I took this photo last night. It’s not the best photo of a starry sky but not too shabby for an iPhone either.
Well we mixed things up a little bit this year. We are skipping Christmas celebrations entirely and roadtripping instead.
There are a few that will miss having the traditional country Christmas at the Hill house and I regret that. But, our friend/family unit is large so I know they will still have a happy Christmas; at least I pray they do.
As for myself I need this for a number of reasons. I think it will be good for the hubby too.
You know it is not healthy to stew in your own miseries. God did not intend for us to be unhappy but… somehow we find misery. Misery might not even have us on her radar but we’ll jump up, waving like a fool yelling, “Yo, misery, here I am. You forgot about me.” Yep, we are a sottish lot!
So now, my spirit and my flesh feel distressed along the hatefulness of winter approaching…. I don’t love it. It worsens the feeling of despair.
The harshness. The coldness. The dying of everything around me…
Misery and Winter are soul sisters and all I have to say to either of them is, “I do not love you. Either of you! So f*<k off!!”
Sooo, instead of stewing in all the woes I cannot fix I talked to God, said my prayers and then… I said fuck it.
I know that word offends some people- it use to offend me too. Now…
I say it a lot. Fuck it.
Thank God my mother cannot hear me.
Ahhh. With all of that out of the way let me share a bit of poetry that has become a tradition for the winter solstice.
Torn from the pages of GettingMe Back (The Voices Within) my poetic biography in a senseTher latest cover
Keep an eye out for misery and do not invite her in. Guard your hearts, keep them warm my friends. Brighter days await.
This piece for National Short Story Month was written with writers in mind, but readers are welcomed. We’re all one great big happy [most of us anyway] family here. After all writers are readers too.
I did a live presentation some years back titled The Art of the Short Story. In preparing the notes for said exhibition I borrowed a large portion of material from a fellow author. She is a veracious source of information and her published works are impressive. For the presentation I also offered my own sparse works as examples.
Word count matters.
Learn how to use the word count and check it frequently.
The nice thing about writing short stories verses novels/novellas [for me] is you don’t have to fluff up the word count with senseless babbling to make sure you hit the mark. But you do have to keep the word count at/around what your publisher requires; that can be very challenging sometimes. Especially if you get too attached or involved as I mentioned in an earlier post.
Writing short works helps you hone your writing skills.
When every word counts, writers tighten their prose. They eliminate filler words, passive voice, weak writing, or tangential thoughts—pretty much anything that requires extra words. No um’s or uh’s or well’s. No “was walking” when “walked” suffices. No “walked slowly” when “strolled” captures the mood better. No drifting into a daydream that doesn’t advance the plot.
These things slip in when we write novels, but they don’t really belong there, either. And just think how strong your novels will be when you develop these stylistic choices and apply them to your longer works.
The short story can be used to introduce one of your longer works.
Regardless of the theme of the anthology, you can write a companion piece to an existing novel or series. This can be an excellent marketing tool.
For example, say you have a paranormal romance series you’d like to promote, and you have an opportunity to contribute to a horror anthology. You could tailor your horror story so that it’s a prequel or sequel to the first book in your paranormal romance series. You might even choose to weave in a little romance so readers have a better understanding of what to expect in the series. As long as the story meets the requirements for the anthology, you’ll have a great introduction to your longer work placed in front of an already interested audience.
The short story format allows you the opportunity to explore different genres without committing time to compose a longer work.
Instead of expanding your series offering, you might take the opportunity to try something completely different from what you normally write. For example, a regency romance writer might choose to craft a futuristic sci-fi story.
What do you gain from such a departure?
Well, not only do you get to flex your creative muscles, the departure might actually recharge your batteries and give you a fresh perspective on the novel you’re working on. Furthermore, you may just find another genre that you enjoy writing in and a new fan base should you decide to become a multi-genre author.
Short stories are ideal for a genre driven magazine.
Potential acceptance equals potential income and exposure.
There are literally thousands of genre magazines that accept submissions. If you have an agent great. If you don’t that’s okay, you can submit it yourself; that is if they accept direct submissions. Its easy enough to find those answers with a little research.
A short stories work well in creating a series. Think of each new release as an episode.
A series can be done on a weekly or monthly basis. This can be fun without being time consuming.
Short stories allow you to participate in anthologieswith other writers.
psst, I was able to share the spotlight with a few others in Unshod
When you participate in anthologies, you will most likely have to adhere to a set word count, one that is substantially smaller than that of the novels you’re used to writing. While this virtually eliminates the possibility of introducing secondary characters and developing subplots, it does teach economy of phrase.
How to Publish Short Stories
Submit Your Stories to Magazines and Online Magazine-Type Websites. .
Enter Short Story Contests.
Join a Site for Authors to Offer Subscriptions to Readers.
Write/Publish Your Short Stories in Book.
If you have questions drop me a lineand I’ll try to help you.
I like to believe that the spring equinox marks the actual New Year. It just makes more sense with all of the new life and new activities going on in nature.
I believe we can find the same newness within ourselves if we let nature guide us.
So cheers 🥂!! Here’s to new life, new growth, and a happy HaPpY new year.
P. S. Speaking of new … I have new book covers in the works. I’m kinda looking forward to these new creations.
Well it is, once again, that time of year when I drag out this old prose and start making the dressing.
A Pilgrims Prayer
Okay, I didn’t really know any of the original Pilgrims but I did see a few John Wayne movies. John knew a pilgrim when he saw one. He seemed to know a lot of pilgrims.
But allow me to propose that we are all pilgrims, each one of us on a journey of sorts; we are all looking for something. Be it a quest for self-confirmation, for truth, a cure, enrichment, comfort, a friend, a lover, a job, a meal or a place to lay our weary head at the end of another day.
Life is a journey, or at least it should be. I’d hate to think any of us were just flailing through the experience killing time on this giant floating gumball.
We all have one destination though we may travel many roads in getting there.
Hopefully we will choose well.
When we do take a wrong turn [and we will from time to time] I pray that we have enough sense and humility to stop and ask for directions; the sense to know good from evil and who to trust and I pray we have the courage to admit we took a wrong turn and learn from it.
So here’s wishing all of you pilgrims a Happy Thanksgiving and may we all, whatever road we’re on, take the time to look ahead, pause and bow our head in thanks.
My personal prayer: Thank you Father, The Creator of all things, for this day and all it holds. Thank you for the days past and Father forgive me for my wrong turns. Thank you for the day to come and guide me to make better choices. Thank you for all the persons in my life and the ones who read this prayer. And Thank You Father for the beacon that lights my way. In Jesus name. Amen.
The Real Janna Hill in 