Assessment of my writing in 2015...

I've been going over what I did last year to forward my writing...mainly screenwriting, but also the books I'm working on -- mainly The Vanishing of Owen Taylor.

Screenwriting:

107 submissions to production companies -- The Alice 65, Carli's Kills, Find Ray T, Marked For Death, Blood Angel, Darian's Point, Return to Darian's Point, 5 Dates, and Straight On Till Morning (as a writing sample for a possible biography job). So far no bites.

Posted 3 scripts on InkTip -- CK, MFD, and A65. Just a few views and no takers, but this way I can tell the production houses they're available on there, if they want to see them.

28 competitions entered, sometimes twice, using many of the above scripts and a short -- Unfinished Business. I've heard from all but 10; made quarterfinalist on one while another was flat out insulting in its rejection. All of this cost more than a thousand dollars.

5 video seminars on how to either improve my writing or find ways to get my work to producers, including a freebie uploaded to me by a friend, even though I haven't looked at it, yet. And one of the seminars including a one-on-one discussion of RDP that wound up being how best to push it, since she couldn't find anything specific in the script to improve it. Some good suggestions, and nice strokes of the ego.

Writing:

Did NaNo again and got ⅔ of the way to a first draft of Underground Guy. Finished 2 drafts of OT and sent it to an editor for professional feedback, as well as 11 other people. Twice. And am using their consensus opinion about rewriting the first 3 chapters. (Tho' I am arguing with the editor over whether or not I should capitalize god in the book; she says yes while I don't think Jake would.)

Also tracked down the model and photographer I wanted to use for the cover of OT, once I publish it, and got them to let me use the image I wanted for free. Still can't believe that. I like this set-up; the only change I'll probably make is brightening up the red in the title font.

And this is all on top of me traveling a lot more for the day job and joining the YMCA to exercise more. It is my dream to drop 60 pounds by this time next year -- that's just 5 lbs a month.

Truth is, I'd be happy with half that much, right now.