Thursday, November 4, 2010

A Few Thoughts and More Treasures

A lot of writing going on with my NaNo project but as you see in the right hand corner, only a little more than 6,000 words. Still, that's pretty good for me. I stayed up way too late last night.

Still browsing through boxes in the garage. I'm keeping much more than I'm throwing away. Amazing, the treasures I'm finding. A long letter from Redbook--a rejection, yes--but a rejection defining the why of it. I'm amazed that the Redbook editor traded three long, detailed letters with me. Looking back, I can see how close I was and can't help but feel I've squandered so many opportunities.

The first five pages of a novel (and short synopsis) of an idea for a romantic suspense. And I still like it. :) A completed romantic short story. I don't remember it but the characters have their own novel so maybe this short story was the beginning.

All these findings make me want to race to the BWG meeting on Saturday and tell everyone to find encouragement in every critique, in every rejection they receive; it's there if they look for it. Unfortunately, sometimes we don't recognize the good stuff until 20, 30, 40 years later.

I haven't found what I'm searching for: a huge folder of poems written when I fancied myself a poet. Where can it be? Garage boxes? Office boxes? One of the three file cabinets? Arggg, too much paper!

Good News! Saturday I have another Louisiana Saturday Night for you. An interview with a Louisiana novelist of crime fiction. And it's a good one. See you then.

4 comments:

Charles Gramlich said...

I've got a lot of these kinds of files too and haven't gone through them in an age. Now you got me wondering what is there.

James R Tate said...

My garage needs a buldozer, but it's interesting to go back and look at my earlier work and see how far i've come. In those early writings i see glimmers of potential, but a lot of yuck to go with it.

Jessica Ferguson said...

Charles-go through those files!

James - I don't like yuck. :)

Unknown said...

No good when you can't find a box of poems, but I love that you found all sorts of tidbits you forgot you had. Nice.