Today I made my first submission to a webzine, recommended to me by none other than Women Rule Writer - see fave blogs over there on the right - Nuala Ní Chonchúir :
http://ink-sweat-and-tears.blogharbor.com/
and you wouldn't believe how difficult I made it for myself.
I have about twenty short stories to choose from, but could I choose one to submit?
Nope.
Why?
I have no idea.
All I know is I wanted the story, this story, my story, to epitomise me and what is special, different, me, about my writing.
They all capture different facets of what I think is good about my writing, but this is my first public foray with a short story (aside from uni critiques, and my now famous family story gifts), and I wanted it to be special.
So I gave the submission a story for itself. I'm not sure if this made my writing any better or worse - didn't give myself much time for revision, or that long pause for reflection either - however, when I read it back, out loud a few times, I liked it.
I wrote it pretty quickly, it was just there, waiting to 'pop' out, and it got my heart going writing it, and I always think they're the ones that are the best for me. Over-revision and doubt have ruined many a piece of writing for me. I have dared myself to be less cautious with this; I hope it pays off.
As it has turned out, it is a sort of hybrid magic realist/prose poem/short story - try selling that one to a publisher!
6 comments:
Hi Rachel,
Good luck with your submission. It sounds wonderful.
It sounds great! I can really identify with that. Sometimes with poems especially I completely overthink things, but I find that the ones that I feel happiest with in the long run are the ones that came most naturally and I wasn't trying too hard to cater them to some particular idea of what I thought they should be.
Sounds really great to me too. What can be better than a magic-realist prose-poem?
Also, I wanted to mention that your profile photo is BEAUTIFUL. So creative!
Best of luck with this, Rachel! N x
Thanks AW!
Andrea - sometimes the words seem to want to write themselves, regardless where you wanted them to go! I read some of your creative writing on your site too! I really enjoyed reading it!
Lori - Ha, when you say it like that! What indeed could be better?
But are you sure you were looking at my picture? :) I always look goofy and gangly in pictures, hence the distance and the crossed legs! I painted the title picture too...it kind of matches my books - add a heap of toys, papers, a sofa, more books - and you have my lounge! Thanks for the compliment!
Cheers Nuala - got myself that extra notebook! I'm extremely grateful to you for all your help/encouraging words.
You painted that? Wow! So you must have studied painting. Either that, or you are unnaturally gifted. In any case, I understand now. :)
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