The Writing Life
It’s been an astonishing day for writing. I’d given it up for a bit, seeped myself in photographs, paid some bills, and now find myself longing for words, a desire that has built into an urgency.
I can thank Colette for her early morning inspiration in the form of her short story The Hollow Nut. It reminded me how beautiful language must be, always, and not to sacrifice detail for pacing.
Then came along the next phase of the interview for 34th Parallel, a lit mag that will be running one of my short stories in July. Martin’s questions and my answers have followed the traditional route for good journalism–start with what’s easy and lead up to in-depth. As we’ve traded emails, I’ve reminded myself why I write, and what, and how. It’s made me focus again.
And nestled among my mail was a forgotten contest entry for the miscarriage novel Baby Dust, which I have currently abandoned. The first round judge gave me 49.9 points out of 50, stating he couldn’t wait to read the whole thing after its certain publication. What was the .1? He preferred the word “synchronized” to my abbreviated and grammatically altered “synced.”
Tonight I rewrote an old story, one of my best, and made it better. I was able to really close in on it, excise the excess, and add the ringing details that illuminate the message.
It’s been a good day.
