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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. |
I had the weirdest nightmare. I dreamed that I was involved in this weird case of reverse stalking, where a celebrity was stalking ME! And it was Justin Timberlake (for those of you not up on pop stars, Justin Timberlake is a pop singer). I wouldn't even know who he was if it wasn't for my daughters. Anyhow - even more gross is that in my dream, I was my current age (40+) and he was in his early 20's. I couldn't get anyone to believe me when I told them that I had never met him, was not in love with him, and had no desire to be with him. AND everyone told me "What are you complaining about? It's Justin Timberlake!" For some reason I keep thinking... there's a story in here somewhere! What's the weirdest dream you ever had? |
| I went back and re-read my entry for my short story in OWFI. In short, it's horrible. I'm sad now that I entered it. On a good note - I am at least now able to see some of what was wrong with it. Maybe by this time next year I'll have it fixed. I'm trying to come up with a good novel idea for Just Fiction  . I'm going to try the whole official organization thing, outlining and knowing the ending in advance. But I'm having trouble coming up with a good enough idea.I guess I'll keep brainstorming. Spring break is over in a few days. Wouldn't know it by me - it's been crazy busy here! Hope all is well, Best Sil |
| The Stillwater Public Library and OSU Library have teamed up to offer a program called "One Book One Community." The idea is the entire town reads the same book and meets for discussion sessions and they hold various events (song writing class, movies). It's a very neat idea, and this year I am participating. The book is Bound for Glory by Woody Guthrie.I never would have found and read this book without the program. I started reading it a while back. It's a little hard to get into because of the thick local dialect. Also - the first chapter is not the best one of the book. I am afraid a lot of people will give up. I pushed on through. I'm starting to get really into it, and appreciate the humor and the home spun feel of the book. I feel like I'm getting a real sense of the time Woody lived in. It kind of reminds me of the Shepard of the Hills book I read when we went to Missouri. There are some lines in Guthrie's book just make me die laughing. Here is one: "Leonard! You Dead?" Grandma said to him. (page 65 - Bound for Glory by Woody Guthrie). The dialogue, while distracting due to spelling, is often very humorous. Does your Library have a one book one community program? If not - you should get one started! I'm enjoying this one. Best, Sil |
| Earlier this month I was able to do a TV interview regarding our upcoming Just Fiction Workshop, and I thought I might share it here. Please don't be too hard on me, I'm not a professional interviewee! I hope I do better next time. Best Sil |
| I got (2) really nice rejections from Everyday Poets. . They provided me with VERY helpful comments. I think their rejections are the most helpful I have ever received. It will help me not only revise the same poems to send to other markets, it will allow me to better understand what their specific market is looking for. I highly recommend submitting to them! Side note - they seem to like really strong imagery. Keep that in mind! Best, Sil |
| My very good friend has joined WDC! I'm so excited. We met in my memoir class last year, and have been fast friends ever since. I've been talking up WDC to her, and she finally had not choice but to jump on board. She jumped in with both feet too! She has entered both the Daily Flash Fiction contest and the Writer's cramp. And...she WON The Cramp. Took me months to do that! If you get a chance, please stop by her port and welcome her on board. She's a wonderful person, and writes very humorous, entertaining stories. I love to read her work. And she's led a very exciting life! Her user name is Rivermama. Port linked below: Rivermama   Best, Sil |
I've been off work for the last 3 days due to something called Labyrinthitis, an inner ear infection. It makes me dizzy. I can't drive. I can't walk all that well. I can't read or watch TV. I'm back at work today because I have 80 people coming for a history conference. I hope they don't notice that I stagger around like a drunk woman. Or that my eyes do weird ping pong ball stuff! Or that I'm VERY WHINY! SURELY I can get a story out of this, if the world ever returns to normal. Best Sil |
| The Glass Coin has accepted a revised poem from last year's 30 poems in 30 days. It took them about 6 months to respond, but I was encouraged none the less! Happy Monday. Sil |
| What a character! Loved this article from the Paris Review about Annie Proulx. Warning - there is some strong language in the article. I thought this was a rather ironic comment: "My family has had property in Connecticut since 1635. They are so wedded to that past, and it’s so important to them in a way that it’s not important to me. This whole question of memory and history and the tangle of one into the other." If you've read any of Annie's short stories, do you find that ironic? I thought what she said about short stories was interesting too. People should write novels first, short stories second. The limited landscape of the short story is more demanding, requires more stringent technique. Cut your teeth on a novel. Develop your skill and then write short stories. Apparently I'm going about it backwards... I have to say of the regional writers I've been reading lately, Annie is probably more famous, but I've really enjoyed Mary Blew. .The Lambing out and other stories wasn't very long - and I really enjoyed it. Or rather - it impacted me. I'll have to get a copy and study it. Both the writers remind me of the regional poetry I enjoyed so much in "Ain't Nobody who Can Sing Like Me." Have a great weekend! Sil |
Ok, I've broken down and subscribed to Duotrope. And I submitted something to Poetry Quarterly. I'd forgotten how much time it takes even with duotrope to read and re-work something to get it suitable for that market. Yikes. On another note, I'm reading more and writing less, thanks to my kindle. I was thinking this morning how much more convenient it is to get books. I was curious about the impact on my budget. Paperwhite = 119; Cover = 40; Amazon Prime subscription=80; Total=239. The amazon prime subscription (besides allowing for free shipping on all amazon orders) allows me to borrow (1) book a month from the kindle lending library, with no expiration. That's worth approximately $95.00 (or about what I would buy in paperback best sellers over about 6 months). The kindle daily deals help with the budget as well. They offer cheap books for .99 to 1.99. So - I'm buying about one of these every few weeks, and discovering new authors. My library has a ton of books you can borrow for the kindle, and the process is pretty seamless. I take my kindle everywhere, and as a result, I read more. I always have a book with me. I'm never caught anywhere wishing I had a book to read. On the down side: I used to fill some of that time with writing. I used to reward myself when I had to go to the grocery store by buying a book (I hate grocery shopping). Now I don't have that to look forward to! Happy Valentines, Sil |
| I'm really disappointed that Duotrope has gone to a paid subscription service. Especially since I "donated" about 6 months before they went to the fee model. I feel really ripped off. I probably wouldn't have donated if I had known it was going to become a subscription service. Then I would have had the money to pay for the service. I keep waiting for it to tank. It probably will right after I subscribe (if I ever do). But I sure miss the easy research. What are your thoughts on it? Do you miss it? Sil |
Sent off (4) entries to OWFI. Short Unrhymed poem, long unrhymed poem, short short story, and flash fiction entry. What a mess. Glad that is over! What off-site contests have you entered lately? Best, Sil |
I caved. I broke down and bought a kindle paperwhite. I bought the paperwhite because it is light, about the right size, and has the lighting feature I wanted. I still was convinced it was for me - I was skeptical even after I bought it. But I thought I would try it and if it didn't work out, take it back. But I love it. It took about 2 days to adjust to it. I like the fact that I can read it anywhere (for example, in a dark parking lot while waiting on my daughter to finish practice). I like the fact that I can choose to read any one of the various books on it. It's like carrying 20-30 books around with you without the weight or the inconvenience. I'm thrilled with how easy it is to borrow library books (from my public library) on my kindle. I like that there are so many books available for free, or deeply discounted. There are still things I have to adjust to, and many things to learn, but so far I'm extremely glad I bought it. Best, Sil |
| I've been taking some medicine for a pinched nerve, and it keeps me up all night. I've used the time to read, and just finished a great book "The Discovery of Witches." . I went to Hastings to find the second book in the series (Shadow of Night). The inventory indicated there were (2) in stock but the clerks couldn't find it anywhere. I'm so disappointed in my local bookstore. The book section keeps shrinking and the organization is poor. Makes my heart ache. I wish we had a good independent bookstore here. Because I couldn't face a night without a book - I bought "City of Dark Magic" instead, and it looks interesting. So far so good.I'm a very picky reader these days. If a book doesn't grip me right away, or if the writing is sloppy - away it goes. All the more reason not to buy anything until I'm positive I want it. I find myself more and more interested in reviews and recommendations. Although, like everything else, people have different tastes. What are you reading today? Have anything to recommend? Sil |
This article had so many great quotes - I don't even know where to start! About poetry and writing in general. Finding Another Language Best, C |
| The next 8 months are going to be crazy busy at work so I'm going to get a jump on my book a month reading. I've selected Night Circus as my read for January.Have you read it? Best wishes. Sil |
| What are your writing resolutions for 2013? Here are a few of mine: 1. Submit something to OWFI,org contest. 2. Submit a short story for publication (try at least six places). 3. Re-Read "Writing 21st Century Fiction" "Writing the Breakout Novel" and "Anatomy of a Story." 4. Find "Anatomy of a Story" on sale and buy it. 5. Find "Hit Lit" on sale and buy it. 6. Read & Finish a (novel) book a month. That should keep me busy! I'd love to hear yours! Best wishes this year and next, Sil |
I had trouble sleeping last night, I guess because Santa is coming soon! (or maybe it was because the list of things I still need to do kept running through my head instead of sugar plums - what are sugar plums anyway?). I just wanted to say a quick Happy Holidays to everyone here! I hope many blessings come your way in the New Year. Sil |
There are days and sometimes months when I feel like I am leading a charmed life. Times when I wonder why so many blessings come my way, and why life has been so good to me. Since September 26th, those times feel like distant dreams. So many tragic things are happening, in my community, and in other parts of the United States. Sometimes I feel like the whole world has gone crazy. I also feel like have to write about it to get it out. But I'm conflicted. I don't want to dwell on it. I don't want to think about it. I don't want to give it a voice by putting it on paper. I feel like that will give "it" power, or evil strength. I also feel like an ostrich who wants to bury her head in the sand, but knows that if she does, her behind will be exposed to whatever is coming. Shocking things are happening in this country. Some of them right on my doorstep. And somehow - I'm going to have to write about them. Sil |
I hope everyone is having a safe week and ready for the upcoming holiday. I'm shooting a PSA today for "Just Fiction." That should be interesting. Luckily I don't have to be on camera. I just have to ask the interview questions. I am very excited about how things are going, but busy! I've had little or no time to write. Unless you count the interview questions. The questions I am asking today are below. (or maybe I should just save it and let you watch the commercial...hahaha): Please tell us a little bit about the upcoming workshop series: What type of writer would benefit most from this workshop? What types of things can a writer expect to learn from the Just Fiction series? Perhaps you can provide us with an example of something you have planned for the first class, “Premise.” Please tell us a little about your personal writing journey, and why you are teaching this class. The title of the workshops is “Just Fiction.” Can writers of other types benefit from this class as well? To learn more about William Bernhardt, please visit his website. http://www.williambernhardt.com/ To learn more about the Stillwater Public Library, please visit: http://library.stillwater.org/ To learn more about the class, please visit http://justfiction.okstate.edu Best wishes, Sil |
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