Writing for Christmas in July....

It actually started because I thought I had an amazing idea for a story for the open submission that Riptide Publishing are holding in October.

I got myself seriously excited, started with chapter outlines and characters blocking - I even had a fabulous friend or two ready to pre-read it for me.  But I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something wrong - that it couldn't be that easy.  And I was right.

I was "channelling"  a book I had read in 1995 - not word for word, but I obviously had the structure in my head because the first couple of chapters of my brand new opus ran along the exact same lines.

Having read up on plagiarism - what counts as plagiarism, etc - as part of my brain meanderings, I realised there was just NO way I could write this and submit it for publication.  Yes, the protagonists are two men rather than a heterosexual couple; the storyline could well completely veer off as I am writing it; it could be considered an homage.  But in the end, I just feel so guilty that I got even this far with the idea that I can't see me ever submitting it anywhere.

I'm continuing it as fanfiction so the story that's bouncing around in my head will hopefully be finished but only for me and a few friends to read.

TAKE TWO

An anthology over at Dreamspinner is open for submissions.  Closer deadline (1st August) and the subject matter has to include something heart warming for Christmas.  I should be able to write something for this right?  Well, yes and no.  Somehow it's started off like something out of a Sci-Fi novel including time travel.  Yep, no Christmas yet but we're travelling through time so you know, Christmas could happen at any moment (pun intended sadly).

And because I have zero confidence in myself and feel much happier/confident when I am writing with a dear friend, I have dragged her into my deadline!! I've sent off the first chunk (about 2000 words) and have asked her if she will consider co-writing it with me.  I even admitted why - that I feel like something is missing, that I need her touch, her way with words to bring the story properly to life.  So fingers crossed, what I've written can spark her muse into action and she can do something with it.

Surely this counts as me doing something to get published?  I have a little contest going on with my sister - I will send something off to be published before she manages to redo her bathroom.  So far, we're neck and neck which isn't good.  But either way, I have two stories battling for dominance in my head which is kinda nice as my head hasn't been a good place to be for a while.

Now I just need to get into the Christmas spirit....