2009 - The Year of the Ox - I'm hoping that it progresses better than this one did. And this year was a good year - professionally anyway. Especially with the introduction of a somewhat mobile office. No more midnight issues! It won't matter anymore what shift my husband is on or where we're taking the kids on any given day, I'll be able to work anywhere I want. I figure my production will close to double. I know what my production looked like in 2008 – if I can double that? Goodness! I'll be well on my way to climbing that staircase towards the Dream Goal.

Goals! I have many of them.

1. I want to start keeping track of my metrics like a normal writer!

2. 150 submissions - provided I start querying for one if not two books.

3. 24 new short stories

4. 50 new poems

5. clear out the backlog of unfinished stuff! (completions counting as new)

6. 15% acceptance rate

7. Gain entrance into 5 of my Most Wanted Markets for 2009 : 1. Asimov's, 2. Lone Star Stories, 3. Poetry Magazine, 4. Strange Horizons, 5. Beneath Ceaseless Skies , 6.Escape Pod , 7. Star*line , 8. Glimmertrain, 9. Ideomancer, 10. IGMS, 11. Futurismic, 12. Coyote Wild, 13. Interzone, 14. Fantasy Magazine, and 15. Clockwork Phoenix 3 (provided there is one). (I like to write a varied sort so my most wanteds cover a broad spectrum of genres.)

8. Rewrites on Thosha Tol and Purgatory's Queen and maybe Strange Angels

9. One complete rough of a new novel

10. Go to no fewer than three conferences.

11. I'd also like to finish Vessel of A Goddess and Arilan's middle story – my Acknivarian Cycle stories are meant to be stand alones – they have a linear sequence but I'd like very much if they didn't need to be read that way. Technically, Strange Angels comes before Thosha Tol but TT is the better story right now (though SA has its potential if I can actually WORK on it) and Arilan appears in both. I'd really like to write the story of her life between those two tales. One happens when she is very young and very vengeful and, while she's not the main character, she's integral to the plot. The other happens when she is far older, bitter, and deeply wounded. Again – she's not the main character but she is absolutely integral to the plot. In both cases, the endings could not happen without her. In both cases, the stories would be flat and the endings off without her. I happen to know what happens to her between the stories – and I really think I'd like to write it. It does not end well but it's one of those stories that – you don't NEED to read to enjoy the other two, to understand the other two – but, upon reading it, her words, her actions, her philosophies make a deeper connection. No, she's not my favorite character to play with or anything.

I guess we'll see what happens!

2008 - the year of the rat - was an interesting year... On one hand, one of the best to date, but the lows this year were damned scary. CrazyHorse in the hospital with pneumonia. Wolverine and his constant battle with the skin issues (we're taking him to a dermatologist after the holidays see if we can't find SOMETHING to help him). Ambulance for me and my bee sting (but this was good as it was minor and forced me to actually go to the doctor and I now have my epipen). Hubster got his promotion. We're starting to catch up with everything even though our ideal dream is probably twenty years away – we want a farm with horses and pigs and cows and assorted yummies.

On the writing side of things - this was my best year to date! I did a complete revision on Thosha Tol - needs another before I start sending it out. I wrote a complete rough on Purgatory's Queen. I sold my short story collection, Hardwired Humanity. I have no idea how many words I wrote - as I'm horrible at keeping track. I can't even tell you how many stories or poems I wrote this year.

My stats were OK. Didn't hit my goals but I'd been expecting to have Thosha ready to query too and that didn't happen. I did, however, send 121 submissions out. With 13 acceptances and 90 rejections and an acceptance rate of 10.74%. No where near my goals but maybe next year. (there are still submissions out there of course so those numbers will eventually change).

Short fiction accepted in 2008: Switch (Hardwired Humanity), Venus and the Birth Of Zephyrus (Hardwired Humanity), When Closed Eyes Open (Hardwired Humanity), The Wreck of the Griffin (Hardwired Humanity), Canned Man (Hardwired Humanity), Evolution of a Shadow (Hardwired Humanity), Moronar's Chosen (Flashing Swords Summer Special*), Scabs (Everyday Fiction), Left Behind (Anthology Builder), In the Midnight Hour (Espresso Fiction), Fireworks (Abandoned Towers),

Poems accepted in 2008: The Man I Never Knew (Peeks and Valleys), Trinity (Sounds of the Night), Tomb of the Ancient Goddess (Big Pulp), Soul Scrapbook (Big Pulp), Crow Queen (Aoiffe's Kiss*), Tryst (Oysters & Chocolate), Dambala (Niteblade), Resurrection (Mirror Dance), Symbiosis (Mirror Dance), Seduka (Mirror Dance)

Nonfiction accepted in 2008: My Mother's Playbook (Things My Mother Taught Me), Beacon (The Sigurd Journal),

* Markets on my most wanted list for 2008

I've been keeping good records since 2004 - which really isn't that long but it gives a girl perspective to see it all tallied and totaled.

Year / Total Submissions / Total Acceptances / Total Rejections / Still Under Consideration / Acceptance Rate

2004 / 80   / 8   / 72   /  0  / 10.00%
2005 / 123 / 13 / 110 /  0  /  10.57%
2006 / 90   / 9   / 81   /  0  /  10.00%
2007 / 207 / 25 / 181 /  0  /  12.08%
2008 / 121 / 13 / 90   / 18 /  10.74%

Total / 621 / 68 / 534 / 18 /  10.95%

Factor in that I had a baby in 2006 (which is why the numbers are so low) and I'm not doing to badly. It could be better... it could always be better. But at least there is progress here.

Poet and editor, David M Pitchford was kind enough to give me a little of his time for an interview - check it out at http://shade53.blogspot.com

The author of one of my alltime favorite short stories agreed to answer a few questions! Check it out on my writing blog!

And don't forget, only a few days left to enter for your chance to win a signed copy of my book, Hardwired Humanity.

Time has almost run out on my contest! I'm giving away a signed copy of Hardwired Humanity! The rules are simple - blog about the book and let me know about it or post one of my flyers and let me know. That's all there is to it! You have until Midnight December 15th!

Find out all the information and download the flyer from my website:  http://www.freewebs.com/sarahwagner/winasignedcopyofhh.htm

Good Luck!

~Sarah

I was fortunate enough to get V G Ford to give me a little of her time and answer a few questions for my writing blog. I happen to adore her Horseman universe and the novella (Snow) is really great. A fun read.

Check out theinterview  and Snow too!