Post Clarion and other musings...

Listening to: Kitty, Daisy & Lewis

I want to share Chris Lynch's latest blog on his experience at Clarion as it resonates so much with me and I found it extremely thought provoking. His three lessons really hit home for me particularly the third lesson as I found Chris’s depiction of Clarion spot on. It was an intensive time with some serious intensive learning and I feel privileged to have had such an amazing opportunity to work with such talented people. Just look at the achievements of Clarion, the ‘class of 2007’ that Chris has posted on his blog.

After reading Chris’s blog, I ask myself where am I two years on? My lessons don't feel anywhere near as profound as Chris, but I do know after having returned from Egypt that travel and writing go hand in hand for me. It’s almost as though I can’t have one without the other. Well, I guess I can but let’s say that travel, especially to third world countries truly inspire me and it seems I have all kinds of stories I want to tell from all kinds of perspective/angles from any one of my experiences.

I’ve sent a lot of short fiction and novels out since Clarion 2007 and last year I was pretty stoked to receive an honourable mention from Writers of the future for a story I wrote at Clarion. That list of subs and rejections was topped off today by my rejection slip from Interfictions so that pretty much puts everything I sent out as being sent back. Encouraging rejections, but rejections nevertheless. Not much point in getting down about it. I slump with disappointment for about 2 seconds these days as I’ve been rejected many more times than published, as it is for most writers. I’ve been doing the submitting, rejections, published gauntlet for over twenty years now – you kind of get used to it LOL.

But hey, it’s kinda nice to get swept up in the joy of having a story accepted once in a while. Aaah, I wait with keen anticipation… Oh wait, I guess I need to send out more stories… Now, there’s a mission for next month :)

Midnight rambler signing off…