Recently, I finished a speculative fiction short I\u2019ve shown to no one yet (except hubby). I haven\u2019t even looked at it myself in almost two weeks. I wrote, finished and set it aside.<\/p>\n
On purpose.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d heard of this tactic before, but never tried it. Then several short stories were rejected months after I\u2019d submitted and I re-read them only to discover the experts had been right all along.<\/p>\n
You have to let a story sit.<\/p>\n
It makes sense, really. In cooking, a simmer brings out subtle textures and flavors that take time to develop. Brewing requires time for fermentation to convert sugars in the mix to alcohol. With writing, a bit of distance between first draft and second allows the idea to coalesce and mature. In my case, I came back to my rejected pages with renewed clarity. I found it easier to see themes and identify what needed cutting or keeping, editing or polishing.<\/p>\n
Since this is the first time I\u2019ve set an unsubmitted story aside to percolate, it was hard in the beginning. I had to dig my head into something else, so I\u2019m fleshing out other ideas, reviewing my novel manuscript (again), getting ready for vacation with my beloved Bobness and family. When I re-read the simmering short in a couple of weeks, the story should feel fresh. Almost like someone else wrote it. By the time I complete a second draft, I hope it will be ready to submit.<\/p>\n
But Drema, you ask, how can you be sure? The truth is, I\u2019m not.<\/p>\n
Someone asked me recently when my novel would be finished. I laughed and said, \u201cNever.\u201d It\u2019s a fact. My skill is always (hopefully) growing so that every time I read it, I find parts that can be improved. I could edit it and tweak it and refine it for the rest of my life, but if I ever want to see it in print, I have to take a chance. I must make it shine as best I can, then send it off into the world and cross my fingers.<\/p>\n
Of course, that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019ll be accepted. My skin\u2019s much thicker on the rejection front than it used to be. It\u2019s still tough sometimes, especially since letters with \u201cThis isn\u2019t a good fit for us,\u201d or \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019d be a good advocate for your work\u201d aren\u2019t very helpful. Of course, it\u2019s a matter of numbers; agencies and publishers receive thousands\u2014tens of thousands\u2014of submissions every year. They can\u2019t possibly offer individualized responses for each one.<\/p>\n
Even so, that leaves the writer guessing. Every time, I can\u2019t help but ask myself\u2014is it my manuscript? Did I flesh out my characters enough? Did I lose it on follow-through? Was the story too wordy? Where did I go wrong?<\/p>\n
I\u2019m sure it\u2019s normal to think that way, but it\u2019s entirely possible that the story really is a bad fit for the agency (though this is less likely if you did your homework). The problem could even be simple bad timing, something you can\u2019t always anticipate, even if you\u2019re watching the market to see who\u2019s accepting what. Maybe your target agency just signed on with a novel that is similar in scope, or focused on the same readership. Maybe that agent just wasn\u2019t your audience.<\/p>\n
On the down side, once you submit a piece to a particular agency or magazine, they ask you not<\/em> to submit the same piece to them again unless they specifically request it. Since you get only get that one chance, it\u2019s important for your submission to shine as brightly as possible before<\/em> you hit the \u201csend\u201d button.<\/p>\n So I\u2019m simmering. Rather, my stories are, while I continue to produce. And think. And plot. And scheme.<\/p>\n What about you? Are your back burners full of drafts awaiting fullness?<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Recently, I finished a speculative fiction short I\u2019ve shown to no one yet (except hubby). I haven\u2019t even looked at it myself in almost two weeks. I wrote, finished and set it aside. On purpose. I\u2019d heard of this tactic before, but never tried it. Then several short stories were rejected months after I\u2019d submitted…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-213","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog-posts"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8n0kX-3r","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3492,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2023\/08\/25\/the-state-of-rejection\/","url_meta":{"origin":213,"position":0},"title":"The State of Rejection","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"August 25, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"I\u2019ve mentioned that for my next book, Fallen, I\u2019d be querying it for a while, at least six months. Why? Because two people I trust strongly encouraged me to do so. Thus, I\u2019ve been sending out queries since late May. So far, I\u2019ve gotten mostly rejections or a resounding silence.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "On Writing"","block_context":{"text":"On Writing","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/on-writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/firmbee-com-jrh5lAq-mIs-unsplash-300x199.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":190,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2017\/05\/08\/its-been-how-long\/","url_meta":{"origin":213,"position":1},"title":"It’s Been How Long?","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"May 8, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Wow \u2026 I just realized it\u2019s been a whole month since I posted \u2013 Sorry y\u2019all! It\u2019s been a crazy few weeks and the time just got away from me. (Read \u201cFinding Time to Write,\u201d also posted today.) Truth is, in the last month, I finished a tiny revision on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog Posts"","block_context":{"text":"Blog Posts","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/blog-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":249,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2017\/07\/17\/the-joy-of-the-new\/","url_meta":{"origin":213,"position":2},"title":"The Joy of the New","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"July 17, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I just finished a new story, one unlike any other I\u2019ve written thus far. I can\u2019t explain the feeling, the excitement, the sense of teetering between promise and trepidation at hopes of getting it in print. If you write, you know it. If you don\u2019t, no words will suffice. The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog Posts"","block_context":{"text":"Blog Posts","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/blog-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":131,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2017\/03\/09\/where-it-all-went-wrong\/","url_meta":{"origin":213,"position":3},"title":"Where It All Went Wrong","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"March 9, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"How hard can it be? Remember that? Yeah. (Nostalgic sigh.) I must admit I was overwhelmed at the thought of reducing the 800K-word tome I\u2019d produced to the manageable 120K draft manuscript recommended by an agent. After only a day or two of lingering freak-out, I took the figurative scissors\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog Posts"","block_context":{"text":"Blog Posts","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/blog-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6397,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/03\/mrs-orcutts-driveway\/","url_meta":{"origin":213,"position":4},"title":"Mrs. Orcutt\u2019s Driveway","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"August 3, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"By C.V. Wooster \u00a9 June 25, 2025, Taciturn Studios LLC File size: 3.9 MB 181 pages ISBN: 978-1967239009 Almost everyone loves a David and Goliath story. Mrs. Orcutt\u2019s Driveway is that in spades, only it isn\u2019t David fighting Goliath. It\u2019s Bonnie Orcutt, a petit, methodical, quiet but determined widow who\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A ruler-straight asphalt road cuts through the center of a desert spotted with scrub, disappearing into the distance near a mountain ridge at the horizon. Text reads \u201cMrs. Orcutt\u2019s Driveway, A Legendary Road \u2013 An Unstoppable Woman. C.V. Wooster.\u201d The cover includes a gold medallion that reads \u201cAmazon #1 Bestseller.\u201d","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/812HEu23lHL._SL1500_-200x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":297,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2017\/08\/21\/whats-in-a-number\/","url_meta":{"origin":213,"position":5},"title":"What\u2019s In a Number?","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"August 21, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Last night I finished the book I was reading (The Moon and the Other, see Reviews page), and started N.K. Jemisin\u2019s Fifth Season for the second time, so I can review it here. I loved it the first time, got so lost in it that I forgot to watch for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog Posts"","block_context":{"text":"Blog Posts","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/blog-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=213"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":214,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213\/revisions\/214"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=213"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=213"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=213"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}