Keeping track of submissions

It's so important to keep track of submissions and stay organised with any writing work in progress.

I have been spending so much time editing my novel over the last  few months that I have neglected all the other work I had sent out earlier in the year.

What didn't help was that I had even lost my year planner under a pile of paperwork!

On finding it again I discovered  that I had sent off one of my stories during February this year to more than one  publisher. I am usually very organised and mark my planner with a great big 'S' to remind me when I have done it. But what's the use of a planner if gets lost and forgotten about?

I had to give myself a good telling off for letting things slip.

I had even allowed myself to get despondent as I had not received a reply for both submissions but on revisiting the original guidelines for both publishers, it stated that they can take at least six months to reply.
 
This is not unusual but if I had kept track of my submissions in the first place and checked my year planner, I would not even expected a reply yet, as in both cases I still have another four months to get a positive response.

If I don't get a positive response, I shall send them out again to somewhere else but this time I will keep track of  them!

Writing a sequel

I have considered writing a sequel to my novel Red Kite for a while but it was only the other day that I gained inspiration from the landscape and started penning a few ideas for the next story.

It may sound a little adventurous when I haven't even got the first book out there yet but by walking in this incredible environment, I couldn't stop getting ideas for a sequel and had to grab my notebook to write something down.    

The photo above is Catherton Common near to the Clee Hill. Catherton is a wild, rugged landscape covered with mysterious bogs and pools that only the dragonflies can negotiate with ease.  

I kept seeing my main character here, perhaps a few years later on from Red Kite. I haven't made my mind up yet how I would do it but it was so exciting, like he had followed me to explore this wilderness for a while, testing the water as to whether he wants to spend time here or not. 

I know I must concentrate on my first novel right now as I am still a long way of getting it published on kindle but it feels great to think I may just have another story growing out there on the Common.