Four Years After Clarion: The Work Done And The Results Achieved

(NOTE: Based on time elapsed since the posting of this entry, the BS-o-meter calculates this is 15.678% likely to be something that Ferrett now regrets.)

So four years ago, I graduated the Clarion Writers’ Workshop – six weeks of intensive training that broke a decade-long stagnancy, and allowed me to “go pro” when it came to writing.
But writing?  It’s a lot of work.  I used to do monthly round-ups of everything that I submitted/wrote/got rejected, but it was a lot of work and was usually boring.  But since it’s been four years, let’s tally up everything that I’ve done:
In four years of writing, I have:
Started 62 stories (or, started one new story every 3.4 weeks).
Finished the first drafts of 57 stories (or, finished 91.9% of all stories I started writing).
Polished and submitted 39 stories (or, gotten to a final draft of 62.9% of all stories I started writing – which is a misleading number, since I’ll complete some percentage of the stories I started during this four-year period – it can take me up to two years to get to final draft).
Sold 25 stories (three of which were to markets that imploded, or sold 40.3% of all stories I started writing).
Retired 6 stories, deciding I wouldn’t be happy at this point if someone actually bought them.
Received 219 short story rejections, or an average of 1.05 rejections every week.
Each published story was rejected by an average of 6.42 markets before it found a home.
Written 1 complete novel.  Which is currently making the rounds among too many agents. (Will share data once it’s accepted or retired.)
Been nominated for 1 major award.  Reprinted in 0 best-of year’s end collections.
Made infinite supportive writer friends at conventions and on Twitter.  Thank you all.
Based on a calculated life average of 75.44, I intend to keep at this for 32.24 years.
(If any of this impresses you, then I urge you; please donate to my Clarion Blog-A-Thon.)

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