The Lazy Writer's Guide to Procrastination

No Country

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Sat, 26 May 2012 17:41:00 +0000

To celebrate the Memorial Day weekend, I am reposting my poem "No Country", which can be found in Heavy Hands Ink Volume III.

No Country

This is no country for old men.
We prefer our heroes dead-
chopped down, bloody and hollow,
victims of their own generosity.
We mourn them, gleefully,
our pious words ignore their faults,
lift up their actions and revere them
long after their good has faded
or been exposed.
No, this is no country for old men.
We honor the dead as we spit,
emphatically,
in the faces of living, broken men:
those who did the dirty work,
who followed their leader into hell,
who marred their souls while the heroes
became sainted in death.
There is no country for old men,
and they wander with aching limbs,
they cradle grandchildren with scarred hands,
and whisper stories no one cares to hear—
No, no, this is no country
for old men.

New Print Magazine Released!

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 19:27:00 +0000

Amoskeag, the Southern New Hampshire University Journal, has released its 2012 edition, featuring my short story "A Letter to My Father". Copies can be purchased by following the instructions found here. The site lists my story as an essay, but as the theme of the story is the fluidity of memories and identity, I find that appropriate. There is always Truth in good fiction, and non-fiction can have Truth without factually accurate information. At least, that's my take on it. What's yours?

Preparing Short Story Manuscripts for Contests and Publication--AWP12 Panel Notes

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 04:07:00 +0000

Preparing Short Story Manuscripts for Contests and Publication (Saturday March 3^rd, 10:30am)

· Christine Sneed (Best American Short Stories 2008, Pen/O. Henry Prize, Grace Paley prize), Anthony Varallo (Fiction editor of Crazyhorse, NEA Fellowship), Douglas Light (2007 Ben Franklin award, 2010 Grace Paley prize) Lori Ostlund (2008 Flannery O’Connor, Lambda finalist)

· DL: A collection of stories that have continuity, not just thrown together. “What is the essence of these pieces?” Looked at successful stories and figured out what worked. Often, writers have just one or two stories to tell, and are just trying to get it right. Structured the collection itself in an engaging way. Selected the first and last based on the strongest ones to convey the theme, then spaced stories in between based on length and gravity. Individually, you have a great piece, but as a collection things need to be cohesive. (For example, one “great line” that is repeated in several stories.) Pulling together collection revealed a lot about his own mind, what he has to say, and the process of writing.

· LO: Life triangle, personal life, writing life, teaching life. If two are on track then things are good. Decided to give up writing, enrolled in paralegal classes and started teaching remedial classes. First day home, she had a message from University of GA Press and had trouble calling them back because of lightning. Had to talk to them next day and found out she won. She didn’t know much about it when she ordered them initially. FO’C editor helped her with ordering them. Look at POV, setting, tone, theme in ordering. Marketing, they send you a questionnaire, pay attention and don’t put it off. She was told to send stories to journals, say she won the prize, and ask for a quick response. From acceptance to publication, all but one were published in journals.

· AV: I’ve lost so many contests…and I’m giving advice to people? My record is terrible! 2^nd collection was rejected 15 times, including 2 times Drew Hines, and won the third time. Doubt is the first obstacle to overcome. Read stories aloud as you assemble the collection. Why do you want to include it? What do you like about it? The first half are the ones you most want to read aloud, those should “greet” the reader. Not shock, overwhelm, etc. There should be dark and experimental ones, but not before greeting the reader, entertaining them. 1^st or 3^rd person, sympathetic narrator, and that had a strong narrative drive and got off to a quick start.

· CS: Do I really need to spend $25 to get a rejection letter? Stories sent out 20-50 times before getting accepted. You have to be persistent, you don’t know who will be a screener. She ordered them by picking stories she liked. Don’t just put ones that have already been published, pick ones that haven’t been published and go with a common theme. Some stories were older (2007). After picking them she realized they were all female narrators. Trust your instincts. Also may get input from one or two readers. Pick stories that you had fun writing, that had an element of joy. She hired her own publicist locally and it was a big help and worth the investment.

· DL: Dos and Don’ts: Founding Editor of Epiphany magazine. “Wow, that has horrendous… and I do the exact same thing”. Query letters: Be professional. Don’t just drop a text message, send your best work. Electronic submissions can result in an easy “send” button. Help is only offered when you no longer need it—your work has to be “there” in quality first.

· LO: Imagine someone who loves short stories and is absolutely overwhelmed. They are disoriented and tired, so she goes into it with the mindset of looking for a reason to say no. When looking at beginnings of things, can I switch the burden so they see that I am doing the work for them, and they can sit back, relax, and enjoy the work. As a screening judge, submitters need to look to see what the readers and judges are looking for. You NEED a table of contents. Read the first story completely, then may skip around. They are advised to read maybe 4 stories and then pass on the 12 best collections per screener. Instinct to start with something “writerly”…No. Forget about the italics and start with story. Best work first. A clean manuscript is incredibly important. Nancy, FO’C judge, “I care about the work, not who you are.” “Be practical,” “When she gets a “quiet” collection, she puts it aside until she can be in the right frame of mind.” She uses great literature as a yardstick. (Willa Cather, Flannery O’Connor, etc)

· AV: Don’t need to order collection by POV parfait—1^st, 3^rd, 1^st, 3^rd. Don’t try to outfox your manuscript. Best work first. Don’t order based on rank of journals. Judges won’t care and neither will you. Don’t send unpublished stories to the back, just evaluate the quality of work. You don’t have to publish everything you write, or your collection doesn’t need to be every single published story you have. Don’t save the best for last. You can do that after you win. You are a writer, so you may write the same short story two or three or four times. Don’t be depressed about it, but don’t include two incredibly similar stories in the same manuscript. Don’t base if the judge would like your work on what the judge writes, just send it in.

· CS: Don’t rush. Writing rewards the long view. Was out of her MFA program for 11 years before she won the Paley. It’s a marathon not a sprint. Think I love this, not I want to be famous.

· Q/A: What about writers who use other languages in the manuscript. Should it always have a translation followed with a dash? LO: you don’t want to pull the reader out, try to make clear in context. If it’s important info translate it, but if a random word doesn’t stop the flow or pull you out of it is fine.

· Q/A: Specific strategies for selection publications in individual submissions? CS: Read the journal, O’Henry, Pushcart. LO: Send to the journals you like to read.

· Q/A: How do editors look at previously published? Depends on publisher for lit mags, but for book contests it’s fine.

· Q/A: Do you need to get the publisher’s ok for contest entries? CS: No, they want that to happen.

· Q/A: How long should a manuscript be? LO: The rules usually say how much, usually 150-2something.

· Q/A: How old should/could the story be? CS: As old as you want, as long as it’s good.

· Q/A: Advice for writers preparing linked collections? CS: Go for it, maybe be careful for chronology. AV: Sometimes anchor stories and some smaller vinaigrettes, so group the anchor stories first, even if that’s not the initial arc, and re-arrange once you’ve won.

· Q/A: Is it a problem to have a long (40 page) story in the collection? LO: no, CS: Recent winners includes a novella, probably shouldn’t lead with it though.

· Q/A: What about Non-Fiction? CS: recommend the same sort of ordering and send out to journals, just look for nonfiction contests.

Writing Historical Fiction (AWP12 Panel)

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 04:03:00 +0000

Thinking with Your Own Apparatus: Fiction Writers and History (Thursday 3/1)

· Joyce Hinnefeld: Henry James quote, “thinking with your own apparatus”. Much historical fiction like science fiction facing backwards.

· JH: “a more profound sense of the ‘real’” in novels.

· JH: What is the apparatus? Experiences (a huge spiderweb in the conscience, the very atmosphere of the mind), body

· Nalini Jones: Fiction as a way to discover the Other. She recommends Carol Philips, esp “The Nature of Blood”. Fiction is unlimited. Delilio says “fiction…is our second chance.” We understand character through setting and place.

· NJ: Experience is firmly rooted in setting/place/historical context. Loses meaning without it. All individual, noteworthy events impact entire life (ripples in a pond). Always Presumptuous to enter into a character, not just in historical fiction.

· NJ: Research is key—begin with sensory detail. Field research to get tone. History enters into the work through character; the fabric of their daily lives.

· Eugenia Kim: Two greatest challenges: writing true family story as fiction, depict a historical period and write about a foreign country/culture/language.

· EK: how authentic is your cultural identity? Imposter syndrome: She looks Korean, has some background through her family, but really isn’t Korean at all. Is frequently asked, "Why don’t you speak your language?”

· EK: Driven to be a writer by the small crushed pearl of anger (Delillo) Only way to access truth is through fiction. Non-Fiction was limited by apparatus—constant doubt challenged because of her feelings of self adequacy. Needed to be fiction, not non-fiction to be emotionally deeper. Once believed that “Fiction was the illegitimate child of truth” Confusious: our goal is “not to relive the past, but recreate it into a new reality”.

· EK: Specifics on Writing: Used a more formal syntax than natural to reflect deeply imbedded morals and culture. Language eases up as the Japanese occupation changes Korea. You have to be aware of the norms in both cultures to be able to express that culture. Understand etymology. Was that word part of English vernacular when the narrator is alive? Know rhythms in the native language, they come out in your writing.

· EK: Two things happened w editor: Included a glossary for words and conventions, and included a historical note.

· Dolen Perkins-Valdez: How much historical detail to include? Very easy to get sidetracked with researching details. Detail should be the last thing you think about. The central concern is the emotional core of the story. The reader has to care. If they don’t care about the story the details will clunk regardless. How do you know how that person felt? Take yourself out of your modern apparatus—outside your contemporary self.

· DPV: Best resources are primary documents. Avoid newspaper accounts and secondary sources if primary ones are available. Are pictures or paintings available? Looking in their eyes sparked an emotional connection.

· DPV: Historical fiction not just capturing the right picture, but capture the feeling.

The Question and Answer session:

· Q/A: How do you fight the personal feelings of emotional connection that lures you to the time period in the first place? DPV: Embrace the personal feelings, turn it into passion. Don’t ignore the emotion, harness it and integrate it into the novel.

· Q/A: Issues with reader backlash/commentary from people about whom you’re writing. NJ: If you’re faithful to the original passion and need to say something, you won’t go too far wrong. Her collection of stories was received well in India, but in America there was more controversy.

· Q/A: How much of reality do you bring in when research washes away your story? DPV: You don’t need a million tiny details, only what’s directly relevant to your story. EK: History requires certain truths that have to happen. The big, major things. The rest of it, it’s about the Character. What impacts your character’s life?

· Q/A: Problem with editors/agents imposing 21^st century mores on the literature? EK: In her story, the characters are very Christian, part of their daily life. Agent said too much religion. Took out. Editor said not enough religion. Put it back. Readers come with apparatus too.

· Q/A: How much straying/tweaking details can you do without losing Truth. JH: You can’t, really. Not so much the details but the emotion that is the challenge. You want to be as accurate as possible, but don’t obsess and lose the emotion. NJ: Made a fictional suburb in a real city. All books create their own world. If it’s real, or fiction, you’re still recreating it for that exact moment. Be true to the spell you’re creating. EK: Built this whole city in her imagination, then viewed through power viewers across the border into North Korea. The topography of the city was exactly the way she’d imagined. Something about the genetic roots of history will help inform that.

· Q/A: Have you had to face emotion relating to racial hatred in the story? DPV: Not Hate, but Rage. Tar Baby by Toni Morrison is a good example of racial rage, and proves it is possible to write a high caliber book with the subject of Rage. The question is how, but as a writer, you have to have some fearlessness, don’t worry about being published but don’t shut people down.

· Q/A: What point in the writing process did you focus on historical sensory details? NJ: Not just “historical details” to drop in the text, but character building. “Sensory details” means being in the moment, understanding how it feels, smells, etc. Not for those details to be in the novel, but so that she can have a point of entry to understand the characters. EK: Found fascinating details, but who cares? A whole book about food is distilled to “the meal was balanced in the traditional way”. Plot character’s details to timeline (woman who was pregnant for three years in one of her early drafts). JH: Even writing about the 80s and 90s is difficult now. “If I write about yesterday it’s historical fiction now.”

AWP and Grad School Hunting

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 01:41:00 +0000

First of all, I am counting down the days to the AWP conference in Chicago! I am going to try to post the coolest/weirdest/oddest/most helpful information and advice on here.

Second, and somewhat related, I am currently searching for an MFA program and have learned that there isn't a lot of helpful advice out there. Terms like low residency, studio versus research, stipends and scholarships all pop up casually, like you're supposed to know what they're talking about. Since I have no idea, and have to do research, I thought I'd pass along my research to my readers. I'm going to create a second tab to keep all grad-school related questions handy.

Let me know if you have any suggestions, resources, or questions!

Exciting News!

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:12:00 +0000

Hello, all,

I want to update you on two things. My poem "Saying Goodbye" was chosen to represent Camroc Press Review for Sundress Press's Best of the Net Anthology! You can find the poem here.

Also, I will be participating in NaNoWriMo this year! It's not too late to start yourself; you can find more information here.

Happy reading!

"Revisions" up at Metazen

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 22:24:00 +0000

Hello there,

I just wanted to let you all know my short story "Revisions" is up here at Metazen.

I have also received two very exciting rejections: I made it past the slush pile for Camera Obscura, and I got a rejection from Cream City Review saying they "really enjoyed these pieces". I've been focusing some of my better work on higher end publications, so although I haven't been getting as many acceptances lately, an editor from a publication on the "Challenging (bottom right)" or "Extremely Challenging" lists at Duotrope taking the time to send a personal rejection makes me feel pretty good.

I will have a few pieces of poetry up at Eunoia Review in November, and next spring I will have some more poetry at The Stray Branch. I'm also thinking about doing a donation drive for Duotrope sometime soon, so keep an eye out!

An Acceptance, Two Poems, and a Story

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 17:17:00 +0000

Hey! Sorry it's been so long since my last post. Life has been hectic and full of change. I've moved into the most amazing little apartment, complete with an office, and I've started a novel! It's slow moving right now, since I'm doing to much research and planning, but I've got a great concept and very well fleshed out characters that I'm very excited to work with.

I've recently had two poems accepted and posted at The Camroc Press Review, "Saying Goodbye" and "Grief". I also had my short story "Tennyson's Prophecy" accepted and posted at Luna Station Quarterly.

And finally, I've just received an acceptance from Metazen for my short story "Revisions". It will be posted in September, which happens to be Bilbo and Frodo Baggins' birthdays. (Such a nerd...)

Thanks for keeping up with me! You can also follow me on Twitter @TheLazyWriter.

Another Print Magazine and a Book Recommendation

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 21:29:00 +0000

I would like to share my latest print magazine debut. You can order the latest copy of Indigo Rising magazine here. My poems "For the Professor Whose Name I Share" dedicated to Amanda Skjeveland, and "Speechless" are included in this volume. You can purchase your copy here for only $5. Go ahead and add Heavy Hands Ink volume 3, with my poem "No Country", here. Thank you for supporting me and the literary community as a whole!

On a related note, my good friend Keri from Write Turn Here is featured in Short, Fast, and Deadly's most recent print anthology. You can find that here. If you're interested in microfiction, you can read Keri's interview with SFD editor Joseph Quintela here.

Finally, I believe the best way to improve your writing is to read, read, read. To that end, I'm going to start posting book recommendations periodically. These books will be chosen specifically to target specific writing skills they exemplify. And if they look interesting, buy them through the link here!

Today's recommended reading is Neil Gaiman's American Gods. I recommend this book once at almost every writing workshop I participate in. First and foremost, it features one of the hardest mixes in contemporary writing: literary quality writing with a creative, original story. Gaiman successfully weaves non-Classical mythology into a contemporary setting into a well written story. I recommend this frequently to authors who are attempting to take myths, folk tales, or fairy tales and twist them into something more. Gaiman is a great example of how to do that without sounding like Stephanie Meyer. Buy it, read it, love it.

Postpartum

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 21:26:00 +0000

My poem "Postpartum" was published in the Spring 2010 edition of The New Plains Review. Since it was published over a year ago, I'm posting it online so people who were not able to get the print edition are able to read the poem. You can find information about The New Plains Review here. Thanks for your continued readership!

Postpartum

Let your tiny cries like barbs
sink into my flesh,
let those delicate tears
eat into my skin like acid.
He holds you the way
he’s forgotten to hold me.
My world orbits yours, my parasite,
stealing my beauty,
drawing wrinkles on my forehead,
sagging skin once firm,
sinking your predatory teeth
with a smile
into me: haven’t you heard
not to bite the hand that feeds you?
Mostly, though,
let the way I hate you mingle
with the love I can’t help,
let the hate seep into me,
my sweetness,
let only you remain.

And The Winner Is...

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 00:13:00 +0000

Keri Faulkner! Keri will receive a copy of Heavy Hands Ink, Volume III and a $10 Borders gift card. Thanks to everyone who participated, and look for a new contest soon! Keri will be buying the book "Magic Slays".

A Giveaway!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 20:47:00 +0000

Hello all! I'm going to do a giveaway! I have a copy of Heavy Hands Press's Volume III and a $10 Borders Gift Card to give away! Here's the deal: follow my page and leave a comment on this post telling me what book you'd buy with the gift card. If you don't have a Borders near you I can get an Amazon for you, just let me know your prefernce if you win. Winners will be chosen randomly based on people who both follow and comment. You don't need a special account to follow, either!

I urge you all to check out this 'zine whether or not you win. It's available as a free PDF download too. Thanks for your time! I'll close this contest at the end of February and announce the winner March 1st!

Two new publications and an announcement...

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 03:53:00 +0000

My poem "Coffee and Tea" is up here, at The Orange Room Review. One of my favorite slam poets, Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz, was published in the December 2010 issue, and I'm beyond honored to appear in the February 2011 issue. Working with the editors to polish this piece was one of the most exciting experiences I've had so far in the world of writing.

The other poem, "No Country," is available here at Heavy Hands Ink. This is one of the ones that's really been of part of my life. Writing this poem led me to a realization that I am a writer, and a good writer, and I have the potential to be a great writer.

I'm excited to share these with you, especially since I've just gotten home from the AWP writer's conference. I'll be posting more about that later on. I have officially decided to create a pseudo-chapbook of my published fiction and poetry. I'll be working on it over the next few weeks and will have more information about that soon, too. Thank you all!

"Burning" in LITSNACK and two new publications out in a few short days!

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 04:41:00 +0000

My flash fiction piece "Burning" is in the current edition of LITSNACK. Hope on over and feel free to leave a comment if you like it!

I will have two more publications showing up in a few days.

My poem "No Country" will appear in Heavy Hands Ink (available both online and in print).

My poem "Coffee and Tea" will appear in The Orange Room Review.

Thanks to everyone who continues to support me! For more updates, feel free to "like" me on Facebook by clicking here.

Two Updates and a Word on Choosing the Right Market

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 17:46:00 +0000

I've had two acceptances so far this month. My poem "Dreams" has been accepted by The Stray Branch with a publication date of Spring/Summer 2013, and my poem "Coffee and Tea" will be appearing at The Orange Room Review for the February issue.

These two acceptances are very representative of my market selection process, and I'd like to take a few moments to share my philosophy with you. Like I'm so fond of saying, you can't get published if you don't submit. If you send everything you've ever written out to every single publication out there, the odds are someone will take something. But, since that's so time consuming, it's much easier for a writer juggling family and friends and school and work and all the other things you do to target your pieces. I've found Duotrope to be the easiest way to do this... Writer's Market is also a very valuable tool.
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Indigo Rising Press--Two Poems

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 14:56:00 +0000

Just a quick post to announce that my poems "For the Professor Whose Name I Share" and "Speechless" have been accepted for publication at Indigo Rising Press. You can access the pieces here.

If you like my writing and want to keep in touch, you can "follow" me by clicking the button on the right toolbar. You can sign in with a google, youtube, or twitter account, or create a new profile in seconds. You can also subscribe to my blog via RSS and comment with your email to be added to my update mailing list. Thanks to everyone for your support.

FREE BOOKS! And acceptance updates

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 08:29:00 +0000

Two things:

First, hop over to Outside Writers and consider joining a book club where you get free books mailed to you--for free! I talked to an author who's working on the project and it's legitimate. Check it out and let them know I sent you!

Second, I wanted to post new info about a few pieces.

My poem "No Country" has been accepted at Heavy Hands Ink. Look for it in February.

My short story "Waiting for the Rain" will be featured in The Legendary volume appearing this Monday (today!).

LITSNACK has accepted "Burning" with a publication date of a few months from now.

My poem "Release Me" has been accepted at vox poetica with a tentitive publication date in April.

Also: My good friend Keri from Write Turn Here had a poem published in one of my favorite web based literary magazines. You can read "We met in a Van Gogh Painting" here

Finally, get writing! Take five minutes to describe something odd that recently happened to you. Write it down. Time yourself. Pick a moment that was random or competely unrelated. Now tuck that away somewhere safe (leave it here as a comment!) and you can come back to it later to develop.

Food for the Soul...and the Body

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 03:48:00 +0000

I love to cook, and my approach to cooking is very like my approach to writing. I don't really follow recipes. I read a lot of cookbooks, and eat a lot of different foods. After thinking it over, there are a lot of similarities between the two art forms (because, yes, cooking is an art. You'll see if I can convince my favorite food blogger to do an interview for me.) Does that sound odd? Consider the following examples.

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2010 Baltimore Writer's Conference: Notes and Remarks

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 14:07:00 +0000

On November the 20th, I attended the Baltimore Writer's Conference at Towson University with a few friends. The keynote speaker, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, gave an inspring speech on the art of writing and her personal journey as a writer. The workshops included topics on freelancing, how to write a good opening, and how to write about sex. Attendees also had a chance to have their work critiqued by several presenters. The experiance was amazing and I'm even more excited for the AWP Conference. Below are my notes from the workshops I attended, I hope they will help you as well.

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You Can't Get Published if You Don't SUBMIT! And other things you should know about the writing game.

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 01:32:00 +0000

My first month of college at a four year university has flown past, and I'm left with an overwhelming sense of regression. The one thing that strikes me more than any other change is that it seems like being published in the college's literary magazine is the most advanced most students have achieved: and not through any fault of their own. Now, I may be wrong! I haven't taken any writing classes yet, I'm just basing this off of what I've been told by other students in my English classes. At my community college, I had a dedicated professor who challenges her students to submit their work not only to the campus literary magazine, but also to other magazines. Not only does she require her creative writing students to submit work to several different publications, but she prompts her literature students to do the same. Our English Club is full of writers of all different genres and skill levels, but we share our knowledge, spend our time to critique each others works, and encourage each other towards higher standards. I don't think this is because Hagerstown, MD is such a fertile ground for writers, but because the talent that was naturally present was coaxed into being active by a professor who encourages all her students to join her in the ranks of published authors.

That doesn't mean that Towson is full of less able writers or that the school has less of a draw on artistic types, but that campus writers need the information. What I'd like to do is to provide the information that students need. Getting published is a lot easier than it seems to be...it's all about submitting. Just like finding a job, you have to fill out a lot of applications before you get hired (at least nowadays you do!). This blog post will cover the basics on how to submit, as well as link to some handy information posted by various magazines.

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Characters, Pseudonyms, and Metafiction

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 01:51:00 +0000

     When I started my Creative Writing class this summer, I set two goals for myself: to write more, and to experiment with different styles. I began the course primarily as a poet, but I am enjoying the freedom fiction allows me. For my second major assignment in the class, I decided to toy around with metafiction (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metafiction). The piece I ended up with was a far cry from my usual writing; it employed stream of consciousness, postmodernism, and metafiction. It also contained language I wouldn't be comfortable using in front of my family or many of my teachers. I've been struggling with where to place the piece, or if I could submit it for publication at all. I could hardly brag about the publication while simultaneously keeping it secret from my ultra conservative family. My Creative Writing teacher suggested a pseudonym, and that idea has been growing on me for several reasons.

     The anonymity of the internet has made it easy for people to assume alternate identities and develop relationships that wouldn't progress in a real time situation. But writers have been creating characters to tell their stories for them long before the technological revolution. Samuel Clemens is a classic example: he crafted Mark Twain to be a character, who then created the likes of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. Similarly, Robert Frost cultivated a very specific image of himself. Taking metafiction, then, which is fiction discussing the art of fiction, and adding another layer by creating a character to become the author, seems to lead to a stronger metafictional piece and almost another literary device altogether. The author becomes a character, and behind that character is me, the "man behind the curtain" or more appropriately, the woman typing on the keyboard. While I could just use a pseudonym, and publish my work under a different name, I am considering turning that pseudonym into a fully blown character a la King's Richard Bachman or Clemens' Mark Twain. The definition of "being a writer" has changed considerably with technology and developing literary techniques. As media and entertainment become more interactive, I imagine that an imaginary author, with publications under her imaginary belt, could well blog about her imaginary life and her imaginary experiences, creating more art in the process.

     This is hardly a new idea. Artists from several different genres are toying about with interactive entertainment: check out Nine Inch Nail's Year Zero album, for instance, or the interactive sites NBC put up for Lost. As technology changes, and as consumers become jaded by their many options, writers have mainly kept to the same traditions they've used for thousands of years. The average fiction reader wants to be immersed in the art they're experiencing: but it's important to let the reader control the level of immersion. One of the major reasons for the success of NIN's Year Zero album is that it catered to all levels of interest. Fans can choose just to access the music, or to explore the ARG (Alternate Reality Game) to its fullest extent. I feel that, as writers in a technological age, authors need to be more flexible to new formats and new types of writing while striving to keep that writing accessible to readers seeking varying degrees of experience.

Jumping on the Bandwagon...

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 22:13:00 +0000

I sometimes feel like a bumbling giant around my friends. They are fluent in all the latest trends in writing, know all the best magazines, and can give you detailed information on how to submit writing. They give themselves deadlines and word limits for daily writing, create blogs to "get their name out there" and network like literary socialites. I submit things here and there, get a nice balance of acceptances vs. rejections, and consider myself content. This is not, apparently, acceptable for SOME friends, and I know I have family and friends who would like to follow my "budding literary career" somewhere more professional than Facebook. So here I am, and hopefully I won't bore the world with my prattling. Enjoy!