What's the point?
A lot, actually! Nothing really matters, but also, everything matters?
I love how writing helps me think. I love to read and I care for it as a beautiful habit, but my writing has long been constrained to work initiatives and Facebook posts. I’m happy to be cultivating a writing habit with a hefty nudge by my friend and brother-from-another-mother, Ray Danner.
So far
Ray has been cultivating his own career as a writer, and he encouraged me this past winter to join a short story competition run by NYC Midnight. This is a paid competition that guarantees human feedback on your submission, so with a little skin in the game, I was on the hook to write.
I struggled with my prompt but ended up writing a story I was happy with (All the Queen’s Goats, now available here!). The feedback process takes months, and I hadn’t thought much about it, so I was extra pleasantly surprised to learn that I placed first in my group (roughly 25 writers) and was moving on to the second round.
What’s next?
My submission for Round 2 is in the judges’ hands. I’ll add it here once Round 2 is over and we are given the green light to publish.
NYC Midnight is running a Flash Fiction Challenge, and I’m in!
I’m enjoying the short story format more than I ever have and will use this site to host other stories.
I also find it incredibly useful to use writing to organize my thinking about current events and other topics, so I plan to blog here.
Lastly, I’ve really enjoyed the supportive community I’ve found in the NYC Midnight Forum and hope to expand on that in other online spaces.
Please consider checking out these faves of mine!
Two Princes of the Caribbean - This is my favorite short story by Ray. I think I like it more than he does!
Middle School Track: The Downfall - A timely post from the archives from my niece Hannah, because my youngest son is currently on his middle school track team.
Last One Out, Turn Out the Lights - How do you write satire in today’s absurdist political climate? Ray takes a stab and creates some laugh-out-loud moments.