The Write Stuff

Like my play on words from the old NKOTB hit? :)

Anyway, my Mother's Day started out with a fabulous message from an author I really like. Rowan Coleman (The Accidental Mother) has a contest on her fan page every Friday. Anyone is allowed to submit a 420 character or less "Status Short Story." It's a story that you could fit into your Facebook status. So, I submitted my first short story this past Friday.

This is what I wrote:

She simply couldn't do it. There was no way she could choose a dress without her mother there. It had only been 2 years, but she still felt the void as if her mother had just departed from the world yesterday. When she returned home from her exhausting afternoon at Misty’s Bridal Boutique, she reached into the depths of her closet, where she held onto her mother's wedding dress for safekeeping. It fit like a charm.

This morning, I received a message that I was a runner up for this past Friday's contest! I know I didn't win a prize, but it was my first time out of the gate and I thought my writing might be rusty. Everyone had such good stories too! It was a huge honor just to receive such recognition from an author I admire and respect!!!

Is it any coincidence that I was flipping through an issue of "Family Circle" and found a short story contest that is open until September? I think this is another sign that I should try my hand at fiction again. Also, being told by someone (who has had their own book published) that I'm a good writer is even more inspiring. I already have a story idea going through my head. I just need to write it down.

I used to love writing fictional short stories. Creative Writing was one of my favorite classes in high school. I even had a play published in the school literary magazine and also directed by two different people in directing class. I received more praise for the play I wrote than the one I directed. It was nice to end my high school years with that type of recognition. I took a writing workshop in 2002 and while people who were biased liked my story, it fell flat on its face in the class. However, blogging again has given me the writing bug and I'm more inspired to write again. I truly feel that starting this Chick Lit group on Facebook has led me onto this path. I was seeking out authors to promote their books through the group and that's how I found out about Rowan Coleman's fan page and contest. I'm so glad I did! I already have more status short stories on deck for the next couple of Fridays.

If you're reading this and have any more words of motivation, please share them. I tend to slack off and I could really use this summer to work on a story for this "Family Circle" contest. I definitely want to go the chick lit route with this story Rowan Coleman got her start through a short story contest. I believe anything's possible at this point!