A FB friend just pointed this site out. As I haven't been offering annotations/book reviews lately, this site offers ongoing additions.
http://annotationnation.wordpress.com/
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
It's been a long time coming
For the first time, I am writing about my first marriage.
Twenty-nine years ago, today, I swapped vows with my first husband. It ended badly a few months later.
For a good portion of my adult life I wouldn't even admit to the marriage. I used to make a point of wording my sentences very carefully when discussing former husbands so that someone had to listen very, very carefully to hear that I could count more than two. I have a son from my second marriage and a daughter from my third (which is where I parked and have stayed for 22+ years), so it is impossible not to refer to at least one ex-husband. I was mighty clever for a long time, and no one figured it out.
In recent years I have been more open about it, but I share very little information with anyone beyond my immediate family and close circle of friends. I'm honestly not sure exactly who knows what because I talk about it so little.
I was trying to decide if the story I am ready to tell would be best written as an essay or a short story. So far the essay approach is winning out.
I'm kind of excited.
Twenty-nine years ago, today, I swapped vows with my first husband. It ended badly a few months later.
For a good portion of my adult life I wouldn't even admit to the marriage. I used to make a point of wording my sentences very carefully when discussing former husbands so that someone had to listen very, very carefully to hear that I could count more than two. I have a son from my second marriage and a daughter from my third (which is where I parked and have stayed for 22+ years), so it is impossible not to refer to at least one ex-husband. I was mighty clever for a long time, and no one figured it out.
In recent years I have been more open about it, but I share very little information with anyone beyond my immediate family and close circle of friends. I'm honestly not sure exactly who knows what because I talk about it so little.
I was trying to decide if the story I am ready to tell would be best written as an essay or a short story. So far the essay approach is winning out.
I'm kind of excited.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Acceptance at Last!!!
I was going to post the acceptance email here. But it felt odd, so I won't. I had an essay, currently entitled "Scent Memories," accepted for publication by a press called Insolent Aardvark.
Insolent Aardvark
It is one of my favorite pieces that has been rejected by six other publications. I did a reading of it 2 or more years ago for the Redwood Writers Club and got a really good response. I changed the title for this submission; titles are not my strongest writing, so I'm wondering if that last change is was pushed it over the top and got it accepted.
I sent it out because my friend James Celestino had a short story accepted by the same publication. They asked him if he could refer some non-fiction writers because they didn't have enough pieces from the open submission period. He contacted me, I sent one it and IT WAS ACCEPTED!!
Funnily enough I'm not jumping up and down screaming, as I have done in the past when something was accepted for publication. I am feeling okay about it. And posting the information online. And texting my kids. *sigh*
Triumph is a good feeling.
Insolent Aardvark
It is one of my favorite pieces that has been rejected by six other publications. I did a reading of it 2 or more years ago for the Redwood Writers Club and got a really good response. I changed the title for this submission; titles are not my strongest writing, so I'm wondering if that last change is was pushed it over the top and got it accepted.
I sent it out because my friend James Celestino had a short story accepted by the same publication. They asked him if he could refer some non-fiction writers because they didn't have enough pieces from the open submission period. He contacted me, I sent one it and IT WAS ACCEPTED!!
Funnily enough I'm not jumping up and down screaming, as I have done in the past when something was accepted for publication. I am feeling okay about it. And posting the information online. And texting my kids. *sigh*
Triumph is a good feeling.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Back in the Saddle Again
Whew! It has been one very long year for lots of reasons. I finally feel able to sit down and focus on creative writing again after a long battle with near apathy.
Last month I sent out two submission. One was the second piece of flash "fiction" that I have written. The definition of flash fiction seems to vary from publication to publication and anywhere from a 300-1000 word maximums. I have had a moment in time rattling around in my head for quite awhile and finally decided to write it down. It is only a few sentences long, a very, very short story, and I think it will leave potential readers filling in their own meanings.
The second piece is an essay I wrote several years ago. The publication wanted an essay that was something like 500 words less than the one I wanted to send. So I took a good long look at the pages and ultimately cut more than 500 words. And of course it is now a much stronger piece that I feel really good about. The art is certainly in the revision.
I'm also back to work on my book about investigating my own molestation story. I have cut a great deal out of the the original idea. I was simply trying to include too much, and it made the story unwieldy to write. I have decided to focus entirely on telling the simple story of being molested and the investigation and comparison of my memories to the facts I uncover. I have tossed out the retelling of my experience with PTSD. The memoir component that will reflect on my reactions both then and now will likely prove to be interesting enough to write and hopefully to read.
Writing and submitting again. Yep, that's me back up on that horse!
Last month I sent out two submission. One was the second piece of flash "fiction" that I have written. The definition of flash fiction seems to vary from publication to publication and anywhere from a 300-1000 word maximums. I have had a moment in time rattling around in my head for quite awhile and finally decided to write it down. It is only a few sentences long, a very, very short story, and I think it will leave potential readers filling in their own meanings.
The second piece is an essay I wrote several years ago. The publication wanted an essay that was something like 500 words less than the one I wanted to send. So I took a good long look at the pages and ultimately cut more than 500 words. And of course it is now a much stronger piece that I feel really good about. The art is certainly in the revision.
I'm also back to work on my book about investigating my own molestation story. I have cut a great deal out of the the original idea. I was simply trying to include too much, and it made the story unwieldy to write. I have decided to focus entirely on telling the simple story of being molested and the investigation and comparison of my memories to the facts I uncover. I have tossed out the retelling of my experience with PTSD. The memoir component that will reflect on my reactions both then and now will likely prove to be interesting enough to write and hopefully to read.
Writing and submitting again. Yep, that's me back up on that horse!
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