Two little things for this month (and, really, the chances of me getting to do a "proper" post in April are slim and diminishing by the day):
I have a story in this month's issue of Eclectic Flash (Summer in Winter)
and my flash Rogue Trading has been shortlisted for the FISH one page story prize.
(My thanks to Nuala, aka Women Rule Writer for pointing that out to me! And to everyone who has contacted me variously with a leg up, a shoulder or and arm - your efforts haven't been wasted.)
On the novel front - I'm forty thousand words in and deleting every day! Got a working first draft of the central section and I'm chomping through the first section. For some reason my dialogue wants to be all flippant and I am struggling to keep my characters reigned in. I'm going to crack the whip this weekend!
I still haven't got back into the swing of this thing we call blogging - too little time and so much to do!
PS Well done Beanie for completing the Ocean Swim today! You gave it heaps!
RACHEL! It is lovely to see you pop up just briefly. I want to go read your stories and will do so. It pleased me that you dropped in on my blog and commented. I'm glad mylove-of-my-life story pulled you in. YAY, Beanie! Looking forward to more from you, Rachel, as you can, dear one.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Les, sincerely. You don't know what a boost your words are right now.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your recent achievements!
ReplyDeleteThe opening line of your story is very strong and the rest of it stays true to this strength. The writing is bold, yet tender. I especially liked:
"...when I was older and could carry my now back to my then and overlay it as skin on skin..."
"...the ease with which your body lived in your sleeve..."
I was a little confused by "...you had everyone I was your girlfriend." Is this a misprint, or is the implication that he had one over on everyone?
For fellow readers, the story is on page 63
Thanks for picking out those lines, Kass, for noticing them so.
ReplyDeleteAnd for pointing out the typo - it shoud have been told - not sure how it got changed....
Typically, for me, I want to take the story back and rewrite it - especially the ending, but hey, got enough to do writing this novel...
I think this story really gets behind the concept of how small town identity can swallow all others and how poverty, gender and race are equal asides in certain communities. How people with no significant difference are identified and identify themselves is something I am extremely interested in and an issue I am exploring currently.
Thank you for your interest and for taking the time to read, Kass. Your comments are vary valuable to me.
That story was really powerful - loved it.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations. I often wonder whether blogging enhances or interferes with writing. clearly a novel cannot be written by blogging every day. You have clear priorities.
ReplyDeleteIs this the reference to flying high, or are you referring instead to the hazards of high flying. In any case I hope you fly high and well and safely.
Thanks, Andrea. On re-reading I think I could have made it more so but I'm learning! Pleased you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth - in my case I really need to lose myself in my writing - becoming the characters. I find it difficult to snap back to being myself for blogging and to generally fit it in. My kids. My novel. Other writing. That's basically my life at the moment. Sleep is optional! I was feeling too thinly spread when I was blogging lots. I want to enjoy reading all your blogs rather than feeling I have to tear through them to bank time!
The picture references a line in the FISH Story but I also like the suggestive symbolism of the word NOVA on the wing.
Thank you for your thoughtful words.
Whilst I miss you as a blogger I'm glad you're doing some real-work-writing instead. Give it hell!
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Cheers, Rachel! Won't always be so absent but really wanted to get into the novel I'm writing and live in it for a while - which I'm doing and it feels like the best place to be right now for me.
ReplyDeleteThe other writing is a nice reward for stuff I did before Christmas. Should put more effort into submitting to places. Will make it a new goal!
Congrats on making the Fish shortlist!
ReplyDeleteCheers! Just got the email to say I'm on it, so it must be true! Apparently there were 1, 500 entries so feeling pretty happy about it. Will stop being a boaster now
ReplyDelete:)
Congratulations for making the shortlist, Rachel. And I found Summer in Winter very engaging. It felt like looking through a window into something much bigger and I wanted to read on.
ReplyDeleteYou are on a roll, Rachel! So glad that you're happily immersed in words and ideas. Always a pleasure to hear from you.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on getting on the Fish list - that's ace. I wanted to enter, I meant to enter, but accidentally wrote a story about a fish and thought they might discard it immediately as a joke. Good luck on getting to the next stage.
ReplyDeleteI just read Summer in Winter story - even though I've sat at my desk to do the Not-Using-The-Internet hour - but I had to tell you I loved it, and well done too.
I will go now and try that writing thing I claim to always be doing.
Thomas, welcome back, and thank you for that. Summer in Winter is linked in to the collection of short fiction I spent much of last year working on. It's a style of writiing I feel very comfortable with so i could expand and see where that story goes...thanks for the feedback.
ReplyDeleteGolden West, I won't count my chickens but it's a nice diversion certainly. Thank you for stopping by to read and I'll be round at yours soon. I always come away with an idea for a story or a line of one!
Teresa - I was like that with most other competitions and the stories for Haiti - couldn't send any of the stories I had as they were all gloomy! But on Vanessa Gebbie's blog there's a mention of the Willesden story winner (Weena Poon) writing a story about a writing competition - so sometimes it works! I love the sound of it already!
Thanks for the feedback!
Yes, we must all get on with this writing!!! Back to it everyone!
Hi Rachel, Yes, of course you are welcome to the egg pictures. If you click on them, they'll get bigger and then you can drag them onto your lap top. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
ReplyDeleteHearty congratulations - and if that is not a proper post, I look forward to the first one that is!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dave. That's a lovely comment!
ReplyDeleteWhoo Hoo! Congratulations, and may you continue to fly as high as the paraglider and not come back to earth for a while.
ReplyDeleteGood writing!
Thanks, Titus - that would be nice right now!
ReplyDeletegood to hear you are on a roll with work, I'm going off to follow the links...Penny xxx
ReplyDeletePenny, thank you, I hope I keep rolling the words our for my WIP - even if I am culling most of them - and I hope you enjoy the story.
ReplyDeleteOh, congratulations. You are doing so well with your writing! I am so proud. Such very beautiful and emotional story that I had to read carefully, word by word, which I rarely do anymore. And it was a pleasure. Lots of energy and ability to concentrate on the novel!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lori, I am so pleased you liked it and that it had that effect on you.
ReplyDeleteI really need the concentration gift so thanks for that, too!
Having a major rewrite of the sixty or so pages I have written for the first part of my novel, which is necessary but difficult as I'd much rather race through and complete a first draft. Trying to be patient now and save myself some hard work later!
Loved your translation and best of luck with your novel progress!
Good luck with honing your novel !
ReplyDeleteThanks, Joe - I need it!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your catch, Rachel!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Merc, I won't count my fish before they're fried though!
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