Getting back in the swing of (some) things . . .

writing, to be exact, and everything that goes with it. Last night, after I blogged, I submitted a story that I wrote specifically for a literary magazine, 5x5. They have themes, which I always have a hard time with. Specifically, I have a hard time with taking things too literally, I think. However, I'll never get better if I don't try to, and who knows maybe they will like it. Anyway, I haven't ever read the magazine (yet - I do plan to subscribe to it soon) but they deal with concise fiction (under 500 words). I like writing short short stories because I like quick and dirty satisfaction (please don't read into that). I have submitted a few things to literary magazines that specialize in "flash" fiction; I have been rejected by all of these too. The last one stung a bit, because I love the story, Rob laughed at the story (a reaction of any nature to fiction from him is a compliment), and I am sure someone else out there will like it too. I just have to find the right someone.

I was thinking about my writing last night and my style and I realized a few things.
1. When I write about myself I often write in the third person. It allows me to disconnect from my feelings a bit. It makes what I say sound less whiney and makes me less vulnerable because I am not saying the words "me" or "I"
1a. With that said, some of what I write that seems fiction, is often quite real.
2. When I make truly make a plot up, I enjoy writing in first person. It helps me feel closer to my characters, becoming part of them in a weird, loving way.
3. Combining one and two means that I tend to blend non-fiction and fiction in such a way that sometimes I don't know how to categorize it.
4. My flash fiction can read like poetry because when I write something authentic, poetic devices flow from my fingers.
5. I should have been more self assured in college so I would have asked my writing professors more questions about the best places to publish and a whole other assortment of useful questions.
6. If I were more self assured, I would ask them now

.
Speaking of college professors, I friended one of my favorites on facebook a while ago, James Whorton. He wrote a book titled Frankland, that I was made to read for another class at the college. I loved his class, Advanced Fiction Workshop and his book was pretty good too. Both taught me about character authenticity, a subject I feel very strongly about. He also has a new book coming out, that I just pre-ordered: Anglea Sloan . Anyway, I mention him here not because of college so much as his Facebook post about a call for submissions to a literary magazine that he helps edit. It seemed serendipitous since I had started to really get back into writing that very night. So that is something else I am working on in the next few weeks.

On another note, the word blog is not recognized in the Microsoft dictionary. I think it’s time someone update it. Oh wait, I can update my version!

It's time.

With the school year so close to being over, my brain has a bit of free space in it for creativity. The good news is, that should be true for a good long while, seeing that this was my third and final year of teaching High School Special Education. How I came to this job is a story in itself, shocking perhaps, interesting, maybe, but most definitely lacking in creativity. I always felt like I was swimming in the middle of the ocean with no shore in sight. I could see a raft, but every time I almost could reach it, a big wave would come and push it away again. Maybe that's just the way life goes, as a matter of fact it might be. Now that I am free from the brain numbing monotony that is Special Education paperwork, I am going to head back to the goal I first pondered in 8th grade -- getting something published/someone that doesn't personally know me reading and liking my work. So far, and I forgot to write about this as soon as the latest time happened, my writing has been rejected three times. Not a lot considering. I just keep trying to tell myself that my writing is fantastic, these people reading it are the crazy ones, and some day they will be sorry that they can't say my writing was published first with them. (Hey with a goal like this you need to have a little bit of conceit.

So back to writing daily, editing randomly, submitting more often that ever before, studying for the GRE, painstakingly waiting for a rejection, and putting myself out there. I will be updating more often and hopefully someday sharing some good news.