One of the biggest challenges of a freelancing career is organization, at least in my experience. There’s a fine line between being organized yet flexible; after all, flexibility is one of the best perks of being self-employed. However, if you don’t stay focused on some level, all kinds of things can fall through the cracks and become lost and wandering. This, friends and neighbors, can cost you money and inspire a level of frustration in which you invent scathing swear words not fit for human ears.

There are some things to keep in mind when you’re embarking on a freelance career. It’s not as simple as just reaching for a pen, keyboard or crayon and scribbling away. You have to think about an online presence; marketing; pricing; accounting; prospecting, and at long last, writing. (And you thought you were just going to be writing, didn’t you? Hah. A freelancer must wear many hats.)

Becoming organized is different for every person. What works for one person might not work for you. The trick is to try a combination of things and figure out a way to maximize your work day to achieve your full potential. Once you get into a routine, your days become smoother and more productive. (That’s the theory, anyway. Work with me here, people.)

I can tell you some of what works for me, but to be truthful, it’s a work in process. I’ve learned a lot about my work habits over the last year or so, and instead of fighting them, I’ve embraced them. Know thyself, and to thine own self be true — just because you might not fit into the mold of writer you’ve read about or admired doesn’t mean you don’t have your own mold.

Making a list: I am a strong believer in making a list. Actually, I make several lists. I’ll detail out a weekly list of the goals or deadlines I need to meet, but I usually don’t write out a daily list until the night before. Sometimes, not until the very morning in question. Since things have a habit of changing on an almost hourly basis, I retain some flexibility and yet have a plan of some kind in black and white to which I can refer. My daily list may look something like this:

• Finish the edits for Chapter 4.
• TSB prompt (D/L Sunday.)
• Post for WW.
• Post for OF.
• Drops.
• Check work sites.
• Pimpage and networking.
• Newsletter shite (D/L 1/16.)

I keep in mind my weekly goals and deadlines, and what I don’t get to on this day will roll over to tomorrow.  I don’t obsess, but I do keep in mind what’s looming up, and by loosely scheduling certain actions, I keep ahead of my deadlines, which take priority over ANYTHING else. I use a calendar (actually, several, if you must know — I have a sickness regarding calendars, I can never have enough calendars…gah.)

Discipline: There are so many things that can distract you from your primary purpose, no matter your best intentions or what purpose you have scheduled for the day. As I may have mentioned before, research is especially seductive to me — oh, the siren’s call that echos! The enticing information that lies just beyond the next click! The answers to all my burning questions that are contained on just that next website! There are so many fabulous resources on the ‘net, and we’re not even talking about games, shiny things, and tempting tasty tidbits regarding your favorite hobbies, interests, or passions. Have a question about some obscure factoid you can’t quite remember? So, so easy to go to Google search to scratch that itchy brain. But beware! It’s entirely possible to fall into a timesink and next thing you know, it’s four hours later and you’ve lost some productive hours.

Exert some self-control! Schedule time to pursue such fascinating ‘net vistas, such as after you have completed some task you planned for the day.  Set a timer or alarm on either your cell phone or on your computer, and when it goes off, proceed to your next project immediately. Scribble the burning question on a pad you keep on your workspace, and refer to it later. You might be surprised at the level of self-accomplishment you feel when resisting the pull of the non-work related internet and getting back to business.

Networking duties: Actually, you are always networking as a freelancer. If you’re not, you should be. That being said, in order to make my day more productive, there are certain programs I keep closed until I know the bulk of my work is done for the day, or until my brain cells start emitting smoke, fire, and a weird screaming sound that won’t stop until I take a break.

For me, networking is one of the best parts of this business. I love people, I love talking to people, I love sharing tips, bon mots, and great links to visit. HOWEVER…I know if I keep certain programs open, I will be sucked into the time/space continuum and I will lose hours, days, weeks…not to mention money and opportunities, so I try to keep track of how much time I’m Facebooking, Twittering, checking email and generally socializing. It’s a fine balance, and it’s taken me some time to figure out what works best for me.

Keep your desktop, email, and bookmarks organized: I know, this is funny to me, also. Still, it only took a couple of times for me to waste precious HOURS digging through files and photos to find exactly what I was looking for to teach me to file it correctly the first time, or at least clean things up more than once a year. Not only does it make things easier to find and saves you time and stress, it also has the added bonus of making your computer run quicker when it has less to sort through when booting up. I’ve organized all my files into folders, then incorporated all my folders into one master folder, which is the only thing on my desktop besides assignments that are due this week. Not only is it less stressful to look at a busy desktop, booting up now is a lot quicker.

These are the things that work best for me as far as getting organized. Got any hot tips? I’m willing to try anything once, so leave your suggestions in the comments and I’ll be very grateful. Until then, I hope something here has helped you out, and I’d love to know if that were the case.

Sub-title: Traveling Around the Blogosphere

I run across so many great sites, I thought I’d list the best of the best here every Tuesday. Some of them are helpful, some of them are inspiring, some are just quirky. They might be writing-related, and they might not. A good freelancer and flasher is a well-rounded person, and you can learn a lot by wasting time visiting other sites.

A combination of the useful and the quirky, I highly recommend Mercenary Writer’s Press. “All the writing without the pretention” is their mantra — their Kung Fu is strong, even though their preferred torture device is plural gerunds. You might need to invest in Depends Undergarments, but it’s worth it.

Quarter-life Lady is the blog of a twenty-something woman blogging about the transition into adulthood as experienced by many young ladies. While it’s true I have socks older than 25, it’s also true I thoroughly enjoy reading about the trials and tribulations of that particular period of life. It brings back some great memories, as well as offering insights I have forgotten but still have great value even though I’m twice her age. (Gak. Can that be true??)

A freelance writer’s blog by Kristen King, Inkthinker Blog offers some fabulous inside information on the career of a freelancer. Online since January 2006, there’s tons of tips and tidbits regarding writing for a living that are very much worth a read.

Another freelancer blog, The Other ~F~ Word is one of my new favorites. Excellent information and inspiration, I’ve learned a lot by visiting Lydia’s blog, and am very grateful for her generosity in sharing.

If you’re craving a bit of the funny to pass the day, you must visit Wit’s Bitch. The woman is a riot, and if I’m stuck neck-deep in some project that makes me feel like poking my eye out with a coat hangar, I visit her for a while and I feel so much better.

Do you need a further distraction? Killer Broccoli is just what you need. By now, everyone must be aware of the conspiracy of the vegetables to take over our world. Do your part to eradicate this menace.

Peeking into the lives of others might be illegal in several states, but peeking into the brain of a real-life success story such as Peephole in my Skull is still legal, as far as I know. Mark the name of Peter V. Brett, friends and neighbors. He is the Next Big Thing, and I can’t WAIT for the release of “The Warded Man” March 9th.

Those are my favorites of the past week; make sure when you visit to leave some comment love, bookmark, stumble, digg, or whatever floats your boat. These people work hard at providing quality content, and it’s only right to say thanks.

Excuse me now, while I go annihilate some broccoli.  Heh.

As a freelancer and budding entrepreneur, it’s a fact that you have to multi-task and wear a lot of different hats. The tasks you have to accomplish in one day resembles a juggling act of Olympic proportions. The flexibility required is enormous, and if you can’t adapt, you’re likely to pull great swatches of greying hair from your head. As you become more successful, you can outsource some of these necessary evils, but in the meantime, you’re the one in charge. Scary, isn’t it?

These are just some of the duties you’ll be undertaking in the Wild World of Freelancing:

• Accountant: You work for yourself now, bub. Ain’t nobody keeping track of your income and expenses for the dreaded year-end tax accounting; this is something you have to do for yourself. It’s your responsibility to document each and every penny coming in and going out. There are a lot of good software programs to help you with this, but you have to learn them. Plan on spending a good chunk of time learning what you need to maintain the program you choose, but get an early start. If you leave this to too late in the year (or horrors! the very end!) those hours will triple or more and you’ll regret it.
• Webmaster: Whether you like it or not, you have to have some familiarity with the tools of the trade. If you don’t have a blog or webpage of your services yet, you should. That means learning basic HTML coding, how to get around your chosen platform, trouble shooting, how to code links, not to mention the basics of buying and maintaining a domain, hosting, and probably a million other things I’m forgetting. The learning curve is high, but if you take it in small steps, not impossible. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time, my friends. One bite at a time. Take advantage of help forums, friends with tech knowledge, and take notes! Again, you can outsource a lot of this work, but knowing what you need and what to ask for really helps in the long run.
• Social Networker: Networking is a huge part of the freelance career. You sure can’t exisit in a vacuum, and the face of freelancing (as in publishing in general, but that’s a subject for another post) is changing daily. The best way to keep up is to network with your fellow freelancers. This means becoming educated about social networking sites and how to connect. Don’t spread yourself too thin; you need to evaluate each social site to determine what is best suited to you, what you expect to get out of it, and how much it costs you in time to maintain. Not all social sites are equal, and if you’re not comfortable there, you won’t spend the time needed. What you’re looking for is quality, not quantity. It is of no value to have umpteen contacts if 80% of them are spammers or entities just looking for a number.

I just want to say on this subject that you get what you give. When I started my writing career and all along the way, I’ve  met some very giving, generous and supportive people. I have never forgotten that and I try my best to pay it forward. Like all karma, it eventually comes back to you. Build your reputation carefully; no spamming, no scamming, and no bullshitting. Word gets around quicker than you can blink if you act in anything but an honorable way. Keep that in mind. Help people along, be kind, be an asset to your community or you’re going to wake up someday with nothing to show for all your hard work but a bad taste in your mouth.

• News Hound: As mentioned above, the face of freelancing and publishing is changing daily. You have to stay informed and on the cutting edge; scour the news for impending trends and information needed by the public in general and clients in particular; whatever is new,  interesting,  and relevant. Your mind must be a sponge.
• Internet marketer: Although it’s probably one of the least favorite of all chores (besides the accountant thing, gah) a writer really must promote themselves. You can’t just sit back and wait for jobs, opportunities or your big break to come to you; you have to go looking for them and you have to make it easy for them to find you. They don’t know how to find you until you get yourself out there. Maybe not all, but many IM  principles will help launch your career to the next level.
• Blog reader (and commentor): Again, this relates to being a good participant in community. You can learn a great deal from reading the sites of others not only in your profession or area of expertise, but in a host of others. Don’t set the circle so close; it pays to read a variety of different blogs. Internet marketers, journalists, mommy bloggers, accountants, webmasters — all the hats  you need to wear. Pay attention and keep a notebook handy for the tips and information that really speaks to you and your particular niche. Leave a thank-you comment if the article or blog has helped you. These people work hard too, and if something they’ve provided has helped, it’s only polite to say thanks.

It’s quite a list, isn’t it? By no means is it complete, or I’d be here all night, and I don’t know about you, but I have some hats to wear. Don’t be intimidated — one bite at a time. To build and sustain a successful freelance career takes time and commitment (no, not to a looney bin, although that’s an option) so don’t expect overnight success. However, keep plugging away and don’t give up.

“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” ~ Richard Bach.

Like I was saying, making a list (no! please dont’ sing it again!) is a great way to maintain your motivation, work flow and inspiration. However, life can really knock one out of the park when it wants to. Thus, the deviation from my semi-regular blog posting. I have recovered from 48 hours in a coma to drag myself to the keyboard to post, in case you thought I fell into a black hole.

Because I have been keeping a list, I’m only a wee bit behind, and hopefully will be able to catch up and maybe even get ahead. Hey, a girl can dream.

The moral of this little story? Make plans, and the Universe laughs. Still, make them anyway. Amusing the Universe can’t hurt, right?

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My Ruminations of the Week (discuss amongst yourselves):

1. A writer writes. The subject doesn’t matter; the genre or format doesn’t matter. There will be some you are better at than others, but writers WRITE. Fiction, non-fiction — for the web or in print.

2. A web presence of some kind is essential for a writing career. Whether it’s a blog, a bio-page, or a portfolio of work, you need an internet storefront of some kind. Setting up a free blog is easy, and you should at least own your own domain name before someone else buys it.

3. Networking is an important part of a writing career. If it seems like I’m repeating myself, I am. But, you can’t just sit there with an account, you have to actively participate. Why should anyone offer your a Re-Tweet, visit your site, whatever, unless you show some support? Become involved and offer value. If nothing else, at least you’re banking good karma, and who knows where the roads of networking lead?

4. Being sick SUCKS.

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Updates as time and health allow. In the meantime, think about what I’ve said — make a list, network, get your own blog/site going, but most of all — WRITE. Now get out there and do it.

To be a freelance writer, you have to possess the skills of a juggler, the flexibility of a contortionist, and have the thick skin of a rhinoceros. Oh, it’s a circus, make no mistake.

The definition of a writer, according to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary:

Writer: (noun) One that writes.

That’s it. That’s all it says. It doesn’t mention the hours of work, the gallons of blood, the oceans of tears and sweat. One that writes. It doesn’t mention the fact you have to market yourself, that you have to have a working knowledge of the internet, how to run a blog, how to drive traffic or how to optimize your presence on the web. These all important skills we need as writers in order to be successful writers. (By “successful” I mean making a living. Even Stephen King has had to do book signings and promotional work.)

Okay. At least that is established – we write. Does it matter what we write? Fiction: Flash fiction, short stories, novellas, novels, screenplays, theatrical work? Non-fiction: Articles, web copy, ad copy, blogs, memoirs, books, biographies?

To embrace a label is to be not only defined by the label, but limited to it. If you are a competent writer, schooled in structure, grammar, and punctuation, does it matter what kind of material to which you apply yourself? In my opinion – no.

If you can write an article, you can write a novel. If you can write a screenplay, you can write copy. If you can write at all, you can write anything. You might be stronger in some areas than another, but don’t let a label set your definition of what you do. Editors and employers need a label in order to market your work; you may need them in order to market yourself. That’s fine, but don’t let a label or market definition interfere with the basic precept – you are a writer.

Honing your skills in different formats can only enrich the process as a whole. Writing fiction can teach you a lot about pace, structure and creativity. Writing flash fiction can teach you the value of the well-placed word and conciseness. Writing articles can teach you discipline, more structure and Mad Research Skillz.

Don’t be afraid to branch out into areas in which you haven’t ventured, because you’ve thought of yourself as only one kind of writer. You might not be successful in every endeavor you undertake, but often we learn more from our failures than we do our successes.

Think outside the box and take a chance. It’s fun, it’s a learning experience, and you never know what you will uncover once you take the label off. So, strip off the label and get naked – and write!

Image by Pablo Moran Jr. via Flickr

Today’s economy sucks, and we all know it. The daily news is rife with information about how difficult it is to work in ANY profession, and freelance writing is just one of them. Freelancing as a writer is difficult under the best of circumstances. Situations change on a daily, almost hourly, basis. What can you do to ride the waves?

Two words – flexibility and persistence, my friends. If flexible and persistent aren’t part of the vocabulary, it might be time to think of another profession. Work opportunities will come and go as fast as blinking your eyes. What might be a great paying gig today could be gone tomorrow. The competition is fierce, reliable job opportunities scarce, and staying motivated and focused can seem impossible.

You know more than you think. If you are a competent writer, writing about any subject is possible, but sticking to the things you know best or are most passionate about increases the chances of scoring a job. Your personal experiences, hobbies and outlook have a great impact on the work that’s most comfortable for you. Comfort means a better work ethic and better material produced.

Make a list. Ask yourself these questions:

What are your hobbies? What do you know about these hobbies? For example, say you like to craft origami. There are many people out there that would love to know what you do about origami. There are ins and outs of this hobby you might know that other people don’t. Same goes for anything from crossword puzzles to quilting to making reticello lace.

What jobs have you held? For instance, say you spent a summer as a dancing hamburger. What are the dos and don’ts of a dancing hamburger? What are the pitfalls? Someone out there might be thinking of taking a similar job, what would your advice to them be?

What are you passionate about? The environment, social issues, maybe the love of a certain place?

Have you taken classes of some kind? Were they corporate classes, college courses, lessons on scrapbooking? What was the experience like, and what did you learn (other than the information the class provided?)

These are just three examples of how you know more than you think. The list just produced will come in very handy in your quest for a freelance writing career. Thinking outside the box is a key component in making it work.

Looking for freelance work can be a full-time job in itself. The smart freelancer has more than one egg in their basket, and is looking to generate passive income as well as active projects. What do I mean by that?

Keep your options open. If writing an “audition” article and it’s not accepted, assuming you retain all rights, think of posting it on a site like Helium, Constant Content, or any one of a number of sites that pay something. It might not end up being a huge amount of money, but that’s an egg in your basket. Become the master or mistress of “spin”. You’ve already done the research work and have the sources documented — the information is right there. Spin the article from another point of view, another angle, and make it fresh and original. Switch it up, change it around, and you have another article!

I have experience with Helium and Constant Content, and here’s how they work.

With Helium, write an article and post it. You will earn money according to the views, or impressions, of the articles. They might be pennies, but pennies add up quicker than you think. Of course, volume counts – the more articles, the more impressions. Helium does require a bit of participation – you don’t earn unless you’ve read and rated a certain amount of other articles, but it’s easy to keep up. If a premier writer’s badge for the quality of work is earned (depending on your rating by other Helium users) you are also eligible to audition for Premier Marketplace assignments, and these pay really well. Keep in mind once an article is posted, it’s there for life. You can’t sell that particular article for unique rights, but you can post it on Constant Content for usage rights (meaning your article can be sold over and over again. See below.) Or, you can exercise the Power of the Spin and put together another article. Helium can also serve as an online portfolio of your work. Their payout threshold is $25.00, or donations of earnings to charity are an option. You can also earn from referrals, so if you sign up there, make sure you tell them I sent you.

Constant Content is a website that brokers articles. Write a unique article, and submit it to their editor review for quality. Once listed, you determine which rights and price you wish to sell. Clients then browse and choose the articles they wish to buy. Constant Content takes a commission, but the good thing is you post it, price it, and forget it. No marketing required, and additional money can be earned through special and private requests. Their payout is $50.00.

That’s just two examples of passive income. Think outside the box and squeeze every earning potential from your work as you can. Spin, post, and then write and spin some more. Use your own base of knowledge; use the research; be smart about your assets. Creativity is not limited to what you write – it’s also in how you fill your basket.

Image via Wikipedia

Just like you wouldn’t open the hood of a car with a vegetable peeler in your hand and expect to change the spark plugs, there are certain tools that are essential to your writing career. Sure, you might be able to get the spark plugs out and changed, but it would take a lot longer and you won’t do a good job. Here are some must-haves for embarking on a writing career:

1. Computer , website and internet access. Although this may seem like a no-brainer, the truth is the writing profession has undergone many changes as technology has erupted. It’s much easier to send articles and manuscripts via email; many places offer online submission; some won’t take them any other way. Often, employers will want samples of your work, and the easiest way to showcase these are on your very own personal website.

Investing in a state-of-the-art computer is a must. Get as much as you can afford — this is an investment that will pay off big-time. To start with, the only software you need is a good word processing package. Websites, or blogs, are easy to set up and can be done at low or NO cost. You’ll need a reliable internet service provider with an email address you can access several times a day.

2.  Buy a printer. Most of your submissions will be done via email, however, it’s helpful to have a printer for those publications that still do it the old-fashioned way. In addition, sometimes it’s easier to edit your work if you print it out and read it over in paper form. Again, purchase the best you can afford. Office equipment can be tax deductible; save your receipts for the year-end tallying at tax time.

3. Paper, notebooks and pens, oh my! Some things never change. Keeping a pad of paper handy next to your computer gives you the option of scribbling ideas, to-do lists and other flashes of inspiration when working on different projects. As a writer, you should go NOWHERE without a pocket notebook and a pen. You never know when the muse will strike, when you may overhear an interesting conversation or witness an event you’ll wish you recorded.

4. Thesaurus, dictionary and Strunk and White. This is the Holy Trinity for writers. You can use the online versions, such as the one included in your nifty writing software, but it’s a good idea to have the hardcopy by your side. You can easily access information about correct use of grammar, look up that pesky word you thought you knew how to spell, or find the other word tickling the tip of your tongue.

5. Imagination and curiosity. These two traits are mandatory for a writer, whether you’re writing fiction or non-fiction. You must be able to imagine how other people feel or how they view a subject in order to present your information in a helpful way. Research is an integral part of writing; insatiable curiosity is one of your most valuable tools.

6. A thick skin. Rejection is never pretty, but developing a thick skin is a necessity in this business. Not every editor will love your stellar prose, and not every article will find the perfect home the first time. Don’t take this as a personal affront — it just means your piece is not in the right place at the right time. If you are lucky enough to receive feedback, pay attention and utilize it. Most likely you’ll get nothing more than a “no thanks”, but that’s okay, too. Review, revise, and keep it out there until it sells.

In the next article, I’ll detail the Top Websites You Can’t Do Without. In the meantime, these basic tools are all you need to get started. Open the hood and get to work!

Image by DanielaNob via Flickr

That’s a good question, and I wish I had a good answer.

The truth of the matter is, as some of you might know, I lost my momma in August and the world has not been the same since. I’ve been trying very hard not to fall into the Abyss of Depression, but it’s been a difficult battle. Words don’t come as easily now as they once did, and this causes me no small amount of angst.

I guess everyone deals with a Major Life-Changing Event in their own way, and I have to constantly do a self-check — and I have to stop being so hard on myself. Why is it so difficult to be as kind to myself as I am to other people? Dunno. A Mystery of the Universe, at least for right now, because it’s too damned early in the morning to do an intense self-examination.

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In writing news, Duotrope has posted some great new paying markets, especially for speculative fiction. If you’re a spec-fic writer, it’s worth signing up for their weekly newsletter. I have never gotten any spam of any kind by sharing my email with them.

Although I have been primarily focused on writing non-fiction lately, these professional paying markets are nudging me toward submitting fiction again. Most of my pieces need a good re-haul before strutting out on the street again, but I’m thinking it might be worth it to do that. I’m really trying to pick up the pieces; it’s fitting them together that’s been the challenge.

For non-fiction work, the Core Creative Group is back up and running after a few months on hiatus. I’ve applied for a couple of job openings I found there — it’s nice not to have to scour the interwebz for this stuff, and to find it all in one place. They only post the highest paying gigs, so you’re not wasting your time writing for pennies. Although in this economy, every penny counts. I’ll let you know what happens, as it happens.

Funds For Writers, edited by C. Hope Clark, is another fabulous resource for writers. If you haven’t checked her out yet, I highly encourage you to do so. She also puts out a very informative newsletter, spam-free.

Last but not least, a newly revamped World Wide Freelance offers markets, information and free articles to use on your website. They also have a weekly newsletter and premier services available for a small fee. (I’ve stuck with the free version, at least until my pennies start turning to dollars.)

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It’s a lot of work, looking for work. Sometimes it takes as much or MORE time to look for markets than it does to write the piece in the first place. Still, that’s part of the job and I know these  websites and newsletters has made it easier for me — I hope they do for you, as well.

Here’s to better writing days ahead.

*Author’s note: I am in no way affiliated with the above websites and I receive no payment or compensation in any way, shape or form by featuring them here.

I came into writing late in life. I think I was forty-one or two (the years become hazy when you get past twenty-five) when I wrote my first short story, although I had written some pieces in high school and edited a newsletter for an insurance company I used to work for. Life before this time was very….confining, let’s say, and not conducive to the creative process.

I was lucky enough to fall into a great workshop for flash fiction. I also fell in love with that form.

There are many definitions of flash and it revolves around word count and content. Genre lines are blurred.

Let’s take word count first.

Word count for flash depends on who you’re talking to. Some publications (both online and print) describe flash fiction as a story under 1500 words. Under 1000. Under 750. Under 500.

Then you have your micro-fiction as a piece fewer than 500. Under 250. Under 100. Or even more whacked, at 55.

So, basically, if you write a story under 1500 words, chances are it’s flash.

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As far as content -

The traditional outlook is a story, even flash – or maybe especially flash – has a definite beginning, middle and end.

Not so popular is the opinion not only can flash be traditional, but it can also be a snapshot of an emotion, situation, or transition. It doesn’t have to have a beginning, middle and end to stand on its own. It doesn’t have to answer all the questions, tie everything up in a neat package, and do all the thinking for the reader.

This isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Some readers don’t want to think, that’s why Danielle Steel is so popular. (Ouch. Okay, that was a little harsh, but the truth often is.) Some readers want to be taken by the hand and led to point A, on to point B, and so forth. I’m not one of those readers, and I can’t be one of those writers. I could, but I’d feel like a whore. That’s not what’s inside and if I faked it, to me it would negate the whole reason why I write.

Whoops…I’m digressing.

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I think with flash fiction it’s easier to blur the genre lines.

And what’s with genre, anyway? I realize, from marketing my own work, if you don’t know what label to apply to your pieces, the editors sure aren’t going to know what to do with them either. What a pain in the ass.

(I often spend much more time researching markets and formatting than I do actual writing. Bleh.)

What do I write, as far as genre?

I write speculative fic. I write creative non-fiction. I write memoirs, I write…well, I guess you would say “angst” pieces.

I love spec fic but I struggle with it. Mostly because I don’t trust my own instincts and that holds me back. This is a major wall I have to get through. My spec pieces are my longest works.

The angst pieces come easily to me, and I’m good at them. I like painting a picture of what is inside someone’s head, someone whom you would never suspect was having the thoughts that I portray. There’s enough truth in these pieces to make many people uncomfortable, and I like that too. These are the pieces that lend themselves to the flash format.

The creative non-fic and memoirs fall in between.

Still, I seem to be hard to place and that sucks. But I don’t want to conform my writing to the expectations of others – no, that doesn’t work for me at all.

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So that begs the question – why do I write? What for?

Because I can.

That’s not a flip remark. Although I’m not going into details, trust me when I say that’s not a flip remark.

Beyond that – I write because I need to. Yes, I’m serious about it. (Would someone who wasn’t serious attempt the NaNoWriMo thing with nothing more than a pen and a stack of yellow legal pads? Really, think about it.)

I’m not prolific, (although I have a decent body of work) I’m not disciplined and I’m not fast. My punctuation, grammar and sentence structure suck. I have very little formal education, I work too many hours to devote as much time as I would like, and I’m too hard on myself. I know I think too much.

Still, I love it and I will continue to work at it until…well, just until.

Whoops, digressed again.

****

Talent there has to be. But there also has to be dedication and a thirst for knowledge. A thirst to improve. I think I’m talented; I know I’m thirsty. I know I’m a better writer now than I was five years ago. I know I’m improving.

****

The point of all this?

There ain’t none.

Heh. All this way and no wise words of wisdom from the wise-mouth.

Image by *L*u*z*a* via Flickr

As promised (and just under the wire, heh) here are my suggestions for the flash from our Friday exercise:

Clapboard House specializes in Southern-flavored flash fiction. (Say that three times fast, heh!)

The Foliate Oak is another online literary journal that might fit our drawl, or give you inspiration to re-write for their guidelines.

Quick Fiction is another one that popped into my head when thinking about where the stories we have could find a home.

The usual disclaimer — make sure to review their guidelines carefully, and follow them. And remember, rejections are not personal attacks. It’s as much luck and serendipity as talent, as much perseverance as vision.

Good luck, and thanks for playing!