Submitting Your Work by A. E. Decker
November 13, 2018 by Bethlehem Writers Group in category From a Cabin in the Woods by Members of Bethlehem Writers Group tagged as A E Decker, Moonfall Mayhem, Submitting, writing
This month on From a Cabin in the Woods we are featuring Submitting Your Work by A. E. Decker
A. E. Decker is a former ESL tutor, tai chi instructor, and doll-maker. She holds degrees in English and colonial American history. Her Moonfall Mayhem series, chronicling the adventures of a half-vampire girl run amuck in the land of fairytales, is published by World Weaver Press. Her stories have been published in Fireside Magazine, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and PhobosMagazine, as well as in numerous anthologies. She has been a member of the Bethlehem Writers Group since 2010, and edited two of their anthologies. Like all writers, she is owned by three cats.
Submitting Your Work
A. E. Decker
I’ve come around to the belief that the real bugaboo of a writer’s world is not that dreaded phantom, writer’s block, nor even learning to take criticism without curling in a ball and weeping.
The very hardest part about being a writer is submitting your work. I’ve watched a lot of friends twist themselves into contortions trying to avoid it. One man I worked with in a critique group refused to hear any recommendations for his perfectly saleable military sci-fi novels, saying “he only wrote for his own enjoyment.” I have one friend who insists she doesn’t know how to write a query letter, and another whose work always needs one more revision before it’s ready to show to an editor. Speaking of query letters, I also know plenty of writers who spend more time agonizing over the perfect writing that will infallibly catch the agent/editor’s eye than they do on the work they’re submitting.
I’m not excusing myself from methods of submission avoidance, either. I have a formula worked out for short story queries, so I can whip them off pretty quickly, but I rarely refrain from dabbling with my work before submitting it, fiddling with a few lines here, adjusting the grammar there, as if these miniscule changes will somehow make all the difference in the editor’s mind. And, as far as novels go, present me with a perfectly good market that requires a summary as part of its conditions, and I’ll find any excuse to procrastinate until the deadline passes rather than think “Hooray! This might be someone who’s actually interested in reading my book.”
Why is submitting so hard? Surely most of us—the man from my critique group aside—write in the hopes of someday having people read our work, and unless we’re ready to go the self-publish route, that means finding someone to represent us.
I think the answer can be summed up in a single word: rejection. Rejection is harsh. The mere term carries many connotations. We equate it with Not Good Enough. “Loser” and “failure” might even drift through our cringing subconsciouses. We envision the editor/agent as some mighty judge on high, handing down the final word on our literary merit.
Of course it’s all nonsense. Editors and agents are as much flesh-and-blood people we are ourselves. People have their own tastes. As much as we all want to write that one great novel that transcends genre and is beloved by all who read it, we have to recognize that it isn’t possible. I personally would have rejected The Great Gatsby, Moby Dick, and anything written by Ernest Hemmingway, if I were an editor, and I bet half of you nodded along with that list, and the other half substituted your own choices.
So, what does this mean, when it comes to dealing with rejections? Am I suggesting that the next time you receive one of those form letters you should shake your fist at the screen, shouting: “You fool! You just turned down the next Herman Melville!”
Actually, yes, if it sounds like fun, and doesn’t scare your cats or members of your family too badly. Because getting a rejection, even a form rejection that tells you nothing of the editor’s true thoughts, means that you submitted. You took a chance. And I can tell you, personally, through the carnage of hundreds of rejection notices, that submitting is mostly a number’s game. It’s not about polishing your writing until it’s “good enough” to be published; it’s about managing to put it in front of a person whose taste matches your style.
Think about it: you only really have to appeal to one person, so long as it’s a person with the ability to publish you. Suddenly, the eighteen varying opinions in your writers’ group don’t seem so weighty. (That said, if they all agree on an aspect of your work, you likely have a problem.) With this thought in mind, submitting becomes more of a hide-and-seek game, searching out that one agent or editor who thinks your writing is marvelous. Yes, they are out there somewhere. It’s up to you to find them.
So stop fussing with your story or novel, trying to make it “perfect.” Take a breath, make a list of agents or publishers, and get to work. Keep records of who sends you encouraging feedback—they might like your style, if not the piece you sent them. Most importantly, remember submitting isn’t like the lottery; you will win if you just keep playing.
And until then, you can yell at your screen. Just don’t scare your cats.
Hallow’s Eve Trick or Treat
October 13, 2018 by Bethlehem Writers Group in category From a Cabin in the Woods by Members of Bethlehem Writers Group tagged as Costumes, Halloween, Muses, stories, writing
This month on From a Cabin in the Woods we are featuring Diane Sismour’s “Hallow’s Eve Trick or Treat.”
Diane Sismour has written poetry and fiction for over 35 years in multiple genres. She lives with her husband in eastern Pennsylvania at the foothills of the Blue Mountains. Diane is a member of Romance Writers of America, Bethlehem Writer’s Group LLC, Horror Writers Association, and Liberty States Fiction Writers. She enjoys interviewing other authors and leading writer’s workshops.
Her website is www.dianesismour.com, and her blog is www.dianesismour.blogspot.com.
You can find her on Facebook and Twitter at: http://facebook.com/dianesismour, http://facebook.com/networkforthearts, and https://twitter.com/dianesismour.
Hallow’s Eve Trick or Treat
Before the goblins and ghosts come knocking at the door, I go through costumes of Halloween parties past with hopes one will inspire a new use to don during Trick or Treat. There were some outrageous getups over the years.
Each brings a memory or two, but one particular outfit stirs a smile. Guests were required to stay in disguise throughout the entire party. The person who remained a mystery won best costume. Usually we had an idea who was whom except once. That year someone arrived, and nodded to people as he entered our house. Nobody knew who the concealed man was until he removed his mask at the end. A party crasher fooled everyone!
I remove the box from the stack, and place it upon the bed. The odd sensation of déjà vu strikes. A staggering certainty hit that I’ve been here before doing exactly this, just not in this lifetime! Then another thought occurs . . . wouldn’t it be fun to write a story about a parallel dimension. One facet in today’s time and another from the past, and possibly a third in the future, running simultaneously with the character’s thoughts colliding with more frequency.
A good shake removes most of the wrinkles from the cape and I arrange the red satin around my shoulders. The matching gloves slide on up to the elbows, the felt flames flickering in glitter. I nestle the horns upon my head and fasten the belt attaching the forked tail, and WHAM! Another déjà vu moment. The story idea is taking shape with each occurrence. One last item—place the black iron circlet around the horns and ta da— Queen of the She-devils. Now to find a minion or two to wrangle some candy so I can go write this story.
However your muse likes to trick, remember to give her a treat. Happy Halloween!
~ Diane Sismour
Now available on Amazon
Poems by Sal–and more.
September 13, 2018 by Sally Paradysz in category From a Cabin in the Woods by Members of Bethlehem Writers Group tagged as Bethlehem Writers Group, BWG, life, new beginnings, poems, Sally Paradysz
I always feel a little sad each month when the 13th rolls around, and I realize that Sal is no longer with us.
But this time I have good news. First, A Slice of Orange is pleased to publish two of Sal’s poems. Next, members of the Bethlehem Writers Group have volunteered to write columns for the 13th.
Here is the schedule so far:
October: Diane Sismour
November: A. E. Decker
December: Carol L. Wright
January: Jodi Bogert
February: Christopher D. Ochs
March: DT Krippene
Sal was one of the founding members of Bethlehem Writers Group, and I think she would be over the moon that her fellow members are filling her spot.
Marianne
Poems by Sal
ANCIENT RITUALS
Sally Paradysz
Next, I heard some named penance an ancient tradition. A struggle between senses and sense.
Lash marks bled on bare backs. Knees on scarred hardwood, calloused and worn, bent until they screamed for relief.
Men seek to give lessons, but silence was the teacher. Then, we are swept clean and told to go forward in purity.
Penitent, but longing still.
SILENT PAIN, SILENT LOVE
Sally Paradysz
In this world where personal
commitment, with all of its
delicate forms, seems
to be shattering apart,
And unconditional and
undying love has become
nothing more than a
matter of convenience,
There are some of us still,
who find the intelligence
and passion born of living…
In some who approach their
life without analysis,
which can destroy the Whole,
There is some magic in this life,
you know, where if
you only consistently
look at the pieces,
They will just as surely
blow away in the wind
and demolish the All…
Are we becoming obsolete
within a world of
organization, rules, regulations,
in “Bud” we trust,
to borrow a phrase…
Will this magic disappear
with stick-on name tags and
clothes that make us
all look alike…
It is with this passion and
controlled arrow-like intensity,
mixed with warmth,
That I will approach the time
of day when white months
are on the wing,
And in the heat of that
summer’s evening, will let
myself be taken away,
To transcend and merge in
the Light, where such certainty
comes only once, no matter how
many lifetimes you live…
In this dance with the
universe, my eagerness gives way
to shaman-like silence,
Discarding all sense of
anything linear and spiraling toward
millions of candles,
Where my constant companion
of loneliness disappears for
the last time,
And I become consumed and out
of a world that seems
to be God-abandoned…
Never again will I live with dust
on my heart, or feel
trapped by foggy mornings,
Instead I am forever grateful
for the four billion years
Of love,
Which will help me with my
systems of balance and order
in the lifetime I have left…
I have ceased being separate
and now feel free to continue
the dance of integration…
0 1 Read more
Paths by Sally Paradysz @A_SliceofOrange
October 13, 2017 by Sally Paradysz in category From a Cabin in the Woods by Members of Bethlehem Writers Group, Writing tagged as journey, life, Paths, writing
Paths
I love paths. We have one that goes to the field for our tractor, but the best ones are those I’ve made to my writing/meditation cabin, and the one I use to walk to the field. These two I’ve lined with rocks and as I stroll by I’m always amazed by the large roots that grow above ground. Different and yet so eye catching. It took a long while to clear the brush away, find and place the stones alongside, and then try to keep them clear enough to follow over the years.
Special attention paid to the little things on my land makes a huge difference to me. These are the points of life that mark my growth as I go forward. Time spent in nature with love and opportunity all encompassed into this one small three-acre-place that I call home.
God has given us a world full of hope for everything and everyone. We are all unfinished people, moving forward at the rate of speed we are meant to travel. And as we wander on our different paths, finding and following our own heart’s desires, let us take time to be thankful for what we have right now. It can all change in a moment, and then this opportunity will be behind us….
Sal
Sally Paradysz writes from a book-lined cabin in the woods beside the home she built from scratch. She is an ordained minister of the Assembly of the Word, founded in 1975. For two decades, she has provided spiritual counseling and ministerial assistance. Sally has completed undergraduate and graduate courses in business and journalism. She took courses at NOVA, and served as a hotline, hospital, and police interview volunteer in Bucks County, PA. She is definitely owned by her two Maine Coon cats, Kiva and Kodi.
You can like Sal on Facebook, or read her monthly column, From a Cabin in the Woods, here on A Slice of Orange, or on her personal blog, Sally Paradysz.
2 0 Read moreBurls
September 13, 2017 by Sally Paradysz in category From a Cabin in the Woods by Members of Bethlehem Writers Group tagged as imperfect, intriguing, natureOn the outskirts of the area where I split wood stands a cherry tree. It isn’t huge, but it has at least two burls on it that I can see. I find burls extremely interesting, and at times I can’t stop staring at them. It is a living thing, and something that resembles sap drips from all over it and down onto the forest floor. I have one that I split open years ago, and it is gorgeous on the inside.
Actually, burls are a valuable wood product for artists, furniture makers, and wood sculptors. Some of the most exotic salad bowls and serving bowls I have ever seen are made from burls just like these.
From my book-lined cabin in the woods beside my home, I can see many of these burls standing out proudly from the trees on my land. The sap seems to draw the sunlight to them, and their glow is intriguing. It is yet another example of what can be hidden inside a shell or a human being. Something exquisite emerges once it is opened to be examined. This author of imperfect words wishes that once we open ourselves up to the world, we can walk away with hope and new life passions that will change our life forever……
Sal
Sally Paradysz writes from a book-lined cabin in the woods beside the home she built from scratch. She is an ordained minister of the Assembly of the Word, founded in 1975. For two decades, she has provided spiritual counseling and ministerial assistance. Sally has completed undergraduate and graduate courses in business and journalism. She took courses at NOVA, and served as a hotline, hospital, and police interview volunteer in Bucks County, PA. She is definitely owned by her two Maine Coon cats, Kiva and Kodi.
You can read more from Sally on Facebook
Her book is available here:
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