The Winner Has Been Announced!

Congratulations to the winner of the A Day to Remember Contest. Eileen's heartwarmingly simple story of a cat adoption struck me the moment I read it. I love how she delivered the story in such a sweet, loving way. I loved the way she closed the entry. Perhaps she really does finish her entries with "See ya later." Also, the enclosed photos of her cat added a personal touch. Congratulations, Eileen!

Visit Eileen's blog at http://www.ezsketchpad.blogspot.com/ today!

Dear Diary,

I was eager to start my day, as I knew that I would be going to the animal shelter to look for a cat. The image in my mind was clear, either a gray or an orange tabby kitten. I had already decided the name for my cat, no matter which it was. It was unlike Mo or Scooter, this name was completely unique. Wessah, it meant cat in the Cherokee language. Though it was somewhat lame to call your cat “cat”, it just seemed like the perfect name for my special kitten.

There was an air of anticipation as my family and I walked into the shelter. There was a thick scent of animals, but I didn’t mind. There were cages lining the walls, cats and kittens inside.

I spotted a cage where black and orange kittens were playing. At once, a small light orange kitten struck my eye. He was alone, resting, while the rest of the kittens were playing. Everyone seemed doubtful of this little Wessah except for me. They thought he appeared sickly, even though one of the workers kept saying that he had been playing with the others earlier that day. All the other kittens kept pouncing on him, begging him to play while he slept.

I stuck my finger through the cage at him, and he put out a paw and touched my finger. It was quick, but I realized then that the little orange kitten, lighter, smaller, and younger, had chosen me. All the other kittens had played with my finger of course, but this one had some significance about it, I could just feel it. He was definitely the one.

There were two cats that we wanted to take out of the cage. These were the orange kitten (my Wessah), and a little black and white cat. I held the little orange kitten. He was apparently not much for being held, and with my little experience-holding cats, he walked out onto my arm and I was afraid he would fall. Fortunately, someone put out a helpful hand and took him from me.

How would we choose which cat to get? We would look into the kitten’s eyes to see which looked healthier. There was a moment of tension as we peered into the kittens eyes. The little black and white kitten’s eyes were slightly juicy, while the orange kitten’s eyes were bright and healthy! Relief poured over me.

We would get the orange kitten! I knew that this was my Wessah, my cat for life.

See ya later,

Eileen

P.S. There were a few complications with adopting the little kitten, but we eventually were able to take him home a few days later. He is now two and a healthy cat, mine forever.

Submit Your Short Story!

If you're waiting to get published and don't know how to get there, the best way is to submit a short story or essay into a contest. The easiest way to get started is to search "writing contest" on Google. The best contests to enter are ones with no initial entry fee. That way, if you don't win anything, you won't feel like you lost money. Choose your contest carefully! If you pick one that is geared toward a subject you have little or no aptitude for, there's a good likelihood that you won't win. Also contests with prizes that motivate you are also good choices. If you are motivated, you'll write as well as you possibly can.

I've entered my short stories into contests and magazines many times, and have won. Winning contests is wonderful! You will feel confident, and you'll believe that you really can write well!

There is the possibility that you will lose a contest. Finding out that you haven't won is painful and one of the most discouraging things that can happen to a writer. It's like being told that you can't write well at all. What must be understood is that there are hundreds of entries, and yours may not have met the criteria exactly. It doesn't mean that you wrote poorly, it means you didn't write what the judges wanted.

When your short story is rejected, don't give up. Submit your work to other contests, and maybe you'll be lucky.

Some tips on submitting your short story are:

• Make your first sentence capture the judges. I read in a writing book that judges read the first sentence, and either consider it or toss it.
• Keep the judges interested all the way through your short.
• Follow the rules! This rule is critical.
• If you write a cover letter, don't bribe or beg the judges to publish your work.
  Be polite.

Good luck!

National Short Story Month

May is National Short Story Month!
In 2007, the Emerging Writers Network kicked off the very first National Writers Month.

“There’s a national poetry month, and I think there should be a national short-story month, too. It’s a very American form," says Larry Dark, director of The Story Prize, and one of the first people to initiate the month long event.

So how should writers and readers celebrate?
Write a short story of your own!

• Get together with friends and family and have a writing celebration. In the first week of May, prepare your short story skeleton. Make your plot fun and exciting, because you're going to share your story with others. You don't want them to fall asleep.

• Write your short story during the remainder of the month. Have fun; don't concern yourself too much about the quality. On May 31st, have a party. You can eat hors' d'oeuvres, bake a cake, and celebrate.  Read your short stories to one another, have a laugh, and enjoy yourself! Since it's springtime,  I'll leave you with this gorgeous photo of apple blossoms.

Happy National Short Story Month!! 
And Happy Cinco De Mayo!

A WRITERS BLOCK

I have a writers block right now and that's why I'm writing an entry about it. I've tried two different ideas for an entry but can't write anything that sounds halfway intelligent. I'm so aggravated with myself that I have no motivation to write a blog post. But it's been nearly a week, so I have to write something.
I had a chronic case of writers block in 2008. The affliction just kept getting worse until the end of '09. Happily, this year it is mostly gone.
Sometimes the products of a frustrating writer's block turn out to be popular articles. Read A Revolting Week for a great example of a success story.
I listen to music to not only calm my rattled nerves, but to help me write. Most writers agree that some types of music are helpful when you write. I recommend Yanni's Nightingale unless you're writing a fast- paced action scene.



If you try to begin a short story, but don't write a skeleton first, you may suffer a writers block. I experience this all the time because I often sit down at the computer with the intention of writing a story for no reason other than I just feel like it.

Sometimes it's hard to be patient with a writers block. I nearly gave up writing during my chronic writers block. If you just persist the writers block will go away. If you have true ardor for writing, you can beat the block.

Short Story Skeleton

A ghostly white form with craters for eyes is walking toward you. All you did was decide to start a short story, and this bony humanoid is telling you it's a necessary part of your writing experience. Don't scream in horror, it's only the skeleton of your short story.

Everything substantial has a skeleton, and a short story is one of them. A story's "skeleton" is merely the fundamental beginnings of your story. Every good writer thinks and plans their story before actually starting to write. Before you write the first sentence, you'll need to make out a blueprint for your story. Here are some rules and tips:

1. Your passion for your story is crucial. If you don't have a deep, burning desire to write your story, it'll never get done. How the writer feels about a book really shows. Think about your story all the time, and have faith in it. Don't ever make the fatal mistake of letting yourself think a perfectly fine idea is wrong because you don't have enough experience, or because your last story was rejected. 
2. An idea journal is also important. Buy a small notepad and whenever you have an idea for your book, write it down. Here are a few examples of how you should do this:

4.20.10
I was reading a book last night and thought of something. My heroine is going to be the daughter of a lawyer and his wife is a cashier at the local grocery.
4.22.10
This morning I realized my heroine's name. It will be Vicki. 
4.23.10
I think in the end Vicki will be in a field, beginning her first novel. I just feel it seems right....my thoughts may change later in the writing. 
4.25.10
I thought of a name for my story. It will be The Precaution. 

 3. Be patient, because creating your skeleton is a process which will make you quite eager to begin your manuscript. A tip to remember is not to start writing until you can tell the story of your characters life beginning to end; even what happens after the curtains are closed to the reader.

4.  If you are interested in art, you might want to draw pictures of incidents in your character's life. The visual experience may help you to gain insight into your characters and also to make you more motivated. If you don't like drawing, you can just write mini-stories about your character. I'm pretty sure you like to write!

These were just some ideas for creating a skeleton for your short story. Just remember, if you're afraid of it, you can scare the skeleton itself. When your short story's skeleton is afraid it collapses. Those brittle bones just might break if you don't do it right. Be brave and enjoy!