Darkness, Literary Submissions, and SFWA

I am sooo excited about 2014.

This is because, like I said I would, I've revamped my approach to many things. But what has me so pumped? The suddenly discovered new dream of joining the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.

Considering I have yet to publish any short stories in a professional market, I have a little ways to go towards this dream, but I'm confident. Admittedly, it may take me a little while and a series of other unqualified market publications before I have enough to qualify for membership (It's quite a grueling process if you aren't traditionally published already, which, ha! Is a grueling process in itself!). Still, I know I will succeed in this endeavor.

This membership is more of a tertiary goal than a primary or even secondary one. My primary goal is to gain more exposure for my work. I plan on doing that by publishing short stories related to or at least in the genres of my novels. I came around to this plan (and the series of subsequent goals) in a weird way.

I had a dark moment.

A really, profoundly, and utterly disturbing moment.

Talking about this to Christian, my husband, as we walked around our neighborhood one night got me thinking about I how I could deal with this darkness.

And then it hit me - I should write a story! I've dealt with other things through writing, why not this? I wrote the thing in one sitting - maybe an hour tops. And I was amazed. I was amazed because I wrote something completely unexpected in a genre I never write: horror.

How weird is that? This genre that I almost never read, hardly ever watch, and certainly never write, ended up being the motivation to get back into the saddle and send out some submissions.

I don't know why these things happen the way they do, and I don't know why my search for magazines to submit to yielded such completely different markets than I'd previously found. All I know is, this is definitely a new year.

Am I Wrong? - Belief and the Twitter Feed

I recently got the first rejection in my third batch of query letters for JEREMIAH.

Being pregnant and trying to sell a book might not be the best idea. It's so easy to feel discouraged after receiving so many rejection letters and not getting responses at all from so many other agents. It makes me question if I'm on the right track at all - like maybe I should try something else.

Then, in a bout of ill-conceived masochistic midnight boredom, I looked at my Twitter feed. I follow a lot of writers. They post about their books. They post good reviews and about their successes. It makes me feel stupid, pointless - small. I read quotes about their books that are the exact opposite thing of what I want to read. The more I read of YA generally, the more disgusted I become.

And I wonder...am I wrong?

Am I ahead of the curve?

Am I just plain wrong?

People don't seem interested in whole families that care for one another or deal with real issues. They want pulpy, fluffy twaddle that makes them feel like shit.

Who are these people and why are they so stupid??

I know I'm a good writer. I know I'm on to something in my books. I need someone else in a position of advocacy to know this too.

Where are you friend and confidante? Where are you champion of value and morality? Find me! My voice echoes in empty darkness leaving me dejected and doubting.

The universe conspires to bring us together, groping, and stumbling. I think we all need to pick up the pace.