I have successfully written a brand new short story that I don’t (yet) think is entirely horrible. It’s science fiction but it could be fantasy.
Victory 1!
But I have not yet overcome submitaphobia. That’s okay. My goal is to, over six weeks, write and submit three stories. I haven’t failed yet.
Right now, I think I am entering the cycle of wallowing in the abyss of my own suckitude. Not as a writer, no. As a functioning adult-type human being. I mean, honestly. There are people out there with real problems they are dealing with, and what is my damage? Oh, poor me. I lack the courage to have my prose rejected by editors. Talk about prima donna drama queen first world problems. Sheesh.
Does this sort of self-flagellating internal dialog give me that courage? Well, what do you think?
(No. The answer is no. Actually, self-flagellation is just another form of self-induced paralysis. It’s like, you let yourself off the hook for doing what you need to do but it’s okay because you feel really bad about it.)
I am currently working on breaking things down into their component parts better. I think one of my issues is that I take the whole submitting process and turn it into a Clean ALL the things! moment. So I have thoughts like, "I simply can’t contact any more potential agents until I’ve improved my website! They will visit the website and think I’m a doof!" And I haven’t sent Mr.
These processes always seem to make sense when I’m right in the middle of them, but right now, thinking about them in the abstract, it’s super obvious they are a stalling/avoidance tactic.
I think I need to try to work on the whole concept of picking out the NEXT thing I have to do and then doing that without getting too far ahead of myself.
The NEXT thing I have to do: pick a place to send the recently completed story.
Write-a-thon You can sponsor me or any of the other delightful writers at ClarionWest.net.
Yay for Victory 1!
I’m gonna go ahead and say that I’ve had “real problems” in recent memory (I know, it’s quite a thing for a first-world middle-class hippie like me to claim, but pretty much anything involving involuntary screaming is, I think, quite arguably a real problem) and I still think that overcoming submitophobia is legitimately tough work. If that helps at all.
Most of my problems in life are self created ones. That somehow doesn’t make them go away…
Hurrah for a finished story!
True. Humans are just like that, I guess. And realistically, I know that. But it’s apt fodder for self-flagellation.
Rob and I one time packed up the stories and traded packets. We submitted each other’s stories to markets.
That’s the plan that Mr. Plunderpuss and I are trying out.
OK, this is the most awesome analogy ever. Can I repost? I promise to mention how smart and gorgeous you are.