Banshee’s Curse

My short story, Banshee’s Curse has just been accepted by Towers of Light ezine. It’s due to be released in September of 2007.

Updates

I know it’s been awhile. Life has taken ahold of me and not released my muse. Since the last time I posted, not only have I recieved confirmation that Eliret will be published next month, but I’ve also had a poem accepted to Lyrica ezine. Go me!

In addition to this, I may have a huge writing project coming up. I’m refusing to talk about this one because I’m very superstitious and don’t want to jinx it. But, keep your fingers crossed!

Not much else is going on right now. My WIP is being a pain, so I’ve decided to backtrack and re-outline it to see what’s going on. I’m almost done with the outline, then I’ll look it over, make the changes as necessary and go from there. My hope was to have it done before the end of the year, and off to an agent’s desk. We’ll see.

And now, I leave with this thought:

You say that my way of thinking cannot be tolerated? What of it? The man who alters his way of thinking to suit others is a fool. My way of thinking is the result of my reflections. It is part of my inner being, the way I am made. I do not contradict them, and would not even if I wished to. For my system, which you disapprove of, is also my greatest comfort in life, the source of all my happiness — it means more to me than my life itself.

                                                          ~Marquis de Sade

Eliret and The Shady Groves

….has been accepted by Sorcerous Signals for publication in the October 2007 issue. I’m very thrilled since Eliret really needed a good home. I resubmitted, as per the editor’s request, and it was accepted a few days ago. Yay!

 Alright…more later….

*thinks hopeful thoughts*

So, awhile ago I submitted a short story called “Eliret and the Shady Groves” to an ezine called “Sorcerous Signals.” On December 16, I recieved this reply:

“Thank you for letting me read Eliret and The Shady Groves.

This is not your typical rejection letter in that I would like to invite you to resub this story at a later date.

I received enough submissions that I am accepting to fill not only the first issue, but also the second issue and I don’t want to hold your submission any longer than necessary.

Each submission period, I will be pulling only enough stories/poems to fill one issue ahead now that I have two issues worth. Those submissions that just didn’t quite make the cut (and yours was the last one I to do so) I will inviting to resubmit to be considered for a later issue.

As the next submission period for Sorcerous Signals isn’t until Feb 15th – Mar 15th, I don’t feel comfortable asking you to let me hold your story on a maybe. So, if you would like to, please feel free to resubmit this story at a later time and it will be considered on the same footing as the other submissions received at that time.

Carol Hightshoe“

So, in a few weeks I will be resubmitting, as I have not had much time to submit poor Eliret anywhere else. We’ll see what happens, but I’m going to think hopeful thoughts.

On a personal note, I just got a “real” job and it’s beating me down. They pay me good and I earn every penny. This is why I’ve not been at the computer for more than a few minutes and why I’ve not worked on much writing. Hopefully this will change in the next few weeks as I’ve pretty much gotten used to this kind of work schedule. And, on a good note, my typing speed has almost doubled since I have to do a lot of typing at work. Yay! Go me!

Mischell, tired and exhausted from working, but excited about being published!

Moving on…

…to the next book.

 I finished Trail of Truths, and while that is being edited and critted, I’ve decided to finish up the rough draft to Dragon’s Lair. As of right now, I’m close to 60,000 words into the rough draft, but need to add some scenes in, thanks to the rewrite of Trail of Truths. It’s coming along nicely, and when Dragon’s Lair is done, I’ll probably polish off Trail of Truths before moving to Book3, which, by the way, has no title as of right now.

 I’d have to say that my biggest weakness in writing is coming up with titles for my stories. Some titles come to me without a moment’s hesitation, but others I fight with, trying to find the perfect title for the story. Right now on my hard drive I have a short story that I wrote about three years ago and I still hate the title.

 So, now here I am, working on Dragon’s Lair, loving where the story is going, and even though I know the end to this book and I have a tentative ending for Book3, the story still surprises me with odd twists I never realized were there. I love it.

16 is the Magic Number

On July 16, 2006, I started writing my first novel, Trail of Truths.

On October 16, 2006, I finished writing my first novel, Trail of Truths.

What does this mean? I have no clue. Maybe 16 is a lucky number? Or maybe 3, since it took me 3 months exactly to finish? 3 is supposed to be a holy number, like the Holy Trinity. I’m not exactly the religious sort, but it is still a good sign. The novel finished at a little over 109,000 words. More than I wanted, but still a good number, which of course will fluxuate while I edit.  TT will now undergo the revision process, after various writing buddies and writing critique groups are done hammering through it. Until then, I’m focusing on my short stories and my poetry. I need to get them revised and published. Not to mention I have about a dozen stories and novels I’ve promised to critique. It’ll be a busy time in my writing world, but fun.

 More updates to come soon……

Six Months is a long time….

Six months ago, I made a life-altering decision. It wasn’t easy, nor was it difficult.

I decided that I, indeed, am a writer.

This was easy for me because I feel the need within me to write. I understand the burn that dwells in the pit of my gut demanding release. My muse is an insatiable little sprite that sits on my shoulder throwing ideas into my head. If I don’t write, I feel myself getting irritable, frustrated, annoyed with everyone around me. I’ve had periods of time where I wrote nothing at all. It wasn’t pretty. And, when I finally picked up a pen and paper to write, I had so many ideas and thoughts and scenes playing out in my head that I could hardly write any one of them down without getting confused. So, am I writer? I better be. My muse would be angry if I said no.

Why was it difficult? Many many reasons. First, and most importantly, my hubby does not understand the pains and frustrations of being a writer and not writing. He doesn’t understand the aching need to sit at the computer typing away until my fingers are sore, carpel tunnel kicks in, my neck aches, and my back screams at me to lie down. And because he doesn’t understand this, he doesn’t feel he should support it. Now, he’s never come out and said this to me, but it’s obvious by how he reacts and what he says. He’s very passive aggressive, but this is not a rant about my hubby or our problems (I have another place where I am whiny-frustrated-let-me-vent-it-out).  If I were to leave hubby, this would be at the top of a very long list.

But, what has this decision brought me?

Freedom. For the first time in my life, I am getting a grasp on who I am. I have spent the better part of my existence struggling against the world, trying to fit in, trying to be “normal”, trying and failing because I am not me. I still feel it sometimes. I’m treated as a child among most of my family. I feel myself close up when I’m around them, burying the real me deep inside so that I don’t have to hurt. I don’t have to prove myself to them. But, everyday, I let down a little more of the mask. A little more of me is revealed. It’s a step.  For the first time in this short span of time that I’ve been on this planet, I feel independent. I feel hopeful, relieved, open, honest, just plain fantastic. I know what I want in life. I know what needs to be done to get there. I am going to get there.

I will be free.

Books, wonderful glorious books……..

Here’s a running tally of books that I own:

 Read:

• “Jaran: The First Novel of the Jaran” by Kate Elliott
• “An Earthly Crown: The Sword of Heaven, Book One” by Kate Elliott
• “Rhapsody: Child of Blood” by Elizabeth Haydon
• “Prophecy: Child of Earth” by Elizabeth Haydon
• “Destiny: Child of the Sky” by Elizabeth Haydon
• “Freedom’s Landing” by Anne McCaffrey
• “Sphere” by Michael Crichton
• “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl” by Harriet Jacobs
• “I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem” by Maryse Conde
• “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” by J.K. Rowling
• “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” by J.K. Rowling
• “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” by J.K. Rowling
• “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” by J.K. Rowling
• “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” by J.K. Rowling

To Be Read:

• “The First Five Pages” by Noah Lukeman
• “Requiem for the Sun” by Elizabeth Haydon
• “Distant Passages: The Best from Double-Edged Publishing 2005″ edited by Bill Snodgrass
• “King’s Dragon: Volume One of Crown of Stars” by Kate Elliott
• “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison
• “Fool’s Crow” by James Welch
• “Waterlily” by Ella Cara Deloria
• “The Writer’s Path: A Guidebook for Your Creative Journey” by Todd Walton and Mindy Toomay

What I’m reading now:

• “Seven Steps on the Writer’s Path” by Lynn Lott and Nancy Pickard

This is an unfinished list as I have a ton more books packed away. We just don’t have the room to have all my books out. I also haven’t listed my writing resource books, but will eventually.  I would like to start my book reviews with the books that I’ve already read, then work my way into the books that I have yet to read. It won’t happen for a little while, since I’m still working on writing up my novel. Once this is done, which the draft should be done by no later than Halloween, then I’m going to try to balance reading and writing better.

What do you do?

What do you do when you feel like your writing is at its worst and can’t be fixed? 

A friend got a rejection today.  The editor told her that her story had no “story arc” or “character arc.”  To me, that means there was no story.  Now, I’ve read this particular piece and loved it.  I even gave a critique on it.  It had a story arc, in my opinion, and a character arc as well.  Maybe the editor and I wouldn’t see eye to eye in this, but it really damaged my friend’s nerves.  She now doubts if she knows what a story is.  She’s ready to give up and despite my many attempts to help her through this, she pushes me away.  (That’s a story for another blog)

Anywho~What can you do, if someone tells you they think your work is crap?  I’ve learned that you don’t listen, unless they are giving you something constructive to work with.  Because, there’s always the chance that the editor is, quite simply, having a bad day.  We all have those days, where we snap at the grocery cashier and didn’t mean to.  Or snap at a loved one, cuz, well, they were there.

Now, what do you do when your friend is the one who was told her work is crap?  Ensure them that it’s not and that the editor is the one that’s full of crap?  But, why would she believe you?  You are not published and are having just as much a hard time at the writing game as she is.  Why do your opinions matter?

So, What do you do?