I loved watching Ray Bradbury’s TV show, and remember how he would often discuss the nature of creativity as well as his own writing process. One of the tips he gave was this: If you write a story a day, after a year, you should have a few good ones. (Or at least that’s how I remember it. . .) I actually took that challenge a few years back, and while I mostly wrote drabbles and longer flash fiction, it proved to be an excellent self-imposed writers boot camp.

I’d like to offer you three different challenges – and an opportunity to share your process.

Here they are:

1. The Modified Bradbury Challenge: Write a story a day for a month. That’s right. . .from start-to-finish! It doesn’t have to be perfect, mind you, or even ready to submit; it just needs to be a complete story. Each week, pick what you truly believe are the best, and then submit them.
2. The Revision Challenge: Go through those paper, computer, and flash drive files for abandoned or otherwise back-burnered stories. Now revise – and then submit – at least one per week for the next month.
3. The I-Really-Want-to-Write-a-New-Novel Challenge: Chris Baty of Nanorimo – and the world-wide movement he spawned – has proven beyond a doubt that you can write a novel in a month. This is not a “no-plot-no-problem” challenge, however; it’s a plot-and-planner challenge. That’s right, fellow discovery writers, this is an opportunity to explore how the proverbial “other-half” writes. Consider the following schedule:

• Week 1: Create your character profiles and work out the plots and subplots.
• Week 2: Begin drafting; modify plot and character profiles as needed.
• Week 3: Continue drafting; modify plot and character profiles as needed.
• Week 4: “Finish” drafting, and yes, modify plot and character profiles as needed.

The challenge begins NOW! And yes, be sure to reward yourself daily. . .

My article, “15 Marketplaces to Publish Your Poetry,” is now up at Freelancewriting.com. This site is a veritable treasure trove of market and contest lists, articles, free eBooks – and more! Be sure to subscribe to their “Morning Coffee eNewsletter,” too.

Editors and Your Stories

By Priya Sridhar

The words, “this is not for us,” can evoke many emotions from writers. The first reaction can be disappointment, while the second tends to be mild annoyance, and the third is resignation. Occasionally, a long rejection letter manages to put a smile on my face. If I’ve submitted to the magazine before, the editor and I may discuss suggestions for revision on previous tales. I’ve found that the benefits of rejection involve striving to submit better stories and building relationships with editors.

My first rejection letter came from Asimov’s Science Fiction. I had written a tale as a birthday present to my choir teacher, thought it was good, and sent in a hard copy with a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the magazine. The SASE came back a month later with a printed form rejection. I took it happily and prepared to try again. Someone in my family, probably my older sister, told me that sending by post was a waste of stamps, so I switched to magazines that would accept electronic submissions. I was twelve, I think, and my first short story acceptance happened when I was fourteen.Rejection can serve as a barometer for writing quality, and for the editors that enjoy your work. It’s much like receiving a detailed letter from an acquaintance and getting insight into their character. How one responds to the letter also reveals the writer’s character; authors that take a customized rejection too personally, for example, may provide a scathing retort and provide an incentive for editors to deliver form envelopes.