(1) wrote something,
(2) my in-house editors thought it was decent,
(3) screwed up the courage to post it here for feedback,
(4) received good, helpful feedback,
(5) revised,
(6) sent it out,
(7) received the rejection,
(8) reviewed again and listened to those comments that I ignored first go around,
(9) found some problems, which I have now fixed, and
(8) I just sent it out again!

Yay me!

OK, so when I get rejection #200 maybe I won't be so chipper, but I am positively buoyant today!

time to write!!!
8-)

Leslie

And it paid off:

"Kevin recently signed the largest science fiction contract in publishing history, to write the prequels to Frank Herbert's SF epic Dune. Each book sold for seven figures."

Keep at it, LAJD--and welcome to being a real writer.

"The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough. They're there to stop the other people."

Transcript at http://www.scribd.com/doc/348803/pausch-last-lecture-transcript

Videos at http://www.cmu.edu/uls/journeys/randy-pausch/index.html

From the CMU website: "Carnegie Mellon Professor Randy Pausch, who was dying of pancreatic cancer, gave his last lecture at the university Sept. 18, 2007, before a packed McConomy Auditorium. In his moving talk, "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams," Pausch talked about his lessons learned and gave advice to students on how to achieve their own career and personal goals."

I find it kinda enheartening---coincidentally, I, too, have been writing for over thirty years without selling anything.

Piper went on from that first sale to write some of the greatest works of SF (which I also find enheartening)...but also made so little money at it he eventually committed suicide (which I find extraordinarily depressing.)

*****

And just like the Ten Commandments of the Bible, you might not follow them all the time, but you ought to!

;^)

And I don't think Heinlein said you can't proof your own work before it goes out the door.

I do think Heinlein discourages you from letting others meddle in your story to such an extent that your story ceases to be yours, becomes someone else's, and winds up unsaleable in the process.

Only re-write the darn thing if a) you really think it's justified and/or b) someone who can pay you, says, "I will buy the story if you make such and such changes, etc."

In the end, there is no substitute for production.

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And just like the Ten Commandments of the Bible, you might not follow them all the time, but you ought to!

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As with the 10 Commandments, they're usually debated because people want to find a way to get around or ignore them.

JMHO.

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As with the 10 Commandments, they're usually debated because people want to find a way to get around or ignore them.

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Could be. Though there also exists a set of people who believe the old testament is full of fables, fiction, and fairy-tales.

I've often wondered how the 10 we got stayed with us; any intelligent person could come up with Ten Better Rules Every Person Should Live By.

(For a period, I used to write one draft and send that out---but as my production went down, and also as emotions cooled and I reread the damned things, I decided to go back to one rough draft and one final copy. Lately I've been picking at stories endlessly...I'm thinking of cutting down on that.)

*****

As for Heinlein not following Heinlein's rules...well, Heinlein did a lot of things that contradicted what he said. For instance, he used to say that his first story, "Lifeline," was written for a contest in a magazine, then submitted to Astounding because it paid better. He said this, but---

---some reports have "Lifeline" submitted to Collier's magazine before Astounding

---that "Lifeline" was not submitted directly to Astounding, but to Astounding and Unknown, a companion fantasy magazine.

---said contest existed, in Thrilling Wonder I believe, and won by Alfred Bester---but said contest was also a gimmick, that they already had the Bester story on hand and wanted to come up with something to generate a little excitement around it.

---that Heinlein had, in fact, been trying to write and sell for some time, even completing a novel, called For Us, the Living, without much luck selling it.

---that Heinlein also worked as a journalist and editor in a political campaign, and had published a fair amount in connection with this.

So I wouldn't say Heinlein was necessarily honest in his statement about this...and this is not the only example.

[edited to correct italicism]

1. You shall have no other gods before me - not sure that this is valuable to every person in the world.

2. You shall not make for yourself an idol - that's pretty vague. But if someone wants to love and covet their sportscar I don't see the harm in it. Or idolize a personal hero.

3. Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy - Again, pretty worthless. Many people enjoy liesure, shopping, trips, fishing, recreation, etc. Doesn't make them bad people.

4. Honor your father and mother - what does that mean? Obey them? Conform to their wishes? What if they aren't worth obeying, or what if their wishes for you are different than your own individuality and desires? Choose their will before your own regarding your own life? I think not.

5. You shall not murder - OK this one I fully endorse. So far 1 out 5 are worth keeping universally.

6. You shall not commit adultery - Depends on what that means. But many, if not most, Americans "commit adultery" all the time, simply by admiring the beauty of others, and... not sure that this is so bad.

7. You shall not steal - I endorse this one. So 2 for 7.

8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor - I wouldn't do it against anyone, so I endorse this one too. 3 for

9. You shall not covet your neighbor's house - So much for keeping up with the Jones's. Actually this could help stimulate the eocnomy so this can't be all bad.

10. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife - I will agree to this too. So 4 our of 10.

The 10 commandments get a 40% usefulness rating. Or in academic terms an F.

"Gee the weather sure is nice today."
"No it's not! Shut up A**hole! I hate the sun!"

8)

Just to weigh in on this. I guess I am a follower of the Reformed Heinlein sect. I subscribe to the idea that you seen to write crisply, and send stuff out. I am, however, not an experienced enough writer to trust my inner editor. I may never be. I find it very hard to take an objective eye to my own stuff. I either hate it or love it, and I am surprised at what others like.

Ah well. Thanks for all the comments, I have upped the lowest stop on my depress-O-meter to 751 in honor of Kevin J. Anderson.

Weather forecasts are a heated topic when one's livelihood depends on it.

But, he said "refrain", he didn't say "don't".

Revise and rewrite he certainly did. From the Heinlein archives at http://www.heinleinarchives.net/upload/index.php one can purchase downloads of digital copies of original manuscript files which "include Heinlein’s files of all his published works with his notes, research, early drafts and edits of manuscripts, to the final published form. These files provide both a look at Heinlein’s creative process and add insights into his intent and the meaning in his stories."

Further, Heinlein published his 'rules' in 1947, by which time he had published over 25 short stories and consequently had access to editors like Campbell at Astounding. This meant that, not only could he likely get an editor to give him feedback on a story--when he was ready for it--but also, through knowing editors well, he had a good idea of what to, and what not to, write.

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...to write crisply...

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Is it writing, or making potato chips?

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They are interdependent.

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Seems to me Heinlein's Rules get debated plenty.

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Everything about the Bible's Commandments--the count, interpretations and translations of specific words, etc.--are endlessly and sometimes violently debated; whereas, at the time of my previous post I had seen only the usefulness of Heinlein's Rules discussed. The number of Heinlein's Rules doesn't change; when people add on to the Rules, they acknowledge the additions are theirs. When people agree in part with the Rules, I haven't seen those people call what they believe in "Heinlein's Rules". I would hope writers who don't read or write in English create their own guidelines instead of arguing about translations of Heinlein.

I also want to share I was hoping to prevent further discussion in this thread on the Bible's Commandments or the usefulness of Heinlein's Rules. I need to work on my persuasive skills, obviously.