Short Stories

I don't think I'm entering the Jane Austen Made Me Do It contest. I'm just not feeling it- the story doesn't feel alive to me and if it doesn't to me, it won't to the readers. Maybe next year.
However, I am entering a story I wrote over the summer to the college lit. mag. I like it, but I am always self conscious about other people reading and judging my writing. In my non-fiction class we're reading On Writing Well by William Zinsser and he says that you have to write for yourself. Eventually, if you want to do this for a living, other people have to get involved and it's not just for you any more, though. For my non-fiction class we're writing short memoirs this week, which is fun, but also challenging. Sometimes while I'm writing, I find I'm writing about other people, not myself.
Sometimes I think it's easier to write fiction, inventing a truth within the world of your story can be easier that expressing a truth from your own world.
I'm still working on rewriting my novel. Some days, after I've finished a book that was incredible; interesting, well constructed, with good characters, I feel like I am so presumptuous to think my book could compete. Yet, I love my characters too much to keep them to myself.
I've been practicing building suspense by writing some shorter stories with my characters solving puzzling mysteries in under 5000 words. I think I'll end up piecing these shorter mysteries together to create a book told from the sidekick's perspective that covers her first year working with the detective. We'll see.

The Tail End of Winter Break

The Spring semester starts in two days. I've enjoyed almost four weeks of *wild debauchery* that is now coming to an end.
By wild debauchery of course, I mean I've read several lovely books that weren't required for classes, I've had a few semi-spontaneous social interactions, made lip balm, consumed copious amounts of tea and toast, and I've accomplished a great deal of writing as well- none of which was class required. What can I say? I'm quite the delinquent. Honestly, I dread giving up the liberty to do what I want with my time for a somewhat rigorous schedule of classes, club meetings, and rehearsals.
I like having time to talk to my characters and nurture my stories.
My short story for the Jane Austen Made Me Do It contest isn't going as well as I'd hoped, unfortunately. I only have a few pages and I feel like it's not Austen enough. I actually scrapped my initial attempt and started over- but it still isn't hitting the note I want it to. It needs some work shopping.
All my textbooks have arrived, I am taking some interesting classes this semester at least. I'm also in a Tennessee Williams play- I adore him.

Scholarly Writing and Short Fiction Contests

I've never considered myself to be a scholarly writer, obviously I have to do that sort of work in the English Department, but I've never considered it my strongest area or an area where I want to focus myself for the future. However, I occasionally write pretty decent essays and research papers (apparently).
My wonderful literature professor has talked me into submitting one of my papers to an intercollegiate women's studies conference. I still have some editing to do before I send it in Thursday, but it may be an interesting experience. If accepted, I'll get to present my paper and discuss it. The subject is the short story "The Hand" by Colette- an interesting piece and very short, worth reading.
In spite of some initial misgivings I have decided to submit it, so we'll see if it gets accepted.
I've also decided to enter a short story contest called "Jane Austen Made Me Do It." Honestly, how could I not enter a contest with that name? I'm drafting a story right now, the deadline's in February, so that leaves me a good timeline to work with. I realize that I will be one of a multitude of entries and will probably not win, probably not even really be the kind of story that they are looking for, but it will be a good experience. I'm bad with deadlines, so it will be a good exercise in self discipline, and since I'm very weird about people reading my work, it will be good for me to send it out and have other people read what I write for once.
I'm also drafting a new mystery novel for my series. I've decided that 2011 will be a productively experimental year for me as a writer. I'm not going to turn down new writing challenges and opportunities, I'm going to embrace them and broaden my versatility as a writer.