10 years after I first wrote a piece of flash fiction, it’s been accepted for publication. 11 years, really, if I calculate to the month— 10 years and 10 months.
At the time I wrote the story, I was a different person, literally and figuratively. I mean not only were all the cells in my body different, I was a newbie green writer, with probably a publication credit or two under my belt.
It feels surreal. I sent it out a bunch of times as recently as two years ago, but it flopped.
I edited the piece a little before I sent it off this time–in one of those moments when I was blocked on my novel edits and thought I should do something productive yet completely different. If all goes well, this effort towards publication will pay off with a 100 dollars. Not shabby at all.
All this to say that my belief is strong: we should not throw away anything we write. Who knows when we would spark off with the right idea that might help us repurpose a story and make something good out of it. Publication can be an unpredictable rigmarole, where the only real game is perseverance in producing more stories.
I’m all for the Marie Kondo techniques when it comes to house cleaning (I’m a work in progress), but in my writing practice I haven’t thrown away a single word I’ve written– be it on paper or on my laptop. When stuck, I often browse through my old writing, to find a line or an idea I can use as a writing prompt. By the same token, whenever I hear a voice in my head, or a shiny new idea, it goes into the notes on my phone, or my current notebook of choice. Not all will find publication. By now, I know I’ll die before I publish all of the writing I want to, or even write all that I wish to.
Some of my notes have turned into flash fiction, others into novels. I spotted a pillowcase in a hotel embroidered with the hotel name and that gave me the idea for this short story, which went on to find publication. When my yoga teacher told me how his wife had exchanged some of the hair collected from her comb to buy six shiny steel teaspoons, it led me to a few lines that eventually became The Blue Monsoon.
What about you? Have you ever repurposed an old idea, whether in writing or another field, and gone on to sell it? Have you ever found a convoluted path to publication?
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I think I have more writing on my desktop than in print. And reading about your experience, keeps me hopeful. Congratulations on the acceptance. A hundred dollars is wow!
Hi Damyanti,
Congratulations! Persistence obviously pays off. I’ve written quite a few short stories, and submitted them to competitions and magazines, and never had any accepted :¬[
But I’ve rarely sent each story to more than one source, and I can see now that’s rather lazy! In my defence, I have always been short of time. I’d rather be writing than spending time chasing publication – I know you feel the same.
best wishes,
Graham
It definitely does, Graham! And I do agree – the writing process is my favorite part of the journey. Publication is a tricky area, and even the most incredible writing could be rejected, simply because it doesn’t fit the current trends or popular themes in the market. There’s a lot of trial and error (and moments which make you want to tear your hair out), so it can mean a lot of stress for very little reward. I know I’ve certainly felt that way more than a few times!
Hi Damyanti, I most times write as inspired by events or scenery and then I get hooked. it takes several months and sometimes years to get back to some of the things i have written. I think I have lost more writing than I care to remember. I didn’t know to keep records then, but I am the wiser now. Thanks for your insightful writings.
Thank you for commenting, and for sharing your thoughts! It feels like a special kind of magic when I stumble across pieces I’d written years and years ago, which I’ve all but forgotten. It’s so lovely to read them from a fresh perspective, as though I’ve never seen them before. Using them as a foundation for new ideas and stories is incredibly helpful, too.
Hi Damyanti – I just write to my own prompt or if I’m joining a group – then theirs … I haven’t ever started the publication process – one piece accepted early on for a blogger’s anthology about ‘Overcoming Adversity’ to help raise funds for his stepson’s college fund … a special cause. I wrote a post eleven years ago this month about my entry for Nick Wilford and his book: 5.2.2013 … my blog goes on. Cheers to you and I do hope you continue to have much success – cheers Hilary
That’s an incredible cause, Hilary! I find prompts very helpful in my writing, too, especially when my brain is out of gas and I’ve got no more ideas left to fuel the fire. And prompts can spark such interesting stories, ones which I would never have thought of without the external inspiration. Reading other people’s writings based on the same prompt is just as interesting — the way our minds work so differently is just amazing to see. Thank you for the kind words, and I wish you all the best!
That was a complex and interesting publication journey. Congratulations on your publication.
Thank you! It certainly was long, if not all that interesting 🙂
Yes! My first book was a thirty year old story that I completely rewrote. Glad I never tossed that old notebook.
We’re glad you didn’t either, Alex!
Congratulations on that success! I wonder if now, with your name more recognizable, that encouraged the publisher to select you. We’ll never know!
Thanks Jacqui. I suspect it was entirely random. Even if I were to imagine myself better known, the mag takes anonymous subs, and this piece is spec-fic and not crime. It will be my first published spec-fic story 🙂
Good advice Damyanti. It is unbelievable that you received a response after ten years. I get most of my ideas from incidents during a vacation or conversation with people.
I received a response after two weeks. I wrote it 10 years ago and have been subbing it to various venues.
Your sources of inspiration are similar to mine.
I cannibalise my own failed work all the time–and I’ve gotten a good number of publications from it. I never throw any of my writing away.
Sounds like my process!!
It’s a good hedge against writer’s block!