Friday 25 February 2011

Writing endeavours

Well I am underway with the start of my fiction writing.  But where is my faith?  I read a few completed paragraphs to hubby and he says he likes it - does he or is he just saying that so he can go back to reading his book?  I have tried to show and not tell, but is the quality good enough to send off as a submission to a competition?  I want to take my work to open mic at my writers group, but what if they all think it's crap?  They won't tell me-will they?  No, I think they will just say - thanks Meredith and quickly move on to the next reading which is sure to reinforce the very reason why I am having reservations right now. 
I have even gone to the length of buying the latest editions of some anthology's I aspire to submit to.  This was in hope that I would gain a better appreciation of the style and quality of writing.  I read some stories, in particular the winning entries- there great, no question; can I do better - probably not with a big PROBABLY NOT!  Then I read some other stories, some good, some a bit out there and they lose me, or I lose them, I'm not sure.  Then I read some more, keeping the rules of writing in the back of my mind.  What voice or point of view would be best to tell my story, have I chosen the right voice?  And hang on I don't have any conflict in my story - what!  What conflict?  And dialogue; can't I write a story without dialogue? Would that still be okay, after all the story still moves in pace?
So now I don't know if my story sucks or not.  And I have just finished reading an article from the latest Writing magazine which tells me if I publish my story on-line for you all to comment on, then I can't submit it for any competitions, because quite simply I have already published it?
What should I do?  A little help please!

2 comments:

  1. Oh ye has so little faith in one self!
    Meredith! I love you heaps...you know that right. I'm always honest with you...I say go for it! To be totally honest not everyone is going to like everything you write, but, most will. You've worked so hard on your writing you owe it to yourself to put it out there and take the chances that are on offer. If you fail, pick your self up and give it another go, isn't this what we tell our children, after all, it is character building. With better character comes more experience and better writing.
    Trace

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