New Year’s Writing Resolutions

I didn’t do as much writing as I would have preferred in 2010; 2011 is a new year with new goals. This time, I won’t create lofty goals that won’t be accomplished. It’s about baby steps, as I always say.

Goals:

1. Read 40 books in 2011. I have an account on 43things in which this was a goal that I tried to accomplish in 2010; only read 28.

2. Read a book written by Jane Austen, Virginia Woolf, and Kurt Vonnegut.

3. Apply to Graduate School (2nd round!).

4. Write three times a week (even if it’s for twenty minutes).

5. Read literary magazines. I bought a bunch at the literary fair sometime in the summer, I believe, and I have not read them. I need to see what kind of writing the universities churn out. I won’t change my style but at least I’ll know what I’m going up against.

 

Short, simple, and sweet. Too many goals sometimes get thrown in the mix and then one feels overwhelmed. I’m ready to have another awesomely packed year! 2011 will be the year of many accomplishments.

When Creativity Hits You

Last night, I read two chapters of Murakami’s What I Talk About When I Talk About Running and a clarity opened up for me. My schedule has been muddled with constant distraction (myself) and not enough productivity in every aspect of my life. The book allowed me to construct a schedule of creativity for my home, my writing, and my exercise habits.

I have so much to do and sometimes I feel I don’t have enough time to accomplish anything. Coordination and organization is key to making things happen! I did it with Greece – organization and coordination. The same rules I applied to making travel plans this spring should be applied to obtaining a job, completing my MFA manuscript, submitting to writing contests, literary magazines, cleaning my home, painting my room, and so on and so forth.

What is it about doing things that really matter that we avoid? I don’t know what it is but I gotta step it up. I’m not getting any younger.

Lit Mag Marathon Weekend

This past weekend The Council of Literary Magazines & Presses sponsored the 11th Annual Lit Mag Marathon Weekend in New York City. Part of this weekend’s festivities included an event on Saturday where editors from selected magazines were available to speak to readers, writers, and lovers alike of literature at the New York Public Library’s DeWitt Periodical Room at 5th Avenue.

On Sunday, the Housing Works Bookstore Cafe held the 11th Annual Literary Magazine Fair, in which the proceeds benefit the Housing Works, a nonprofit organization serving homeless people living with AIDS, and to The Council of Literary Magazines and Presses. Each magazine was $2 (a steal compared to how much the retail cost).

The store was filled with readers, writers, regulars, employees of the magazines, college students, and everyone in between.

As a reader, I’ve never read a literary magazine in my life so the options were daunting. The choices ranged from magazines I would actually read versus purchasing a prestigious magazine to have in my apartment to impress folks. I rejected the second reason to buy a literary magazine and opened myself up to exploring based on what genre I read the most: fiction. I found some magazines with poetry, fiction, memoir, and non-fiction which I’m glad I bought. Additionally, I also stumbled upon many straight up poetry magazines and since I don’t read or write poetry, I declined buying those.

I settled on the following magazines:

Alimentum – The Literature of Food 

Zahir – A Journal of Speculative Fiction – self- explanatory

Glimmer Train – all fiction!

Narrative Magazine – I receive emails from this magazine and wonder why I have not yet subscribed but I’ve been in love since I read an article about Lorrie Moore months ago.

Epiphany – a journal that enticed me because of the cover and I loved the title!

Reading these will take some time since I am part of a book club, have books to read that I own (and borrowed), and other miscellaneous reading materials. However, I see owning these books to  gauge the writing MFA programs produce as well as potential places to submit when I have a piece good and ready.

I look forward to reading actively more and being more productive as a writer. MFA applications are slowly approaching.

For your convenience, I have provided a list of the magazines at the fair. Enjoy.

The Writer Magazine

I bought The Writer Magazine once and fell in love with the articles and advice about writing. Did I subscribe to the magazine? No. I hadn’t taken myself seriously then. Will I subscribe now? Frak yes!

A friend of mine recently sent me a link on an article recently published titled, “50 simple rules for making it as a writer.” I don’t want to be sued by anyone so I’m posting the link here.

For writers confused about the self-publishing and the logistics about becoming published, this article should answer those questions.

I hope this article helps!

Housing Works Bookstore

When I walked into the Housing Works Bookstore, I fell in love with the quaint atmosphere and the books being sold there. I’ve always appreciated bookstores and have to contain myself when I want to purchase more books than I have the space for in my home.

This weekend, I will be attending an event there called the The Giant Lit Mag Fair which happens on Sunday, June 20th, 2010 from noon to 5pm on Crosby Street in Manhattan. Apart from the opportunity to subscribe and buy literary magazines, the editors from some of these magazines will be there to talk to. Can you say networking?

I urge any writer available this weekend to attend this fair. Networking is the best way to get your foot in the door in any industry. I’m also unemployed so I could meet some folks and talk about vacancies. Either way, it’ll be a win-win situation. I need to be reading more about the industry anyway so this is the best way to do it.

A big shout out goes out to my girl, Laurel, who put me on to this fair in the first place. I’ll have to thank her in my acknowledgements when I get published.

Of course, I’ll discuss the fair after the fact so even if you don’t attend, I’ll provide a play by play.

Cheers!

Another Rejection letter

Ouch – this time around it was the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.  Why did I apply to these schools again and not schools that I knew I’d get into?  I’m crazy!  I applied to amazing schools that are in the top ten.  Each time I receive an email or letter (thin, one sheet), I know its a rejection letter.  It’s making me wonder if I should give up this MFA thing in general; I’m trying not to but “deflation” is the word that’s coming to mind right now.

I keep going back and forth, right?  I’m fine, I’m not fine, I’m fine, I’m not fine.  At the end of the day, I’m ranting here for all the world to share (or not) my pain in this process.  Then I get back into the reality game in which I read and write as usual.  I haven’t been writing though – but I must!  The goal this month is to submit something; I have to write!

I’m not a loser, a phony, a hack, or even lousy; practice makes perfect and I need more practice.  Should start researching low residency options soon!

New Month, New Goal

March is the start of my birthday month and I choose to celebrate the 31 days of my existence.  Some may say its excessive but I don’t; I see it as a way to do all the fun things I’ve been meaning to do “one day” in one month.  I’ve chosen to follow through on my goals like submitting a story to magazines. 

With that said, the goal this month?  Submit!  I’m proud of the memoir piece I’ve written and intend on submitting the piece to magazines all around.  It’s exciting; I’ve never submitted to magazines before.  That means, a decent query letter and all that jazz.  I’ll ask around at my internship and also writing instructors.

Here we go: another journey I’m going on.  Am I looking forward to this new adventure?  Hell yes!

Let’s work it!

Memoir Writing

While waiting for my “results” from my MFA school choices, I have embarked on a new genre: memoir writing.

I find it comes easier to write about my life than to create a new world.  There is something freeing about writing about one’s self.  Maybe it’s because I have kept a journal for as long as I can remember, this isn’t foreign to me in the least.  What is foreign is trying to write for an audience that can connect to my message and/or content and that is written well.  I guess, kind of like this blog.

The assignments I have every week are great exercises to get me flowing, digging into my life and learning how to show more rather than telling much.

I’m enjoying my writing class very much.  I have not made the time to even touch my genre since my application piece.  I intend on returning to the piece.  This year, the goal is to submit to contests and literary magazines.  What have I got to lose?  I might even receive some feedback!  Well, most likely, no, but it can’t hurt to dream a little? Right?

I look forward to the kind of work that flows out of this class.  It is different than anything I’ve ever had people read from me.