Tonight, I found myself hoping to write; instead, I revisited a few of my short stories and decided it was time to send them off into the great unknown. Considering how many publications to submit to and finding the write ones to send a story to is completely overwhelming. A fellow writer friend and I chatted on the phone for a bit this evening and we both feel that knowing when a piece is complete is half the battle. Once you feel proud enough of one, the second hurdle (for me, the more difficult one) is reading and researching where to submit. I’ve found both Poets & Writers and NewPages helpful avenues to begin my search for the perfect publication to print my stories.
The first short story I decided to submit, is entitled “Words.” It’s tale told from the perspective of a cat who wishes she had the words to tell her owner her boyfriend is cheating on her. I’m especially proud of the voice I created in this piece and hope that someone finds my feline raconteur worthy of publication.
The second piece is a work of creative non-fiction entitled “In Every Other Universe”; this piece was harder to send into the cosmos because it is a personal narrative about a failed relationship. It describes the moment that I knew I loved him, but that we could never be together again.
We were together. I forget the rest. – Walt Whitman
SPOILER ALERT: Last week, I went to see La La Land in theaters. The film is a musical meditation on how our own personal dreams intertwine and beautify our relationships. In love, we are often more likely to chase our destiny; however, when fate and practicality collide, love can fade, hearts can break, and the once harmonious melody that existed between two lovers can become a cacophonous misfortune. The metaphor of jazz as a respectful community of musicians that value the individualistic talents of one another is carried throughout the film. At the conclusion of the La La Land, Mia (Emma Stone) unexpectedly attends her former lover, Sebastian’s (Ryan Gosling’s), dream jazz club and envisions an entire future with the man she once loved.
“Every Other Universe” explores this type of junction from my own personal life, and as much as I would like to say those emotions no longer have power over me, I’ve had moments like Emma Stone’s where I envision an entirely different life for myself. This is not to say I am unhappy with my current life or husband; fiction that explores these twinklings is powerful because it is natural to question, wonder, and daydream about the possible outcomes of one’s own life. Is this not why we tell stories? Or how we create relatable characters?
The occasions where we find a bit of ourselves in other stories, or hell even in the ones we write, are what make us continue to read and write. These moments make us human. These moments make us storytellers.
These moments should make us what to Write.
Every.
Damn.
Day.
Write Every Damn Day 