Join the Write1Sub1 Challenge

In my post on this year's writing goals, I mentioned that I am planning to write a short story every month this year. To help make sure I do this, I've revived an old Facebook group I used to be a member of. Write1Sub1 takes its inspiration from Ray Bradbury, who one year wrote and submitted a short story every week.

So this year we are going to write a short story and submit a short story every week. They don't have to be the same short story, because you probably want to let a story sit for a while before going back and editing it with a fresh set of eyes.

Many of us (including yours truly) are more novelists at heart, so if you don't think you can face a weekly challenge, you can write and submit once a month.

When I did this challenge back in 2014, I tried the weekly challenge. I burned out after four months, but got 16 stories written, many of which got published in magazines and anthologies and the rest assembled into a collection I indie published. It really does work!

Writing 2,000 words a day

I'm chugging along with my 2,000 words a day challenge, only taking time off when I'm traveling or hiking. Yesterday was my first day off when I went to climb La Peñota mountain near Madrid.

Other than that break, I've been right on target. Once you have some writing experience under your belt it isn't actually too hard of a challenge, and the pages really start to pile up. I still have time during the day to edit, work on nonfiction projects, and search for freelance jobs on Elance. That last bit hasn't been bearing fruit, I'm afraid. There are a lot of time wasters on there.

One trick I've learned is to stop just after 2,000 words, even if I still have ideas. I let those ideas bubble in my head until the next day, so the writing starts more easily.

Besides my book projects, I've been doing more short stories, and have joined the Write 1 Sub 1 weekly Challenge. It's just what it sounds like--you commit to writing and submitting one story a week. This was my first week. I wrote two flash fiction pieces, one a humorous Western and the other set in my Toxic World post-apocalyptic series. I wanted to submit them to Everyday Fiction, but their submission form was down this weekend. Grrr. I also started a story set in my Trench Raiders WWI series which I'll finish this week. So 2.5 stories written, no submissions.

OK, back to writing!