Update

Hi everyone,

A lot has been going on since I last posted. Actually, even before that a lot has been going on. This semester has been a bit of a jumble for me and a number of things I like to do on a regular basis have been neglected. My blog posts have been lacking in terms of quantity, I think, and that reflects how much time I’ve been unable tomputninto my work. Usually I’d try to post 2 or 3 things, but lately I’ve been struggling to keep up.

My time in the MFA has been good. A little bit has been annoying, but nothing I don’t think I’m unable to handle. I think the issue lies with everything else I have to deal with.

I want to write and be able to dedicate myself to the things I love, like this blog. But there have been a number of things as of late that interfere with that and I finally need to step up and address them. That being said I have to take some time off from my blog, as well as other activities to address some issues at home. Try not to worry too much. I promise this is only temporary, but unfortunately it’ll be indefinite. As soon as I feel I’ve got material for you, and have dealt with everything going on, I’ll be sure to update.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my blog.

I’ll be seeing you soon.

A Short While in the MFA (Part 5)

I want to start out by saying that there are going to be days that are great and days that just suck. I’ve been excited about my time at my Grad school, and I at least want to make sure that you understand that I’ve only just begun. I started out the semester looking forward to the days of classes, learning something new and interacting with other writers. But I think my first semester was a little too easy compared to this one. I think the last couple of weeks have kind of slapped me in the face and made me realize something.

I’m not just a writer. I’m not just a writer.

I’m a full time MFA student with a part time job that works on novels and short stories during my free time, in a long distance relationship with pets at home to feed all the while trying to save up for transportation fees every month. And that’s just the start of it all.

The fact is my life interferes a lot with what I want to do. There are financial problems and family problems that I try to ignore, but will somehow find a way to resurface no matter how much I prepare. People you care about are going to do things to upset your life, make decisions that affect your life, for better or worse.

In my experience, the second semester is always worse, whether it’s the Undergraduate program or the Graduate program. I think that I over panicked during my first semester about transportation and the difficulty of no longer living on campus. Once I had a plan for that, second semester said “Hey, don’t forget me!”

I forgot the rest of the Universe.

Sorry, Universe.

I think, maybe, that I’m not the only one that does that. Maybe I am. Who knows? All I know is my year got harder, but with the difficulties all around me I’ve got to really think about what I want.

There is always the chance to change your mind.

Maybe I’ll go, maybe I’ll stay, maybe I’ll transfer schools so it’s less expensive or maybe I’ll stick to it.

I’m the stubborn type, so maybe I’ll push through it and keep going. I know that I don’t want to stop writing.

I wish I could do more, but I can’t. There’s a limit to even my strengths.

I guess what I’m saying is it’s going to be difficult. There are going to be days, weeks, months, semesters even, where nothing you do seems to work or go well. That shouldn’t stop you. And if it does, maybe it’s for the best. Take a break, recharge, but don’t forget that you had a goal. Don’t forget you had something you wanted to do. Look back at everything and see what was good, what you were strong at. Grab that, and try again. I’ll keep trying with you, even when it’s hard for me, too.  

What Movies Would Be Like If They Used Common Sense (146 words)

“A case of undeniable truths.”

The briefcase sits on the concrete ledge. Polly stands over it, reading the inscription on the top of the case.

“Well?” Polly says. “Do we open it?”

Eric digs his left foot into the stones on the ground. He glances up nervously. “I’d rather not, honestly.”

Polly takes a step, her sandal-ed feet kicking up loose stones. She looks back at Eric, a finger in his mouth as he bites a nail off. “Wanna go and…eat something instead?”

Eric nods, sighing as Polly passes him. The smell of V5 vanilla shampoo smacking his nose.

He turns around when they hear a click. As Polly turns, Eric grabs her face and stares at her. His lips move slowly.

“Nooo,” he says dramatically, eyes pleading.

Before she can protest, he grabs her arm and heads to the roof door. The case remains untouched.

Cover Letters and Query Letters (part 2)

Query letters are a lot more complex than cover letters, let’s just get that out of the way. There is a lot more information you need to put into it, and it does much more than a cover letter as well. Cover letters are your introduction to a literary magazine, short and simple, while Query letters are the gate way to a literary agent. When you’re writing a query letter, you are essentially asking and promoting your longer piece of work and looking for representation to get published.

There are always going to be sites saying this is the best way to write a query letter, and to be honest the best thing you can do is give the essentials and individual as much as you feel would work for your piece. Query letters, no matter what, require the following:

1. What are you writing for? (tell them you are seeking representation, that you did your research as to why you want them to represent you).

2a.  TELL THEM ABOUT YOUR BOOK! (write about your book in a paragraph or two, essentially telling the agent who the character is, what is the conflict they will face (focus on the overall conflict, not the subplots) and the ending. Don’t tell the ending, though–just suggest that something is going to happen. The point is to make them interested in the character and what will happen to them).

2b. After the summary, or blurb as some call it, include the book length. Some people encourage a comparison to another novel to help the agent get a feel for the tone or style of writing you have. This depends on how much you’ve read and honestly if you do it, make sure you research novels that are similar to some aspect of your novel which you want to focus on.

3. Tell them about yourself ( this is the part where you let them know if you’re a student or not, publishing credits you have under your belt–if any–and anything relevant to the book and your experience as a writer).

4. Include your contact information (and please, make sure you use an appropriate email address. Sexykitty93@gmail.com is not cool. It’s just…not.)

Your letter shouldn’t be more than a page. Ideally, you want this length because agents are always reading query letters. I mean, a lot of them. So, take the time to condense your writing and get to the point. Generally, you’d do  one inch margins; however, some literary agents have specific formats which prefer. So look it up!

After that, it’s all about how you individualize.

Here are some examples of some query letters that were successful, courtesy of Writer’s Digest. These query letters took individualization to whole new level, and honestly it’s pretty cool. This won’t always work, but if you do it write the agent will be impressed.

Here’s another really good example because it includes a letter and takes notes on what not to do.

The things you most definitely should not do are pretty similar to cover letters, and obviously more extensive due to the length. Some people try a little too hard forgetting that simplicity is sometimes better. Check out Writer’s Relief’s Query Fail. I think they have it down pact.

These letters will take time. Do the best you can, and have someone look at it for you if you can. It’s always good to have someone look over your work, whether a fellow writer, classmate, or even a friend. If you tell them what the basic format is then maybe they can tell you what they see as unnecessary. And remember to do the research. You don’t want an agent to look at your letter and think you’re wasting their time. They’re in this career because they love to read and work with writers. If you don’t put in the effort, then  neither will they.

Sharing is Caring (Part 3)

Hello and welcome back to another session of Sharing is Caring!

I haven’t done this in a while and it’s nice to just sit back, read a bunch of stuff and share it with you guys.

Below are eight links to the web pages that I found either motivational or helpful and interesting in some way while I was away. Obviously, if I tried to share any more than this you’d go nuts, but this little list is sure to be helpful or at the very least insightful. I thought so. Honestly, I find them very truthful or something I can relate to in terms of newly acquired knowledge, and as such I’m sure you will appreciate them, too.

I’ve divided the links into two sections, the first being Self-revision or You as a Writer, and the second as Interactions as a Writer. The first set of sites I think have a lot to do with those of you who are still looking for advice and the best way to edit, the get the words down to the page. The second set, only a few sites, are for those who are writing and trying to figure out the best way to get noticed.

Self-revision or You as a Writer

http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/how-to-write-a-plausible-character-3-key-tips

I think we need to start out with this one because I’ve seen some crazy things with authors these last few weeks. I’ve read pieces where the characters are just plain bonkers and I can’t even deal with this. READ THIS! Please! The point of writing characters is because you have a story to tell, but if the characters suck then you have a serious problem. You want characters are real as you or me. If you settle for mediocre or a static figure then you’ve wasted everyone’s time.

http://www.writingforward.com/writing-ideas/how-to-develop-your-best-novel-writing-ideas

Now, this is a new site I found and I can’t say for sure how good it is, but I did like this post because I always have novel ideas. ALWAYS. It’s insane how many I am currently working on. I mean, I’ll get to chapter six and say “Okay, I’m bored now.” And move onto the next one. I’ve got five in progress right now. Anyway, a little help on what you can do to get those ideas down to paper and maybe actually finish them never hurts. The best advice I can see from here is to go where your heart tells you. If you love something keep going with it. My issue is a short attention span. Hehehe.

http://writerscircle.com/2014/04/very-and-other-useless-words-to-erase-forever.html

A site I found via Facebook via my wonderful writer friends. I usually wouldn’t posts something about editing, especially when too specific as this blog post, however, they do make a lot of sense. There are a lot of things that writers do that can improved on, even if it’s removing a few words. It’s especially important when you’re doing a flash fiction piece or just to seem more like a pro. Watch your words!

http://writersrelief.com/blog/2013/11/five-signs-that-you-may-be-sabotaging-your-writing-career/

Writer’s Relief is constantly on these lists. I can’t help but find them to be a good source of advice and sometimes motivation. This one will be really helpful for those of us who have lost the edge or are on a search of finding their muse. In this post you get five signs of how bad you are messing yourself up when it comes to getting published or even writing something down. And that’s okay, it happens to everyone. Even me.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-s-parker-/never-tell-me-the-odds_b_6443966.html?utm_hp_ref=books&ir=Books
This is probably one of those motivational posts I was talking about. Really, it’s how you take it. I personally enjoyed reading this piece because the author was seemingly honest about his experience. And sometimes it’s better not to told how likely of a success you’ll be. The only thing we as writers want to hear are words of encouragement. And nowadays, in the current market, it’s extremely difficult.

Interactions as a Writer

http://writerscircle.com/2014/09/how-to-take-feedback-and-trust-it-too.html

Time and time again I find the lack of trust to be astounding. Then again, I can’t blame you. In my writing circle I’ve gotten some pretty bad critiques, if not any at all. The worst is when you get a critique that says “I like it,” points one or two things out and blabbers on without actually saying anything else. It’s a pain because you’re so desperate for real material to work with that you spend several hours peeling back the lines to find something that you can use to edit your work. Or maybe that’s just me.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/21/literary-journal-fees_n_6510292.html

Everyone seems to complain about how much a literary journal costs. Professors constantly say that you should read them and if you don’t then you’re only screwing yourself over. And they’re right. I’ve probably said this before in other posts, but the best way to get out there is to submit to journals no matter how small they are. The point is that you get published and Literary Journals help do that. The majority of these journals are not for profit, and that means they run the magazine as volunteers and without pay. Every cent goes to the publication and sometimes payment for the author’s work, too. Choose your magazines wisely. Follow the ones you truly enjoy. READ THEM or you will look like a fool when submission period comes around.

http://writerscircle.com/2014/10/how-to-get-published-in-literary-magazines-and-journals.html

This goes along with the above post. Besides reading a literary magazine, you need to know your audience. Be open-minded about where you submit, and even if you don’t get paid, it’s still one more notch in your “publishing to be a pro” belt. The point is to be seen. I recently met with a literary agent who said she read a small time literary magazine and actually went to meet the author to publish a book with him. She also said she’s never done that before. So, you never know what could happen. Getting paid isn’t everything, and be smart about how you go about your selection folks. If you do it the wrong way the magazine editors will probably feel insulted.

Alright, so here’s your list. Check out the posts, read them, tell me what you think. I’d love to hear some suggestions from you all about more sites that you believe are helpful or topics you’d like to hear about. Send me a line through Facebook or twitter! I’m always happy to hear from followers and readers. You guys are so awesome!

A Short While in the MFA (Part 4)

Well, my first week of classes have certainly been interesting….especially since there were no classes. It’s a little upsetting because I was looking forward to meeting my new professors and classmates. Luckily, I didn’t start the week off to badly. In fact, the first thing I did was  apply for an internship at a literary agency! Even better, I got an immediate reply for an interview!

Can you Imagine getting that email right after submitting an application? I’ve never applied for something like that and it was so nerve racking. You can’t imagine how many times I wrote that email over and over and over and over…oh my god. When I finally got the courage to push that send button, I set up a day to meet my interviewer (the founder of the agency) and we talked. We had bagels, talked about books, experiences, and it was fantastic.

But I didn’t get the job. And that’s not a bad thing. When I met with them I found that this is all about meeting people. She just wanted to get to know me. I did all the things I read online about, the eye contact and put in how much you would like to work there, say what you now about them, etc. In all honesty, I really enjoyed meeting someone who loved books as much or even more than I did. It also helped that I wrote a good cover letter and resume.

Seriously, work on that thing. It will save your life!

Anyway, interview aside I got a rejection letter/email, but a kind one. One where my interviewer really seemed to want to work with me, but it turned out the wouldn’t need an intern after all. It was a last minute decision and she was kind about it. A better experience compared to most is what I like to think. And I wasn’t hurt. I got a free book out of the meeting, so hey!

The best thing you can do is take these kinds of things in stride. I know now how the best way to act in an interview is: Be confident, do as much research as you can, and always be thankful. They’ll remember you for that. As for classes, they were canceled due to the ever wonderful blizzard this week. Though short lived that it was. I went to campus only to receive an email saying classes would not be open. Sad really. But what can you do?

I only have classes twice a week, so I suppose my objective will be to read, buy a bunch of books for class (the unending pain of college life), and find my groove to write again. This semester will be interesting. I’ll be focusing more on short stories, and linked stories/novels. Hopefully, I’ll learn enough to share with you guys. This semester will be interesting especially since I want to do a little more than the last.

My time is short here in the MFA and I need to put that time to good use, don’t you think?

I haven’t even been to class yet and I’ve learned two things: (1)Rejection is never bad, especially when you make yourself memorable my being you and (2) Do the most that you can and enjoy your journey. There’s no sense in doing things you won’t enjoy. And if it’s for something you want, something important, then push yourself. HIT THE SEND BUTTON!

I believe in you.

***

In the mean time, I’ll be back soon with some more updates/stories, etc., and hopefully some new advice or facts to share. See you soon!

Outlining Stories (part 1)

Does anyone actually use this stuff? Seriously, how many of you actually use an outline or map out their story visually? This isn’t sarcasm or anything, I’m totally asking right now.

I’ve been writing seriously since I was about sixteen and I’ve never used this method until recently, unless you count academic papers. Which, I don’t. So when I first started using outlines, I started out with trying to write a novel, and I wrote a couple of sentences about each chapter I wanted to write or plans for scenes in my head. Of course, that didn’t help me since I was trying to do something extremely specific with time-lines. So, I then proceeded to draw out how my story was going to progress. It became a map, but then that wasn’t enough.
This is the outcome of my story outline/map.
I think I might have taken it too far.
Insane, right?
In my personal copy, I included one sentence descriptions of what would occur in each chapter. I used a combination of mapping out the story lines and  regular outlining (by words alone).

I think we’re so used to using this thing so much
that we forget that not all stories don’t actually look like that——->

Even short stories have different progressions, especially when the author wants to shake up the marbles in that head of yours.
Now, I know a few things about outlining so I wanted to discuss them because lately it’s been on my mind.

Outlining: You know this is a bunch of words that summarize/plan out what you are going to write. The thing is, there’s more than one way to do it. You definitely don’t need to do this:

                Beginning           Middle             End
We’re not in middle school folks. We all know full well that stories don’t always work this way. If you want to use an outline then you have two options: Brief or Extended.

Brief outlines consist of one to two sentences of what each scene/chapter is going to look like.Now a brief outline could be like this: “He falls into the demons nest.”
You’re basically writing the bare minimum. And this is perfect for someone who doesn’t want to feel restricted or stifled by past plans. On the other hand,

Extended outlines, you’re basically filling in the blanks, adding far more detail then in a brief outline. “[Character] is shoved as a sacrifice into a demons nest. The ground is wet soaked with blood and as [character] stands he sees lights lining the walls. [character] walks forth, trembling from the cold, and crawls to the end of a tunnel, etc, etc.”
Now, I understand how some writers a re reluctant to use an outline. There’s this idea that you’re not a writer if you have to plan it or that you should be inspired as you write. That’s not necessarily true. Some writers actually like knowing where they’re going. Personally, I like to write when I’m inspired. But if I have to use an outline now, I will.

Here’s why you should use an outline:
1.You know where you plan on going. There are so many scenes in your head that sometimes you’re afraid you’ll lose them. Write them down and you can look back at them to remind yourself, or see where you diverted from if you decide to change something.
2.It’ll help you look back and see where you screwed up (if you did) or just where you started. The nostalgia will consume you!

The only downside I could ever see is if you write an outline, but lose interest because it’s all down on the page already.

I’ve certainly had that experience of suddenly losing interest because I felt like I’d just told the story. I suppose that’s why I myself am reluctant to use an outline, unless I really am stuck. It’s when I’m stuck that I find it so useful, so don’t disregard an outline if you feel you may be stifled by the form and your past plans. You can always take it and look back to see what you originally planned and how you started out. It can act as a reminder of where you headed, even if you went in a different direction there can be things in the outline that you’d still like to do, and are still possible.

And there are plenty of other versions of outlines, like :

Note cards: which you can have virtually (if you download/buy programs like scrivener) or buy a stack of actual note cards and write this down. Note cards essentially are used to summarize a quick scene or major facts about it like plot, characters, setting, etc… It’s absolutely a good way to keep track of your characters, especially when you’ve got more than two or three. (I do it to keep track of what my characters are wearing). There’s also the choice of using it for scenes, mix and match for link stories or hey! If you’re doing a collection of stories and you’re looking for the right tone or mood, use it. You can virtually use this method for anything, honestly.

Truthfully, the list could go on, but these I know the most/best. I’ve used them before, as I own a copy of scrivener, and I’ve messed around with the others in classes and on my own (as seen in my image above). Some are fun, some annoying, but it’s really all about preference. Like most things what works for some won’t work for others.  Now I don’t know all of the million, bazillion methods of outlining, but I do have a link or two below that go into a little more detail than I do. So check them out. And If you’re interested in learning a little more outline tricks check out part 2 for outlining with maps.

http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/2013/09/evolution-scene-outline-final-draft.html

http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/choosing-the-best-outline-method-for-you

Outlining Stories (part 2)

So, we talked about outlines in the last post and a couple of different ways to do that. Well, here we’ll talk briefly about maps.

Mapping: Basically, when all else fails and you’re not sure where your plot/story is going then map it out. Most maps can can take the usual form:
And I really do have to refer back to this constantly because this is what we were always taught when we were younger, right? But stories don’t always work that way. Mine certainly didn’t. Sometimes, the conflict is the very first thing we see. If you’re skilled enough the climax could be first and we just see the aftermath.

Maps are made to keep track of what you’ve done, much like an outline, but you’re looking at a visual instead of a bunch of words. It can actually be easier on the eyes because we see, well, a map. The point of this is to see progression, you want to see how far you’ve gone before you reached the end. And sometimes you can even make a map that shows connections like mine or this. (I included this picture from here because it’s visually smart, and it reminds of the MTA).

I think maps are fun. I know mine was. (I really need more highlighters). But anyway, there are tons of ways you can go about this. It doesn’t have to follow the train station style or even my weird double helix. You can make a map up all on your own. The shape is supposed to fit your work. The great thing about maps is you can design it, until you think it works for you.

Besides doing it like this, you could also do word association maps and mind mapping. In this case you build a web much like this. They can hold story ideas, character back story, physical/mental traits of characters you’d like to create, setting and connections between events. There is so much you can do with this. Word association can actually be the same. In fact, my fiction professor said once that using word association with maps like this can be really helpful. You keep going with associations until you can’t think of anything. The one you stop at is the one you should write about, because you stopped at it for a reason (whether hesitation or whatever, keep it in mind anyway!)

Anyway, there are so many other reasons why you should do maps or pick outlines, but I won’t be writing them all, because we both don’t want to be here forever. The point is everyone needs help. It’s fine if you don’t want to use it–that’s cool. I think we all have had that point where we deny using tricks like this because “We’re a writer dammit!”
But lets face it, writers are human, and sometimes we need help. Each method we use is based on preference, nothing is perfect. I will occasionally use both, you’ll use none.
Who knows? It’s just always good to learn new things that can help your writing. Even if you don’t use it, keep it in mind as an option. I always do.

Even when I really don’t want to.

You are not a bad writer for using this stuff. Don’t feel guilty or feel like your cheating or silly as I’m sure many who start out do. You’re doing everything you can to get that awesome story out. Use everything you’ve got!

In case you want to see some more examples other than my own, then here are two sites that I found with some good notes/information on mapping out stories.

http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2009/07/18/mind-maps/
http://diymfa.com/writing/mapping-out-your-story

A Short While in the MFA (part 3)

I’ve had a couple of months worth of experience in the MFA to write a few things about it. That’s not to say that I’m an expert because I’m just not. I can, however, say that at the end of my first semester here, I’ve had one helluva time. It may bit have been the most exciting experience, but I’ve enjoyed my days nonetheless.

The transition itself was jarring at first. Going straight from undergraduate to Graduate school can be intense, exciting, or depending on the kind of person you are, a piece of cake. At first I was excited, and a little sad. I used to live on campus, in a dorm and saw my friends virtually everyday. Now, I only have one or two friends in NYC who I can see–and I don’t even get to see them all that often, if at all. Solitude can be disheartening or liberating, depending on how you look at it. But I digress,

The change from on-campus to off-campus, and going back home, was difficult. I cried a lot from stress, visited my friends upstate to calm down, and came back with encouragement to look at things more positively. I tried.

Change is difficult to deal with. I don’t know how many times I can express that. And I understand that a lot more now. I’ve also learned things about this school, my old school, my craft, the business I want to get in, and frankly, it’s a jungle. There are also bits and pieces to publishing and getting published, that I’ve found myself lost. I still do. With this last week of classes, I realized that while time flew by I’ve gotten better at knowing what I want to do and I’ve gotten better at knowing myself, both as a person and a writer. I may not be the best critiquer or blogger, but I try.

I need to keep trying. I took a big step in wanting to continue being a writer. I’m sure I could have been anything else, but I wanted this. Going for your MFA isn’t easy, and loans aren’t cheap. But I think this is something I set my mind to so long ago that I didn’t know how to turn back. Maybe it was stubbornness. I sometimes think it was more stubbornness than courage that took my down this road.

And I begin to see that courage may be a thing that I lack most.

Writers who start out are going to be afraid. Our work is set to be approved by others. We fear rejection despite being told that rejections are just as important as acceptances. In fact, I had a professor in my undergrad who would tell us that we should keep our rejection letters and hang them on the walls. With every rejection is the measure of your progress, your effort. I find that hard to believe sometimes. Then again, I’ve only submitted my work three or four times to magazines. But we have to start out somewhere, don’t we? And I don’t think there’s anything wrong or anything to be ashamed of my admitting that.

There is however, something wrong with not trying hard enough. I have my faults, both as a person and a writer. And as I listen to the things my peers have done in the last couple of years, I feel a bit disappointed in myself. Whether it’s teaching after school, to convicts, acting as a teachers assistant or being an intern at a publishing house, I lack the courage to do those things. But it’s okay. I need to accept that and find a way to get past my fears. This semester has taught me that I am afraid of not just being rejected as a writer, but of being successful as well. There are so many expectations, that you have for yourself and others may have for you. I t can be overwhelming.

But isn’t that life? Writing is a challenge. If we were weren’t up for it, then we wouldn’t have…well, anything really. It’s why so many of us take it up.

I suppose I’m writing this to tell you that I am afraid just like many of you are. And writers are in fact human, in case some of you thought we weren’t. I mean, sure we come up with crazy stuff, drink lots of coffee/tea/alcohol, and are up most nights–don’t mind us we’re just creating an entire universe by pencil– but we are individuals. Often times, rejections scare us, talk away any confidence we may have built up in ourselves. Sometimes, success does that too. And I’ll be the first to admit, I’m afraid of both.

So, at the end of my first semester I say to you: keep writing and keep dreaming. Close your eyes and click that submit button.

I’ll be sure to do the same right beside you.

Happy writing everyone.

Nothing on My Page

Don’t say it’s writers block because I will be tempted to punch you. I can’t stand that people say that because I can’t write anything down I have writer’s block. It’s the complete opposite in fact.

I HAVE TOO MUCH TO SAY!!!

Can you imagine a time when you have so many ideas that you just don’t know where to even begin, so you don’t write? Or a time where you just had a number of options and just couldn’t choose which to start on?

I have that problem. In fact, I have several stories in the works, and unfortunately I can’t get anything down. You’d think this was a good thing, having so many ideas that you can’t count them. I can count them!

Eight.

That’s how many stories, so far, that I’ve come up with and it’s driving me crazy.

I’m sure I wrote in another post about a professor that said having multiple things to work on is never a bad thing. A writer always wants to keep busy because working on the same thing isn’t always productive. Frankly, things can lose their taste after a while, much like gum. Sometimes, you need a break. Writing other stories can often bring new ideas, give you a break so you can come back. (Personally, gnawing on a piece of Hershey’s chocolate always works for me).

Just saying.

You’ll feel refreshed with new insight when you go back to your older works. I, of course, don’t get to that because I CAN’T DECIDE WHAT THE HELL I’M GONNA

DO.

My god.

My brain hurts.

Please tell me I’m not the only one going through this. I think I’ll feel like a real troll if I’m the only one on this planet just unable to write because they have just too many things to work on. It sounds ridiculous!

It is ridiculous.

I think the worst part about it is that every time I try to write a short story, someone tells me it should be a novel. This has happened three times this semester in conference with my professor and my classmates during critique.

THREE TIMES.

How am I supposed to deal with that?

I write too much. That’s the only thing I can think of to explain this problem. Otherwise, I just can’t seem to get into writing succinct language. I just can’t write concisely enough that everything I want to say is delivered well enough. Not unless it’s a bigger piece.

It’s so sad.

I took a class a couple of weeks back on Resistance. It was a three hour course during a Saturday, meant to explore why it is that writers can’t write. I think I need to do some of the exercises again. I’m having a really hard writing short things. There is always going to be something to talk about in regards to literature: how much we hate/love Twilight, who’s better at killing off characters, George R.R. Martin or Stephen King, and why libraries need more funding so I can go in on Saturdays like I want. The problem is condensing what I want to say, and I just can’t seem to get that down. I have a couple of stories here and there on the blog that have been worked out well enough to be short. I just keep wracking my brain for something…

There are always going to be days, maybe even weeks when wrack your brain trying to think of things to say, things to do and things to share. I started this blog as a way to share stories I’ve written. I don’t have a lot of stories published, only two in an on-campus literary magazine from my undergrad (and they’re shared on the blog). I think that the more I consider publishing my stories, the more difficult it becomes to write them, to even post them. There’s this sense of indecision that I am going through right now, but I don;t want to stop doing this. Not when I can find people who genuinely want to read something that I write and amazingly enjoy it.

This blog is one of the few things that I’ve kept at without just giving up.

I’ll think of something.

Signed,
Girl with nothing on the page