Welcome to Travis Manley's Writers Blog.

I currently make my living as a photographer, but have always had an interest in writing. I am currently working on a few projects (short fiction) and thought it would be fun to share my thoughts and experiences as I attempt to get my work published.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Story Update: Click You're Dead

Bookmark and Share
I received my first response on one of the two short stories I have written and submitted to be published (so far).

My story (Click You're Dead) was rejected, but I am oddly excited. It took less than a month to get this response and I was lucky enough to get a personal response with some compliments was well as some constructive criticism.

My plan is not to go back and rewrite any of my rejected stories (unless requested) until I have written at least ten. I think that with ten good stories under my belt I will be better equipped to make the needed changes. Hopefully I will have learned a thing or two by that point.

I am nearly finished with my current story, The Pool Boy, and will post an update as well as a synopsis when it is finished.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

New Short Story

Bookmark and Share
I just started working on another short story.

I have been tossing ideas around for the last couple weeks and coming up with an outline. I came up with some ideas that I think might end up making a great novel or novella, but I'm not quite ready to tackle something that big just yet. I would like to see if I have any luck getting one of these short stories published before investing that much time into a project.

Luckily, I had a lot of other ideas floating around. I decided to tackle something a bit more "manageable" for now.

Its a horror story with a "deadly creature" that takes place in Florida. The hero is a teenage named Tony.

I will post more about the new story when I get a few drafts done.

Friday, October 2, 2009

New Story Finished!

Bookmark and Share
I've just finished my second short story, Click You're Dead, and am getting it ready to submit for publication.

Here is a synopsis:

Photographer, Jim Waters, has a bit of bad luck when his camera is destroyed in a hiking accident. His bad luck continues when the replacement camera he is borrowing starts malfunctioning, resulting in the loss of valuable photos of a famous musician taken hours before his death. Meanwhile, the city of Seattle is in chaos when people start dying in the streets for no apparent reason.

Wish me luck.
Travis


Thursday, October 1, 2009

Writing Update

Bookmark and Share
I'm currently working on yet another draft of Click You're Dead. I've got feedback on an earlier draft and making a few changes.
I've hit a few unforeseen roadblocks, however. I did an outline for the story but left a few things out in the open that I thought I could fill in along the way. This was a big mistake! I've decided to sweep these problems under the rug for now and try to take this as a learning experience. I'm definitely an outline writer, I need those little guide points along the way or the story starts to fall apart.
I still think its a good story, even better than the last one. I'm writing fiction too, and I think I have the right to take a little creative license.
Anywho, the final draft should be done soon. Then off to the next project.