Short Stories....

So, I'm about to start writing a new short story. I told so many people that once I finished my MFA it was highly unlikely that I would ever write a short story again. In the last five months I've made that prediction come true. However, a good MFA buddy and I have set up a short-story swap. One rough-draft of a story due every two months. I think this is a good thing because it will keep my literary-brain in practice. That's not to say that the novel I just finished isn't literary--well, it's not... yet--but I definitely write a little differently depending on audience. Maybe I shouldn't. Regardless, I'm scared and excited for this swap because he's an amazing writer who's gonna keep me on my toes. I hope to learn a few more things from him.

In other news... I still haven't found a job (meaning a "career"). I need to get my Maryland driver's license so I can maybe deliver some pizzas or something. 2011 is just beginning, but it better have some great things right around the corner.

Reading Out Loud

I hate reading out loud and I have to do it tomorrow in class. My classmates will have to suffer through another long story. I'm liking it though--just posted it here under "My Writings".

I need to start working on my other writing--I feel so neglectful.

Whew!!! Thank God That's Over!

So, I just read my Chekhov inspired short story, "Baby Dolls" (posted with the other stories to the right). I was nervous about reading it out loud and could totally hear a tremble in my voice. But I managed and it went over pretty well. I still haven't decided if I'm going to use this story for my third workshop--I want to write another one. We'll see.

About Chekhov (thanks Wikipedia!)

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (January 29 [O.S. January 17] 1860 – July 15 [O.S. July 2] 1904) (Russian: Анто́н Па́влович Че́хов, Russian pronunciation: [ɐnˈton ˈpavləvʲɪtɕ ˈtɕɛxəf]) was a Russian short-story writer and playwright, considered to be one of the greatest short-story writers in world literature.^[1] His career as a dramatist produced four classics: The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters, and The Cherry Orchard; and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics.^[2][3] Chekhov practised as a doctor throughout most of his literary career: "Medicine is my lawful wife," he once said, "and literature is my mistress."^[4]

Chekhov renounced the theatre after the disastrous reception of The Seagull in 1896; but the play was revived to acclaim by Konstantin Stanislavsky's Moscow Art Theatre, which subsequently also produced Uncle Vanya and premiered Chekhov’s last two plays, Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard. These four works present a special challenge to the acting ensemble^[5] as well as to audiences, because in place of conventional action Chekhov offers a "theatre of mood" and a "submerged life in the text."^[6]

Chekhov had at first written stories only for the money, but as his artistic ambition grew, he made formal innovations which have influenced the evolution of the modern short story.^[7] His originality consists in an early use of the stream-of-consciousnessJames Joyce and other modernists, combined with a disavowal of the moral finality of traditional story structure.^[8] He made no apologies for the difficulties this posed to readers, insisting that the role of an artist was to ask questions, not to answer them.^[9] technique, later adopted by

Now, thankfully, our class is moving on to study Flannery O'Connor. I'm looking forward to this change of pace and what type of story I may be inspired to write after spending a few weeks reading her. I've been told that she has some wild stories--crazy Southern woman. This should be interesting...