mary june brown

So, I’m gearing up for NaNoWriMo, are you?

National Novel Writing Month: www.nanowrimo.org

I figure I can get the skeleton book done in November. The rest of the year, and a good chunk of 2008 will be taken up filling in those bones.

Join me?

Dear readers,

Yep, I’m still around. It’s been a while, and for that, I apologize. I’ve been busy writing, working on my novel, and submitting poetry.

A recent poem has been accepted at Farmhouse Magazine, so I’m excited about that and can’t wait to share it with you once it’s been published.

In the meantime, please take a look at my other website: http://wordglow.com. There, you’ll see that I’m busy working in a professional capacity, writing and editing for others. It’s a joy to be able to work with other writers and to share with them.

Keep writing!

Here’s one of my newer stories, recently published in The Rose & Thorn.  Enjoy:

http://www.theroseandthornezine.com/ 

I’d stopped writing my novel for a couple of months–it wasn’t going anywhere. yes, There were words on a page, but I’d lost my enthusiasm for it, which I’m (unfortunately) apt to do.

However, a strange thing happened. It came back to me. Came roaring back, asked me if I missed it, seduced me back into it’s web. So here I go again. Again. Again.

One of these days, I swear, I’m going to finish the thing.

What does a writer do with that story–the one that comes from the heart, that took everything you had, that you are in love with…the story that you are immeasurably proud of…but just can’t place in any market, no matter how many times it’s submitted?

We’ve all got one. A piece that we worked on, rewrote, edited, poured ourselves into; a piece we are moved by more and more with each rereading. It’s a bummer of magnificent proportions that nobody else seems to see it’s brilliance.

I’ve written many stories, some great and some not so–and I’ve seen several make their way into print (thank you, publishing powers-that-be!). But there’s this one that sits on my hard drive, languishing. It’s one of my personal faves, and yet–”not for us…good luck placing it elsewhere…”

So, there it sits, waiting for an audience, and I scour duotrope every couple months, looking for its home. Poor wayward, homeless (but brilliant!) little thing.

I just had a conversation with a writer, someone who has actually written (and published!) books.  Just talking with someone who has birthed a book, from beginning to end, from screen to bound copy, gives me a dose of much-needed energy for writing.

Energy for writing is one of those things one has to engineer at times.  Like cardio, the more you do it, the better your body is able to do it.  Writing is like that: the more you write, the more you have the energy, ability, creativity, desire, time, dedication to do more of it.

So, for myself, I reiterate the mantra: keep writing, keep writing, keep writing.  If this mantra appeals to you, well…I highly recommend repeating it to yourself.  Get some energy and write!

I was looking at some writing prompts today, trying to get inspired.

I saw a suggestion about creating one’s own list of writing prompts by randomly, swiftly naming 10 things one may write about one day (don’t hold your breath!).  Here’s mine:

Makeup application techniques, spa days, toddler behaviors, celebrity gossip, depression, publishing without publishing contacts, sustainable passion, neighbor block parties, get-rich inventions, and the role of hospice.

So that’s my random, top-of-the-head list.  What’s yours?

A story I wrote (nope, not autobiographical, though I certainly relate to the character) has been published at Wheelhouse Magazine.

Parenthood is tough, isn’t it?  In case you don’t know, let me tell you: it is.  Big time.

So this is a little story about a woman who has just had her first baby and is struggling with something like postpartum, something like fear.

Take a look: http://www.wheelhousemagazine.com/fiction/one_year.html

For whatever reason, pirates are hot right now.  I guess there may be some tie-in to the popularity of those films…what are they…the ones with Johnny Depp.

Anyway, I know that some of you have written pirates stories for publication to various journals, as there have been many pirates-themed publications this year.  If you have one of these stories, and it hasn’t been published, go here: http://emg-zine.com/

emg-zine is calling for submissions, and they are looking for pirates-themed stories.  Deadline is September.

Ho ho ho and a bottle of rum!  (Ok, I know…really dorky, but I couldn’t resist.)

A poem of mine, titled Guidelines for Success, has been published by The Verse Marauder. The poem speaks to the absurdity of writing within workshop limits and about the advice we as writers get about “good” writing rules.
Here it is:

http://www.theversemarauder.com/current.html