Quote for 10-24-10

You must want to enough. Enough to take all the rejections, enough to pay the price of disappointment and discouragement while you are learning. Like any other artist, you are learning your craft- then you can add all the genius you like.

-- Phyllis Whitney

back up on that horse

sent the rejected work out again so submissions are back at 12

a good number. . . .disciples, steps in AA, months in a year. . .

"No Plot, No Problem"

Pulled out my copy of the book by Chris Baty, the founder of National Novel Writing Month. Planning to read for encouragement.

I don't have a plot (but he says that is not a problem)! I do have an idea for a work though. I found out something while researching something else. When I was in Las Cruces in February, my father asked me if I had ever finished this short story collection based on memories/stories my grandmother had told me.

I said I hadn't, that I was always starting new projects 'cause I'd find out something new that piqued my interest. I told him that I was writing about the Civil Rights Movement in Nashville but that I was also interested in something new I'd learned that had to do with US soldiers in Germany and since he was a US soldier (stationed for a time in Germany), I said I was going to ask him all kinds of questions.

Now, unfortunately, my father died so he can't be a source; I'll have to find someone else. We'll see if this piece of history becomes my novel.

All giddy and nervous but not like before when I gave up after a few days. I didn't officially register so the accountability level was low. This time I'm getting a counter for the blog so I can see how much progress I'm making.

A book in a month. I think I can do that. I really do.

Susan Diplacido

is one of the coolest people ever & a tremendous writer to boot. A new interview (by Don Capone in Eclectica) here

Quote for 10-23-10

I lived to write, and wrote to live.


--Samuel Rogers

Give me residence

Two more I plan to apply for. An additional-- that sounds absolutely wonderful-- is a maybe 'cause it's the whole summer long(were I to receive one) and I'm going on vacation with my kids and to that workshop in Paris next summer. No matter, if I were to get the three I want, I would definitely be in New England this time next year. One would put me right smack in Vermont, where I want to be, and travel costs would be on someone else's dime.

A residency in this beautiful place in Ireland but there's no fellowships or scholarships or funding because you are a struggling-writer/starving-artist.

My motto: give me residence and pay for me to be there;-)

a rejection

so I'm at 11 subs.

only 89 to go.

National Novel Writing Month

yup, I signed up.

publication

My story "The Jar" has been republished here

T.J. Forrester!

He is the writer who will be my first interview on this blog. He has two books coming out; I am a huge fan of his short stories and am looking forward to his collection, though his novel sounds very very interesting.

The novel's coming out first and I'll be reviewing it and interviewing him soon. Am contacting his publicist to work some things out.

For now, you can go to his website at www.tjforrester.com to check him out.