Purpose (DOG EAR)
Purpose (DOG EAR)
I write all sorts of things – short stories, longer stories, ideas I’m playing with, erotica. I blog a minimum of twice a week. I review student work (for co-workers) and even dust up resumes (for soon to be ex-co-workers). I also write the Employee of the Week piece at work.
It’s been a while since I’ve really focused on a task (one with deadlines, and one that might mean publication (and money!)). But a posting just came up from a little English publication, a call for short stories, one under 750 words, the other 3000-6000.
I’m game.
I’ve already got the shortie done – I chatted it through with a couple people I knew, got an idea, and ran with it. I think it might be too fantastic for what they needed (meaning too break-the-rules storytelling) but we’ll see.
The longer story is a dreamboat. I’ve got an idea, the characters are warming to me, I’m enjoying myself. It’s writing itself, as they say. I sat down and wrote until late Saturday night, and put in a few hours today. It’s been a while since I’ve done this, written with purpose for a potential posting somewhere, and it’s really got me jazzed.
Sometimes we need to remember to do this – finding something to write for, not just ourselves. I’m feeling my creative juices flowing as I do my research (1780’s France). I’m writing towards that big bloody conclusion, watching my word count, kicking ass and tossing verbs. It’s great fun.
Think about it – pick some local story contest and submit. Why not. Yes, you’ll probably get rejected. I blog about it constantly. But you might get selected, published, noticed. After all, it’s that thing in the bottom of Pandora’s Box, right? Hope?
Good luck!