Yes, the end of the month is nigh and it's time to start totting up your points for February. In the comments, please let me know what you've been up to. You may tot up your own points (please do, maths is not The Koala's strong point), but I will be checking up randomly, so no porkies!
So, in February, have you...
Submitted a short story, poem or other short fiction submission to a competition or magazine (one point for each submission)?
Submitted an article (one point per article, no matter how many mags the article is submitted to)?
Written and/or edited at least 4000 words (one point)?
Written more than the basic 4000 words (one additional point for each 2000 words of original writing (not editing)?
Edited more than the basic 4000 words (one additional point for each 5000 words of editing) ?
Outlined/plotted 4000 words or more (one point for each 4000)?
Beta-read read a fellow writer's novel and provided feedback (one point)?
Completed and published a new author website (one point)?
Written your query? (one point)
Written your synopsis? (one point)
Submitted a novel to an agent or editor? (Straight up to Koala Approves!)
(Anyone who's on Koala Approves while waiting for an agent response, remember that you must keep writing/editing/submitting short stories in the next month. Anyone sitting on their laurels drops down a stage. However, if an agent asks you to make changes to a novel, you get to stay on Koala Approves for the duration of your editing and negotiations, provided you get those changes to him/her in time and remember your manners. Ask for an extension or moan about your potential agent and you drop down a stage.)
A reminder... Points cannot be held over for a following month. The Koala wants consistent effort. The Koala is always right.
Special Furry Rules: Paca - adapt to suit Furry Dissertation and article submissions. In your case, job applications also apply. Over-adapt and I will claw you. And take away points.
Special Bird Rules: If Phoenix ever feels sufficiently inspired to actually start a blog and even manages a few posts, there might be a point in that...
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33 comments:
I've been submitting this month, so I still approve of myself, heh heh.
I sent novel queries to two agents. One came back declined but with some very positive words about its quality. The other is still awaiting trial.
I also edited/revised approximately 12,000 words. (2 points I believe, but what is two plus infinity anyway?)
Although there are no official points for these, I did volunteer three full days at a writers conference, and I joined SCBWI finally. And I've done about 1,500 words of plotting a new story, but that doesn't come up to points-worthiness. Still, February was a pretty productive month for me even with some hefty workload. Can I grab my Koala Approves bug?
I sucked February.
Beta read/crit: 2 works = 2 pts
Edited 5000 words = 1.5 pts
3000 new words but on an old work so it nearly qualifies as editing = .5 pts
Walked around in circles, scratched my ass, contemplated positive changes to WIP, embraced the reality that I will NEVER be agented much less published, concluded that my bout with the "am I crazies" (a la Nathan Bransford) amounts to nothing because I won't stop writing/revising/writing down really cool dream sequences anyway = 0 pts. But in MC/Visa speak, priceless.
Also, in the beg for mercy category, had a death in the family (expected), a near death (not expected at all), and another cancer diagnosis.
So a total of 4 valid points, but not a total loss. I'm planting defensive eucalyptus laced with cannabis as a distraction mechanism just outside any and all entrances to my home. I hear cannabis incites peace.
It's not good. I'll have to come back.
I outlined a novel and got 14,000 words of it written, wrote another story, 6000 words, and did the edits for a 6700 word story. I think that's 10.
Blogs and Twitter Haikus don't count right? Ok, I have been having computer arm and my mother has been visiting this month. Here's what I did though:
Yes I wrote at least 4000 words.
No I did not submit writing. BUT, I submitted my photo collages to a juried competition.
I also begged all of my Facebook friends to vote for me in the emerging artist competition I entered LAST month (and almost lost friends because as a result of said begging).
I know I know, just hurt me and get it over with.
I have none. Not one point in February yet!
OH but I got a new job at one of the largest television media houses in India and then I got super sick for a week and then it was my birthday and my cousin got engaged. You see, buncha stuff happened. Poor me.
I'll manage at least one point in Feb. by the time I report back. 1 submission for sure.
I'll try to squeeze in a second. I'll be back.
*gnashing of teeth*
I have fallen short (barely) of my goal of having my manuscript submitted to my agent this month. That will likely happen next week.
I have worked hard on the matter, however. I did ~9,100 words of plotting, and ~98,000 words of editing--some of that is rewriting. However, all that editing is on the same words I edited last month, so I'm only giving myself quarter-points for them.
Thus, by my count:
Editing =
(4000+94000)=(1+18)points
Dividing by 4 gives: 4.7 points
Outlining =
(4000+5100)=(1+1)points
Total: 6.7 points
I humbly await The Koala's decision as to whether that value should be rounded up or down.
*grovel, grovel, simper*
Already!!!??? EEEEP.
I'm actually pretty close to ontrack, though not as good as I wanted to do this month. I want to finish a few more things this weekend and will post the final by sunday and let you know here...
No grovelling! You have until Sunday night... Burn the midnight oil!
This month I have 9 subs and about seven thousand words. Do I get extra points for showing up immediately following a rejection? Just thought I'd ask. Anyway, I hope Mckoala approves.
Do I get extra points for working myself so hard this week I feel like I've been dragged backwards through the alimentary canals of six separate dinosaurs?
Or is it the usual fayre of joy-free business as usual?
I've edited my way through 85,000 words and drawn up roughly 4000 of draft material.
I make that 17 points, but I could be wrong. I could be so wrong, in fact, that I've inadvertently left myself open to potential abuse, upon my very own doorstep, from a bunch of Maths Cops — a shame, as I prepared my barricade for the Word Cops.
Kudos to all with successes, major or minor, this month — esp Pete. Positive words sounds good.
New words:
New fantasy short (WIP): 1175
New poem (Complete): 115
Added to YA WIP (Now Complete): 2878
Total: 4168 (1 point)
Editing: ~18000 words (3 points) [doing more editing this weekend]
Entered YA in February Secret Agent Contest – Entry 16 (1 point)
(Didn’t work for the SA)
Submitted query, synopsis and first 5 pages of MG to agent recommended to me (Straight up!)
(And that would be a “No, thanks”)
Submitted new poem to one magazine (1 point)
(Please revise and resubmit – in 6-9 months)
Critted one flash fiction piece (twice): ~1000 words (0 points)
Critted 13,600 words for critique group (0 points) [doing more this weekend]
I think life will be thus:
Edited 4,000 - 1 point
Wrote 4,000 - 1 point
Submitted a section - 1 point
5 job apps - 5 points
So 8 points this time. But I feel that's too much for the job apps. Let's cut the 5 in half to get 5.5 or 6 points.
Okay, my stats is up for yon ridicule.
I have 7 points altogether for the month.
Does anyone else feel like someone's watching them? *shudder*
Jeez. All the follow up comments sound like hard slaps to my furry cheeks. I managed that one little submission over the weekend. So that's it. 1 point in February. Just. 1. point.
Here's my report for February. I had every intention of submitting a short story, spent some time editing one, but didnt want to spend the hours it takes to do the submissions, letters, etc.
So I edited my novel - the goal being to send it out, query-wise, into the world pretty soon.
Totals: 44,500 words, approx., for novel, plus 1200 words down to 1K for a flash fiction story = 45,600 words
1 point for the first 4,000 edited words.
8 points for the approx 41K remaining edited words.
Total: 9 points.
P.S. WOW, Whirl - I'm way past impressed! Editing is so damned hard, much harder for me than writing the novek was in the first place, and that wasn't exactly a cakewalk.
LOL---is Whirl serious?
And I want Laurel to get points for ass-scratching, particularly if it's someone else's...
I submitted! YAY! I feel kinda cheap though because I didn't do nearly as much work as some of these other folks here. But still, I'll take points where I can get them. No pride here.
And are there awards for groveling? Some people (ahem Peter and Aniket) are pretty good at it. heheheeh
;-)
I worked on an outline, got over 8k words, so 2 points for that. I added a bunch of words to my story, but as many of them are from the outline, I am not sure if I am entitled to the two points for that, so I'll claim one for a total of THREE.
I know I initially said I wanted March off, but I'll stay on the roles for March. I plan on getting at least one point next month so I only feel the hot, foetid breath of the slavering koala at my heels and not the claws or teeth.
I bettered my one pathetic point from last month.
I wrote 6127 words
edited 4650
and submitted one piece
so i make that 4 points.
I'm off to celebrate with some sorbet and cinnamon candy.
NO GROVELLING!
And it's March here already...
Actually, no, I really, really enjoy the grovelling. Please keep it up.
It just won't help you.
It's still February in Texas! And my sad, pathetic points are:
1 4000+ words written & edited
1 contest submission
1 publication submission
-------------------------
3 *cowers in terror*
I sucked again this month, even worse than last month. Only a bit over 4K words written and no submissions -- one point. [hides under keyboard]
At least the Olympics are over now (what? it's only two weeks every other year [grin/duck]) and we're moving out of the hotel and into our new place tomorrow. I'll have an actual office again, and won't have to worry about being quiet at night with the husband asleep ten feet away. March will be much better, I promise. :D
Angie, not quite up for a shredding this month
OK, I think I did pretty good.
Submissions: 7
7 points
Written at least 4,000 words: 12,329 on FoL and 6,600 on a novella
1 point
Additional point for every 2k over:
7 points
Edits for 4,233 words on FoL:
1 point
TOTAL Points: 16
I did a draft of a synopsis, can I get a point for that? (I really should have made time to throw myself at it over the weekend but I was busy cutting myself. *sigh*)
McK: Was THIS really necessary?
Wow, Sylvia. You and Whirl are rockin'!
I did another 37,000 words of proof-reading, so if the Koala allows it, I will round my points up to 7 for February.
And, since she enjoys it:
*grovel, grovel, grovel*
Actually, I forgot it's extra point for ever 2k over the first 4k, so I'm entitled to FOUR. (Math is not my strong suit, either.)
Laurel: yes.
Shudder, all ye who have failed me!
The horrible thing about grovelling before the Koala is that even though I seem to have done pretty well this month, I still feel compelled to prostrate myself.
Good boy. Keep it up.
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