I am having a bumpy day. Not all good, not all bad… and class in an hour. Chemistry, which I'm a little (ok, a lot!) scared of. So I didn't write today, but I have had some lively online conversations about writing, and publishing, and… There are times it's great to have a whole world of friends to bounce ideas off of, and to serve as sounding board in return. It's exciting.
In the course of the last day or two, I have had occasion to point out this site: The Grinder, which is a handy tool for submitting your work. Yes, I often publish my own work, but I also send stories out into shark-infested waters to see what comes of it. The idea being that short stories published broadly spread my name to a wider audience. We will see, I haven't done it recently and need to.
I also read Mad Genius Club, wherein Sarah Hoyt talked about YA novels and the need for some hope in them, and more characters that everyday people can identify with. In the rush to be 'inclusive' too many children are shoved aside because they are perfectly normal, happy people. We give tools to our children to live in this world, by teaching them how to endure insults, slights, and bullying. Only we haven't been doing that, with books on rape, extreme sexual deviancies, and horrors. Tools for dealing with that are in the province of therapists. Let's think about writing for strength, and hope, and getting to reach our dreams… and let's write for everyday ordinary children who will grow up to be the backbone of society. (also, see this post by Amanda Green, with linked article, if you haven't read any YA recently)
Lastly, and just for fun, I have to go visit an art museum soon, for a class on the Art of China, Japan, and Korea. I've written a short story set in fuedal Japan, so that will be a dual-purpose trip to research further tales in the era, as well. Art and stories… How can we link them together?