Pages From My Journal

    This week has been crazy, and I feel terrible about not blogging in forever. I have fifty million posts trapped in my brain, but unfortunately a New Deal essay, Crime and Punishment analysis, and scholarship applications have jumped to the front of the line. In addition to my normal crazy life, I got a sinus infection and played in an indoor soccer tournament. Oh, and my sister comes home from college tonight, and our room is a mess.      Through this craziness, I have been reminded that no one can handle life on their own. Life is crazy. Life was not meant to be easy. Life certainly doesn't understand when "I'm done."      Life takes mommy's hugs. Don't tell me you're too old for mommy hugs, you know when you need them.      Life takes cups and cups (I'm talking giant cups) of coffee.      Life takes friends who bring you coffee when you run out.  ...

     So I’m a little excited about getting my first piece of fiction published in a magazine. It’s exciting to have editors enjoy more than just my poetry. I’ll share more details as April draws nearer.             In celebration, I’m giving away a hand painted watercolor print of William Wordsworth’s quote, “Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.” This quote really explains what it’s like to be a writer and the role of emotions in the stories we craft. The story that will be published soon, “Map Maker’s Hotel,” has emotions as a major driving force.    *due to the cost of postage, please only US entries. a Rafflecopter giveaway

You might have this amazing story that thrusts your fantastic characters into the journey of the century and teach the world the true meaning of life, but unless your world feels real, your readers will have a hard time investing themselves into your story.  There is only one good way that I know of to make a fictional world feel real:   Ask the big questions. Don't just make a list of whats, or jot down a bunch of single word answers for a fill-in-the-blank worksheet. These provide a good place to start, a way to get your brain moving, but simple facts with no history or uncertain future do not create the deep worlds that drive some of the best stories. Ask "why," "how," and "what if things were different?" Perhaps you know how your government works. Why does it function the way it does? What would it take to crumble? Perhaps you know the history of your people. What if they believe something else entirely wrong?  ...

    Break out the extra cup of coffee and the gluten free cupcakes.  This weekend, I learned that Splickety magazine acquired one of my flash fiction stories. Speculative fiction has only recently become an interest of mine, and I've never been one to write short pieces. I'm excited to see God do something bigger with my fiction, and I hope that he will continue to share my writing for others to read.  This story was written merely as a challenge for myself. Could I herd all the scatter brain thoughts in my head into one cohesive story? It seems that I have succeeded.  The magazine issue will come out in April. I'll post here when it's out, but check out the Splickety website to learn more about them.  Changes like this remind me that God really is in control of everything. ~ Alyson