Five Points for Short Story and Poetry Collections

You know how life is already too busy to fit anymore commitments and "things I need to do" into your schedule? Well, as writers it’s a never ending battle to stuff more and more of these additional elements into our lives. Such elements include social networking, marketing of our written pieces, blogging, and etc. However, as we stuff more elements in the time for the essential responsibilities as writers - reading and writing - dwindles faster and faster. This of course is not always true for everyone, but I'm betting it is true for a good majority. One way I like to fight back against this ugly truth is by reading short story and poetry collections. They are the perfect "bite-size" reading snack that fit into small chucks of time.

Because what often happens when life gets busy unexpectedly and you're maybe half way through a novel? Most often the novel gets dropped for days, weeks, or months at a time. Then when you try to go back, it's hard to get back into the flow of the narrative and/or you may have to start over. Conversely, short story and poetry collections have ample start and end points for readers to choose from as their reading times allows. And leaving such collections to sit for extended periods of time is not as difficult to pick up again once life calms down. True, the reader's overall sense of the collection as a whole may be weaker but their sense of the author's style and voice will be stronger. The reader's exposure to the multiple complete stories/poems by the author will give them a good variety of what the author is able to accomplish.

Lastly, short story and poetry collections that feature different authors is a wonderful way to expose oneself to new authors. Below I've included a list of short story and poetry collections I've enjoyed this past year.

Telling Tales, edited by Naine Gordimer

Civilwarland in Bad Decline, by George Saunders

Nine Stories, by J.D. Salinger

The Pajamaist, by Matthew Zapruder

Catching the New Wave

My sister and I were recently talking about what we should get each other for our birthday (we are twins). Naturally, she asked me for some shoes. I am a shoe-a-holic. (However, I'm much better than when I was younger) In turn, I had a difficult time trying to give her some ideas. It seems this year there is nothing that I am in dire need/want of. This is a strange occurrence. I was trying to think of something I might need but was to cheap to buy myself. Like a microwave, but I already knew I might get that from someone else. My sister than suggested maybe she could get me a Kindle. She admitted it was something she had thought about getting me for our birthday or Christmas, but was unsure how I would like it.

If you know me well enough, its common knowledge I am the least "techy" person in a group of twenty-somethings. I am a strong advocate of the printed book. The emergence of the new e-reading technology was something scary and evil. However, (pause) I am an open-minded person and do accept change - very slowly. This past fall/winter National Book Critic Circle's Critical Mass - Blog asked numerous guest posters their opinions on the future of book publishing. As expected many had strong opinions about the e-technology. Among the grips and cheers I peeled back some of my own apprehension. This is what I walked away thinking:

I will always love the feel of reading a printed book. There is something special about holding a tangible object someone poured love/hate into. But I cannot be afraid of change, especially, if that is where my generations of writers/readers are headed. Thus, I welcome the exposures I may have to the future of book publishing and reading/writing experiences. So, if I were to receive an e-reader device as a gift I would be more excited than I would like to let on. After doing some basic research on the options available to me, I believe the Kindle is the my choice. I tend to read in high light and/or outside. Also, as impressive as the Ipad is I already own a desktop, laptop, ipod, and digital camera. It is my understanding, the Ipad can offer me all different variations and features that these products currently give me. And although it may be convenient to have all these in one system, I already bought and paid for each individually. Thus, the Ipad has much more gadgets than I really need or will use.

So here is to the electronic generation and me slowly opening my arms to embrace it.

Window Inspiration

Before traveling home this past weekend I rearranged my apartment. It was something I planned to do when I got back. However, I had several hours to kill before my travel partner was off work and the anxiety got the better of me. It took awhile to figure out an acceptable layout. My couch has a chase segment on one end of it. This small (but rather enjoyable feature) of my couch makes it difficult to position it aesthetically in my small apartment. The one detail I knew I must change however, was moving my desk into the corner surrounded my windows. Previously, it was tucked into an opposite corner with no natural light. It made sitting at my desk for long periods of time difficult. Thus, you can imagine writing at my desk was even more difficult.

So I decided I must move my soon to be (hopefully) wage-making station (that is my desk) to its most optimal position. Which I believe to be near the windows. And as I sit here the first day of change - I am thoroughly satisfied with my decision. The layout in my apartment is not as efficient perhaps as it originally once was, but I am loving the fresh air and out-of-window inspirations I can see as I pound away at the keyboard.

On A Roll

Really adding to the word count on my children's project. Yah! Got my boss to agree and let me work less this fall semester. This means I have an actually shot at finishing my thesis on time. I am getting excited about the fall semester. And I am looking to add to my volunteer opportunities - hopefully making more contacts in the arts community. ALSO, I have been submitting. It has been a proactive week for me. Hope it keeps rolling, rolling, rolling...

New Look

In case you haven't noticed, my site has got a fresh look. Thanks must be given to my sister for her vision and insight to my taste. The bright colors make me feel more alert and aware of the creativity mounting in me. A good jumping off point for my last semester towards my MFA.

Additionally, changes to my website have help me reevaluate where I am currently with and in my writing. As my MFA winds down I've decided to focus mainly on those stories and revisions. But it also has allowed me to give more attention to my children's book project. I know, I have been talking about this project for way too long. However, to be fair it is something I want to do well and have great success so I do not want to rush it. I have given much thought to it since beginning many months ago. I think I've got a good angle to complete a new story line. Some of the story lines I started in the past never jumped off the page enough. To further help me build this new idea I've created brief character descriptions for Charlie's best friends Finley and Amaya. Hopefully, we can get their picture up to accompany these on my site.

I've got some more features I plan to implement on my site that will be up, with some luck, before the fall semester. Keep tuning in. As a last note, I decided to reclaim some of the time I devote to reading. In the past two months I have used that time ONLY to catch up on my New Yorkers (which I am still at least 5 issues behind). This has meant my books have been very neglected. However, no more. I am now dividing my time between my New Yorkers and Nadine Gordimer's The Late Bourgeois World. The book is very small, but when you fall off the path, all you need is a place to begin again.

Creativity or Stability?

So you think you have talent. You practice, everyday at your talent. But you also have other obligations to think of and take care of - if your not still living at home with mom and dad. It's simply a question of balance you tell yourself. But if your paying bills and trying to make a name for yourself - on your own - how many pep talks on average do you give yourself a week. Disappointment and becoming discouraged is nothing new to any type of artist. For me, I struggle with this more and more lately (especially with my MFA winding down).

As a little girl I pictured myself as the boss, the person in charge of some fantasy corporation. I was confident and the go to person that held things together. Maybe its my Leo nature to portray myself in such a light, but I still keep that picture in the back of my head today. What do I really want to be when I grow up? My knee jerk answer is an author/writer. Then I met a girl at school who said to me, "being published doesn't certify me as a writer. I am already a writer because I write everyday." Touche.

So I'm a writer. I am devoted to that. And I'll admit, I still want to be published (soon) for others to believe in the writer in me too. (For those that need to see to believe) And I know by heart the things I need to do to get there and I make time. But there never seems to be enough time. At times I do feel caught in a circle of too little, not enough, and almost. Would having a full-time career in an arts organization (something I aggressively pursue everyday) make me more fulfilled? I don't know but I'm hoping. Would a publication credit make me more fulfilled? Probably, just momentarily I assume. But everyday I think, this struggle is worth it, I will reach my goal of accomplished writer.

Yet, my path is very unclear. I understand writing takes time. But I want things now. I like to shop, to buy books (obviously), to go out with friends, and writing is not footing this monthly bill. So can I have it all the little girl dream and the big girl ambition? I'm definitely trying. These economic times are not helping me explore my options. Do I play the starving artist role and patiently await my dues? Do I try and make it in the arts culture anyway I can? How do you get into the arts culture (beyond being an independent writer)? I volunteer at the public library and would do more but my day job does not allow me extra time for it. When will the economy bounce back and put a strong wind in my wings?

Play and Pain

I have emerged from the holiday weekend with lots of thoughts about my summer stories and a minimum of fifty mosquito bites. I have now become the artist going mad - or maybe I am just going mad. But my current condition has made my word count rise as I try to keep my fingers from away from scratching my bites and on the keyboard. I would never recommend this method to anyone but it seems to be working for me.

I did not hit my June story deadline. I didn't have high hopes for that anyway. The good news is I still kept writing regardless. I just didn't rush to get it done. Now I'll be working on both stories at the same time. Probably, good for when I get writers block on one I can switch to the other.

For my second story, I am thinking of writing about a girl who loses her memory. The story will open at the moment she regains consciousness and can't remember a thing about her past. She will not have any recall of the past whatsoever. Thus, she will have to cope with starting brand new knowing nothing of herself or those she once knew. I am worried however, this can turn out to be a tricky story and end disastrously. So I need some help avoiding the possible pitfalls of a story like this. Any suggestions of what to steer clear of?

Lastly, I have joined twitter. I pains me to say this because I promise to never join. I already did not have enough time in the day to keep up with the current networking I already do. However, I find it an interesting "community board" of sorts. Its a nice quick method to get out there what I am doing currently and checking in with others. So I'm warming up to it, however, I'm not full throttle on it just yet. But follow me at bturski.