What I've been up to

So, I'm trying my hand at short story writing. I've written several in the past, but unlike before, I feel a lot more confident. I'm not sure what upped my confidence with fiction writing, but I think a huge part of it is the fact that I've grown as a writer, mainly because I have read a lot more different books and styles that have given me a good taste of what's out there and how my writing style and ideas could be marketable.

When I was in St. Croix last, I witnessed a funeral procession, and used it as a springboard for a short story. I wrote quite a bit while still in St. Croix, but sort of put it on the back burner upon my return. That was back in March, and today, I feel I have a good and solid short story. I'm now looking for appropriate places to publish the story-- The Funeral Procession.

I am also working on other fiction, but this is actually done and ready to go. Other than that, I've been trying to make it an absolute routine to come down to my office space everyday and spend at least an hour writing anything. Doesn't matter what I write, as long as I'm writing and exercising those writing muscles which can get quite weak if not taken care of regularly. I've seen just how weak those muscles get, and it's not pretty. So, in the meantime, I'm still riding high on my being published in January on the online publication, The Shine Journal, and planning to get published in more established and well-known places. This writing thing is coming along very slowly, but it's exciting all the same.

I've been keeping busy with things other than writing. I've been reading quite a bit. I've just finished an interesting novel, The Rug Merchant, about an Iranian immigrant who is a rug merchant. I was hesitant to read this book, as I never feel like an American author could represent a Middle Eastern character fairly, or accurately. I'm not Iranian, but I am Muslim like Iranians, and I found Meg Mullins, the author, to be as fair and accurate as can be. I enjoyed the book quite a bit for a number of reasons, most important one being the colorful and intriguing characters represented.

I am now reading Voltaire's Candide and absolutely love it. It's quite the satire about the overly optimistic view that "everything happens for the best". Though I do buy that theory, there are times when something happening is just not the best thing... not everything has to be perfect in the world and Voltaire and says that in such a funny, adventure-filled and intelligent way.

Those have been my adventures since my last posting. As always, thanks for reading!