NaNoWriMo 2016 is officially over, and I’m neck deep in rewrites for my upcoming novel, Fillius Glint. More on that in a later post.

Editing this book has been a roller-coaster. For those of you who haven’t followed along on Twitter, here are some of the highlights:

But Fillius Glint isn’t the only piece I’ve been working on. Earlier last month my flash fiction piece, The Girl with the Stick, was shortlisted over at Esther Newton’s Blog. Though it did not place in the top three, I may publish a more polished version of it here if people express interest.

I also submitted a hook for the Writer’s Digest Your Story Competition #78 which I’m hoping will make it to the top twelve. Finalists are announced later this month, so keep your fingers crossed.

In addition to that, I have several short stories which have been floating around in various submissions piles for months. Many of those stories have returned to me with a “thank you but this isn’t a good fit for us now” rejection email. (Most of those emails get sent out on weekends. Isn’t that funny?) Anyway, I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow. The rejections have been a wonderful way for me to practice acceptance and have also spurred me to problem solve. Instead of feeling defeated, I sent out one more short story after several rounds of edits and a deep dive into the needs of the magazine and its audience. I am tentatively optimistic about the results, which I probably won’t know for another six months.

Lastly, I put together a yeti-themed vignette which is available for download when you join my mailing list. If you sign up by the end of the day today, you’ll also be entered into a drawing to have my book, Fillius Glint, dedicated to you.

---

Writing Resource Round-up

Focusing on Craft:

• Using Multiple Points of View: When and How Is It Most Effective?
• Four Ways to Create Empathy in Your Writing
• 7 Reasons Writers of Serious Novels Should Use Humor in Their Fiction
• Your Two Plots
• When to Use Ensure vs. Insure
• How to Review Your Plot: Using Your Notes and Outline at Revision

---

Motivation and Inspiration:

• Four Traits of a Master Writer and How You Can Develop Them
• Use Genealogy to Enhance Your Writing
• Train Your Brain and Make Writing a Priority
• Want to Earn More Money at Your Job? Be a Good Writer
• 7 Simple Ways to Generate New Ideas
• You Have Permission to Suck

---

Marketing:

• Marketing and Publishing Checklists for Writers
• 6 Basic Steps to Score Your First Freelance Writing Gig

---

Professional Development:

• 5 Reasons for “Quick Pass” on a Query Letter
• What No One Tells You About Page Proofs, Blurb Requests, and More

---

Opportunities:

• 2016 Nightlight Readings Short Story Writers Contest (Free entry, Deadline Dec. 31)
• Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition (Free entry, Deadline Dec. 12)
• Romance Me Novel Writing Contest (Free Entry, Deadline Dec. 15)
• Story of the Year Contest (Free Entry, Deadline Dec. 31)

---

Follow me on Facebook:

Find me on Twitter:

Follow @ditriemarie

Are you on Litsy? Add DitrieMarieBowie

Post may be re-shared for non-commercial purposes with credit to Ditrie Marie Bowie. If shared digitally, a link back to this blog is preferred.