Catching Opportunites

I've been writing this week. Yeah, I write every day but the stories I've been working on this week take a different track than usual for me.

The first is a mother/daughter piece that's dark and humorous at the same time. I love dark humor but find that many of the markets out there don't know what to do with the so called "black humor" pieces. I'm lucky with this one because it's for Patti's flash challenge so I don't have to hunt down a market for it. Its also a stretch for me, because its not something I'd normally write.

The second is also a flash piece. I was invited by an editor to submit a piece for the inaugural issue of her flash zine. Someone had dropped out and she'd read some of my stories via the links over there on the left. This story has to fit a theme, also, and while there's a very small crime in it, there's no murder and no foul language, but it does have a bit of a noir edge to it. And, of course, there's no guarantee that it will suit the editor's needs. It's very hard to judge what exactly an editor is looking for when there's no published stories to study so you can get a handle on what exactly an editor is looking for.

So, why am I telling you all this? First, never turn down an opportunity, you never know where it will lead, either in publishing opportunities or just a chance to write something different. I've met a lot of great writers through Patti's challenge and the Clarity of Night contests. And you and your stories both get exposure. Kind of like a free advertisement for your work.

For those of you with blogs, people really do click on the links and read your stories. Link to your best online stuff, give them a variety of stories so they can see your range as a writer. I'm one of those writers who feels embarrassed to "brag" when I've had a story published. I know I shouldn't feel that way but that old "Pride goeth before a fall" thing was drummed into my head while I was growing up and its hard to shake. But with the links, I don't feel that embarrassment and my words are there for anyone who wants to read them without my beating them over the head with the stories.