WCMarchese

Ok. So my first short story is almost complete. OCD? Yes. But I feel I feel I got it to a place I want it to be it's going to be. I want it to be clear to the reader. When I finish my novel manuscript will it be torn apart by some editor? Yes. But that's a different ball game. A short story will still be checked and changes might be made, but it's not in the same category as a novel-length piece.  So this is why I'm scrutinizing it carefully--not as many eyes will be judging it before it's published as with a novel.  I have an idea of where I want to send it, and I hope that pans out, but ultimately this will be a regular occurrence and I'll be submitting many stories all over the place in the weeks to come.   I just want people to read my stories and escape. I want them to go to another world, but not just that. I want them to see, to feel, hear, and smell in their mind--even if it’s not necessarily the one I intended (hopefully in a good wayl😊). I hope ...

Want to write? Get your feet wet a bit? So I've been at this blog thing for almost 2 years I'd say. I had started the blog earlier than that, but hadn't really touched I it until I turned it into an actual site. I have to say that writing one certainly loosens you up (even though there are days I cringe at some posts) . Think about it. You write a story and become nervous when it's time to show people, but if you're "writing" has already been out there for all to see (blogs) , and you know some have seen it from the numbers Google shows, then that edge is taken off a bit. No? You also sharpen your skills, sort of like getting into a truck when you've been driving sedans for years. It's not an easy thing, and you can drop the ball a bit when doing a blog, but it's almost like a sloppy version of editing if you think of it. Once a thought is out, you go to the next instead of deleting the older versions. And with the blog, don't go back and...

So I am going to join HWA as an affiliate, until I sell something and become an active member. Maybe this weekend. I was standoffish about joining this way, but I feel it needs to be done, to push things along, get me moving. I got some inspiration yesterday from a fellow horror writer Amy Grech. You can find her books and stories here http://www.amazon.com/Amy-Grech/e/B00389UW5S/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_3?qid=1456267306&sr=8-3  Amy Grech, who is an active member of the Horror Writers Association, suggested I sign up as an affiliate. So I am. And I am very grateful that she put a blog post of mine in her latest newsletter. It was such a surprise waking up and reaching for my phone to see the little bird at the top of the screen, I tapped on it and it really made my day. Things like this make it all worth while. Camaraderie. It's a wonderful thing.  I have had the pleasure of reading Blanket of White, featuring characters that stick with you in your mind. The first and title...

I've been very busy--and I regret to say not necessarily with writing. Winter colds (dual meaning) and other things, plus work, make the perfect storm for not getting to what I really need to get to. I'm still finishing off this short story I've been trying to complete, and it's not that easy to do without time. To say, "I'll work on it between work, during lunch, and when I get home," is easier said than done. There are a lot of things that get in the way. And then the drain from the day job. It's hard enough being in the real world, imaging having to go into another world, create it, characters and all, on a consistent basis. Which brings me to something I've been thinking about. How do writers find time to actually write? Especially writers who are published and have already made a name for themselves. I mean the most obvious answer is they have someone tending to their social media accounts. But is that always the case? I think it'...

Don't loose the feeling you had that brought you to writing in the first place, or you may find you don't want to write anymore. I was thinking and realized through the same process that allows me to create stories (and anxiety, wink), once you loose that feeling you loose that special something that brought you to this, that's it. It may come back, but sometimes that's not the case. It's wouldn't feel the same. Think about it, something traumatizing happens and it sticks with you for the rest of your life--if it's traumatizing enough. Sometimes the trauma dulls, but as Metallica says in the song, the memory remains. So remind yourself of what it was that brought you to the game when you started. You read something that made you say, "I can do that better," or you found that you love to create stories at work when everyone gathers around for your weekend tales. Whatever it is, hold on to it. And don't loose faith. WCM