Story-a-Day September continues! I've missed two days so far. I tried to torture myself by staying up too late to write something, anything, but then I remembered that suffering isn't required and anything I wrote while half-asleep wouldn't be worth the effort. Perspective. Right? For about half of the days, I worked on previous stories, …
I finished my third story for Story-a-Day. I'm feeling that familiar mix of joy--I did it!--and dread--It's probably terrible. Being terrible isn't the end of the world though, is it? Why do we feel compelled to do something that we don't even have confidence in? It really makes no sense. It's actually a privilege to …
Two days in and I'm sticking to my plan. I've taken two old stories and finished them up. Well, I say finished... Yesterday, I reworked my story on a typewriter. Last year, I came across this typewriter in a thrift shop on sale for $20. Twenty bucks! And the blooming thing works! (Maybe I've talked …
I went through files and files and files this last weekend in a crazed effort to organize my writing as if this will fix all my problems. Well, the problems remain, but I do now know that I have 124 short stories. Thank you, Story-a-Day! Or curse you as the case may be. The stories …
Many of us often love waiting for that magic date or hour to set sail on a new adventure or making whatever change brewing in our minds. But I'm not waiting for the full moon or the New Year or any of that. I designate this moment magical enough. For a variety of reasons (that …
Story-a-Day May packs its storytelling wares and leaves us. Now, here we are. June at the door with all its shiny things. When Story-a-Day ends (or NaNoWriMo), I feel exhausted and a little at a loss. Perhaps you know the feeling, after a big event and everything is over and falls quiet and you look …
For various reasons (most of them having to do with being my own worst enemy), I've avoided sending out more query letters and stories. I'll be trying to make a change in that regard this summer. Thanks for everyone who supports my efforts. Writing and making art solitary endeavors in some ways, but such things …
I had a fairytale published over at Enchanted Conversation. Click over to read, and read the other stories too. Leave a comment. Share. All those things help. They even made a cover for my story! Which was a pleasant surprise. In my excitement about having a story published and finding a nifty site to make …
I finished Story-a-Day May! I wrote every single day and ended up with probably 29 stories or scenes I can polish up or use somewhere. And even though I've ended up re-publishing my first novel on my own, that isn't what I want for the rest. Or I don't think it is. My dithering about …
I'm trying to stay calm in the storm of election season. In real life on a bad day, I tend to talk back to the radio, which is a silly thing to do. Right? Of course it is. Take a deep breath. Count to ten. But all that aside, I just had an art show …
Continue reading If you can’t stay calm, make good art or dance.
Marta Pelrine-Bacon 