Friday 5 December 2008

When I Grow up I’d like to be a Real Author…

Stolen from Justin Pilon and I tag everybody because I’m nosey. Go on, you know you want to play.

Age when I decided I wanted to be a writer: 24

Age when I wrote my first story: Discounting at school – 24 – though I used to write soppy songs when I was a teenager (and worse – I used to sing them).

Age when I first submitted a short story to a magazine: 24

Age when I sold my first short story: 24 (Bethany’s Dream to The Banshee)

Total number of submissions:  Oh god that would have to be hundreds.

Total acceptances: 85

Thickness of file of rejection slips prior to first story sale: Can’t remember.

Approximate number of short stories/novelettes/novellas sold for cash money: 16 this year, but I can’t remember how many of the others were sales/for the love markets.

Poems sold: 2 published, both given away. :)

Age when I started writing my first novel: 25

Age when I started writing my first completed novel: 25

Age I finished that novel: 28

Age I started my second novel: 29

Age I finished my second novel: 29

Age when I sold a first novel: Ha!

Total number of novels written (discounting duds): 11 (2 MG; 8 Horror; 1 WIP)

Books sold: 0 (oh dear)

Books in the process of querying: 0

Short stories in the slush: 25

Short stories written this year: 57

Age when I became a full-time novelist: 107

Age now: 40 (did I just admit that on air???)

18 comments:

K.C. Shaw said...

HA, someone's older than me! By, um, a few months.

I'd fill this out but I think it would just depress me. I am thoroughly astounded by your number of sales!

Cate Gardner said...

I wasn't going to put my age at first but then I figured most of the folks who read my blog can probably add using their fingers and toes and come up with a ball-park figure anyway. :)

Jamie Eyberg said...

wow. That is impressive when you put it all together that way. I will play with it.

Cate Gardner said...

Woo-Hoo! Can't wait to read your list.

Jamie Eyberg said...

just posted.

Katey said...

I cannot even imagine coming up with 85 ideas, let alone having that many acceptances. (And from what I've read of yours, awesome ones.) You are truly amazing.

That was a fun meme!

Cate Gardner said...

Most of those 85 are really, really bad stories. :)

Fox Lee said...

Neat : )

Jeremy D Brooks said...

That's an impressive list...thanks for posting!

Patrick Rutigliano said...

Most authors would be happy to have that many things published during their lifetimes, let alone in a little over a decade and a half! I would post my version of this, but I would have to skip about half of it as I have nothing to do with novels thus far.

Katey said...

Most of those 85 are really, really bad stories. :)
Considering the ones I've seen so far, I have a hard time with that concept.

Oh, we're all our own worst critics! Why do we treat ourselves like this? :D

Aaron Polson said...

Fun. I like to see other's journeys. Makes one feel so not alone. ;)

Jeremy D Brooks said...

I agree with Aaron...that is a big part of the reason why I started blogging: to help remind myself that I'm not the only person enough wacky enough to be doing this stuff. And isn't that why Zeus made the interwebs in the first place?

Kimbra Kasch said...

Oh...I've always wanted to be a writer. Took a hiatus when I had kids. Not enough time in a day to do everything I want.

So...what do you think of Twilight?

Cate Gardner said...

Thanks for playing along everyone. :)

Kim - I enjoyed it more than I should have and have bought the next 2 books in the series.

Bobbie Metevier said...

That's an impressive list! Have you thought of gathering some of the 85 stories and submitting them for a collection?

Cate Gardner said...

God no, because most of them are really bad.

K.C. Ball said...

Cate, what a brave thing you did, admitting your age. It inspires me to do likewise. I am .. wait, the phone is ringing .. BRB