Friday, January 30, 2009

Rejection

I'm not as upset as one might think I'd be. The experience was important for me and I actually enjoyed it. This enjoyment confims yet again that this is what I want to do with my life.

What I'm talking about is the story I submitted to Glimmertrain's New Writer's contest. I got the rejection today. I was proud of my work and this rejection doesn't make me any less proud of it. It is one of my best.

Now, I'm going to research and find another magazine to which to send it. Because of the Christian elements, I really should find a Christian magazine. A Christian audience would appreciate it more.

I wish they would have accepted it. Wouldn't it have been great to run and tell my mom and tell my writing professor? I say this with a strange emotion - like soda pop all shaken up. It's happy and sad and adventurous all at once. Like I was a wrestler that faced a wrestling match and found that I like it.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Writing Promt 2 - The Ugly Jacket

I'm going to give you the first few sentences.

Her jacket was ugly - and I'm sorry it was ugly. And, I'm sure she'd be sorry that it was distracting me from her class. But, the fact remains: it was ugly.

*I apologize for my very conversational tone; but, you can change that by rewriting the prompt, of course.


Thursday, January 22, 2009

A dedication to a piece...

My writing professor sent out an email about a creative writing contest coming in March. I haven't been ablet to think much about writing now that I'm in two - count 'em - two! literature classes, with a grand total of 12 novels to read this semester. To give you an example of what's expected of me in these classes: I have to read eighty pages of Tess of the D'Urbervilles, and at least 30 of Saving Grace by Lee Smith today. We'll begin discussing Tess on Monday next week and S.G. on Tuesday.

I'm at my wit's end with Tess. I'm enjoying the story, but not all the reading. Although right now I'm rather ticked off at Angel.

I want to make this post a vow that I will finish my latest story "Itching Ears" by the March deadline:
I, Emily J. Lawrence, do solemnly swear to become a superhuman writer and finish my short story, "Itching Ears," to submit it in the contest while at the same time not faulting in the reading assignments of my two literature classes.

Wish me luck, wish me brains, wish me comforting chemicals (all the root beer I can drink.)

Monday, January 19, 2009

Friday, January 16, 2009

Writer's Pet Peeves I

As writers are some of the most eccentric people on the planet, I thought it would be fun to share some of my pet peeves about writing.

1. Titles of writing.
I can't stand one word titles. They annoy me. It seems that it's becoming a fad to have a one words title - it's supposed to be dramatic or forceful. I hate it.
I have to come up with at least a two-word title when I write. And if I absolutely have to have one word (whatever that means) it should have at least 2-3 syllables.

Does this make sense? No. Does it irritate me anyway? Yes.

I think all writers are born with Lingua Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. If I consider something to be understood, I don't say it. And I never repeat myself. Those are skills I've learned because I'm a writer. That's also why I'm a terrible teacher.

Another pet peeve I have doesn't have to do with writing per se, but with language.

2. I hate when I say something to someone and they say, "maybe." It makes my bones shake. They don't realize it, but it's rather rude.

3. "Very hilarious." ... "Pretty delicious." What do these mean? Either something the best or it's not. It can't be "very" the best or "kind of" the best. The best is the best.

Agh! So irritating.
Tune in for more pet peeves and please respond with some of your own language pet peeves.