Inner Voice. . .

At times my own inner voice gets lost among the chatter of my fictional characters. Perhaps this is normal for writers; perhaps my mind is too cluttered to listen, like I’m trying to be alone in a crowded room. I suppose my confusion is a wake-up call to seek silence.

I hear it’s pleas to focus, to slow down, to simplify or to concentrate echoing ever so slightly, without resonation from my head and my heart. As usual with everything else in my life, I give it a thought and a promise but little more. I don’t remember how to slow down. It’s been too long. Will my life ever become a prayer without words? Perhaps later.

I updated my website if you want to take a peek and sign my guestbook: http://www.bkbirch.com/. I’m pretty pleased with the way it looks (after three hours of frustration last night) and when I think back to the way it looked when it first was published (does anyone remember the ocean scene or the little immature clouds?), I’m thrilled with my progess. I’ve come a long way baby! Needless to say, both the serial and the novel were neglected.

Yesterday was my one year anniversary at my online writer’s forum. I looked back at what I’ve accomplished and I may not be a best-selling author (yet!), I have made progress. Everyone there has grown over the year and I’m blessed to be among such a talented group. I know, I’ve gushed about these folks before, but I mean it.

I haven’t heard anything from any of my submissions, but I did submit 2 poems to Crush Magazine yesterday. I believe every piece I’ve written is submitted somewhere. Would you call it “taking the initiative” or “a cry of desperation”? We will see when I hear from the publications.

I haven’t heard anything from Paradox Magazine yet. I really have hope for this one because a few others I know have received rejections within two weeks or so. I submitted a short story on 9/16/2004, which is two weeks ago today. I don’t expect to hear anything from the Gettysburg Review. I didn’t the last time I submitted something.

Glimmertrain short story submissions open up tomorrow. It feels like Christmas. I’ll submit something I’m sure. Glimmertrain, along with Bathtub Gin, are my new target publications. I’ll write something new for Wildchild Publishing’s November issue, maybe a piece on being thankful. Perhaps I’ll get some material from my Suburban Mom Diaries http://www.suburbanmomdiaries.blogspot.com/. Faith and Marci have been wonderful.

Well, my inner voice is telling me to get back to work. There is truth.

BK