Julia Benally's Blog, page 21
July 20, 2017
Simultaneous submissions: Bait for Dozens of Fish (Magazines)
After getting a mass of rejection letters in one week, it felt like the world was coming to an end. Three came in one day. I had to go cry. My writing buddies were all getting accepted left and right, I was truly happy for them--but what about me? What was wrong with my stories?
Suddenly, it all came clear. NOTHING was wrong. I suddenly snapped. I grew furious. How dare the editors say my stories couldn't be published! How DARE they! I went mad, I went looking for magazines like never before. I cut out all the magazines that said they didn't accept simultaneous submissions--because that can be a one-way ticket to a long wait with a rejection letter at the end of it. By then, the deadlines for the other magazines have closed.
The night of the day that I snapped, I received an acceptance letter. A few weeks later I got another one, and the next day, another one. There were rejection letters in between, but I had hope because I had sent the stories out to multiple magazines. One was bound to get a bite. Some magazines, or fish, won't bite, but others will. If you drop the bait for lots of fish, one will have a taste for it.
Sometimes, you just have to explode.
Suddenly, it all came clear. NOTHING was wrong. I suddenly snapped. I grew furious. How dare the editors say my stories couldn't be published! How DARE they! I went mad, I went looking for magazines like never before. I cut out all the magazines that said they didn't accept simultaneous submissions--because that can be a one-way ticket to a long wait with a rejection letter at the end of it. By then, the deadlines for the other magazines have closed.
The night of the day that I snapped, I received an acceptance letter. A few weeks later I got another one, and the next day, another one. There were rejection letters in between, but I had hope because I had sent the stories out to multiple magazines. One was bound to get a bite. Some magazines, or fish, won't bite, but others will. If you drop the bait for lots of fish, one will have a taste for it.
Sometimes, you just have to explode.
February 27, 2017
Sunrise Ski Resort, a Place of Beauty, a Place of Ghosts
Located in Greer, Arizona, Sunrise Ski Resort is a beautiful spot full of mountains, forests, wide meadows and gorgeous sunsets. It's got the works, hot tub, game room, free Wi-Fi and is not far from the slopes. It also has a spookier face that no one mentions much.
The Sunrise Resort isn't just for people who ski. If you're looking to scare yourself silly, Sunrise is also an extremely haunted spot full strange noises, flickering lights and guests running--yes, running-- in the middle of the night because their television sets turn on for no reason, their animals panic, they hear footsteps walking up and down the halls when no one is there.
So if you're a ghost hunter, that's the place to be.If you want a spooky convention I highly recommend this place. If you truly want to know its creeptacular side, talk to the house keeping, the cooks, the people working in front. They are the ones who are there when the place is quiet, when it's dark, and when the ghosts come.
The Sunrise Resort isn't just for people who ski. If you're looking to scare yourself silly, Sunrise is also an extremely haunted spot full strange noises, flickering lights and guests running--yes, running-- in the middle of the night because their television sets turn on for no reason, their animals panic, they hear footsteps walking up and down the halls when no one is there.
So if you're a ghost hunter, that's the place to be.If you want a spooky convention I highly recommend this place. If you truly want to know its creeptacular side, talk to the house keeping, the cooks, the people working in front. They are the ones who are there when the place is quiet, when it's dark, and when the ghosts come.
December 16, 2016
Some editing tips
Have you looked at the prices of editing and realized that you would rather die than pay that? Plus, you have to do a lot of research, CAREFUL research, so you won't end up paying a con artist to do absolutely nothing. If you find an awesome editor, great! But if you'd rather go it alone, then here's a few tips on self editing.
Don't edit as you write. Get that story down first, because suppose you do edit as you write and then find out you want to do a whole re-write? An unnecessary waste of brain if you ask me. It would be like wading through a mire next to the bridge you could have crossed instead.
After all that's done, I start going through the chopping process, asking myself, "What/who doesn't fit?" "What/who makes no sense?" "Does this/person add to the story?" "Is my timing right?" "Would this scene be better here?" According to word count, how messy and clunky would something be if you kept it? You don't want to have something start in the day and then suddenly it's night IN THE SAME SCENE. How embarrassing. Chopping can be pretty fun. Get out your knives, stand over it and "MWAHAHAHAHA!!!"
I then start rearranging sentences. Each one counts. Cut down what feels too wordy. If you learn new skills during the story writing, apply them with vigor. It'll make you look more awesome. What I have problems with are what I call "glass pieces." They're so smooth, so flat, so perfect and unmoving. Break it up with a sledgehammer of dialogue, thoughts, actions, reactions, interactions, and not only will you edit well, your character is developed at the same time without telling about them at all.
I have someone read my piece to me out loud. Whenever they stumble over words I know that place isn't smooth and I have to fix it. If they turn to me all confused and ask too many questions I know I didn't make something clear. When they don't want to read anymore, warning bell, something's boring. They may not know what it is, but you will.
I read it backwards to myself. You know how in art some people will draw upside down? Same concept with writing. Turn it upside down and you'll see what needs help. Each sentence will be isolated and what is happening in the story line won't distract you.
After that, I let the story rest a day or two and I read it over again, making changes where it's needed. Sometimes I do that a few times. Something will nag at me. If I can't tell right then what it is, I put it away until the next day or after lunch, or whatever. I keep on until the nagging goes away. In that REALLY SLOW process, I find redundancies, words that had belonged in the 1st draft that I forgot to erase, typos, all that mess.
I also find that writing down the problems in a list helps a lot. I don't forget and as I fix and fix, I can check off each problem. It gives me a sense of security. Another thing is writing down your own problems as a writer. Do you use too many adverbs? Problems with redundancies? What about passive sentences? Or no passive sentences? Write them down, that way as you go through, you won't forget where your problem spots are and you can tackle them in the editing process.
Just like designing a room, after you finish with the paints on the wall, the furniture, the flooring, the fluidity of the room, you need accessories. Add those pretty tidbits that will really make the story pop. A flash of color here, something shiny there, a lovely description to make your reader feel and see.
If you have any other tips, feel free to comment below.
Don't edit as you write. Get that story down first, because suppose you do edit as you write and then find out you want to do a whole re-write? An unnecessary waste of brain if you ask me. It would be like wading through a mire next to the bridge you could have crossed instead.
After all that's done, I start going through the chopping process, asking myself, "What/who doesn't fit?" "What/who makes no sense?" "Does this/person add to the story?" "Is my timing right?" "Would this scene be better here?" According to word count, how messy and clunky would something be if you kept it? You don't want to have something start in the day and then suddenly it's night IN THE SAME SCENE. How embarrassing. Chopping can be pretty fun. Get out your knives, stand over it and "MWAHAHAHAHA!!!"
I then start rearranging sentences. Each one counts. Cut down what feels too wordy. If you learn new skills during the story writing, apply them with vigor. It'll make you look more awesome. What I have problems with are what I call "glass pieces." They're so smooth, so flat, so perfect and unmoving. Break it up with a sledgehammer of dialogue, thoughts, actions, reactions, interactions, and not only will you edit well, your character is developed at the same time without telling about them at all.
I have someone read my piece to me out loud. Whenever they stumble over words I know that place isn't smooth and I have to fix it. If they turn to me all confused and ask too many questions I know I didn't make something clear. When they don't want to read anymore, warning bell, something's boring. They may not know what it is, but you will.
I read it backwards to myself. You know how in art some people will draw upside down? Same concept with writing. Turn it upside down and you'll see what needs help. Each sentence will be isolated and what is happening in the story line won't distract you.
After that, I let the story rest a day or two and I read it over again, making changes where it's needed. Sometimes I do that a few times. Something will nag at me. If I can't tell right then what it is, I put it away until the next day or after lunch, or whatever. I keep on until the nagging goes away. In that REALLY SLOW process, I find redundancies, words that had belonged in the 1st draft that I forgot to erase, typos, all that mess.
I also find that writing down the problems in a list helps a lot. I don't forget and as I fix and fix, I can check off each problem. It gives me a sense of security. Another thing is writing down your own problems as a writer. Do you use too many adverbs? Problems with redundancies? What about passive sentences? Or no passive sentences? Write them down, that way as you go through, you won't forget where your problem spots are and you can tackle them in the editing process.
Just like designing a room, after you finish with the paints on the wall, the furniture, the flooring, the fluidity of the room, you need accessories. Add those pretty tidbits that will really make the story pop. A flash of color here, something shiny there, a lovely description to make your reader feel and see.
If you have any other tips, feel free to comment below.
September 30, 2016
Turning on your muse when it feels you can't squeeze anymore out of it
Some days, my muse for writing just turns completely off. I find sitting in front of the computer screen and wishing something to come just doesn't work. I saw a cartoon where a writer was doing just that. It was funny, but I don't think that cartoon character ever got her idea.
Sometimes when my muse goes off it's because my brain has worked too hard and has fainted. Give it a rest. My brain is constantly going, and even when I sleep it's going nuts, so sleep sometimes doesn't do it for me.
I've picked up cross stitching. Some people find it impossible to do, but it certainly empties my head, and on top of that, I come out with new Christmas ornaments, pictures for decorating, magnets, etc.... It's a productive way of not thinking. I also keep the sampler by my computer or notebook, so when I get stuck, I pick up the cross stitch. My brain is clear and I can focus. By the time I'm done with a row or two, I usually have the answer to my problem.
Another way I empty my brain, but is in no way productive, I play video games. Simple ones though, nothing that requires strategy, puzzles or anything like that, unless I know the game like the back of my hand. No wonder video gamers have low I.Q. But that's beside the point. It serves my tired brain well.
Leave the writing room. Go out for fresh air. Have a nice place you like to go? Go there, and do nothing at all but sight see. If the college student has to drop the books for a day so they can do better at school, so does the writer. Sometimes you just need a serious break. When you come back, you'll have fodder for your muse. You've got a writer's brain, so you'll always pick up fodder like a sponge soaks up water. No work or deliberate thinking involved.
Do something physical. Who cares what it is, as long as it empties your brain and gets your heart pumping. We can't have a bunch of dead writers because they died of heart failure. Death is not a good way to turn off your brain. Exercise puts a glow in your cheeks. Have you seen those pictures of writers in a dark room, pale as ghosts and blood shot eyes? Talk about creepy. We may have creepy stories to tell, but goodness, don't look like you came out of your own horror story.
Typing on the computer makes my brain think a million thoughts a second. You can't sprint all the time and expect never to get tired. Pick up a slower medium of writing. It'll force your brain to slow to a walk. Notebooks are always fun. You take them wherever you go. I don't know about you, but a pretty pen and a crisp notebook spurs my muse to write beautiful things. Ideas come, you take your time to write down something beautiful, and work on your penmanship. Think about it, if doctors worked on their penmanship, we'd all know what's written on that slip of paper you take to the pharmacy.
Sometimes what you write with is just ugly. Can you seriously create in a gray room with no windows and only a computer in front of you? I can't. I can't even keep a journal if the journal cover is ugly. I like pretty things, so if pretty things are what I have to buy or make, I will. Everybody's got a quirk. No shame in hiding it. We're artists that can do wonders with an intangible medium.
So get out there, have some fun, rejuvenate your brain, and come back with presents for your muse. It'll be fantastic.
Sometimes when my muse goes off it's because my brain has worked too hard and has fainted. Give it a rest. My brain is constantly going, and even when I sleep it's going nuts, so sleep sometimes doesn't do it for me.
I've picked up cross stitching. Some people find it impossible to do, but it certainly empties my head, and on top of that, I come out with new Christmas ornaments, pictures for decorating, magnets, etc.... It's a productive way of not thinking. I also keep the sampler by my computer or notebook, so when I get stuck, I pick up the cross stitch. My brain is clear and I can focus. By the time I'm done with a row or two, I usually have the answer to my problem.
Another way I empty my brain, but is in no way productive, I play video games. Simple ones though, nothing that requires strategy, puzzles or anything like that, unless I know the game like the back of my hand. No wonder video gamers have low I.Q. But that's beside the point. It serves my tired brain well.
Leave the writing room. Go out for fresh air. Have a nice place you like to go? Go there, and do nothing at all but sight see. If the college student has to drop the books for a day so they can do better at school, so does the writer. Sometimes you just need a serious break. When you come back, you'll have fodder for your muse. You've got a writer's brain, so you'll always pick up fodder like a sponge soaks up water. No work or deliberate thinking involved.
Do something physical. Who cares what it is, as long as it empties your brain and gets your heart pumping. We can't have a bunch of dead writers because they died of heart failure. Death is not a good way to turn off your brain. Exercise puts a glow in your cheeks. Have you seen those pictures of writers in a dark room, pale as ghosts and blood shot eyes? Talk about creepy. We may have creepy stories to tell, but goodness, don't look like you came out of your own horror story.
Typing on the computer makes my brain think a million thoughts a second. You can't sprint all the time and expect never to get tired. Pick up a slower medium of writing. It'll force your brain to slow to a walk. Notebooks are always fun. You take them wherever you go. I don't know about you, but a pretty pen and a crisp notebook spurs my muse to write beautiful things. Ideas come, you take your time to write down something beautiful, and work on your penmanship. Think about it, if doctors worked on their penmanship, we'd all know what's written on that slip of paper you take to the pharmacy.
Sometimes what you write with is just ugly. Can you seriously create in a gray room with no windows and only a computer in front of you? I can't. I can't even keep a journal if the journal cover is ugly. I like pretty things, so if pretty things are what I have to buy or make, I will. Everybody's got a quirk. No shame in hiding it. We're artists that can do wonders with an intangible medium.
So get out there, have some fun, rejuvenate your brain, and come back with presents for your muse. It'll be fantastic.
July 18, 2016
Behind the Scenes of "Carrina Triumphant": Carrina
Carrina is the product of a faulty system. She naturally wants to hurt no one, and that agrees with the rules of the school, but when the school fails to defend her, she must take action. While she acts in self defense, the system vilifies her for doing it. Taking away someone's right to defend themselves while failing to hold up one's end of the bargain often more than not ends in violence and blood. In an ironic twist, the peace loving system ultimately creates violence. The staff don't exactly live in reality, while Carrina does, and it is what is real that holds sway when no one properly acts on their morals.
On a lighter note, Carrina's bad day is a conglomeration of several bad days I myself and my little friends had when we were around that age. That age is usually sweet, so Carrina is sweet. She probably still is, she's just got some serious pepper in her blood now. If the system chooses to crush her more, she will only revolt, as all people with a lick of sense in them will do.
On a lighter note, Carrina's bad day is a conglomeration of several bad days I myself and my little friends had when we were around that age. That age is usually sweet, so Carrina is sweet. She probably still is, she's just got some serious pepper in her blood now. If the system chooses to crush her more, she will only revolt, as all people with a lick of sense in them will do.
June 3, 2016
Behind the Scenes of "Carrina Triumphant": The Bully
The point of the bully for me was that Carrina busted her face, a thing I wanted to do but didn't have the know-how. Overall, bullies can come in any size. Not all bullies are big and ugly, sometimes they're small and ugly. I've seen too many idiots happy about little bullies. "They're so small and dominant! See? Size doesn't matter!" But it does matter, because when the bigger one stand up to the tiny rat, they call it bullying. Sometimes the big bully has a tiny minion who is just as much of a bully. For some reason you can fight the big one but you can't touch the little one. They say, "You're bigger, fight someone your own size." So I guess that means the little bully is brave? There is something inherently stupid in all that. They have poison tongues, they use other methods to get at you. They take away the bigger person's right to defend themselves. Size matters. It matters more than all the little pencil pushers think.
