Back to the Bottom

After reading a friend’s short story before she submitted it to a contest, I am floored, in perhaps both good and bad ways. Her writing is incredible! The way she describes sights vividly and pulls themes and a plot together with both likable and unlikable characters is great American novel worthy. I had very few comments for her story’s improvement. It also reminded me where I am in my writing “prowess.”

Because of my most recent short story creation, “The Test,”

I know I still have some ability to write stories. However, my skills in regularly creating characters, plots, stories, etc. with no allegorical significance to the real world is lacking. That doesn’t mean I won’t someday have my stories on a family of bears based on real teddy bears published. I am looking forward to those series, but I feel now is not the right time to pursue getting them out there.

In the meantime, I have so much work to do and still quite a few questions to be answered. (There is a time for passive voice.)

I hope that hearing of my woes and thoughts and conundrums is of some benefit to you, somehow.

I feel a bit like Eddy Chen and Brett Yang of Twosetviolin in the beginning of their video “When a 7-Year-Old FLEXES On You”: What is life? So much talent…Should I switch to viola?” Then comes back the recurring reminder: PRACTICE!!!!!

Edit: I should also mention that my friend whose short story I reviewed is Emily Way, who helped edit Fish Out of Water and graduated from college with me.