Guest blogger Terry Elders writes about rejection, dejection, and perfection. Luck was on my side. My first submission to an anthology, just eight years ago, got accepted by Chicken Soup for the Soul for “Celebrating Brothers and Sisters.” Since then my stories have appeared in well over a hundred books. But I estimate that I’ve averaged five rejections for every acceptance. That’s a success rate of only 20 percent. Perseverance is key. I write for an audience. I’ve known talented writing students say that if they’re ever rejected, they become too discouraged to continue to submit. When I told this to a realtor friend, he laughed. “That’s ridiculous. I get turned down every day. If I stopped showing houses, I’d never make a sale. You smile and move on to the next potential customer.” I agree. I’ve adopted my late husband’s favorite motto, “Never, ever give up.” I keep an…
Tradition . . . Prompt #207
~Tradition~ Quick! What’s the first thing you think when you see the word “tradition?” Write about that. OR: Write about a tradition from your childhood. Write about a tradition you gave up. Write about a tradition you enjoy. Ready? Set your time and write for 15-20 minutes. Just write!
No one can tell the stories that you have to tell.
“No one else sees the world the way you do, so no one else can tell the stories that you have to tell.” —Charles de Lint
How to turn memoir into fiction
What if you have written your memoir, or are in the process, and it just isn’t working? What to do? You might decide to publish your work as fiction based on fact, rather than memoir. Adair Lara’s article might be helpful: “10 Ways to Tell if Your Story Should be a Memoir or a Novel” in the January 23, 2012 issue of Writer’s Digest magazine. You can use prompts on The Write Spot Blog for inspiration, especially, “Make a list of pivotal events, Prompt #40” and “How to write fiction based on fact,” Prompt #41.” If you don’t want to write about what happened exactly as it happened, you can use the emotions you felt during the event. Tap into those emotions to write strong scenes. Sometimes it’s helpful to see examples of ideas you want to pursue. The following novels are based on fact. Half-Broke Horses, by Jeannette Walls,…
By Grace by Arletta Dawdy
By Grace – Reviewed by Marlene Cullen Extraordinary writing by Arletta Dawdy who must have done a ton of research for this entertaining story containing so much factual detail I feel as if I took this trip alongside heroine Grace Pelham. Arletta tells a compelling story in the best story-teller tradition. I was mesmerized and couldn’t wait to find out what happens next. Arletta holds up her end of the author-reader bargain, taking me out of my world and into the world of Grace Pelham, filled with intriguing characters, gorgeous landscape, creativity and human scoundrels as well as kindness. Arletta brings these fully dimensional characters to life in her unique way. Her writing is absolutely exquisite and dazzling. I’m not the only one who finds Arletta’s writing creative and delightful. From the back cover: “A good book also has characters that intrigue and change and in the midst of the…
AGNI accepts fiction, nonfiction, poetry, interviews.
AGNI Magazine accepts fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and interviews for their print and online literary magazines. “We see literature and the arts as part of a broad, ongoing cultural conversation that every society needs to remain vibrant and alive. Our writers and artists hold a mirror up to nature, mankind, the world; they courageously reflect their age, for better or worse; and their work provokes perceptions and thoughts that help us understand and respond to our age. Literature for literature’s sake is not what AGNI is about.” Submission period: Between September 1st and May 31st. Payment: $10 per printed (or printed-out) page for all accepted prose, $20 per page for poetry, $150 maximum, along with a year’s subscription, and, for the print magazine, two contributor’s copies and four gift copies of the issue. Be sure to read all details regarding submissions. It would be a shame to miss out on being published due to a…
Use photos to inspire your writing. Prompt #206
You can use photos as writing prompts. Choose one of your photos, or a photo you remember and write about it. First, look at the photo (if you can). Write all the details that you see. Write about what happened before and after the photo was taken. Write about your feelings connected with this photo. Photos might remind you about activities, important occasions and details that you may have forgotten. Did Great-grandpa always wear a hat? What was his first car? Where did he work? Siblings. What did Grandma think as her son went off to war? What did his sisters think? Did they send him off with special remembrances from home? Did they listen to every radio broadcast about the war? Did they watch events play out on television? Are there any letters from that era? Grandma’s graduation day photo doesn’t look like today’s graduation photos. What were Grandma’s plans…
Guest Blogger Genevieve V. Georget
Genevieve V. Georget graciously gave me permission to re-post her October 5, 2015 Facebook post. The response to her post was surreal: Over 250,000 likes and 143,000 shares. Genevieve’s post is an excellent example of extraordinary writing that touches the heart. Guest Blogger Genevieve V. Georget: It was a Wednesday afternoon when I walked into Starbucks that day nearly six years ago. I stood at the bar, waiting for my drink, when the barista politely asked me what I was up to that day. As it turns out, I was en route to the airport at that moment…about to catch a flight to Italy with my husband. After a brief minute of chatting, the barista handed me my coffee and wished me a nice trip. “But then again”, she said “why wouldn’t you…your life is golden!” I’ll admit…the gold star was nice. But at the same time, the words knocked…
Something good that came from . . . Prompt #205
Today’s writing prompt: Something good that came from something bad. Set your timer for 15-20 minutes. Write. Don’t think. Just write. Okay, you might have to think a little before writing on this prompt. Once you choose a topic. . . then . . . write without thinking. No editing, no censoring. You can destroy your writing later, if you want. For now . . . just write.
Good writing comes from your willingness to be vulnerable . . .
“Good writing comes from your willingness to be vulnerable, to peel back the layers of resistance, to offer up your heart, pulsing and defenseless, on a silver platter.” – Susan Bono, author of What Have We Here.