Who could believe it! 2014 already! I’ve had 42 years on this planet….another ‘new year’ here. I didn’t have much time (or desire) to recap 2013. I suppose it was better than 2012 in certain ways but rougher in others. I would have to say 2012 and 2013 have been my roughest, most difficult years thus far. I HOPE they are the roughest of my life because they are now behind me. I don’t expect they are though. But I have resolved to make 2014 a better year…I resolved that about 2013 too. We’ll see.
There was a lot of good the back half of 2013, at least academically for me. I had a successful semester, learned lots. I took a creative writing class and my professor (a published author, MFA in Creative Writing) loved my short stories and said they were publishable. One in particular she said I should send out– can’t tell you what it’s about though. She took the time to edit it for me so I guess I’ll be sending it out. She said I seem to have a knack for writing short stories. Not flash fiction she wanted us to write but short stories. Really, I prefer to write long (ha) so it was a challenge to write short, short stories…maybe I should try my hand at a novel. I have a few ideas…so maybe I will. Maybe that should be my project for 2014.
Instructor’s comments on my stories:
On my story, Ghost of a Chance, about a ghost hunter and her boyfriend:
“I love this story. It’s wry and very funny and your characters and dialogue are great. Good work!” (A friend commented, “Very imaginative and humorous!”)
On my story, Waiting, about a woman who is waiting internet love to pick her up one night:
“This story is one of my favorites of the semester, as you know. It really builds to that terrific last line. It still could use some sculpting, and it needs better proofreading. After you give it one more loving a scrupulous once-over, submit this somewhere!” (This was her comment on my final draft…not the first time she said that to me and she took the time to edit it for me in a separate document– she never does that!)
— A classmate told me I have enough there for a novel. I agree (or even a memoir because it isn’t quite fiction) but I will try it out as a short story first.
On my story, Pressure, about a disappointed woman at the beach:
“Excellent, Jackie. You sustain the woman’s growing desperation and despair and I believed that she would do exactly as she did. Very sad but very well crafted piece. Terrific writing.”
Yay! I need to hold these comments close as I try to embark on my career as a writer. That is my quest for 2014– become a published (not self-published) writer. Lord knows I have plenty of material to write about…especially from 2012 and 2013 but even before then. Life is ever the struggle.
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