I’m happy to say my short story One Small Sentence was published in the anthology Voices of the Valley: Word for Word. It is available on amazon.com.
The process of writing a story (fiction or non-fiction) begins with an idea. The fun part for me is the first draft. I let the words flow and come up with something I edit into a readable, publishable work of art. You know the cliché, it’s easier said than done.
I first deal with my emotions. My heart often rules my head and my writing reflects that. So, it’s not easy for me to let someone else critique my work. There, I said it. When I receive a critique of my writing, I often think, I thought I did it well the first time! How come this page is covered in red?
Then, I have to put on my tough skin persona and dig into the edits and figure out if I agree with the criticism. Oh dear. I often do. But—sometimes not. As I plow through the changes, the story becomes clearer and I learn to write better. Or, is that true? I think I have, until the next story or chapter of my novel is edited. I wonder again, what happened to my brain? Did it leave me to fend for myself in this art we call writing?
The hard work pays off and it makes me grateful for those challenging edits. My heart is intact, but my head eventually led the way. I feel satisfied when I see my poetry and stories published in an anthology or other publications.