I want this book

http://www.mcsweeneys.net/2010/4/13miracle.html

de-cluttering

We've talked about clearing some of the "junk" out of my room, but for the sake of my soul and my sanity I've committed to more than that. I'm also cutting those things that are really just in the way out of my schedule so that I can more fully enjoy those activities that are actually necessary and life giving.

I've always had trouble with the word "no." I don't like to disappoint people, so I generally try to do whatever is asked of me. Part of that is a general sense of generosity, which is a great trait to have when going into a service profession like library/archives work. But another side is the more insidious need to live up to the expectations of those around me. But since the only expectations I should be worrying about are God's, I've learned in the last several years to not worry so much about ruffling a few feathers by not jumping on board every pet project a friend or classmate or even fellow church member wants help with. Really, I already have enough of my own.

This past week I left my new writing group. Don't panic--I know that seems out of character for me, but it will all make sense soon. I am still connected with my first group back home through email and face-to-face meetings whenever I'm in the state of south Dakota, so no worries about me getting disconnected from the craft. This past fall I had also joined a writing group at Park Street Church, in the hope that a local group might hold me more accountable for producing work and actively seeking publication. But this group never felt quite right. We don't all write in the same genre or for the same age level, and there is a definite disparity in the level of talent between several of the members. It also felt very rigid. We met twice a month and at each meeting discussed a new piece of writing. That meant that in addition to my grad school coursework and my own creative writing I was supposed to read and thoughtfully comment on up to 15K words every two weeks. I couldn't always keep up, and felt incredibly guilty when I wasn't prepared for a meeting or missed because of my surgery. So I gave them my apologies and cut myself loose to focus on grad school.

All this to say that I do appreciate what I did receive from the group. It was good to experience a different group dynamic and be exposed to some other styles of writing. And they gave me a true glimpse of how an agent or editor who has never heard of me may react when presented with only the first few chapters of my novel and not the whole story. They were decidedly unimpressed. I met with my home group over Christmas break and talked over their response, brainstorming ways to make the rather slow beginning move along faster and ways to introduce tension. I trust my home group enough to move forward with trying a new beginning, and now that I'm not trying to be creative on someone else's rigid schedule, the ideas are flowing a lot more smoothly. Now that I've gotten rid of the guilt, I can enjoy the truly life-giving experience of creating new worlds with my words.

-Kim

story time

My friends from writing group have been published! Dale and Caleb have both had short stories published in web magazines recently. They received very little money, but it's a start. As writing credits like these build up, more prominent publishers start to take notice. And it's a good sign for the writers group, showing that our efforts to make each other better writers are paying off. You can read their stories online here:

8 Minutes - Caleb Jordan Schulz

Program Orange - Dale Carothers

I'm proud of them for getting their names out and making real progress on getting larger works published and moving toward the elusive goal of someday actually being paid to write. It gives me hope that I will someday be able to do the same. But it also sparks another emotion: guilt.

I haven't really been writing this summer. First, I was decompressing after the semester and wanted some time off before diving into it. Then my excuse became the fact that I was working 2 jobs. Granted, they do keep me running around, but it's not actually any worse than I've had before. So I really have no excuse for my lack of progress.

I've been trying to be better about this lately. I've been blogging more in an effort to at least put some thoughts in writing on a regular basis, even if it isn't very creative or even interesting. And I've been doing a lot of thinking, which is how my writing process always starts. But I think it's time to move beyond the thinking stage and leap into a project again. I'm not ready to go back to the bear story, because I have a few more things to sort out there. Also, I have 2 sequels in my head for that world and keep having trouble concentrating on only one.

So what will I write? I'm going to try a short story again, something I haven't done for a while. I usually don't bother with shorter pieces because I have a tendency to make stories far too complicated. But that's why trying something short could be a good exercise for me--give me a chance to do something different since I'm stalled out on the more traditional project. And it has the added bonus of finishing sooner--the novel will take months, while a short story should only take days (at least, to get a semi-coherent draft to work with). The idea, which I won't expound upon here--in order to keep you all in suspense--was sparked last night at Bible study, and I spent my first free hour at the library jotting down notes and planning out a timeline. I have the last sentence, but not the first (although, since I'm not dictating this piece to a stenographer, that's no excuse for not starting).

The most difficult part of this project will probably be keeping myself focused and motivated, even if it gets difficult to keep things short and moving. And actually starting! Don't think of this post as a delay tactic--read it as me psyching myself up to start. And now you, my dear readers, can all hold me accountable to actually get this done.

Wish me luck!

-Kim

Sidelines

Well, my name is in print again. The Simmons College literary magazine, Sidelines, is coming out this week. Actually, the launch party was tonight, but due to complications with the printer, the actual magazine won't be distributed until Friday. Rather lame. It made the editors scramble, as well, since the contributors who were expected to read their work hadn't been told to bring their own copy of the text. This included me. So before the event they were rushing about to get everything printed off for us, which made the whole thing start late. Then, it turned out that they hadn't actually printed mine, so they had to go back for it in the middle, and I ended up reading toward the end instead of at the beginning.

Actually, I kind of hijacked the event. They expected me to read only a selected portion from the story, but I told them there wasn't really a good spot to stop. The prose editor backed me up, and I got to read the whole story. People even laughed at the right moments, which made me feel pretty good about it. I was horridly nervous, but people said afterward that they couldn't tell. I guess that's a good thing. The editor and another student told me afterward that they not only loved the story, they were impressed by my delivery. They said no one else could have done it justice, and I tend to believe them. Someone not acquainted with the story wouldn't know where to pause for the laugh lines or how to give the waitresses the proper personality.

The story was Inspiration Diner, which I actually included in my senior English portfolio at USF. It's been tweaked slightly, but the story is still the same: Jordan, the writer needing inspiration comes to a diner run by the nine Muses and has a very unusual dinner. I wrote the story just for fun, playing with archetypes and puns, and I think it's the playful tone that makes it appealing.

When the magazines arrive on Friday, I'll have to grab a stack to share with the family!

-Kim

writing news

The short story I submitted to the Simmons College literary magazine will be printed in this year's issue of Sidelines, coming out in April! Woohoo! The story is "Inspiration Diner," which I actually wrote while still at USF, so several of my readers should already be familiar with it. When the magazine is printed I'll have to grab a whole stack of copies...

-Kim

two days of hope

Yesterday was my interview at the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard. I found the place easily enough, and the interview itself felt pretty good. I was nervous at the start, but India Spartz (who would be my supervisor if I get the job) is a very friendly woman and made me feel comfortable. The project will involve physical appraisal and re-foldering of hand drawn maps and watercolors of archaeological artifacts. It would last eight weeks--all of June and July, essentially--and actually be paid work! Internships are almost never paid, so that's a very big deal. They expect to make their decision by the beginning of April, so I should know fairly soon whether I'll be doing that for the summer or something else. (The something else might include auditing a course on Medieval Manuscripts, which would be pretty sweet but impossible to do with a full-time internship) Keep the prayers coming!

Today focused on something completely different. A woman who works for GSLIS was having a launch party for her second YA novel, The King's Rose, a piece of historical fiction about Henry VIII's fifth wife. There was a reading and then a panel discussion about the issue of risque material in YA literature. My only reason for going was to corner the author afterward and find out who represents her so that I could have a good lead in my thus far unfruitful agent search. She was excited to hear my question and eagerly gave me the name of the Zachary Shuster Harmsworth Literary Agency, which is actually based here in Boston. As soon as I get time to prepare my materials, I'll be sending them a query. It may just end in another rejection, but at least this way I don't feel like I'm ignoring my writing life.

Oh, and fall course listings have been posted, so I'm looking at what I want to be doing next fall. I just need to verify with my advisor that a required course will also be offered in the spring, and then I should be all set. I'm doing my best to avoid the problem I have this semester of never having a whole day off--two of the classes I want are on Tuesday and the other is on Thursday (no more Saturday classes!). Now if I could just make sure my work schedules follow the same lines...

-Kim

Set in Harvard Square

In the last few days I found out about a local writing contest. It's sponsored by a bookstore in Cambridge, and the prize is essentially free books and a chance to read your work in public and get your name out.

The problem is that all entries are due by this Saturday by 5pm. Can I write something good enough to submit in only four days? Unlikely, especially in the midst of a busy school week. Still, it's a tempting thought...

Then again, I've never been good with length limits, and this contest requires nothing longer than 2000 words. For half a moment I considered taking an existing story and forcing it into the required setting of the Harvard Square neighborhood, but that story is over 3000 words, and would never keep its quality if I cut it by a third.

More than likely, this contest is just a distraction from work that is far more important, especially since I don't have a viable idea for a new story I could put in the setting. I suppose I'll just focus on the fantasy settings I know so well and try to make a bit more progress there instead.

-Kim