First Acceptance of the Year. I am celebrating!

Remember this post? 


I do.  I know what it's like to feel rejection.  I also know the sweet pleasure of getting accepted for publication.  Wooo!  I got my first acceptance letter for the year this morning at 8:14.  I am so happy.  It just made my day.  This is my eleventh story to be published.  I am ecstatic. 


The story they picked is called "The Present."  It is a story about a very bored gentleman and the power of education.  I had the idea for this story when I read about Frederick Douglass,  a leader of the abolitionist.  Douglass was taught to read by the wife of one of his slave owners.  When I read that statement, a story formed in my mind.  It will be in the Spring 2012 edition of The Helix Literary Magazine.  You can see their website here.  They are an awesome publication.  I encourage you to check them out.  I am honored to be featured in their magazine. 


My goal for 2012 is to have twelve pieces published this year.  That is double what I did last year.  I hope I can make it in time!  One down, eleven to go.

2012 Countdown

Stories Published: 1

Stories written: 3

Stories submitted: 100

Stories rejected: 27

More art

And another peice, from this year.  I call this one "confusion" and is made on paper with crayons, color pencil, water color, markers and oil pastel.  This picture is a little blurry.  I will try to take a better one tomorrow.

Fish & things

Sometimes I feel like I neglect the artwork part of my blog.  So today, I am showing an acrylic painting I did last summer.  It is called "Equilibrium."  Tell me what you think. 

I did it!!!

Today I hit my goal for 100 submissions!  I am so proud of myself right now.  Originally, I wanted to reach this goal by February 1st, but sometimes things happen.  The thing I am most proud of is I stuck by my objective and I have completed it, even if it's a little late. 

What are your writing goals?

2012 Countdown

Stories Published: -

Stories written: 3

Stories submitted: 100

Stories rejected: 21

Alone

I am alone in a quiet house.  This never happens to me.  I am one of those writer's that has to sneak in my craft between jobs and chores and family duties.  Not today.  No sir.

 

 

Today I am going to write all damn day! 

 

 

 

 

2012 Countdown

Stories Published: -

Stories written: 3

Stories submitted: 88

Stories rejected: 21

Happy Blogoversary (no story, but a cool quote)

On this day last year, I started my blog.  It has been a wild ride.  I haven't always been faithful to posting (sorry summer of 2011) but I'm getting better.  I was going to prepare a 365 word story to celebrate my blogs birthday, alas, it's been a busy week.  Instead I leave you with this quote...

“A year from now you will wish you had started today.” -Karen Lamb

Now, I don't know who Karen Lamb is.  It doesn't matter, I love these words.  It sums up my outlook on life.  We are always moving forward. If you don't start your goals today, by tomorrow you've lost the time.  Don't think about the past.  It doesn't matter what you did or didn't do yesterday.  It's today that matters.  After awhile these days add up.  Before you know it, you've been working at your goal for awhile--and you've accomplished some stuff towards it.

Two years ago, I had a blunt kick start to my writing career.  I had been reaching for a goal (not writing related) and I lost it.  I was devastated.  I had been working towards this goal for two years and it was pulled out from under me.  I started to take a look at my life, to see where things were going.  I was talking to my husband about all the things I wanted to do with my time on this earth.  When I said I wanted to be a writer, he laughed.  "You're never going to be a writer if you don't write."  That was all I needed.  I got right to work.   I'm so glad I started writing when I did.  I wouldn't be here now if I would have waited.  Do I wish I would have started earlier?  Of course.  But you can only change today, and that's what I did. 

So are you going to start tonight?  What are you going to do with this coming year?  I have some ideas about what I'm going to do with mine.  See you on March 13, 2012. 

Lazy

It's so hard to be productive when the sun is shining!  I did four submissions yesterday and then gave up.  It was too nice to be stuck inside.  Of course, if I said that during the summer I would get nothing done.  

 

But I think that excuse works for the first few days of Spring. 

 

Just a reminder, don't forget to turn your clocks ahead. 

 

 

2012 Countdown

 

Stories Published: -

Stories written: 3

Stories submitted: 87

Stories rejected: 21

Just a not-so-quick checking in...

-I have updated my Current Work and Publications part of the blog.  I have been terrible about this.  I was published in Barbaric Yawp in November and I haven't even updated my blog about it.  I am a horrible, lazy person.  If you haven't heard of Barbaric Yawp, you should get ahold of a copy or even subscribe, because it is amazing.  The editor, John, is a very friendly and awesome man.  He is the first friend I have "made in the business."  Check them out here.

-Blogoversary in 6 days!  Oh, yeah.  There will be a celebratory story to go with it.... stay tuned!

-Ever have a great idea that just doesn't work out?   I am about half way through a working draft, but I have a major problem.  I can't tell the stupid story with out several flashbacks.  GRAHHH!!  Driving me nuts!  Now, I don't know if it's because I am having a problem with structure, or if I am still stuck writing "Grieving Parents."  "Grieving Parents" was told in a series of flashbacks.  I wanted that story to go back and forth.  I really don't want this story to do that.  I guess I will try my hands at it again tonight.

-Just letting all my readers out there know that 5x5 fiction is having an open submission for their next issue.  The theme?  Erotica.  Woo-hoo!  This time it's not for the kiddos!  Seriously, though, this magazine never is.  I love this publication.  Besides the fact that it's available for all to read on the Internet free of charge, it's a nifty concept.  Deadline is June 1st for anyone interested.  Website here.

2012 Countdown

Stories Published: -

Stories written: 3

Stories submitted: 83

Stories rejected: 19

another one bites the dust

                I just finished a long story titled, “Grieving Parents.”  When I finish one project, the next thing I do is look at all my options for my next piece.  Are there any contest I can enter?  Any deadlines I can catch?  Well, in my search this morning, I went to Writer’s Journal website to check out their next contest.  I’ve been known to buy the magazine from time to time.  Once in awhile I try my hand at one of their prompts. 

                Well, never again.  When I looked their website this morning, I saw they will no longer be publishing their magazine.  This breaks my heart.  Another writing journal bites the dust. 

                This (sort of) surprises me.  Writer’s Journal was one of the bigger journals out there.   When I say “bigger” I mean that I could buy it at my local bookstore.  But, I guess in this economy, everything is up for grabs.  It’s horrible. 

                The future of writing is electronic.  We all know it.  From blogs to twitter fiction to kindles, writing is going away from the printed form.  I don’t like it, but I accept it.  In order to create, you got to work with technology, not against it. 

Rest in Peace, Writer’s Journal.  I will miss you. 

Here’s their webpage.

Here’s some bad news about the magazine industry.