December writing goals.

[Matnov]

Finish short story. Polish short story. Give short story away. Eat figgy pudding and never tire of listening to The Pogues & Kirsty McColl.

 

[Paul Whybrow]

I intend to query the most fanciable literary agents from a list of 60 that I compiled. I'll also make a start at turning myself into a social media star and unmissable blogger. To keep sane, I've started a new short story about a widowed female dog walker who sees an attractive middle-aged man dancing with himself in a field, completely nude! I have no idea how this will pan out, but isn't that one of the reasons why we write?

 

[Marc Joan]

@Paul Whybrow : Please could you post your ranked list of Most Fanciable agents. With photos.
(Asking for a friend).

 

[Paul V]

I self published my first ebook in haste a couple of years ago and only now (following a quite sobering review) finally having it professionally edited during December. I'll then upload the finished manuscript, promote it for a few weeks and then finally let it be....
2019 will be the year of the sequel

 

[Eva Ulian]

Decide whether to call my WIP "The Church Mouse" or "The Church Whore" - has nothing to do with sex... well, not consciously anyway.

 

[Robinne Weiss]

My mother-in-law arrives in three days!!! December is lost. I hope I have a chance to write a short story or two, and get my two newest novels out to some beta readers, but otherwise, I'm entertaining the MIL until the 27th.

 

[Marc Joan]

My mother-in-law arrives in three days!!! December is lost. I hope I have a chance to write a short story or two, and get my two newest novels out to some beta readers, but otherwise, I'm entertaining the MIL until the 27th.

How do you entertain her? Sing? Dance? Juggle?

 

[Paul Whybrow]

My mother-in-law arrives in three days!!! December is lost. I hope I have a chance to write a short story or two, and get my two newest novels out to some beta readers, but otherwise, I'm entertaining the MIL until the 27th.

Robinne, your mother-in-law sounds formidable...a black hole of a woman who steals time! Surely, she could become a character in one of your stories....

 

[Robinne Weiss]

How do you entertain her? Sing? Dance? Juggle?

More like endless sitting around talking ... but she weeds, which is great, because there are plenty of those for her to pull. And she's a birder, though these days, the birds have to be within a 20 minute walk of the car. For my very active family, it's difficult to slow down to accomodate her for three or four weeks.

 

[Robinne Weiss]

Robinne, your mother-in-law sounds formidable...a black hole of a woman who steals time! Surely, she could become a character in one of your stories....

LOL! Not really a black hole. She's a delightful woman--it's just stressful hosting someone with very different habits, needs, and interests than the rest of the family.

 

[David Weller]

@Kirsten kindly reviewed the first three chapters of Truthseeker and made some very valid comments. Taking these into account I'm going to edit my material to make it stronger.

If anyone else would like to review it and suggest changes, I'd be really grateful.

 

[Nikky Lee]

I currently have my major WIP out with a few betas, and beta'ing a few others in return. I've started revising my WIP's intro pages from the feedback I've had on the forums, which has been very useful! I'm also hoping to finish one short story for the SF novella/story compilation I'm working on too.

 

[David Weller]

@Nmlee I saw you'd posted the first two chapters of the Rarkyn's Familiar. Although I'm still finding my feet as a literary critic, I'd be happy to read through it and provide you with some feedback.

 

[Nikky Lee]

@David Weller I'll never say no to a critique And talk about timing, I just downloaded yours to have a look at this afternoon!

 

[David Weller]

@Nmlee That would be great. I'm so familiar with this story that I find it difficult to understand how it is perceived by someone seeing it for the first time.

 

[Paul Whybrow]

@Paul Whybrow : Please could you post your ranked list of Most Fanciable agents. With photos.
(Asking for a friend).

The fanciability of literary agents reminds me of a strange anecdote told in a 1990 documentary about writer and actor Heathcote Williams. Part of the BBC Arena series, the programme makers interviewed key people in Williams' career, including one of his first literary agents. The writer was an eccentric character, but what she found really strange about him, was that he didn't try to seduce her! She sounded offended that he hadn't attempted to get her into bed...which made me wonder whether this was a ploy commonly used by authors seeking representation!

Incidentally, Heathcote Williams' four book-length poems, Sacred Elephant, Whale Nation, Autogeddon and Falling For A Dolphin are worth seeking out....they're depressingly prescient and wonderfully illustrated.

 

[David Weller]

She sounded offended that he hadn't attempted to get her into bed...which made me wonder whether this was a ploy commonly used by authors seeking representation!

I don't feel inclined to go down that path with @AgentPete.

 

[Eva Ulian]

The fanciability of literary agents reminds me of a strange anecdote told in a 1990 documentary about writer and actor Heathcote Williams. Part of the BBC Arena series, the programme makers interviewed key people in Williams' career, including one of his first literary agents. The writer was an eccentric character, but what she found really strange about him, was that he didn't try to seduce her! She sounded offended that he hadn't attempted to get her into bed...which made me wonder whether this was a ploy commonly used by authors seeking representation!

Incidentally, Heathcote Williams' four book-length poems, Sacred Elephant, Whale Nation, Autogeddon and Falling For A Dolphin are worth seeking out....they're depressingly prescient and wonderfully illustrated.

As long as it's me doing the seducing... I might give it a try- that's how desperate I am.

 

[Eva Ulian]

I don't feel inclined to go down that path with @AgentPete.

Wot?!? Not even a wink???

 

[David Weller]

Wot?!? Not even a wink???

Not even in front of a blind horse!

 

[Matnov]

All done, bar the giving away bit. Still a tad more rubbing with the finest grade of sandpaper available needed but all the bits are in place and I am now in danger of maybe over-egging both the pudding and the metaphors. Plenty of figgy-pudding consumed, although more than a little disappointed to hear the Pogues and much missed Miss McColl having their jolly Christmas ditty butchered on several occasions by the joyless bastards who seek to impose their own miserable limitations on what we can and cannot listen to. Still such is the modern world and perhaps I need to try and temper my own contrarian instincts a little.

Actually, no I don't. So to all the scumbags and maggots and cheap lousy faggots, have a smashing 2019. And more power to your quill.