Cheryl Snell's Blog, page 23
September 27, 2011
Red Booth Review
September 25, 2011
September 23, 2011
Satin Doll in Scissors and Spackle
September 21, 2011
Varalakshmi Vratam
The photo was just sent to me by my sister-in-law and shows the goodies that typically accompany the celebration of Varalakshmi Vratam, when married women ask the goddess of wealth for boons for the family. his ritual can be traced back to the kingdom of Magadha, where there lived a Brahmin woman called Charumathii, who so devotedly served her husband and parents-in-law. that the Goddess Mahalakshmi appeared in her dream and asked her to worship Vara-Lakshmi. The goddess of wealth would fulfill her wishes. Soon, other women of the town joined her in performing the pooja, They prayed with deep devotion: Padmaasane Padmakare sarva lokaika poojithe Narayana priyadevi supreethaa bhava sarvada and as they made offerings, jewelry is said to have appeared on the devotees and their houses filled with riches. The pooja caught on. Done with devotion, it is said that favors will be granted and wishes realized.
September 20, 2011
September 18, 2011
September 17, 2011
Check, please!
You tell yourself, "All systems GO!" Not so fast. Before you send the freshly printed out, spell-checked and proofread story to the literary magazine you've carefully researched for type of content and style, and whose submission guidelines you've followed to the letter, check it against this list of basics:
• Have you "opened strong?" The first sentence should draw the reader in and contain the germ of the story.
• Did you use more dialogue than narration? Beware the long and the windy.
• Did you use descriptive nouns and verbs? Eliminate the vague and imprecise.
• Edit out as many adjectives and adverbs as possible. Words ending in …ly weaken the work.
• Did you choose past tense over past participle whenever possible? It provides immediacy, much like first person and present tense.
• Language that calls attention to itself wakes the reader from his fictional dream. Don't show off.
• Did you involve all five senses when imagining your story? If you did, your reader will experience it with all of his.
• Use natural speech when writing dialogue, even when you're (sparingly) using dialect.
• Cut it back or cut it out. Think Hemingway, not Proust.
After this final go-through, notice if it feels like the top of your head has been taken off. If so, lick that stamp, Emily!
