Well without the self-confidence I only sent out that recent story on the Shoebox to two lit journals and figured I’d wait again till September (amazing how fast deadlines go by) and read some work by Anthony Varallo published by Agni online. I think I caught the edge. Wrote something short (850 words!) yesterday that started with this: “Mary decided that if the light turned green in this direction next, she’d leave Timothy.”
Sometimes all you need is a push in the right direction to catch the groove of what you want to say and how you want to say it. The other story was nicely written, interesting, yet was written in such a storytelling way that I knew it was wrong and am glad I stopped myself from peppering editorial staffs across the nation with its blahness.
While I’m not completely taken with some of the contemporary work that in truth holds no substance but emphasizes edge and weirdness as its goal, I very much appreciate the sharp crisp sentences and minimalist thinking of the better writers. Varallo’s stories point out how simple the basis of story can be, as long as it’s relative to the reader. Loved his stuff and I’m glad I sought and found help when I knew I needed it. Maybe reading and writing a lot of poetry lately and even Carolyn Chute’s The Beans of Egypt, Maine influenced my thinking patterns. In any event, I still have a few days yet on some of the journals to clean it up and get it in before they close for the summer, but at least I might have put myself back on the right track.
The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology