Sunday, September 6, 2015

The Nameless Vanish

You would think that after all this time, I would have learned. I would have learned to name my files before saving them. That being said, I'm here to announce that I finished the pressing chapter of Cottleston Pie which pretty nearly completes the draft. I'm going to consult with my notebook tomorrow and see if there are any pieces and stories I left dangling that want to be included, but otherwise I'm only going to smooth over a few things and touch up the synopsis before beginning to send it off. Excitement! I know that it won't be accepted probably for a very long time, but you never can tell. I also feel that I have a better pulse on what makes good children's fiction than I do on how to tap into the mystery market, or the historical romance market. Not that I couldn't get into those, but I feel it might be easier (and I will probably be eating crow, presently) to get into this market of children's fiction. We'll see.

What I mean by complaining about not naming files is this: I began a (very good) story for Rooglewood Press's  Five Enchanted Spindles contest and forgot to name it. At least, if I did begin it on Google Drive as I suppose, I forgot to name it. If I began it on my laptop, that is a whole different problem because guess what? My laptop died and with it, everything on it. Children, always back up your hard drive. I am not off to open every untitled document in Google Drive (because I had planned to work on this Very Good Story next, after finishing Cottleston Pie) and if I can't find it there...watch me weep. Here's hoping! Are any of you planning a story for Five Enchanted Spindles? I would love to hear about your story. :)


4 comments:

Esther Brooksmith (wisdomcreates) said...

Hurray for Cottleston Pie!
Oh, NO!!!! Your story disguised herself and it's now blending in with the crowd of merrymakers. Or perhaps it is a masked ball, and your job is to lift every veil and search every face to find an escaping princess.
I've done something similar before and have taken to saving my documents before I even start writing in them. I hope you find your entry!!!
I'm working on three possible entries for the Sleeping Beauty contest. The thought of trying to get them all done before December makes me want to pull my hair out, but I'm rather attached to all three so I'm making a go of it.
And I'm participating in the show-and-tell on Anne Elisabeth Stengl's blog on September 16th.
I'm so excited you are entering a story this year!!!

Unknown said...

I really want to do something for it, but I'm not sure. I had an inkling of an idea for a Sleeping Beauty story this spring (before I knew about the competition) but it doesn't make sense anymore.

Emily Ann Putzke said...

That's awesome that you're finished with Cottleston Pie! Congratulations!!!

I really, really, REALLY hope you're able to recover your Five Magic Spindles story!

Skye Hoffert said...

I hope you find your story, I have done things of similar nature, but more along the lines of accidentally deleting whole chapters or saving over something.
My Sleeping Beauty retelling ( which I haven't started) is about a girl with a malignant tumor, who is getting an operation that will either save her life or claim it.
I am trying hard not to make it bleak and depressing.
It was the only idea my fickle mind could come up with.