Friday 25 February 2011

Writing endeavours

Well I am underway with the start of my fiction writing.  But where is my faith?  I read a few completed paragraphs to hubby and he says he likes it - does he or is he just saying that so he can go back to reading his book?  I have tried to show and not tell, but is the quality good enough to send off as a submission to a competition?  I want to take my work to open mic at my writers group, but what if they all think it's crap?  They won't tell me-will they?  No, I think they will just say - thanks Meredith and quickly move on to the next reading which is sure to reinforce the very reason why I am having reservations right now. 
I have even gone to the length of buying the latest editions of some anthology's I aspire to submit to.  This was in hope that I would gain a better appreciation of the style and quality of writing.  I read some stories, in particular the winning entries- there great, no question; can I do better - probably not with a big PROBABLY NOT!  Then I read some other stories, some good, some a bit out there and they lose me, or I lose them, I'm not sure.  Then I read some more, keeping the rules of writing in the back of my mind.  What voice or point of view would be best to tell my story, have I chosen the right voice?  And hang on I don't have any conflict in my story - what!  What conflict?  And dialogue; can't I write a story without dialogue? Would that still be okay, after all the story still moves in pace?
So now I don't know if my story sucks or not.  And I have just finished reading an article from the latest Writing magazine which tells me if I publish my story on-line for you all to comment on, then I can't submit it for any competitions, because quite simply I have already published it?
What should I do?  A little help please!

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