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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. |
Hello all - My family is fine - we were about 60 miles from the tornado yesterday. I'm praying for families everywhere today - please join me. Best, Sil |
Apparently, all it took for me to start writing (and pushing more poetry out the door) was for me to sign up for a novel writing class. The novel idea is ...well...sort of stinkin' things up. It's laying there and I keep looking at it with the enthusiasm I usually reserve for cleaning out the fridge. It's a decent idea. My goal is to write it while learning about novel structure, and it's just not...well....hm. It's either not a riveting idea, or I just am ..not up to the task. My main problem right now is the best scene with the emotional impact comes too early in the novel, and I'm not sure how to fix it. The only way to get past it though - is to just do it. So....I guess I'll put myself on a deadline. Hope things are well with you! Sil |
Woooo! Acceptance of Hoops by Red River Review! First of my April 2013 PAD poems to go somewhere. Your submission to Red River Review has been accepted for the next issue. Look for it at www.RedRiverReview.com and thanks so much for your submission! I loved it!!!!!!! *happy dance* |
| I needed this today (after a rejection from Midwestern Gothic yesterday). I'm going to print it out and put it in my binder. Writer's Digest article on rejection.  Who's walking through the cannon smoke with me? Happy Friday! Sil |
| Sent a new poem "Hoops" from April PAD (revised) to Red River Review. . ....so it's been a busy month for me! :) |
| I thought this presentation available on LinkedIn was great. . "Fulfill needs, solve problems, and you can change the world." What a better way to do it - then through stories... Best, Sil |
| Today for a limited time, Story Structure by William Bernhardt is available on Amazon for kindle for Free! Get yours today! William Bernhardt is the person that is teaching the course I am coordinating, Just Fiction & Just Fiction II .Best, C |
| I've been motivated lately to write poetry - but I'm also working on a book for my Just Fiction course. I keep being worried about that 'sapping' my poetic abilities, but if anything, the opposite is true. Learning more about fiction kind of leaks into my poetry, and improves it - and vice versa. It's also true that I'm not 'using up' my creative energy. The more creative I am, the deeper the creative well seems to get. I'm also getting better about setting aside my ego so that I can be receptive to the critiques I am getting from my classmates. I am keeping my eye on the prize, that the end result will be worth it. So - take heart! Write, anything, as much as possible, all the time! :) Happy Friday. Sil |
Well - I just turned in my Just Fiction synopsis. (a little late...) It was really kind of hard to write a synopsis for a story I haven't written yet! But it's a good exercise in thinking things through. The hardest part was putting the ending on the page. Our teacher wants to know the beginning, middle and end of the story we intend to write. It goes against the grain to tell the reader what happens. If the reader knows what is going to happen, why would he/she want to read the story! But I guess that is what the editor wants in the synopsis. And done in your best voice, using your best language. TOUGH job. I bet someone could make a good living writing synopsis! Happy Tuesday. Best, Sil |
I went to the OWFI awards banquet last night, and I'm so excited to share that I won 2nd place in the Poetry Unrhymed Long category for my often revised "Skin Hunger"! This was the first time I had submitted to an OWFI contest.There were 52 entries in the category, and the judge's critique was very inspiring. When I come down off the cloud I'm on I'll have to share what he said. I kept thinking all day how thankful I was for my friends here at WDC and my friends in my writing groups in Stillwater. They had much to do with my winning entry. It all feels possible due to them. There were 3 other categories I didn't place in, but the losses are totally my fault and we won't talk about those *LOL*. I was so sure I wasn't going to win anything, I had kicked off my shoes, and had to accept my award barefooted...hehe. KODOS to Rivermama   who won 2nd place in the screenplay/play writing category. This was her first OWFI conference AND her first ever entry into the contest! So proud of her! Way to go!So many great things happened at the conference. I'm so thankful for the 300+ attendees and the officers and volunteers that make it all so fun! I hope you are having a wonderful day! Best Sil |
A huge hail storm came through the Oklahoma City area this past Friday. My car got dinged dented and dimpled. The body shop yesterday said $4,000 and 7 days to fix all the damage. With that said, it's a small price to pay. No one was hurt. But wow that opened up the door on a heck of a week for me.... Hope all is well with you. Sil |
Today, I'm humbled, both by the article and by the poetry in this article. .Best wishes on a rainy Friday in Oklahoma. Sil |
If blogging and POD (poem a day) counts as writing, I've been fairly productive this last month! I've also worked on turning a short story into a novel. I've fine tuned it and started on a synopsis. I guess I better do as I say for my Just Fiction class! :) I've also been reading. My favorite book this week was Novel Ideas .I've read the first 37 pages, and they were good ones. Now the book starts to get into actual interviews with authors, and I'm not finding that as valuable (although it is interesting, just not as immediately useful). I probably won't finish it. Yesterday I received Noah Lukeman's The Plot Thickens, and the First Five pages along with How to Tell a Story by Peter Rubie and Gary Provost in the mail. I bought them used from Amazon. All three of these were recommended by a good friend, and I can't hardly wait to read them through! :) Only one more week till OWFI! Hope this week finds you writing, and writing well. Best, Sil |
| Everyday poets seeking poetry readers: Every Day Poets Do you love poetry? Do you know a triolet from a haiku? How about iambic pentameter from free verse? Sonnets from blank verse? Every Day Poets is currently taking applications for slush readers. If you have approximately five hours per week to spend reading poetry submissions, looking for verse that takes your breath away, and are comfortable giving honest but not cruel feedback on other poets' work, then contact us. We are a great team of dedicated editors, writers, readers, and overall nice people who need you. Yes, you. Apply by clicking on the "contact us" link at the top of our page http://www.everydaypoets.com/ and say you are interested in slushing for EDP. Tell us what you think qualifies you to be part of our team. All interested parties will be thoughtfully considered. Those we think have the best fit will be interviewed. We look forward to hearing from you. |
| Well - that poem wasn't supposed to go here. Oh well. I'm having trouble keeping up with Poem A day. I think I have like 17 in my notebook. On the good side - I'm spending a lot more time thinking about my novel - which is good! I have the synopsis done! :) Hope all is well. Best S |
For a long time, I've been thinking about the role of the poet in politics. For some reason, poetry and politics don't really seem to go together to me. But there sure are a lot of poets that make politics part of their work. I can see the importance of writing poetry about what you are passionate about. But it seems wrong sometimes to use poetry as the device to exert political or religious influence others. When I think about it, it feels fraudulent. Then something happens in the world like what happened yesterday in Boston. And I can't think of a better way to help others cope with what has happened, then to write and read poetry. Best, Sil |
| I'm not doing so good on my April 30/30. I have six pieces done, and it's April 9th. BUT that is six more than I would have if I hadn't told myself to do 30/30. It's hard to keep up now that Just Fiction is underway (and going very well!). But I'm going to do it! How is your "poetry month" coming? Don't forget Poem In Your Pocket Day is April 18th! . |
When Nathan Brown visited on Monday (see last post) a student asked him what place he found most inspiring. And he thought about it for a minute and said, "Jerusalem." He clarified this by saying (and I'm going to botch the quote because I don't remember his exact words) "There's something about danger that pushes art to the edge." What he meant was that "(due to political unrest...) there is a sense of danger in Jerusalem, even though visitng the area is no more dangerous then the South side of Chicago." The work that comes out of the area is part of the passion of the area justaposed against the unrest, and the potential for death. It made me think about actual danger versus generated passion. Sometimes in the US, I think we generate outrage over things that are petty and incidental. (Super sized sodas anyone?). It takes focus, funding, and attention away from things that really are important. But no matter what - we always have the right to state our opinion, without losing a hand, or our lives, for our work. I wonder if our work suffers for it? I've been wondering a couple things lately. First, what kind of art could be generated if an entire country had their basic necessities (food, shelter, health care) taken care of? And next, (on the flip side) what is it about oppression or unrest that hyper concentrates art and produces such amazing things? Deep thoughts for 4:00 a.m. hope all is well. Best, Sil |
| Enjoyed a reading by Nathan Brown, Oklahoma's Poet Laureate last night at the Student Union. Bought his book: Letters to a one armed poet .So far everything is amazing. Week is terribly busy. Haven't eaten lunch all week, barely time to breathe - but it will be worth it, right? Best, Sil |
| I found this article about this book called "How to Goblin Proof Ones Chicken Coop." It won an award for the oddest titled book of the year. It sounds like a FUN book to read. I put it on my amazon wish list. Why? I've been reading too much heavy stuff. I forget there is fun stuff out there. I appreciated that reminder. I also liked this story:
It's funny - but Rivermama and I actually know people like that...hehe. Her story is a fun read. Best, Sil |
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