Angela Tung Oversharing on the internet since 2005.

I’ve been working on a bunch of things lately (hence, the slackness on the blog) and as usual, they’re all due at the same time. I’ve got one assignment, one submission to a literary journal, and one to an online magazine. The assignment is in good shape (I think), thanks in part to YP and his sharp eye, but the other two are less, um, developed. In addition, I’ve been writing a lot for work as usual (this post on dog breeds is particularly fun).

Recently I read this article from poet Brett Elizabeth Jenkins about her project, “One Year, One Hundred Rejections,” the goal of which was “to garner one hundred rejecton letters within the course of one calendar year.”  This idea immediately appealed to me. I feel like I don’t submit as much as I could, and look for anything to motivate me.

I don’t think I’d be able to collect 100 rejections in a year. That would mean at least 8 submissions a month, and with longer form pieces (I’m assuming Brett submitted mostly poetry but I could be wrong), that would be virtually impossible, at least for me.  But maybe that’s because right now I don’t feel like I have a really good, polished piece that I could send to a bunch of places. Last year I did (An Old Man on The Frontier Loses His Horse), which I submitted to at least half a dozen places, resulting in a contest win.

Anyway, the arbitrary goal I’ll pick is 60, which means five submissions a month, starting this month. So far I have one from Sun Magazine. They accept previously published work so I was able to quickly submit a piece from The Nervous Breakdown which I’m particularly proud of. Standard form rejection. Oh well.

Obviously the goal isn’t to try to get rejected, but to submit pieces and pitches to a sufficient number of places that *might* add up to 60 rejections. And I know I could call it the Sixty Submissions Project (which kinda has a better ring to it), but rejections makes it seem more daring. Like, who cares, I’ll just take a chance and submit to this hoity-toity magazine since I’m “trying” to get rejections anyway!

So counting Sun and the two possible rejections I’m working on, that’s three. I also plan on writing and submitting another piece that’s due at the end of the month, that’s four. And maybe if I feel okay about the more literary piece I’m working on, I’ll submit it to a few other places before the month is out.

I’m gonna need a spreadsheet.

That was a long two weeks.

Work was quite busy, though in a good way.  I am getting a handle on striking a balance between trying to do a good job in my expanded role, and becoming completely obsessed and neglecting my own projects.  That being said, this weekend will be all about catching up with my own stuff, namely:

1) Work on my novel. I always save new versions of my writing with the date that I last worked on it, so I was disheartened to see the last time I worked on my novel was May 31.  My goal today is to finish this particular section, a flashback/background, so that tomorrow I can get into the real story more.  (I am of course being purposefully vague here, not ready to talk about the specifics of the novel, but happy to blab about the process.)

2) Write this blog post. My goal is to post twice a week. Yay, I met my goal!

3) Update outdated stuff on my website. In case you’re wondering, I am not still reading The Devil’s Rooming House.  I’ve read about three books since.  Also, the stuff on my home page needs to be refreshed, specifically The Bellingham Review!

The Spring 2011 issue is now available. You’ll find great prose and poetry, as well as the winners of the 2010 contests, including my essay, “An Old Man on the Frontier Loses His Horse,” first place winner of the Annie Dillard Award in Creative Nonfiction.

The website isn’t updated yet (they usually put one or two pieces in full on their site), but you can order or subscribe now.

4) Work out. Not sure this will happen.  The first three goals take priority, but at least I think I’ll be able to do yoga at home.