Previously published in the June 7-12 issue of New Times, San Luis Obispo County's News and Entertainment Weekly: 15th annual mini-short story contest, 55-word stories from all over the globe.
Charity's Tragedy
My numbers are 4-7-9-12-23-45. Help me win, God! I promise to help the Wayward Girls Home, AIDS Hospice, the soup kitchen.
God loves generous hearts, hates liars.
Saturday's winning numbers are 4-7-9-12-23-45. $30,000,000!
A bigger home! World travel! A Rolls-Royce! Diamonds! A private jet!
What else?
What else?
by Billie J. Ryan, San Luis Obispo, copyright 2001
Please excuse the irreverance. I'm really not that greedy and unfeeling. It's fiction =)
9/12/10
When Is It Time to Clear the Desktop?
Or more importantly, when does an aspiring writer throw away all the old queries, synopses, manuscript submissions, rejection letters, requests for submission, etc. etc. etc. and start collecting new ones?
I just took a look in my file cabinet (it's a pretty big one) and I had one full (deep) drawer jam-packed with query letters, submission letters, replies, requests for submission, synopses, partial manuscripts, rejection letters, contest entries, etc. etc. etc. Many were more than ten years old.
Since I decided to make a new start with my stories, and I've already begun revising the manuscripts for two of my currently unpublished novels, it's time to think about new synopses, query blurbs and queries, and get some file folders ready to hold copies of them. Time to start building a new "history."
Get ready, shredder, here comes a load of paper.
How about you? Are you still keeping old "stuff" that can be thrown away (recycled)? The longer you keep the old stuff, the more difficult it will be to toss out the old manuscript and begin anew with the same story ... but a much better version. Clear the file cabinet, clear the desktop, recycle the mind. Begin anew. Write a better story. Revise a manuscript. Reach for the stars.
I just took a look in my file cabinet (it's a pretty big one) and I had one full (deep) drawer jam-packed with query letters, submission letters, replies, requests for submission, synopses, partial manuscripts, rejection letters, contest entries, etc. etc. etc. Many were more than ten years old.
Since I decided to make a new start with my stories, and I've already begun revising the manuscripts for two of my currently unpublished novels, it's time to think about new synopses, query blurbs and queries, and get some file folders ready to hold copies of them. Time to start building a new "history."
Get ready, shredder, here comes a load of paper.
How about you? Are you still keeping old "stuff" that can be thrown away (recycled)? The longer you keep the old stuff, the more difficult it will be to toss out the old manuscript and begin anew with the same story ... but a much better version. Clear the file cabinet, clear the desktop, recycle the mind. Begin anew. Write a better story. Revise a manuscript. Reach for the stars.
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