The Art of Plugging Away...

Ahhh... It's been a while since I wrote one of these.

shutterstock photo keyword writer

A lot has been happening with my writing. I'm applying for many writing opportunities, revising, editing, and then submitting. Being a nervous wreck as deadlines approach and I wonder will I be accepted. A short story was accepted, but a query letter's objective wasn't. *weeps*

 rgbstock.com photo by Arinas74

You may have noticed I changed the wording in the title and subtitle for this blog. I think it's more straight forward rather than so enigmatic with the previous title!

I also updated my website, "trimmed the fat," so to speak. I tidied up the wording, paying close attention to my Visitor Tracker on the main page. I've not only been getting visitors from the United States, but also a couple from overseas! It's both exciting and frightening, which is why I decided to tweak the wording and rearrange some of the icon links. Need to be professional at all times.

I'm also looking into more professional freelance writing so that I may supplement my income. The novel is now a 'working novel' instead of a 'novel draft' or a 'work-in-progress'. Its latest was at 580+ pages on the main manuscript. Still writing. Still researching.

I bring one book log (what I call my writing journals)

My two protagonists (c)

to my main job so I can use my breaks and in-between tutoring sessions to write some more. Stacey Hankin and Slasher Castellano are both fun protagonists to write about and that's a good sign to a writer. We need to feel sympathetic towards our characters, even our antagonists, or the tales would never be told.

Again, thanks for reading. As more writing adventures continue, even artistic ones, please watch this space!
The website is a focal point and my 'business card', but my blogs, especially this one, are a diary/journal that I use to keep readers in the loop.

Lastly, SUBSCRIBING to this blog is FREE! I may offer a newsletter in the future that will be attached to it. We will see.
And again, THANK YOU, Dear Readers.

Short vs. Long - What will it be?

When speaking with other writers, one of the first things they ask me "Have you published?" and "Where?"

I have the stacks of useless drafts, first, second, third and infinite attempts in file cabinets, desk drawers, and shelves.

For the cat stories alone, for each short story published, I must have had over 40 drafts that were unpublishable, or, at best, could be used as notes for a newer idea.

But what's amazing is when the writers who are still struggling with their longer writing projects ask me how did I do it.

There isn't a secret formula.

I racked up the rejections, often in form letters flatly stating in cold terms that my idea was a failure.
I did the research, scoped through directories for viable markets to submit to, READ the submission guidelines - you won't believe how every so often - peers were not willing to search and read through. 'Too much work'.

Eventually, I realized if I didn't re-think a different strategy, the possibility of publication would grow slimmer than usual.
So I put aside all the longer works-in-progress, and decided to try my hand at short fiction. I had ideas that didn't seem to work in forty pages or more.

I re-read my favorite short stories, reread anthologies I read back in junior high and high school.

I trimmed down some longer works, and found that a few became stronger because of it.

Especially the cat stories, the ideas definitely grew better when I stopped trying for novel-length.

I found more markets for shorter fiction. My ideas could be expanded ironically in the tighter frame.

So that was the long and short of it.