Feeling the Heat

Well, I kind of hit the wall last month. Writing wilted. House projects petered out. I blame the heat. Key Lime Pie ice cream can only do so much.  

READING – 

Five stars for Josh Malerman’s Incidents Around the House! It’s been a long time since I was so freaked out by a book. I am still thinking about that ending…. 

 

WRITING – 

I subbed a longer short story of mine to a market I thought might be a good fit. Apparently, a lot of people thought the same thing about their stories since the market received over 700 submissions. That’s a lot of crossed fingers, including my own! Unfortunately, my story was not accepted, but a hearty congrats to all those that were! 

 

An older idea from years ago keeps popping up. I ignore it, but that doesn’t work. I jot down thoughts in a notebook in an effort to contain them then put the notebook in a drawer to keep them out of sight. That doesn’t work either. So, I’ve been noodling with the idea off and on. It’s like it was asleep for a while, then decided to stick its head out as if reminding me it’s still there and would like some attention now, please. Like the tortoises coming out of their shells, looking for more arugula to eat or for a nice shell rub. 

 

TORTOISES – 

The other day, Mrs. Larry was all smushed into a corner, but with her head poked out just enough to keep an eye on things – as usual. While Mrs. L was watchful, Larry was all chill. Head resting on the edge of the water dish, face tilted toward the window, he snoozed under the warm light. He looked so content, it made me smile. 

 

*****

 

Are there any endings – from books, TV shows, movies - that haunt you? (Please no spoilers! Don’t give away the actual ending to anything!) What do you do when an idea keeps returning? Any animal/pet antics that made you smile lately?

If I Only Had A Shell ...

As nice, as constructive, as encouraging as a rejection might be, it's still a rejection.

The agent's/magazine's/ezine's response is sitting in your inbox, waiting, waiting for you to click it open...and in that moment just before you click it, the chance is still there, the potential, the possibility...until you see the "Unfortunately" or the "I'm sorry to say..." or, as in one memorable case, the words "Dear: Lady" scrawled on a form letter.

I know rejections are part of being a writer. I get that, believe me. But still, on the days I get rejections I wish I had shells like Larry and Mrs. Larry. I wish I could pull myself inside and hunker down and wait until it was "safe" to come out. Although, I guess I do have my own version of that - it's called the couch, ice cream, and a Law & Order:SVU or CSI: marathon.

Of course, I eventually poke my head out, look around, and head back to my computer. I look over the query or the flash piece. I research other agents/magazines/ezines, and I send my work out again. And again. And again.