16 October 2013

Writing prompt 19

Today's post includes the weekly writing prompt and an overdue ROW80 Round 4 update. (Whoops! Had forgotten when the start date of Round 4 was!)



This week's writing prompt is an idea for a story that I'd like to write but probably never will, in part because I think I may have read it before. Ah well. Read on for the idea.

Prompt
A person from the year 2012 finds themselves aboard the Titanic as it leaves port on 10 April, 1912. They know what's coming and can neither change the fate of the ship nor get off the ship.

At first I thought maybe the person's consciousness was transferred into a Titanic passenger's body. But maybe the whole person gets bodily transported? Also had the idea of maybe weaving the speculative fiction storyline together with a couple other pieces about "sinking ships," e.g. a storyline about a failing marriage and another one about someone who's figuring out that their relationship to work is really unhealthy. Maybe in all three cases the people are really and truly stuck.

Anyway, those are just some thoughts. Go wild with the prompt - make it your own!

ROW80 update
Round 4 started on 7 October, so I'm a little late to the party. Luckily, one is welcome to jump into a round at any time. So here I go!

My goals this round and progress so far:

1. Finish first drafts of "The More Beautiful" (Sept.), "Split Infinity" (Oct.), "Conformity I" (Nov.), "Conformity II" (Dec.).  
I finished "The More Beautiful." Have not done much work on "Split Infinity" so far this month, but have schedule a writing retreat this coming weekend to give it some attention.

2. Edit "The Choice" (Sept.), "The More Beautiful" (Oct.), "Split Infinity" (Nov.), "Conformity I" (Dec.). [Note: Will edit "Conformity II" in 2014 Round 1.]  
"The More Beautiful" is finished. Got some great feedback from my developmental editor on "The Choice" that I've not yet implemented. Revised goal for Oct. = edit "The Choice."

3. Blog schedule: Market research on Mondays, writing prompts on Wednesdays, author/publisher interviews or general posts about writing/editing/coaching on Fridays.  
Have not put this into full effect yet, but have continued Wednesday writing prompts with satisfactory regularity. Only missed one in Sept. My next author interview will be with Anya Breton, going up on Friday, 25 Oct. 2013.

4. Submit one story or 3-5 poems to one or more markets each week.  
Submitted four poems to a journal on 29 Sept.; received rejection on 14 Oct. Submitted "Unborn" and "The More Beautiful" to two separate markets on 13 Oct.; no reply yet.
 

5. Go to the Rain or Shine readings on Thursday nights as often as possible. 
Have gone to two of the last three readings. Tomorrow night my friend and former client Tuna Cole will be reading from his memoir, Voyage of the Yellow Submarine, about living in a hippie commune in Eugene, Oregon in the '60s. I got a preview a couple weeks ago, and I'm really looking forward to this one. =*)
 

6. Read & comment on three other ROW80 participants' check-ins each week.  
Nothing yet, since I'd forgotten when this round started. Will do three by next Wednesday.


This is a blog hop! Click here to read other ROW80 participants' check-ins.

6 comments:

  1. Great goals and that prompt is great. I may give it a go. :)
    Have a good week. x

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    1. Thanks, Laura! If you do try the prompt & want to share the results, let me know! I'm always eager to see what people produce from these. =*)

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  2. Good luck!

    As per rejections: at least in the modern age of email, etc., the responses come back faster than before. (Or were those snail mail submissions?)

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    1. All electronic submissions. I have yet to submit anything snail mail. And yes, most of my rejections have been fairly quick. I *suppose* that's a good thing...

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