The grandkids are having their first snow day of the year but there's not actually any snow on the ground yet. But those fabulous weathermen, who are the only people on earth that actually get paid for being wrong, are predicting up to six inches by this afternoon. The boys are having a sunshine day with their friends at Miss Debbie's.
Halloween is just a few short days away, so the cupboard is stocked with candy for the trick or treaters, if only the adults here can resist temptation. All that chocolate just waiting for tiny teeth. Lollipop days.
Back a few years ago I wrote a micro-flash about a chocolate induced murder, the editor I submitted the piece to said that she loved the form, but her readers wouldn't understand the concept of flash. Oh, well. Over the years, I've rewritten this story several times. Right now, it stands at 1200 words with the title "Sugar Shock" and still no one wants the damn thing. One editor telling me that no woman would allow someone to treat her that way. Ha! What does HE know about mother - daughter relationships?
Writing is so much about the world the writer lives in, the things they see, and the people they know that it's hard sometimes for readers to realize that the basics of a story can be true. That the writer's job is to take that basic truth one step beyond reality, especially in the horror and crime genres.
Am I complaining because I can't find a market for this story? Not really. Over the years I've found many stories that I've written just don't fit anywhere. But the stories are there in my head and have to be written down, if only for my own satisfaction. Rainbow days for any writer is just getting the words down. You can iron out the details later.
So, what about you? Any stories flitting through your brain looking for an escape hatch, but you know in your heart that they'll never find a home? And do you write them down or just run away from them?
Today's quote is from an anonymous donor
"Easy reading is damn hard writing."
Today's ezine
The Thrilling Detective http://thrillingdetective.com
This is a site that deserves to be savored, while there's plenty of fiction on tap, the information about PI's, books and authors is simply amazing for a writer looking to learn about the mystery genre.
4 comments:
I have quite a few and several of them seem as good as the ones published. Have you tried Apollo's Lyre?
I love your blog, Sandra. It's very comforting for some reason.
Thanks, Patti! Comforting is good. I wanted it to feel like we're sitting on the front porch rocking chairs, sipping lemonade, and chatting.
And yes, I've had several "odd-ball" pieces published at Apollo's Lyre. Coffee Cramp has published a couple, too, but I'm not sure if they're still publishing.
A lot of my stories are a cross between horror and crime and they wind up not being horrifying enough and not being mystery enough. But they're the stories my mind churns out, so I go with them.
Once in a while I jot down a short story. I print them off and stuff them in a folder.
A western short story was included in the anthology 'Where Legends Ride' produced by Express Westerns.
The others I don't know what to do with - maybe, when I've got enough I'll try to find a publisher interested enough to publish them as an anthology.
Do you write mostly Westerns, Ray? They're probably harder to place then other genre stories.
I've attempted a few westerns but they're just a reflection of the movies I'v seen. They're not very good, but great fun to write.
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