Sunday, November 14, 2010

I Need a Map

Following up about the perceived opportunity as a Southern Living writer...  um...yeah...le blog isn't going to cut it as far as published work goes.  I knew this.  It's okay.  I'm sure we all agree, just because the Prom Queen said no doesn't mean I should never ask anyone out again.  And you wouldn't expect me to retreat from writing, would you?  You know me too well.  As I live and breathe, tomorrow is another day.  My work will see the printed page.

And that's enough with the Scarlet O'Hara theatrics.  There's too much else going on.  Although I will say, Gone With the Wind is an amazing book if you haven't read it.  It took me almost a month and I cried through the last chapter.  But I was 22.  I wonder if I'd cry if I read it now.

I certainly cried for no apparent reason yesterday painting the Tween Dream room.  Other than hormones I imagine.  stupid PMS.  But I was thinking about the Southern Living lady's email(s).  First the rejection one saying I needed to be a vetted writer before a piece could be considered.  Then the follow up of her being Wowed at a blog mention and how she could tell I was a good writer and encouraged me to keep trying.  It was...  it was exactly where I am.

There.  but not THERE.  y'know?

And I don't know quite what to do with here.

It made me miss my mom.  It made me miss someone I could count on to say, "Well, duh.  Of course you're a good writer.  If you put as much effort into making your writing work as you do to waiting for the phone to ring, you'd have been on Oprah by now.  You should include your picture next time.

My mother, who drilled into told me "Pretty is as pretty does" decades before anybody thought of Forrest Gump, confused the hell out of me with that picture business later on.

Anyway being good enough yet still being so solitary made me feel sad this weekend.  And I know that's my thing and I need to leave the house more and stuff.  but.  i'm not sure where to go from here.

3 comments:

Sharon - not a pod person said...

I get this. Thank you for writing these last two entries because they parallel what I've been feeling lately too. Go big or go home - that's one that runs through my head a lot. Why do something if you're going to do it half assed right? Failure, psshh whatever.

Our "problem" is no matter our sarcastic delivery or eye rolling way of dealing, is that we are dreamers.

Shoot for the stars, aim high, & all that lame-o stuff that's on graduation cards. And how dare we get rejected or some such nonsense. Doesn't the world at large know how awesome we are and how much better they would be with our stuff & wisdom?

I keep pushing the rock up the hill, even though it slides down occasionally, or a lot. Sometimes I have no idea why. But its nice to know that there are others out there doing it too.

Obligatory smiley face... here :)

The Nine said...

My .02, such as it is...

Moving along parallel lines here as well. It's frustrating to be very close to what you're looking for and not quite be there. Rooting for you, I think you'll get there.

--K

Silver said...

Yeah, there's something swirling around here about the difference between skydiving and believing you can fly. One is awesome. The other, no matter what your friends tell you, just isn't true...for more than a delusional minute anyway.

Repacking the chute now.