Just my first post and already I'm thinking how do I write this? What do I say? I started writing short stories in the past, with the hope that I would be discovered. I turned in a few of my stories to some different publishing companies. I mean who wouldn't love me? It seemed odd not to get any offers or critiques of my work. Maybe it got lost in the mail? What else could it be? When they finally discovered me, I would then be able to write my copious, yet unrelentingly fascinating novels under a large umbrella perched upon on a white sandy beach. So 20 years later, this writing thing is still stuck in my craw. I catch myself saying, oh I could have written that! But for me at this point, more hobby than anything, I'd like to get back to doing something that takes me out of my head. Maybe I should just journal instead?
Hi @gracieoc and welcome from me! Short stories are a notoriously hard nut to crack, but there are a few writers on here who do it well and, I believe, fill the weekly envelope. Throw yourself in. One of the best ways to learn is to offer critique, do that for a while and join in some of the discussions, then you can offer up some of your own work for crit or try your hand in the regular contests!
Hey Gracie, welcome aboard. Glad you managed to chop through that nasty writer's block to communicate with us. I say write what you really want to write. That's necessary, you need all that fascination and pure love for your project in order to get anywhere. Save the studious stuff for a bit later, you will need to do that, but pepper it with heavy doses of writing what you love.
Writers block? Read Daemon Voices by Phillip Pullman. It's a beautiful book of essays on the writing process and developing stories.
