowhere. Am I completely done with that platform? It’s… starting to look that way. Because, frankly, for the sake of my own mental health, the last thing I need is to post in places which just aren’t the right audience for what I create.

Second Quarter 2024 Drafts

So far, and a few of these are from first quarter 2024, but I forgot to post them (oops!), here’s what I’ve been working on:

• The New Kid – after an Earth-alien war ends, the parties decide on a student exchange. What could possibly go wrong?
• The Walls Came Tumbling Down… Again – when a temporal mercenary upends the timeline so Rome never fell, it’s up to Rachel Shapiro and her work mishpacha to correct the timeline to fix the present day and end slavery.
• What’s an Animal? – the humans of the future have killed or destroyed the habitats of every animal on Earth. The world is divided into uniform grids where people pollinate the plants, because there aren’t any more insects. Until one day a little girl named Cherish finds… something.
• Recruitment Time (I don’t love this title) – time traveler Sharon Ensley was supposed to go to 16th century Turkey. But her path is diverted, and she ends up in New Jersey the day before 9/11. But the events of 9/11 seem to be happening on 9/10, and now include more plane crashes, in NATO countries in Europe. Everything is worse. But how, and why?
• A Fairy Tale for Skeptical Adults – when Flora Levy turns 60, she inherits her great-grandmother Florence’s books. There’s a Torah, a family cookbook, and more. But there’s also an odd book which doesn’t seem to belong with the others. When Flora starts to read it aloud, she summons… someone from the book itself.

Milestones

Also, I have written over 3.5 million words (fan fiction and wholly original fiction combined; there’s slightly more original stuff these days). So right now my stats on Wattpad for wholly original works are as follows:

• Dinosaurs – 42+ reads, 11+ comments
• How to NaNoWriMo – 26,183 reads, 340 comments (pulled from Wattpad due to their severing their association with NaNoWriMo)
• My Favorite Things (like kibble) – 994 reads, 133 comments
• Revved Up – 59,491+ reads, 531+ comments
• Side By Side – 21 reads, 2 comments
• Social Media Guide for Wattpad – 16,862+ reads, 592+ comments
• The Canadian Caper – 511 reads, 37 comments
• The Dish – 253 reads, 24 comments
• There is a Road – 189 reads, 28 comments

Published Works as of Second Quarter 2024

Also, I am amassing quite the collection of published works! So, here’s everything that has found a home so far.

Untrustworthy, which is my first published novel. So yay!

A True Believer in Skepticism, published in Mythic Magazine.

Almost Shipwrecked, a story in the January 2019 edition of Empyreome.

Canaries, a short story in the March 29, 2019, edition of Theme of Absence.

Complications, a story in the Queer Sci Fi Discovery anthology. So this is an anthology where the proceeds went to supporting the QSF website.

Cynthia and Wilder Bloom, stories in the Longest Night Watch II anthology.

Props, a story in the Longest Night Watch I anthology. So this is an anthology where the proceeds go to Alzheimer’s research.

Surprises, a story in Book One of the 42 and Beyond Anthology set.

The Boy in the Band, a story in the Pride Park anthology. So this is an anthology where the proceeds go to the Trevor Project.

The Interview, the featured story in the December 14, 2018 edition of Theme of Absence. So they even interviewed me!

The Last Patient, a story in the Stardust, Always anthology. This was an anthology where the proceeds go to cancer research.

The Resurrection of Ditte, a story in the Unrealpolitik anthology.

This is My Child, a short story published in the April 8, 2019 edition of Asymmetry Fiction.

Three Minutes Back in Time, a short story published in Mythic Magazine.

Killing Us Softly, a short story published in Corner Bar Magazine.

Darkness into Light, a short story published in Corner Bar Magazine.

WIP Corner

So my current WIPs are as follows:

The Obolonk Murders Trilogy – so this one is all about a tripartite society. But who’s killing the aliens?

The Enigman Cave – can we find life on another planet and not screw it up? You know, like we do everything else?

The Real Hub of the Universe Trilogy – so the aliens who live among us in the 1870s and 1880s are at war. But why is that?

Mettle – so it’s all about how society goes to hell in a hand basket when the metals of the periodic table start to disappear. But then what?

Time Addicts – No One is Safe – so this one is all about what happens in the future when time travel becomes possible via narcotic.

Time Addicts – Nothing is Permanent – this is the second in this trilogy. What happens when time is tampered with and manipulated in all sorts of ways? It’s the ultimate in gaslighting, for one thing.

Time Addicts – Everything is Up For Grabs – as the timelines smack together and continue to diverge, it gets harder to tell the “real” timeline from all the newer fake ones. And what if some of the changes are for the better?

Prep Work

So currently, my intention, for 2025’s NaNoWriMo, is to start to write the third trilogy in the Time Addicts/Obolonks universe. But I need to iron out the plot! So a bit of this year has been spent on that. I have no name for this one yet.

For 2022 – 2024 NaNoWriMo, I have decided to create a prequel for each of the 5 main universes: Real Hub of the Universe, Obolonks, Time Addicts (while the Obolonks and Time Addicts are in the same universe, I just plain want to write two separate prequels!), Untrustworthy, The Enigman Cave, and Mettle.

In 2022, I wrote the prequels for Time Addicts (The Dust Between Our Stars) and The Real Hub of the Universe (The East Side of the Universe). For 2023, it was the Untrustworthy prequel (Unreliable) and Obolonk prequel (Eros vs. Thanatos). And for 2024, it is the Enigman Cave and Mettle prequels.

So, I anticipate a lot of fun and perhaps a little confusion. But it’s all good!

Second Quarter 2024 Queries and Submissions

The older ones have moved. You can find them on my Publishing Stats page.

It’s been quiet. But that has been by design. Right now, I just plain don’t feel like putting myself out there these days. There, I said it.

In Progress

As of the end of second quarter 2024, the following are still technically in the running for publishing:

This list is the name of the story and then the name of the potential publisher.

• I Used to Be Happy – Gemini Magazine
• Justice – Adbusters
• Mettle – RAB
• Soul Rentals ‘R’ Us – A Thousand One Stories
• Who Do We Blame for This? – Sonder Review

But the truth is, I am not kidding myself. Those aren’t going to magically turn into acceptances, I bet.

Second Quarter 2024 – Productivity Killers

So it’s work, what else? I am working on a ton of things and since that is also writing, it can sometimes burn me out. Because second quarter 2024 is evidently not the end of that!

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Querying and Publishing Stats
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Progress Report – First Quarter 2024

How was first quarter 2024 for writing? So I spent first quarter 2024 writing short stories. So there was that…

First Quarter 2024 Posted Works

First of all, I worked on a number of new short stories. These were all drafted on paper and so I spent some time writing and editing them.

Then on Wattpad I posted nowhere, as I have quit the ambassador program there. It was just plain too much for me to handle. I could not do anything else, and I don’t honestly foresee that getting better any time soon.

Milestones

Also, I have written over 3.5 million words (fan fiction and wholly original fiction combined). So right now my stats on Wattpad for wholly original works are as follows:

• Dinosaurs – 42 reads, 11+ comments
• How to NaNoWriMo – 26,183 reads, 340 comments (pulled from Wattpad due to their severed association with NaNo)
• My Favorite Things (like kibble) – 992 reads, 133 comments
• Revved Up – 59,486 reads, 531 comments
• Side By Side – 21 reads, 2 comments
• Social Media Guide for Wattpad – 16,862 reads, 592 comments
• The Canadian Caper – 510 reads, 37 comments
• The Dish – 251 reads, 24 comments
• There is a Road – 189 reads, 28 comments

Published Works as of First Quarter 2024

Also, I am amassing quite the collection of published works! So, here’s everything that has found a home so far.

Untrustworthy, which is my first published novel. So yay!

A True Believer in Skepticism, published in Mythic Magazine.

Almost Shipwrecked, a story in the January 2019 edition of Empyreome.

Canaries, a short story in the March 29, 2019, edition of Theme of Absence.

Complications, a story in the Queer Sci Fi Discovery anthology. So this is an anthology where the proceeds went to supporting the QSF website.

Cynthia and Wilder Bloom, stories in the Longest Night Watch II anthology.

Props, a story in the Longest Night Watch I anthology. So this is an anthology where the proceeds go to Alzheimer’s research.

Surprises, a story in Book One of the 42 and Beyond Anthology set.

The Boy in the Band, a story in the Pride Park anthology. So this is an anthology where the proceeds go to the Trevor Project.

The Interview, the featured story in the December 14, 2018 edition of Theme of Absence. So they even interviewed me!

The Last Patient, a story in the Stardust, Always anthology. This was an anthology where the proceeds go to cancer research.

The Resurrection of Ditte, a story in the Unrealpolitik anthology.

This is My Child, a short story published in the April 8, 2019 edition of Asymmetry Fiction.

Three Minutes Back in Time, a short story published in Mythic Magazine.

Killing Us Softly, a short story published in Corner Bar Magazine.

Darkness into Light, a short story published in Corner Bar Magazine.

WIP Corner

So my current WIPs are as follows:

The Obolonk Murders Trilogy – so this one is all about a tripartite society. But who’s killing the aliens?

The Enigman Cave – can we find life on another planet and not screw it up? You know, like we do everything else?

The Real Hub of the Universe Trilogy – so the aliens who live among us in the 1870s and 1880s are at war. But why is that?

Mettle – so it’s all about how society goes to hell in a hand basket when the metals of the periodic table start to disappear. But then what?

Time Addicts – No One is Safe – so this one is all about what happens in the future when time travel becomes possible via narcotic.

Time Addicts – Nothing is Permanent – this is the second in this trilogy. What happens when time is tampered with and manipulated in all sorts of ways? It’s the ultimate in gaslighting, for one thing.

Time Addicts – Everything is Up For Grabs – as the timelines smack together and continue to diverge, it gets harder to tell the “real” timeline from all the newer fake ones. And what if some of the changes are for the better?

Prep Work

So currently, my intention, for 2025’s NaNoWriMo, is to write the third trilogy in the Time Addicts/Obolonks universe. But I need to iron out the plot! So a lot of this year has been spent on that. I have no name for this one yet.

For 2022 – 2023 NaNoWriMo, I have decided to create a prequel for each of the 5 main universes: Real Hub of the Universe, Obolonks, Time Addicts (while the Obolonks and Time Addicts are in the same universe, I just plain want to write two separate prequels!), Untrustworthy, The Enigman Cave, and Mettle.

In 2022, I wrote the prequels for Time Addicts and The Real Hub of the Universe. For 2023, it was the Untrustworthy prequel and Obolonk prequels. And for 2024, it is the Enigman Cave and Mettle prequels.

So, I anticipate a lot of fun and perhaps a little confusion. But it’s all good!

First Quarter 2024 Queries and Submissions

The older ones have moved. You can find them on my Publishing Stats page.

It’s been quiet. But that has been by design. Right now, I just plain don’t feel like putting myself out there these days. There, I said it.

In Progress

As of first Quarter 2024, the following are still technically in the running for publishing:

This list is the name of the story and then the name of the potential publisher.

• I Used to Be Happy – Gemini Magazine
• Justice – Adbusters
• Mettle – RAB
• Soul Rentals ‘R’ Us – A Thousand One Stories
• Who Do We Blame for This? – Sonder Review

First Quarter 2024 – Productivity Killers

So it’s looking for work, what else? I am working part-time and also searching for full-time work. It’s a pain, and definitely cramps my writing style. Unfortunately, first Quarter 2024 will not be the end of that….

---

If my works resonate with you, check out my other articles about my progress:

Querying and Publishing Stats
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Progress Report – Fourth Quarter 2023

How was fourth quarter 2023 for writing? So I spent fourth quarter 2023 planning for, writing, and recovering from the crown jewel of the year, NaNoWriMo! So, it was great fun…

Fourth Quarter 2023 Posted Works

First of all, I worked on a few new short stories I’d been writing all year. A lot of these had been drafted on paper and so I spent some time editing them.

Then on Wattpad I posted on the WattNaNo profile, and nowhere else.

Milestones

Also, I have written over 3.5 million words (fan fiction and wholly original fiction combined). So right now my stats on Wattpad for wholly original works are as follows:

• Dinosaurs – 42+ reads, 11+ comments
• How to NaNoWriMo – 26,183+ reads, 340+ comments
• My Favorite Things (like kibble) – 988 reads, 133 comments
• Revved Up – 59,478+ reads, 531+ comments
• Side By Side – 21 reads, 2 comments
• Social Media Guide for Wattpad – 16,408+ reads, 592+ comments
• The Canadian Caper – 509 reads, 37 comments
• The Dish – 250 reads, 24 comments
• There is a Road – 189 reads, 28 comments

Published Works as of Fourth Quarter 2023

Also, I am amassing quite the collection of published works!

So, here’s everything that has found a home so far.

Untrustworthy, which is my first published novel. So yay!

A True Believer in Skepticism, published in Mythic Magazine. Almost Shipwrecked, a story in the January 2019 edition of Empyreome.

Canaries, a short story in the March 29, 2019, edition of Theme of Absence. Complications, a story in the Queer Sci Fi Discovery anthology. So this is an anthology where the proceeds went to supporting the QSF website.

Cynthia and Wilder Bloom, stories in the Longest Night Watch II anthology.

Props, a story in the Longest Night Watch I anthology. So this is an anthology where the proceeds go to Alzheimer’s research.

Surprises, a story in Book One of the 42 and Beyond Anthology set.

The Boy in the Band, a story in the Pride Park anthology. So this is an anthology where the proceeds go to the Trevor Project.

The Interview, the featured story in the December 14, 2018 edition of Theme of Absence. So they even interviewed me!

The Last Patient, a story in the Stardust, Always anthology. This was an anthology where the proceeds go to cancer research.

The Resurrection of Ditte, a story in the Unrealpolitik anthology.

This is My Child, a short story published in the April 8, 2019 edition of Asymmetry Fiction. Three Minutes Back in Time, a short story published in Mythic Magazine.

Killing Us Softly, a short story published in Corner Bar Magazine. And Darkness into Light, a short story also published in Corner Bar Magazine.

WIP Corner

So my current WIPs are as follows:

The Obolonk Murders Trilogy – so this one is all about a tripartite society. But who’s killing the aliens?

The Enigman Cave – can we find life on another planet and not screw it up? You know, like we do everything else?

The Real Hub of the Universe Trilogy – so the aliens who live among us in the 1870s and 1880s are at war. But why is that?

Mettle – so it’s all about how society goes to hell in a hand basket when the metals of the periodic table start to disappear. But then what?

Time Addicts – No One is Safe – so this one is all about what happens in the future when time travel becomes possible via narcotic.

Time Addicts – Nothing is Permanent – this is the second in this trilogy. What happens when time is tampered with and manipulated in all sorts of ways? It’s the ultimate in gaslighting, for one thing.

Time Addicts – Everything is Up For Grabs – as the timelines smack together and continue to diverge, it gets harder to tell the “real” timeline from all the newer fake ones. And what if some of the changes are for the better?

Prep Work

So currently, my intention, for 2025’s NaNoWriMo, is to write the third trilogy in the Time Addicts/Obolonks universe. But I need to iron out the plot! So a lot of this year has been spent on that. I have no name for this one yet.

For 2022 – 2024 NaNoWriMo, I have decided to create a prequel for each of the 5 main universes: Real Hub of the Universe, Obolonks, Time Addicts (while the Obolonks and Time Addicts are in the same universe, I just plain want to write two separate prequels!), Untrustworthy, The Enigman Cave, and Mettle.

In 2022, I wrote the prequels for Time Addicts and The Real Hub of the Universe. For 2023, it’s the Untrustworthy prequel and the prequel to the Obolonks (first trilogy).

So, I anticipate a lot of fun and perhaps a little confusion. But it’s all good!

Fourth Quarter 2023 Queries and Submissions

The older ones have moved. You can find them on my Publishing Stats page.

It’s been quiet. But that has been by design. Right now, I just plain don’t feel like putting myself out there these days. There, I said it.

In Progress

As of fourth quarter 2023, the following are technically still in the running for publishing:

This list is the name of the story and then the name of the potential publisher.

• I Used to Be Happy – Gemini Magazine
• Justice – Adbusters
• Mettle – RAB
• Soul Rentals ‘R’ Us – A Thousand One Stories
• Who Do We Blame for This? – Sonder Review

Fourth Quarter 2023 – Productivity Killers

So it’s looking for work, what else? I am working on a ton of things and since that is also writing, it can sometimes burn me out. Because fourth quarter 2023 will not be the end of that!

---

If my works resonate with you, check out my other articles about my progress:

• Querying and Publishing Stats

Previous Progress Report Post
Next Progress Report Post

Leave a Comment

Progress Report – Third Quarter 2023

How was third quarter 2023 for writing? So I spent third quarter 2023 just trying to keep my head above water. It was… tricky. So there was that…

Allow me to explain.

It’s All About the Spoons, or Lack Thereof

If you have never heard this expression before, then it may seem a bit odd. But I see it all the time in my circles. Must be the neurotic writer in all of us.

Let us assume that you have, say, ten spoons. And you need them for various tasks. You can’t change them for knives or anything like that. You just need spoons. And not necessarily for oatmeal. You need them for life in general.

Getting up on time might be one. Showering can be another. Eating a balanced diet is another. Getting enough exercise is one. Work probably takes a good four all by itself. What are we up to now? Eight, sports fans.

Now you’ve got just two more spoons to spend (or if you prefer, energy packs in a video game or the like). Your relationship (if you have one) may be one. Dealing with your family, even if that’s 100% pleasant, may be another. Cleaning. Cooking. Keeping up with current events. Pet care and/or child care if applicable. And on and on.

But you just spent your ninth and tenth spoons cooking dinner and calling your parents.

This is about the time to mentally (or maybe even out loud) trot out that old expression, “I can’t even.”

How Do You Get More Spoons?

Sleeping. Meditating. Doing healthy things (yes, cooking and making sure it’s nutritious, and exercising are all at least one spoon apiece. But they also help you recharge and reclaim a spoon here and there).

So, getting up in the morning and getting motivated to work out might be two spoons, but you get at least one of them back when you do. And you may even get three and end up ahead of the game.

You can also mess yourself up a good thousand ways till Sunday if you stay up too late (or have caffeine too late), or if you procrastinate and end up panicking to get things done.

Spoon destroyers also include things like being a caregiver, being laid off, etc. Recent inflation is a pretty nasty spoon destroyer.

Well, What Does All This Have to do With Me?

I recognize that this is a neurodivergent and somewhat convoluted way of describing what’s not exact depression but more like spent energies.

The year started with my mother’s 90th birthday and then her death a little over six weeks later. Understandably, that has clouded everything. It removes at least one spoon for every day, and that’s not meant to sound flip.

I also decided to change web hosting providers, and that has proven to be a bear—and I even understand this stuff. A bit. More spoons.

Clearing up the last of my mother-in-law’s byzantine estate? You guessed it: Spoon City, Population: me.

Write Those Spoons!

This is all a very long explanation for why querying feels so insurmountably hard these days. Why finishing a piece is an uphill slog. And why important stuff (including this blog) is pushed to the back a lot.

I need a ladle.

Third Quarter 2023 Posted Works

First of all, I worked on a number of new short stories. This is all 100% pantsing which is a little odd for me because I do like to plan stuff.

So, right now, on some of these I have no idea how they end!

Then on Wattpad I posted on the WattNaNo profile, and nowhere else.

Milestones

Also, I have written over 3.4 million words (fan fiction and wholly original fiction combined). So right now my stats on Wattpad for wholly original works are as follows:

• Dinosaurs – 42+ reads, 11+ comments
• How to NaNoWriMo – 26,027+ reads, 340+ comments
• My Favorite Things (like kibble) – 983 reads, 133 comments
• Revved Up – 59,452+ reads, 531+ comments
• Side By Side – 20 reads, 2 comments
• Social Media Guide for Wattpad – 15,953+ reads, 592+ comments
• The Canadian Caper – 506 reads, 37 comments
• The Dish – 250 reads, 24 comments
• There is a Road – 189 reads, 28 comments
• WattNaNo’s Top Picks 2018 – 1,975+ reads, 45+ comments
• WattNaNo’s Top Picks 2019 – 1,848+ reads, 10+ comments
• What Now? – 2,812+ reads, 104+ comments

More Published Works as of Third Quarter 2023

Also, I am amassing quite the collection of published works!

Untrustworthy, which is my first published novel. So yay!

A True Believer in Skepticism, published in Mythic Magazine.

Almost Shipwrecked, a story in the January 2019 edition of Empyreome.

Canaries, a short story in the March 29, 2019, edition of Theme of Absence.

Complications, a story in the Queer Sci Fi Discovery anthology. So this is an anthology where the proceeds went to supporting the QSF website.

Cynthia and Wilder Bloom, stories in the Longest Night Watch II anthology.

Props, a story in the Longest Night Watch I anthology. So this is an anthology where the proceeds go to Alzheimer’s research.

Surprises, a story in Book One of the 42 and Beyond Anthology set.

The Boy in the Band, a story in the Pride Park anthology. So this is an anthology where the proceeds go to the Trevor Project.

The Interview, the featured story in the December 14, 2018 edition of Theme of Absence. So they even interviewed me!

The Last Patient, a story in the Stardust, Always anthology. This was an anthology where the proceeds go to cancer research.

The Resurrection of Ditte, a story in the Unrealpolitik anthology.

This is My Child, a short story published in the April 8, 2019 edition of Asymmetry Fiction.

Three Minutes Back in Time, a short story published in Mythic Magazine.

Killing Us Softly, a short story published in Corner Bar Magazine.

Darkness into Light, a short story published in Corner Bar Magazine.

WIP Corner

So my current WIPs are as follows:

The Obolonk Murders Trilogy – so this one is all about a tripartite society. But who’s killing the aliens?

The Enigman Cave – can we find life on another planet and not screw it up? You know, like we do everything else?

The Real Hub of the Universe Trilogy – so the aliens who live among us in the 1870s and 1880s are at war. But why is that?

Mettle – so it’s all about how society goes to hell in a hand basket when the metals of the periodic table start to disappear. But then what?

Time Addicts – No One is Safe – so this one is all about what happens in the future when time travel becomes possible via narcotic.

Time Addicts – Nothing is Permanent – this is the second in this trilogy. What happens when time is tampered with and manipulated in all sorts of ways? It’s the ultimate in gaslighting, for one thing.

Time Addicts – Everything is Up For Grabs – as the timelines smack together and continue to diverge, it gets harder to tell the “real” timeline from all the newer fake ones. And what if some of the changes are for the better?

Prep Work

So currently, my intention, for next year’s NaNoWriMo, is to write the third trilogy in the Time Addicts/Obolonks universe. But I need to iron out the plot! So a lot of this year has been spent on that. I have no name for this one yet.

For 2022 and 2023 NaNoWriMos, I have decided to create a prequel for each of the 5 main universes: Real Hub of the Universe, Obolonks, Time Addicts (while the Obolonks and Time Addicts are in the same universe, I just plain want to write two separate prequels!), Untrustworthy, The Enigman Cave, and Mettle.

So, I anticipate a lot of fun and perhaps a little confusion. But it’s all good!

Third Quarter 2023 Queries and Submissions

So here’s how that’s been going during third quarter 2023.

It’s been quiet. But that has been by design. Right now, I just plain don’t feel like putting myself out there these days. There, I said it.

In Progress

As of third quarter 2023, the following are technically (but I’m not getting my hopes up) still in the running for publishing:

This list is the name of the story and then the name of the potential publisher.

• I Used to Be Happy – Gemini Magazine
• Justice – Adbusters
• Mettle – RAB
• Soul Rentals ‘R’ Us – A Thousand One Stories
• Who Do We Blame for This? – Sonder Review

All Other Statuses

So be sure to see the Stats section for some details on any query statuses for third quarter 2023 which were not in progress.

Stats

So in 2018, my querying stats were:

• 68 submissions of 19 stories
• Acceptances: 4, 5.88%
• In Progress-Under Consideration: 3, 4.41% (so these don’t seem to have panned out)
• In Progress: 10, 14.71%
• Rejected-Personal: 14, 20.59%
• Rejected-Form: 24, 35.29%
• Ghosted: 13 (so these were submissions where I never found out what happened), 19.12%

So in 2019 my querying stats were:

• 23 submissions of 11 stories (so 6 submissions carry over from 2018)
• Acceptances: 4, 17.39%
• In Progress: 11 (so this includes 2 holdovers from 2018), 47.83%
• Rejected-Personal: 4, 17.39%
• Rejected-Form: 3, 13.04%
• Ghosted: 1 (so these are submissions where I never found out what happened), 4.35%

2020 Stats

So in 2020 my querying stats were:

• 37 submissions of 12 stories (so 9 submissions carried over from 2019)
• Acceptances: 3, 8.11%
• In Progress: 7, 18.92%
• Rejected-Personal: 12, 32.43%
• Rejected-Form: 4, 10.81%
• Ghosted: 11 (so these are submissions where I never found out what happened), 29.73%

2021 Stats

So in 2021 my querying stats were: 5+ submissions of 5+ stories (so 5 submissions carried over from 2020); 100% Ghosted: 5 (so these are submissions where I never found out what happened).

2022 Stats

So in 2022 my querying stats were:

• 6+ submissions of 6+ stories (so 5 submissions carry over from 2020 and 2021), plus 1 reprint!
• Acceptances: 14.29%
• Rejected-Form: 1, 14.29%
• Ghosted: 5 (so these are submissions where I never found out what happened), 71.42%

It can be pretty discouraging and hard to go on when nothing new comes up which is positive.

Third Quarter 2023 – Productivity Killers

So it’s work, and see above. I am not seeing an end in sight for all these responsibilities and energy drains. Sigh.

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If my works resonate with you, check out my other articles about my progress:

• Writing Progress Report – First Quarter 2023
• Writing Progress Report – Second Quarter 2023

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Progress Report –Second Quarter 2023

How was second quarter 2023 for writing? So, I spent second quarter 2023 writing a number of short stories from one-word prompts.

Second Quarter 2023 Posted Works

First of all, I worked on a number of new short stories. A lot of these had been drafted on paper and so I spent some time editing them.

Then on Wattpad I posted on the WattNaNo profile and the Star Trek Fans profile, and nowhere else.

Milestones

Also, I have written over 3.45 million words (fan fiction and wholly original fiction combined). So right now my stats on Wattpad for wholly original works are as follows:

• Dinosaurs – 42+ reads, 11+ comments
• How to NaNoWriMo – 26,027+ reads, 340+ comments
• My Favorite Things (like kibble) – 983 reads, 133 comments
• Revved Up – 59,452+ reads, 531+ comments
• Side By Side – 20 reads, 2 comments
• Social Media Guide for Wattpad – 15,953+ reads, 592+ comments
• The Canadian Caper – 506 reads, 37 comments
• The Dish – 250 reads, 24 comments
• There is a Road – 189 reads, 28 comments
• WattNaNo’s Top Picks 2018 – 1,975+ reads, 45+ comments
• WattNaNo’s Top Picks 2019 – 1,848+ reads, 10+ comments
• What Now? – 2,812+ reads, 104+ comments

More Published Works as of Second Quarter 2023

Also, I am amassing quite the collection of published works!

Untrustworthy, which is my first published novel. So yay!

A True Believer in Skepticism, published in Mythic Magazine.

Almost Shipwrecked, a story in the January 2019 edition of Empyreome.

Canaries, a short story in the March 29, 2019, edition of Theme of Absence.

Complications, a story in the Queer Sci Fi Discovery anthology. So this is an anthology where the proceeds went to supporting the QSF website.

Cynthia and Wilder Bloom, stories in the Longest Night Watch II anthology.

Props, a story in the Longest Night Watch I anthology. So this is an anthology where the proceeds go to Alzheimer’s research.

Surprises, a story in Book One of the 42 and Beyond Anthology set.

The Boy in the Band, a story in the Pride Park anthology. So this is an anthology where the proceeds go to the Trevor Project.

The Interview, the featured story in the December 14, 2018 edition of Theme of Absence. So they even interviewed me!

The Last Patient, a story in the Stardust, Always anthology. This was an anthology where the proceeds go to cancer research.

The Resurrection of Ditte, a story in the Unrealpolitik anthology.

This is My Child, a short story published in the April 8, 2019 edition of Asymmetry Fiction.

Three Minutes Back in Time, a short story published in Mythic Magazine.

Killing Us Softly, a short story published in Corner Bar Magazine.

Darkness into Light, a short story published in Corner Bar Magazine.

WIP Corner

So my current WIPs are as follows:

The Obolonk Murders Trilogy – so this one is all about a tripartite society. But who’s killing the aliens?

The Enigman Cave – can we find life on another planet and not screw it up? You know, like we do everything else?

The Real Hub of the Universe Trilogy – so the aliens who live among us in the 1870s and 1880s are at war. But why is that?

Mettle – so it’s all about how society goes to hell in a hand basket when the metals of the periodic table start to disappear. But then what?

Time Addicts – No One is Safe – so this one is all about what happens in the future when time travel becomes possible via narcotic.

Time Addicts – Nothing is Permanent – this is the second in this trilogy. What happens when time is tampered with and manipulated in all sorts of ways? It’s the ultimate in gaslighting, for one thing.

Time Addicts – Everything is Up For Grabs – as the timelines smack together and continue to diverge, it gets harder to tell the “real” timeline from all the newer fake ones. And what if some of the changes are for the better?

Prep Work

So currently, my intention, for next year’s NaNoWriMo, is to write the third trilogy in the Time Addicts/Obolonks universe. But I need to iron out the plot! So a lot of this year has been spent on that. I have no name for this one yet.

For 2022 NaNoWriMo, I have decided to create a prequel for each of the 5 main universes: Real Hub of the Universe, Obolonks, Time Addicts (while the Obolonks and Time Addicts are in the same universe, I just plain want to write two separate prequels!), Untrustworthy, The Enigman Cave, and Mettle.

So, I anticipate a lot of fun and perhaps a little confusion. But it’s all good!

Second Quarter 2023 Queries and Submissions

So here’s how that’s been going during Second Quarter 2023.

It’s been quiet. But that has been by design. Right now, I just plain don’t feel like putting myself out there these days. There, I said it.

In Progress

As of Second Quarter 2023, the following are still in the running for publishing:

This list is the name of the story and then the name of the potential publisher.

• I Used to Be Happy – Gemini Magazine
• Justice – Adbusters
• Mettle – RAB
• Soul Rentals ‘R’ Us – A Thousand One Stories
• Who Do We Blame for This? – Sonder Review

All Other Statuses

So be sure to see the Stats section for some details on any query statuses for Second Quarter 2023 which were not in progress.

Stats

So in 2018, my querying stats were:

• 68 submissions of 19 stories
• Acceptances: 4, 5.88%
• In Progress-Under Consideration: 3, 4.41% (so these don’t seem to have panned out)
• In Progress: 10, 14.71%
• Rejected-Personal: 14, 20.59%
• Rejected-Form: 24, 35.29%
• Ghosted: 13 (so these were submissions where I never found out what happened), 19.12%

So in 2019 my querying stats were:

• 23 submissions of 11 stories (so 6 submissions carry over from 2018)
• Acceptances: 4, 17.39%
• In Progress: 11 (so this includes 2 holdovers from 2018), 47.83%
• Rejected-Personal: 4, 17.39%
• Rejected-Form: 3, 13.04%
• Ghosted: 1 (so these are submissions where I never found out what happened), 4.35%

2020 Stats

So in 2020 my querying stats were:

• 37 submissions of 12 stories (so 9 submissions carried over from 2019)
• Acceptances: 3, 8.11%
• In Progress: 7, 18.92%
• Rejected-Personal: 12, 32.43%
• Rejected-Form: 4, 10.81%
• Ghosted: 11 (so these are submissions where I never found out what happened), 29.73%

2021 Stats

So in 2021 my querying stats were 5 submissions of 5+ stories (so 5 submissions carried over from 2020), all ghosted, 100%.

2022 Stats

So in 2022 my querying stats were:

• 6+ submissions of 65+ stories (so 5 submissions carry over from 2020 and 2021), plus 1 reprint!
• Acceptances: 14.29%
• Rejected-Form: 1, 14.29%
• Ghosted: 5 (so these are submissions where I never found out what happened), 71.42%

It can be pretty discouraging and hard to go on when nothing new comes up which is positive. You can essentially consider 2023 to be more of the same.

Second Quarter 2023 – Productivity Killers

So it’s work, what else? And Second Quarter 2023 will not be the end of that!

I am also dealing with the aftermath of my mother’s death on February 19, 2023. Just when you think it’s not going to hit you, well, of course it does. Of course.

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