So, in the comments of a recent post writer and friend, Ian Sales, challenged me to “friendly” race of sorts. The reasoning is to get both of us writing more short fiction this year.
The rules:
1/ Contest runs between January 1 and December 31 2013.
2/ Each writer gets one point for a story completed and submitted for publication for the first time.
3/ Each writer gets one further point when a story is accepted for publication for the first time.
4/ Loser buys the winner dinner at 2014 Eastercon here in Glasgow (which at least gives us both a better than decent chance of a proper feed at the end of it all).
That’s all there is to it. We’re going to update the comments of this thread with a running total (although I note, wistfully, that it may take me a little while to get into it what with all the long fiction stuff I need to complete).
ayeahmur 
And he’s off… One point to me: just finished and submitted ‘The Incurable Irony of the Man Who Rode the Rocket Sled’ to an Eibonvale anthology. Fingers crossed.
Sales 1 v Willamson 0
Good luck on doubling up your points with a first time acceptance.
I’ll write them for you; he’ll never be able to tell the difference. Of course, I’ll want your pudding. And the wine.
Pudding? Extortion, I tell you.
Another sale for Sales. He’s 2-0 up now.
And he shoots into the lead with another sale, and now it’s 3-0…
Just submitted my first story of the year, so that’s: 3-1.
And he extends his lead… 4-1. Just sent off my second submission of the year.
Excellent! Good luck with it!
Catching, slowly, up. That story I submitted in March got accepted.
4-2
Another one out. Catching up, Ian. 4-3
And another one. 4-4
Can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I’ve sold one and…unless you’re slipping with your own scoring…that puts me into the lead, Ian. 5-4!
Just submitted a 10,200-word story. Shame it’s only one point. But at least we’re back level again, 5-5.
Yay! Well done. I’ll have to see what I can do to get back ahead.
One more out for me, Ian. 6-5. And there should be another before the end of the month.
Gah. Looks like I’m buying then.
Though, to be fair, it doesn’t help when you submit to a magazine with a 1 – 3 month turnaround and after 3 months they tell you they’re still working their way through submissions from 6 months ago…
Yeah, might help to play the game more tactically next time.
Bad luck though. On reflection I don’t think the challenge did much to influence either of our short story production rates, did it?
Classic school boy error.