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My thoughts on writing and other random things as they come up. |
| This is a blog where I keep my thoughts and daily comments about writing and WDC. |
It must be the approach of halloween. That, or there is something really wrong with me. I was just inspired to write a POEM! "A Serial Killer's Lament." *LOL* |
Sometimes I feel like sending my poems out is a bit like throwing spaghetti on the wall. You don't really know if the noodles are ready until the stick. And sometimes you have to throw a lot of noodles to get just one to stick. Other times, it feels like trying to nail jello to the wall. Just *not* going to happen. I have an annoying tendency to want to self-publish (on my blog or something) the poems no one else wants. But I have a feeling there's a reason no one else wants them. Or maybe they were just not meant to be a poem, maybe they were meant to be a story. Or maybe they are waiting for the right words or experiences to catch up to them. Or maybe just the right editor. In other news - I'm reading strange stuff these days. 100 Sideways Miles. Afterworlds. Trying to decide if I want to do Nano. I think I am. Maybe. Why not add a third half finished unedited novel to my collection? Nothing like more spaghetti.... I really need to finish something! |
| A fellow WDC chatter, Jonas David, has published his short story to Kindle (including Kindle Unlimited). It's Sci Fi and a fun read. If you subscribe to kindle unlimted, you should check it out! Jonas David Story  .Even though sci fi is not my usual genre, I enjoyed this story and thought it was very imaginative. Please leave a review if you happen to give it a chance! (I think Kindle Unlt has a free 30 day trial, and I'm finding it well worth my money so far.) Thanks |
| This weekend I learned one of the students from our former "Just Fiction" group has published (4) books recently! That makes author #4 (John Biggs, Mary Jo Springer, and Melanie Moffitt were the others, although technically Mel had published before class! I was so excited! The third student, Angelica Kate, said she had some of the books already written before class, and used Just Fiction to help get them in shape. I asked her which of the books she had out was her favorite, and she said her first book,Loving Abby. .I read it over the weekend, and it was thrilling to see someone I know find some success! It was a light easy inspirational romance, and I thought she did a great job on her first book. She is self publishing with Kindle. She said she also enrolled in Kindle unlimited, which allowed her to find additional readers she might not find otherwise. I feel so inspired. After she told me about Kindle unlimited, I did a little research, and it looks interesting. One of the web sites I read seemed to have a good take on things. .Hope everyone is writing. Best wishes, C :) |
| Loved this. referred by "Writer" Magazine: Neglect everything else. .In other news - I have talked my way into the Advanced Poetry class for next semester. My boss has given me permission to attend on my lunch hour. Now, if I can get admitted, I'm good to go! |
| After tossing around the idea of a MFA program for several years, I've decided to get a bit more semi-serious about it. To this end - I've applied as a non-degree seeking grad student at my home institution. I'm going to "try out" a couple classes and see what happens. I've asked to attend an advanced poetry class for credit, spring 2015. We'll see if they will let me. Rose McLarney is one of the advanced teachers, and I think that would be a great fit.Most of the MFA programs I am considering will accept a limited number of transfer credits. It will be cheaper for me to attend some classes here (there are fee waivers for staff), and then transfer (if any MFA program will have me). I'm hoping that this will help me save money and put me ahead of the game when it comes time to actually apply to a particular MFA program. It should *also* help me prepare my work and help me get it in the best possible shape for submitting to a program that might actually accept me. I will have a two year window between the time my middle child graduates from college (may 2015) and when my youngest starts college, in which I will be able to go to school (translation: pay tuition for me). After that, it will be more of a struggle for four years. So - I'm going to see how much I can get done in two years (Beginning fall 2015). Maybe a pipe dream - but - you never know till you try. My goal will be to (once I graduate with an MFA) to retire from my current job (I've been here for 27 years), and start a second career as a teacher of creative writing, either at the HS or community college level. I also would like to continue writing and publishing poetry. I don't need an MFA to teach at the HS level - but I feel like it will help me be more qualified, and it will either make or break me as a writer. Here goes - whatever goes! *LOL* Sil |
| The theme this week for me has been "why we write." Found this Poets and writers video today on this topic and thought I would share. |
| I've been thinking a lot about Asymm's blog post "Invalid Entry" . I know how this goes...although I kept thinking when I read this - Asymm is an AWESOME writer. I hope she doesn't quit! I hope she's just kind of hit a wall, and good things wait on the other side ... I always think that getting recognition and/or publication is about timing, and luck, and matching your story to the editorial vision of whomever is accepting submissions. And more luck. And persistence. and oh yeah more luck. Personal reflection: I've been thinking a lot about why I write. I'm not particularly creative. I don't have anything especially interesting to say. I'm pretty much a fraud as a poet or a prose writer. I keep thinking someone from the writing club will point at me and go "IMPOSTER!" It is NOT something I have to do. But I do it because I enjoy it. And because I would really like to become a good writer. And the only hope I ever have of getting there, is just to keep doing it, and to try and do it better each time. I also write because if I get bored I get in trouble. Writing is a good way to keep life interesting, without winding up divorced, in debt, or institutionalized (mental/jail). You get to explore ALL those things. And live to tell about it. And it's less expensive (and potentially less harmful) then therapy. Or drinking. Although I might be a better writer if I drank. On a deeper level - I hope that it's in some way - helping me get at the center of me. It's NOT as much fun as reading. But it's something to keep me from going crazy. In this article - one line resonated with me."We read because we want to feel something." Maybe that's why we write, too. |
| Blah blah blah....yammering on about myself. New work up (finally). (including a work they never told me they had accepted....they are a newish journal though, so I forgive them....) Portmanteau |
I struggle with audio books for some reason. It's hard for me to pay attention. I frequently find my mind wandering. Sometimes, I really want to 'read' a particular book, but it's only available on audio, so I try it. Almost every time, I loose interest, and consequently, loose interest in the BOOK. Which is sad. The audio book isn't always an accurate representation of the book itself, or the book as read by my imagination. Recently, I read an article about a woman who had the same problem, so she tried biography and non-fiction selections for audio books. So far, this has seemed to work for me! And it has helped me develop a listening ear for fiction. I listened to a book from my local library called Brain on Fire, My Month of Madness by Susannah CahalanIt was a interesting book, and it was able to keep my attention. Next, I tried within the same week, a book I had been wanting to read, which was FICTION. It was Second Nature .I have been on the road a lot, so this seemed like a perfect fit. The story was great. There were parts of it that I found a bit trying, but the book made me cry, and made me realize that I didn't need to listen to emotional stories while I was driving! I was very shocked to find myself responding emotionally to the audio book. I have to attribute this not only to the story itself, but the quality of the story as told by the storyteller. The narrator of this particular version did an excellent job. I'm anxious to try another audio book. About "Second Nature." I found myself constantly thinking - did she really just go there? As a writer, it made me greatly admire the risks she took, and the depth to which she was willing to explore the multiple facets of human emotion without miring us down in unhappiness. The ending left a little something to be desired. I wasn't feeling resolution as strongly as I would like, but I felt like perhaps she was leaving the door open for a sequel. Overall, nice work, both on the original book and the audio version It is a book I would recommend. I am behind in my fifteen minutes of writing, and way behind in my 15 minutes of meditation, but all steps forward are just that! Steps FORWARD! Happy Tuesday, Sil |
Rivermama   has challenged me to write 15 minutes a day for the next 2 weeks. In return, she's going to finish her novel. That seems like a small thing for me to do. Oh - IF ONLY! She also challenged me to find 15 minutes for mediation - just "me" time, in each day. I'm 30 minutes behind already! So I decided to write a story about a woman who was looking for fifteen minutes in her day for meditation! Here goes! Jerri Scruggins was a strange sort of woman. Sometimes I thought she was one of those women who was afraid to be alone with themselves, so they filled their days with unnecessary business: Volunteering to be homeroom mom, hosting a neighbor kid's birthday party at her pool, serving up hours a day at the Humane Society, cutting coupons for the church. But the day I met her she was sitting alone at the park, pigeons scattered around her, a book listlessly falling off her lap. She appeared to have fallen asleep. I sat down next to her on the bench, then reached over to catch the book before it fell. She sat up quickly then leaned away, as if I had struck her. "What?" "Ma'm, I was just trying to catch your book before it fell." "Oh, I was trying to meditate. They say it's helpful for Type A personalities...." Her voice trailed off and she looked a little lost. She set the book beside her, upside down and away from me, so I couldn't see the title. She brushed away dirt from the arms of her London Fog slicker, and straightened a stray lock that had escaped from a tightly wrought bun. "I see. Maybe I can help. I'm a psychologist." I didn't mention I was a police psychologist, just that I was one. She nodded at me, and bit her lip, considering. "I was just trying to find 15 minutes, and this park looked like a great place, and I could feed the pigeons at the same time, and maybe read a bit after." "Multi-tasking. Hm. I think the point of meditation is to NOT do anything else, just sort of blank out." "I still don't get the point. It seems to be a waste of time." The woman frowned, and I could see the tension lines in her forehead increase. "Although I'm not very good at not getting things right." I could almost see her body start to vibrate at the thought. Wow. This woman was wound very tight. "How about we try a relaxation technique I learned in school? Maybe that will help you meditate?" Her eyes darted left and right, then back up into my eyes. "Okay. But I only have fifteen minutes." "It won't take too long. Close your eyes." I started my normal relaxation therapy voice, and droned on. "First, sit up straight, and breathe deeply. Breathe in through your nose. Fill your stomach with air as if it was a huge balloon, Then breathe out through your nose. Concentrate completely on your breathing." The woman frowned, her eyes closed, and concentrated. I motioned to the swat team to come up behind us. "Now, clench and relax your toes. Imagine your toes getting warmer, and tingling." Her voice was a mere whisper as I continued. "I'd do anything to get fifteen minutes of peace." I wondered if that included murdering the UPS man. The one we had found partially buried in her back yard. The swat team surrounded us, and I stepped slowly away from the bench. Jerri sighed deeply, still as if she was in a trance. "Fifteen minutes, that's all I needed, was fifteen minutes." "Jerri, hold out your arms straight ahead of you, as if you were a zombie." Jerri put her hands out, and the swat team captain clicked on the cuffs. "You're going to get your fifteen minutes Jerri, and more." Jerri opened her eyes, nodded at me as if she knew all along, and said "Thank God." (My fifteen minutes are up!) |
| Thank you for this morning God! We had a long night of rumbles from thunder, then quiet showers. After the rain, there was a gorgeous sunrise. My cat stretched out on the roof of my car, King of all he surveyed. The sun rising behind him was beautfiul. Then, I had news that a revised version one of my poems "Invalid Entry" has been accepted by Intima, a journal of narrative medicine for publication in September.I had completely forgotten I had submitted the work. Today I am thankful for the chance to take a deep breath and appreciate that which has gone before, and the quiet still beauty of those still waiting in the shadows. May they too have their turn to dance in the rain. Have a wonderful day. C |
If you are wondering where I am - I've fallen into the bottomless black pit that is high school softball season! (Sometimes I wonder who exactly signed up for this gig after all *LOL*). See you all in October!!! Love Sil |
| *Whine Alert* I *hate* shopping. I always have. Going grocery shopping is one of my least favorite things to do. Sometimes, I 'reward' myself for going shopping by buying a book while I am there. Book buying is my greatest vice. It's my beer, my cigarettes, and my oreos. It's healthier then any of the aforementioned, and in some cases, it's cheaper. Unfortunately, the North Perkins Wal Mart has downsized it's magazine and book area. What used to be both sides of a full aisle is now down to one side of a single aisle. It's stuck in the back of the store, not very attractive, and the variability among the books is way down. I have also noticed that Hasting's has downsized their book area. It's like the whole world is shrinking. Not just what is in it, but what is possible through books. Don't get me wrong - there's still a lot out there through E-publishing. And I love my kindle. But I still like the feel of a page in my hands. It's still the best reward out there. I wish someone would open a bookstore in my community. Something along the lines of the old community bookstore. I know it may not feel like the best financial investment, but it sure would be fun and improve the artistic weight of our community. We sure have plenty of restaurants and bars. Surely there is room for a bookstore! Maybe we need a book restaurant, or a book bar... |
| I'm working on the weirdest story. It's funny how something just takes a hold of you and won't let you go. I had the idea for this story just kind of skirting around the edges. almost swimming in my subconscious. Then, it started to get a shape, a form...so I couldn't help but write it. Then I'm disappointed when it doesn't flow out of the pen the way I see it in my mind. But I keep coming back to it!!! And so far it's got the stupidest ending ever... The protagonist asking "Do you have any pork chops." Someone save me from myself! *LOL* (But at least I'm writing...) For those in the US Have a happy 4th holiday. For those not in the US, have a happy fourth anyway! Best, C |
| My "To Read" list on goodreads is getting out of control! I need a book-cation! :) |
I spend a lot of time musing about people not paying attention to things. Like the beauty of a sunrise or sunset. Or the way cool dirt feels beneath bare feet. Or the first splash of a fat raindrop on your tongue. I think a lot about the gifts we are given, and how thankful I am for them. I wish people would spend less time watching TV, which really keeps them from seeing the beauty of not only life, but their own families. But, alas, sweet irony - I sure spend a lot of time ignoring things, so I can read. I love exploring the deep, rich, imaginary worlds. I love feeling other people's emotions, walking with them through their lives. But what am I doing when I am swept away into the pages of another world? When I open a book but put aside an experience right in front of me? I wonder what this realization means for my writing future. Best, Sil |
Saw this great You-Tube video by Terry Brooks today called Why I write about elves. .Made me think about things a little differently. One thought I had while listening to his talk (about how reader is half the equation) is that writers get to be the either the ultimate magician/sorcerer, or the ultimate facilitative teacher. Writers get to put building blocks in place that allow readers to travel within their own imaginations. This can be a deliberate manipulation based on an understanding of the human psyche and story structure (magician) or a genuine desire to set things up to allow the greatest possible imaginary experience for the reader. Kind of a cool talk. I have a new respect for the author, and will have to check out some of his books! (PS why are so many authors former lawyers?) Sil |
| New works up at Melancholy: Getting Religion at A&W and Love Is They specialize in poems about longing. Current theme is LGBT+ But they take poems outside the current theme as long as they are about longing of some type. |
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