Write1Sub1 Update

Seeing Ray Bradbury at the Escondido library in the fall of 2009 was a surreal experience I'll never forget. He spoke about being a "lover of life," and that, for him, writing was always a labor of love. He told us that night, "If you can write one short story a week—doesn't matter what the quality is to start, but at least you're practicing. At the end of the year, you have 52 short stories, and I defy you to write 52 bad ones. Can't be done."

I shared this quote with my creative writing class, and of course one of my 8th graders piped up, "I bet I could write 52 bad ones!" He might have missed the point. Regardless, Mr. Bradbury has inspired my writing for years, and Write1Sub1 wouldn't exist without his influence.

We started W1S1 on January 1, 2011, and since then it's been so cool to see our participants' work appear in venues across the globe, both online and in print, in token-paying and professional publications alike. It's been a while since I shared my own W1S1 progress, so here goes:

In 2011, I was on the Weekly plan, submitting as fast as I could revise, edit, and proof. So far, 46 of those 52 stories have found homes. In 2012, I switched to the Monthly plan, needing time to work on my novels. So far, I've sold 11 of those 12 stories. Last year, I kept to the Monthly plan and at last count, 5 of those 12 stories have been sold. This year, I'm on the Monthly plan again, and I've sold 2 of the 7 stories I've written thus far. All this to say, Write1Sub1 works. I'm getting my stories out where they belong, and along the way, I've appreciated the support of the W1S1 community, celebrating acceptances and commiserating after frustrating rejections. "Never give up, never surrender!"