Six of one, half a dozen of the other
Another a month has come and gone, so it’s time for another installment of the crazy popular Wrap Up series! We’re halfway through the new year, and I’m feeling half-way optimistic about how the career is progressing. Let’s dig into the details.
THE NOVEL
Work on the novel has been non-existent this month, but for good reason. I think. In Stephen King’s On Writing, he suggests taking some time off from a project before beginning the editing/re-write process, that way you can come back to it with fresh eyes. Since he’s the master storyteller, I’m following his advice, waiting the recommended SIX WEEKS before coming back to it. Editing begins July 17th.
That said, I’ve had one beta reader so far: my amazing and supportive wife. She read all 582 pages, and gave me some excellent feedback. There are a few things I’ll be changing in response to her criticisms, but according to her, it’s in great shape! We’ll see what my editor’s brain thinks of that in two weeks…
SHORT STORIES
This may seem like a strange statement to anyone who’s read my work on Medium, but I’m starting to think that I’m just not good at short stories. Let me be clear: I like the work I’m putting out online. I think it’s pretty great. But the stuff I’m working on with the intention of selling to professional markets just keeps stalling out. Case in point: I’ve got three projects at various levels of completion, and none of them come to life the same way my Medium projects do. These stories are intended as part of my agent-getting process, so I don’t want to just quit on them, but… they just aren’t good.
My work on Medium, however, has been going great! I published fewer stories this month due to a family emergency that necessitated a change in travel plans and work schedule. But some of these pieces, my most recent one in particular, may just be my best work yet. I feel justified in this belief in part because of my inclusion on not one, but TWO independent “Recommended Reading” lists (big thank you to Mark Starlin and A Maguire). Links to all my June stories below:
- Broken Arrow
- Light as a Feather
- #writerslife
- It Didn’t Have to Be This Way, Ted
- No Hook Can Catch Time
- It Ain’t the Kind of Job You Advertise
- A Murderous Scent
SOCIAL MEDIA
It may seem strange to consider this as part of the Wrap Up, but as an aspiring writer, this takes up a surprisingly big portion of my day. I made some excellent strides on the SM front this month, in large part due to joining some Facebook groups. As of this writing, I’m at 245 followers on Medium, a fifty person bump in a single month. Even more impressive, I added nearly 200 followers on Twitter, almost tripling my reach in a month. Needless to say, I’m super thankful for all the engagement by my fellow group members.
The big question in all this is whether or not that bigger following equals more dollars. So far, the answer is yes! I had my highest earning month on Medium yet, which feels great considering I published almost half as often. That said, I’m still not paying the bills with this cash; in fact, I’ve yet to break the $50 barrier. But I’m close! And it more than pays for my Medium membership fee, and for my contribution to The Weekly Knob on Patreon (which you should all totally read and support).
So, in conclusion, ladies and jellyspoons, I did less actual writing this month, but got paid more for it, and felt better about it (as long as we’re excluding my short story problem). I’m super stoked to be transitioning from #amwriting to #amediting; I’ll be back next month with an update on the trials of editing. Thanks for reading!
J. Brandon Lowry 
One response to “June 2018 Writing Wrap Up”
I’m engaged.