Disappearing Act

I just posted a saved draft that I actually wrote six years ago, but it still applies today. Unfortunately, I've seriously neglected this thing, and I'd like to get back on track with blogging. I need to focus on my brand and put myself out there, even if no one is listening at first.

A lot has happened since I last updated; six years is a long time! I moved to L.A. in 2014, and I've been working as hard as ever on my writing. Currently waiting to see if I get into my dream school, trying not to hold my breath. It's a writing intensive program, and it looks amazing. It's very competitive, though, and... well, there's a whole story behind my application experience, but we'll save that for another day.

Over the last few years, I've had a short story and poem published. I finished my first novel. I've written scripts and worked at a film company. I've even finally learned to be proud of myself and accept that I'm a talented writer. It only took years of people telling me so to get there. Hurray. But seriously, in 2015, I noticed that I'd reached a new level of improvement, and I think that was part of my confidence. I suddenly didn't feel jealous of other writers anymore. I started to believe I could write whatever I wanted.

There will always be ups and downs, and the writer's ego is a desperately fragile and needy thing, but I believe in myself. It doesn't hurt, either, that a lot of other people believe in me too. So here I am, ready to take on the world. If I don't pass out first. Why am I so sleepy?

Right now, I have a million projects, as usual, but I'm making steady progress on my social satire/dark comedy, Headline Babies. It's the project I'd been reaching for over the years, and I finally came up with the ideal concept for what I wanted to do. Here's hoping I can finish this thing soon. The chapters are very structured due to the nature of the novel, and I'm at nearly 50K, but I'm thinking my estimation of 90K-100K is now a little low for this draft. I have no idea how much longer this is going to take.

At any rate, time to get back to writing. Or sleeping. I never feel like I've slept enough. Why isn't the caffeine helping???!!

Thanks for reading, and happy writing!

It starts!

I'm finally putting on my big kid shorts and doing as my past writing teachers have been suggesting I do for years: I'm making a concerted effort to send my work out into the world. Since I could scribble words onto a page, I've aspired to be an author; however, for whatever reason, up until last year I had never sent anything out for consideration. I don't know if it was just that I wasn't prepared or that I wasn't confident of my abilities yet--that's something that I should probably address in order to avoid future self-sabotage--but I do know that it was never a fear of rejection. I was thrilled to get my first rejection letter as I felt it made me a "grown up writer." I vowed to save every response I received, and though I couldn't know how many would come before I got a bite, I was just thrilled to be in the game. Fortunately, ten rejections later, I'm celebrating my first success on the most unlikely of pieces.

I don't typically write poetry, but now and then, inspiration hits us all in ways we wouldn't suspect. I wrote "Warfare" quickly, after several lines steamrolled the horror novel I'd been working on. I finished the poem within an hour or so, then sent it off that night on a whim. I was surprised when a month later it found a home. Sure, I'm not really a poetry writer, but it was encouraging to know that acceptance wasn't just a dream attained by people who aren't me. It's a baby step, but it makes me feel like there's a chance that I really can get my name out there with enough effort and perseverance. For now, I've started up the practice of sending something, anything, out to magazines and anthologies every month. None of my novels are ready, but I'll always have a surplus of short fiction, and I want to see where it can take me. A part of me doesn't truly believe I can become what I dream, even though I've learned as much as I can about the complex world of writing professionally and know it's attainable, even if it might not come with the financial stability so many people imagine is tied to getting that first manuscript published. I believe I just have to take pride in the effort I'm making, especially when I spent so much time encouraging others to submit their work, never taking my own advice.

So, that in mind, I want to start making even more of an effort to connect with other writers out there. Being surrounded by like-minded people feeds inspiration, and you can never have too many connections or resources. I don't imagine networking will be easy, but I'm going to make an effort at least. We'll see where that takes me.