Writing for the Love

I'm happy to report an acceptance from a paying market! "A Black Gaping Hole" will appear in Aoife's Kiss , a science fiction and fantasy magazine, in March 2013. The science fiction story follows Lt. Erin Waite and her team into the depths of an alien-made cave where they encounter something unexpected. I want to share what happened in the process of receiving this acceptance as it might encourage others. I have received so many rejections before this that I kept wondering if or when I would get an acceptance. As a writer pursuing publication, I know it can take a long time. Persistence is key. When I first submitted a story to Aoife's Kiss, I received a rejection from the editor with the reasons why (!) and an encouraging word about how the writing was "verrry good." What a boost, even in the midst of rejection. I was determined to try again with that magazine because of the candor and kindness of the editor. As many writers know, it's not o...

My short story, "The Mute Girl," is on its way to The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction . I am to expect a reply no sooner than eight weeks. One week has passed since I mailed the story, but I’m not sure what date it would have arrived to the editor’s desk. I am praying for them to accept the piece for publication, but it feels like a long shot. I have my dad and others praying as well. If you know my dad (you probably do), you know he is the type of prayer warrior that moves mountains. While I enjoy writing novels and short stories the most, I have penned a few poems as well. In college, my creative writing minor required I take a poetry class. It’s not my strong point, but I took my three best poems and submitted them to Rosebud Magazine a few weeks ago with no expectations. I may or may not bother again since I don’t plan to proliferate poetry. We’ll see. I received a pleasant email response from the poetry editor. It was encouraging to hear that he enjoyed readi...

In the midst of writing my novels, I am also entering short story contests and submitting short stories and poems to literary magazines. The more I PUSH, my chances will inevitably increase for publication! As of yet, I am unpublished in any writing category, and when submitting a query for my novel, I would like to be able to mention writing credits. Something else to strive for. Someone told me a story I want to share. A man asked God to make him strong so he could be a great warrior. God told him to PUSH a giant boulder that was blocking the entrance to a cave with a source of food and water. The nearby village was in need of food and water, so the man believed God would give him the strength to move the boulder. Every day, the man asked God to give him the strength, and every day he pushed and pushed, but the boulder didn’t budge. The man felt foolish, but he still believed that if he kept trying, God would grant his heart’s desire. After one year, the man decided he had en...