Want to be rich from your writing? Want to be famous?
Who doesn’t? Get in line.
I can’t help you there, but I can help you perhaps get a story published in an anthology. It’s good practice in any case. The Literary Underground is taking submissions for its latest anthology, Time. Entries are due 31 March. (Click on the book to go the LitU’s link.)
There’s not much time left, so get cracking. Entries must be between 1,000 and 5,000 words. Good luck!
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I admire people who can write short stories- I’m not good at them, I’m too friggin wordy.
That’s why they’re good practice, darlin’. 🙂
My hand is hovering on keyboard – I want to submit but am so afraid.
I gained entry into short-story when I was at University, but the workshop process destroyed me – after 4 quarters I switched to medieval lit – my skin was too thin… will be obsessing about this all day now.
I don’t do workshopping. After doing a couple, I realized I don’t give a damn what other writers think. I have my style, and I like it. Either readers will like it, or they won’t.
This group is non-judgmental, or I wouldn’t even post about it. You have to trust your own voice.
Obsessing…obsessing…
Are you sure the problem is your skin and not that they were jerks? I’ve been part of several critique groups, one I felt horrible about my writing after each session- and the other were able to tell me what wasn’t working and what they liked and I left inspired to work hard and improve.
Great point Alicia – It was during that workshop that I decided to be an editor; a career I left 5 years ago. The feedback they gave was so unproductive – everyone loved it when I reviewed theirs – but I would often get comments that were akin to ‘I don’t get it’. Well that was helpful.
My morning was going great until I read the post – now I am in a tizzy.
Untizzy yourself, and take a deep breath. Everything is fine, sweetie. If you write something, and it doesn’t get in, post it here. I’ll be your forum. 🙂
I didn’t mean to make a tizzy 🙂
Don’t let other people hold you back- if you don’t feel uplifted and encouraged, even when you have to do major revision the group is not for you.
I say go for it, write a short story, enter it- or don’t post it on your blog, or here, or where ever, just brush off the yuck from that group and do what you love.
Most people in critique groups haven’t been taught the difference between critique and criticism. I’ve been in one that was so bad, I quit after one session. The group then kicked the main “attacker” out of the group, because they actually liked my work and inputs.
Thank you Alicia and Bill – I am brushing off the yuck. I am late for work now because I had write a whole post about this – but will submit (what a great word) when I get home.