Keep Going
I've taken lots of writing classes over the last few years. As money, time and location (of classes) are factors, I've taken all of my classes online with an eye for cost. (Read as inexpensive.) Now each class did have tidbits of knowledge, all of which advanced my skills a bit, but none carried with them that moment of epiphany, that time when the lights went on and I said, "Now I've got it. Now I know how to sit down, structure and write an novel. Well, in the process I did get a short story and a couple of poems published. I also won a contest or two. Just enough acknowledgment to keep me going. Just enough to allow me to believe I might have a modicum of talent. Finally, I bit the bullet and took a college course at a local college. Midway through the course I started getting the feeling that the long sought after moment, that epiphany, was just about to spring forth, and it did. That's not to say that suddenly I'm a great writer, far from it. It is to say that this course is truly an eye-opener for me. I'm not quite through the course yet, about a month to go to finals, but I've taken a huge leap forward in obtaining the tools I need to be able to sit down, like a musician at a piano, and stroke the keys, knowing what I'm doing, where I'm going with the story, and how to play it so that readers will be entertained. Believe me, the cost is worth it. Don't skimp. Don't allow logical reasons to get in the way of becoming a writer if that's your choice. Do whatever it takes...above all, keep on going.
Well for tidbits this time I'm puttin' on the Brag Rag. I just got word that one of my short stories, "It's All in the Cards," has won first prize for the July edition of The fantasy Gazetteer. For those of you who haven't yet stumbled on to this great site, here it is. http://www.fantasygazetteer.com/For any of those interested, as I am, in the Fantasy Genre, this is a great place to visit. It's a new e-zine venue that went live in March of this year. They run short story contests almost every month and a novelette length about every three months. There is usually a cash prize for the winner and second place and, get this, even some non-winner stories get published if the are good enough. Best of all, the publishers are looking for new writers. According to the editor, they love fantasy stories, lots of them. Be sure to check it out.
"I didn't know that!"
Novelist and film critic James Agee, poet Robert Lowell, and comedian Shemp Howard, of 3 Stooges fame, all had one thing in common. The all died in taxicabs. All had heart attacks.
Well, that's it for this time, see ya later gater…..Aelf
Long Story Short:http://www.alongstoryshort.net/
Fantasy Gazetteer: http://www.fantasygazetteer.com/
My Writing Friend: writingfriend@yahoo
Nick Daws Writers Circle: Nick Daw's Writer's Circle.
Wridea: http://www.wridea.com/
J.D.Vine Publishing: http://www.jdvine.com/
Tennessee Writers Alliance: http://www.tn-writers.org/
USA Patriotism, Poetry: http://www.usa-patriotism.com/
The Write Place: http://home.earthlink.net/~tcwrites/
Poynter: 30 Writers Tips http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=707
Auto Crit Automatic manuscript checker: http://www.autocrit.com/
Word Web download :http://www.wordweb.info/
I’ll be adding to the above list as time goes on and I find more newbie friendly sites.
Copyright © 06/29/08
posted by Aelf at 11:58 AM 0 comments 
