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Friday 18 January 2013

31 bis, rue Campagne Première -


photo courtesy of wikipedia

André Arfvidson designed the studios where my main character passes his Parisian residency in the story Parisian sky.   The facade of 31 bis, rue Campagne Première  is covered with polychrome tiles.  The tiles, not flat, are various shades of ochre and reflect warmth from the Parisian Sky.   

How can the Parisian sky ever be warm, it's grey, like 320 shades of grey, the other 32 days may be various blues, especially when the north wind is whipping.

Arfvidson, (what kind of name is that?)  won a city contest for decorating facades.  Originally the building held twenty ateliers for lucky artists like Man Ray.


Here is a video:

Thursday 17 January 2013

rejection dejection and faith

image courtesy of ehow

 Killed a hedgehog, lately?  


Today I received the response for my short The Collector from its first submission to The View from Thanks for considering it.

Diligence is one of my virtues so if #W1S1 founder,Milo James Fowler tells me that it is not a matter of being rejected it is just finding the perfect fit for your story then I have faith...  I'm a subscriber to paper copies of literary journals too.

After 25 years of painting only what I want and managing to make a good living, I have faith that my stories will be published.




Tuesday 15 January 2013

Missing by Lindsay Harrison

Yesterday I finished Missing by Lindsay Harrison.  Usually I avoid tear jerking stories and by the cover and title it was obvious I would cry while reading this.  I did, I did not laugh once.

I wanted to read it because it is a memoir, one day I may write a memoir. It will be called the Parrot In Luxembourg Garden.  OR maybe I'll call it the Flight of The  Paintbrushes.  Okay like so what?  I agree.

I hated this book by Lindsay Harrison.  I give her a big five star rating for her writing ability.  To keep me hooked on such an awful story is amazing.  I am the number on put-the-book-down reader and let's read something else.

The worst part of reading this book happened when I had coffee with friends yesterday morning, the book hiding in my bag waiting for the metro ride to Ivry-sur-Seine, the butt hole of the world, where my awesome atelier awaits.  My dear friend tells me that the father of some child she knows has gone missing the night of New Years Eve.  Jimminy Criminy.  I had to leave the cafe after they started talking about other horrid tales.  The air left my lungs.

Why do writers tell these stories?  Are there really that many people out there that want to hear this negative horrid yucky stuff?  So it happens, so what.  I kept turning the book and looking at the picture on the back cover of this smiling woman.  It didn't make sense. She can write well.  I hope she finds some better subject matter.

Transport me, make me dream.  I love going to a movie or reading a book that I crave for when it has finished.  Not the case for Missing. I couldn't wait for it to end.

Five stars for your ability to tell a story and keep me hooked and your courage to tell this but 1 star for even wanting to tell it.  Your catharsis is my anxiety.



Saturday 12 January 2013

first submission 2013

After trying Write1Sub1 in 2011 for a few weeks and receiving rejections I quit too early. If I'd kept it up over the last year and a half and written fifty-plus stories i might have at least one accepted.

In the last eighteen months I've read lots, studied, analyzed and written almost twenty short stories plus a novel.

One book that helped me understand that being rejected is normal was Stephen King's memoir: On Writing.  It's funny because as a professional artist that has been contacting galleries and applying for grants for twenty-five years, I thought I had a thick skin but I guess it never really does thicken.  We feel that our emotions and personal experiences are being criticized.  Now I know that is not true, (I think.)  It's a business.  Just like a gallery knows it's clientele, a magazine or editor knows theirs.  It's business.

Yesterday I submitted my first story for 2013, yippee.  

Friday 4 January 2013

Write 1 sub 1 2013 challenge

write1sub1

Back in 2011 I tried the weekly write1sub1 but didn't continue. Too little time on hand and too little experience of sitting in a chair and writing but now I've got more of the second.  So here we go. Once a month is my goal.

Over 150 stories from the authors that participated on W1S1 last year were published and paid for. According to Ray Bradbury, if you write an sub a short story each week by the end of the year you will have 52.  And he says not all will be bad.  I believe it.  

Tuesday 1 January 2013

wow I can't believe it, HAPPY NEW YEAR

Yesterday I opened my email after almost two weeks and my heart skipped a beat.  At first I thought who is this Janet, probably a spammer then I read down.  It was Janet Reid thanking me, holy shit!  For sending some information.

OMG!

It took a day for the news to sink in.

So we went to the Eiffel tower on this sunny afternoon to eat a barbapapa  (cotton candy) among throes of tourists, ugh.  What was I thinking?


Happy New Year from Jocks!