T-zero Xpandizine
 The Writer's E-Zine

 

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05 February 2012
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Op Ed

Margaret I. Carr

Has the balance shifted in the real war? Not the wars with guns and planes and tanks, but the war in which we are all combatants determining the future.

Reading, watching, listening, remembering and thinking about what I've learned I have come to some conclusions about the terrorists' objectives. It seems as though most of them are convinced that they know the 'right way' and that there is only one right way. From that follows quite logically the need to either convert those who believe and live in a different way or, failing conversion, destroy them.

Logic further identifies the United States as a symbol of those who must be destroyed. Slowly over generations, and often painfully, most of the world has become more tolerant of differences. This is most visible in the U.S. because of the size of the country and the way we openly talk about the failures. It isn't the actual failures in tolerance that frighten the haters. It is the fact that we are trying and keep on trying. This is the threat they must deal with. Having fixed in their minds that we are the enemy, they don't consider all the other countries that are also trying.

So some of them acted and killed thousands and injured tens of thousands. By their logic we should have reacted immediately and returned their hate with interest. Had we done so, had we rushed to dispatch the bombers and missiles against the countries we know have been harbouring them, they would have won.

Logic is a useful tool but when the premises you start with are flawed the conclusion will be faulty.

But they don't understand anyone different. We are supposed to understand them. They don't see any value in two-way understanding.

While we were still in shock the world reacted. With tears, flowers and candles people all over the world told us we were not alone. And the balance shifted.

Before anyone stopped to think about how many of the dead and injured were not from the U.S. they reached out to help us without regard to previous or present disagreements.

But the terrorist mindset is not limited to a few areas. We have them here. They are making threats against those they consider different. They have murdered. They could shift the balance back, and then the terrorists would 'win'. They would win because we lost sight of the real enemies: hatred and intolerance.

The decisions about the battles ahead will be made by those we have elected or accepted as our representatives. But the decisions will be affected by the way we as individuals go about fighting the long term war. If most of us are able to act rationally, our 'leaders' will be more likely to follow us.

I think I am hoping most for some sort of international tribunal to examine all the evidence and try those responsible. It won't be easy. First problem is finding the evidence. Then there is the question of who will judge. Someone said that the victims should not be the judges. We cannot, we should not, rule out everyone who has been affected by terrorism, for then we would have nobody left. Probably the best we can do is find those who are not directly affected by this particular incident.

Then comes the part that may well lead to guns. How do you get the accused into court? I very much doubt they will come on their own. A fair and impartial trial would be the last thing a hater would want.

However it works out, we still come back to the long range war that can only be waged by the individuals. We can seek understanding, not in order to justify or excuse, but in order to prevent additional spreading of mindless hatred. We can preserve our differences and accept those others who do not seek to force their way on everyone. Those very differences will make us richer and stronger.

We can. Will we?


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F2K: Fiction Writing for the New Millennium The Writers' Ezine - T-Zero Xpandizine

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F2K: Fiction Writing for the New Millennium

F2K: Fiction Writing for the New Millennium is WVU's FREE course covering the 6 basic elements of fiction (Senses, POV, Conflict, Characterization, Plot & Theme). Over the span of 6 weeks, students explore each fiction element in the form of writing assignments, attend optional Sunday/Wednesday night chats, a guest chat with Eric Maisel (author of The Creativity Book), and a chat seminar, then complete the course by incorporating all 6 lessons to create a short story to be entered in the F2K Writing Contest. The course is offered 6 times a year and promotes lasting friendships and provides valuable interaction with peers who share a passion for writing.

Registration for the session beginning October 3 is open now through September 26. All registered students receive a 'Welcome' letter on the start date of the session (October 3) explaining how to register a password and proceed to their assigned study group.

Sign up now.


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Drabble Corner

Michelle Swisz

My reply to this Drabble is, "Yes, that's it, exactly; this is confusion."

Could This Be Love?
by Heather Schaefer

In Joseph's eyes there was something she understood. Needed instinctively. Sarah knew she could not afford to let go. Ignorant that she hadn't already lost her own sight dreadfully, she attributed all perception to him from the first moment she felt his gaze. His eyes were a beacon and a ship. Had he arrived in this luminous form to spirit her away from the blackened shores? To see Love? She could not comprehend that in her own eyes there was another light, guiding him toward the same hope. Their memories both still harbored others who'd tried to gouge it out.

Thanks to Alison Hawke for turning her attention back to Drabble to find the answer to a reader's question -- and thanks, too, for the Drabbles, questions and comments during the month.

For a person who likes to look at what things may mean, I don't do enough looking first before I get myself into the things I do. I guess I get confused at all the possibilities, so I sometimes just go with "my feelings."

So, as a result, I've made some interesting life choices since I've become newly single, and some of them now call for a degree of extrication. Some of these decisions were made incrementally, without realizing what the cumulative effect might be. Kind of like starting smoking -- no one can realize when they start smoking what the nature of being a smoker really is. Someone should write a story -- a Drabble on the ongoing reality of what being a smoker is, feeling unable to quit, perhaps having tried many times and in many different ways, with no escape whatever in sight.

For November, let's have two themes. For those who are smokers, or have been, like me (my own last cigarette was smoked in 1994): the theme of Smoking, and in particular, the idea (maybe just implied) of extrication from it. For people who've never smoked: the general theme of Extrication, from whatever decision one can imagine needing to get oneself out of. Choose either a 100-word single Drabble, or a 200-word Double.

October is set for the theme of Gratitude.

Here are the guidelines to check once more before writing. Questions and comments are, as always, most welcome. See you again next month.

Michelle


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Fiction Corner

Alison Hawke

Endings

In school I was told there were three types of Shakespeare plays; ones where everyone died at the end (tragedies), ones where everyone got married at the end (comedies), and the other ones (histories). I've been catching up on some reading lately, and I wanted to talk about endings. Most recently I've been reading Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds and Manifold Time by Stephen Baxter, and I watched the film Unbreakable. There are spoilers below.

Manifold Time is first of a series of books. I'm not entirely sure how you can have a series when you destroy the universe at the end of the first book, but somehow Baxter has managed it. I didn't like this ending, because all that survived of Earth was a bunch of intelligent squid trying to outrun the destruction of time and space. It was a depressing ending that came after a long, dull look into the far future of mankind, which was also depressing. This book is definitely a Shakespearean tragedy ending.

Revelation Space is the first novel from prolific short story writer Alastair Reynolds. It starts slowly, switching between three groups of characters, each separated from the others by space and time, thanks to slower-than-light-speed travel. Once the three groups start to converge, it is a lot easier to follow who is doing what, and a lot more tense. The story includes a lot about computer simulations of people, discussions on whether simulations are truly alive and capable of development and growth. Two of the main characters end up as computer simulations at the end, their physical selves eliminated. To me, that counts as death, however perfect the copies are. Another dies and is reconstructed. Only one character survives in human form. This ending was a lot more satisfying than Baxter's because no-one destroyed the universe, and loose ends were wrapped up nicely. The story kept my attention all the way through.

Then there's Unbreakable. In my view, this is a really good story with a surprise ending. Watching it a second time I was looking for hints to the final surprise and I found a few. Not enough that I would have guessed the end, and few enough that I didn't feel like an idiot for not guessing. Elijah Price, comic collector and art gallery owner has been watching the newspapers looking for one phrase: "There is a sole survivor, and he is miraculously unharmed." David Dunn is that survivor, the only person to walk away from a terrible train crash. Price gradually convinces Dunn that he is unbreakable, the exact opposite of Price with his extremely fragile bones. Price believes Dunn is a hero, like in the comic books. Price is Dunn's mentor, showing him how to use his abilities to protect people. The ending was, to me, a real shock, but it made perfect sense.

If you read or watch something, you have invested time and effort in that story. A bad ending feels like a waste of that effort. A book that is worth reading is Beginnings, Middles and Ends, by Nancy Kress. She splits people into those who struggle with their beginnings, middles and endings, and offers help to each group. She says that an ending must deliver on the promises you made in the rest of the story. Kress also gives four things a climax must do:

  • satisfy the view of life implied in your story.
  • deliver emotion
  • deliver a level of emotion consistent with the story
  • be logical compared with the rest of the story

The ending for Unbreakable worked because it explains Price's behaviour, his obsession with finding a hero, and doesn't seem out of place in the story.

I think you should give endings a lot of attention. It's what people talk about afterwards, and a good ending will keep a story in your mind.


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Fiction Excerpt

"A Great Hunger"

by Tony Soltis

"And they tempted God in their heart by demanding the food they craved."
Psalm 78.

Scanning groceries at Lane Six, I was already reaching for a soda-sixer when the pack of hotdogs’ price lit up: $15.99.

"Wait, wait, wait. How much?" The customer reacted, her eyes bugging. She held out her hands, stopping me, asking if that price could possibly be right.

I gave a short-lipped smile and said all the meat prices had gone overheated again this morning. I braced myself because of all the flack I’d been getting. Around us, women were pushing carts, gathering, sweeping up jars and cans and bottles and boxes. Usually when things got crazy in the market, I enjoyed it. Like at holidays or even just packed Saturday afternoons, but this was different. This had gone on two weeks straight, all night and day. Fourteen days of this pace was getting scary, and a lot of customers were losing tempers. Last night where I had my hair done, those ladies were pumping me for what times the delivery trucks were coming in so they could be there.

"It’s crazy, I know," I assured the bug-eyed woman. "If you don’t want them, I can take them off."

"Do they think we’ll just pay anything?"

I tried to be gentle and asked again if she still wanted them. My young bagger Kim was running between registers. I could see her tired knees were aching her.

"How can anyone charge so much for a hotdog?"

Suddenly the woman behind her yelled out she’d take them if bug-eyed woman didn’t want them. Then she grabbed the hotdogs and threw them on her side of the divided conveyor belt.

At the end of my shift, I turned in my heavy register drawer, then inched my way through crowded aisles of jammed carts to the back, past the sad empty green-watered lobster tank to the break room and time clock. I needed to get my butt home by three. Normally, this was a simple fifteen-minute ride, no problem. But my car was busted, the brakes again, and I had to catch the bus, which came in about five minutes. I exhaled and knew I didn’t have much chance of making it, and if I had to wait until the two-forty bus, I wouldn’t get home in time for Tabia’s graduation.

Wetting my lips and adjusting my bra, I stepped off the curb, faced the oncoming traffic and stuck out my thumb. I’d kill Tabia or the boys if I ever caught them hitchhiking, but it was different for me. I was forty and I had no other choice. And I have always been fortified by my intuitive feeling of not having any other choice.

The first few cars slowed down, probably curious at seeing an adult woman asking for a free ride. But I didn’t care if they thought I was drunk or a whore or just an idiot. I had to get home. Besides what was eating at me wasn’t so much the passersby, but a bad nervous feeling about the last two weeks, all the crazed buying at the supermarket. Meat prices were shooting up faster than I could ever remember, and something was wrong despite what the girls at the salon said, that this was just temporary, like a gas shortage, and pretty soon prices would start falling. But e coli, mad cow, hoof and mouth disease... these things were all over the newspaper. So much so you stopped paying attention. Now you could feel there was something different going on, and what if prices didn’t fall again? I was the sole support for my family, for Tabia, Brandon and Cody. Ma got her Social Security, but so much of that went for her prescriptions.

A silver Ford sedan pulled over. I saw the driver was a solitary male. What else? I took a breath and got in the car.

The driver had a white toothy smile. Great teeth. "Peter," he said, putting forward a soft hand. I shook it briefly and told him my name, pretty much summing him up as kind of effeminate.

"Got a stick a’gum, Paula. Wanna split it?" he asked me.

I did, but shook my head no.

"You hitchhike often?"

I told him today was an emergency, then before he could ask what kind, I quickly spilled out about this being my daughter’s graduation.

He grinned and said there was no way a woman my age could have a daughter old enough to graduate high school.

Okay, what does he want, I asked myself, noticing the suit he had on was blue, his shirt white, and his tie bright yellow. Salesman clothes. I could’ve opened up a bit more and told him about Tabia, that she was technically my niece, but my daughter all the same. But this salesman didn’t need to know any of that.

"I hope you don’t mind talking some," he chirped. "I drive by myself and miss talking to folks. I guess there’s nothing I’d rather do more than just gab, find out about someone, hear their stories. Bet you got some, some stories?"

I smiled and thought of giving a sarcastic answer, but I was really trying to give up sarcasm.

"How long you been at Tilden Brothers?"

I glanced down, saw my name-tag sticking out from my sweater. I told him almost eight years. He asked if I liked it. I sighed, realized how all rides do have a price, and said the work was all right, boring sometimes, but I was in the union. A few years back I’d needed an operation, and if it hadn’t been for my health plan...

The driver nodded. Damn, he was good, and that kind of pissed me off, so I got silent. Concentrated on getting home, having a talk with Tabia about graduating, how she had to try not to be confused or scared. And I started thinking about my own graduation, more than... Oh, God... twenty-plus years ago. I’d boldly announced I was going to Europe, going to travel by train and see the world. And I did just that. Might turn out to be the highlight of my life. Came back excited about everything, about getting an education. I told everyone I was going to community college and then to the state university. But Jani, my sister, was pretty screwed up, she was sick and out of it. You couldn’t leave your purse around without knowing she was going to finger it for cash. When Jani said she was pregnant, no one was particularly surprised. But I had believed her when she promised she was going to change. I thought a baby really could amend things. But the drugs won out. Taking Tabia was the right thing to do, no regrets. The only mistake was marrying Kip. Should’ve suspected he could hurt Tabia, but never would’ve suspected something so bad. Here it was a few years later already and the poor girl still had no confidence. Graduating high school, and she couldn’t even muster enough courage to dream for herself.

"Crazy food prices, huh?" the driver asked gently. I shook off my scared thoughts about Tabia and babbled, "People will pay anything. Hard to live without your daily bread."

"You know what the Bible says, don’t ya’?"

"About what?"

"Says Jesus Christ is the bread of life. Have you heard the good news? He is risen."

I glanced down at the clean ashtray. "Yeah, I’ve heard that." At least now I knew what he wanted. I wondered if he had one of those fish on the back bumper.

At home, my ma, Lucy, was sitting on the floor with both boys, playing a board game. They looked up at me and gave enthusiastic yells, "Mom, Mom!" But they continued wrestling for the game dice.

"Go give her a kiss," Lucy scolded them, grabbing the dice from Brandon’s hand. "She comes home from work, she deserves a kiss."

After Brandon and Cody did so, Ma looked at the time and asked suspiciously: "How’d you get home? Don’t tell me you were hitchhiking!"

"I won’t," I said and gave Ma a peck on the forehead then realized I’d just been sarcastic again. I asked her to get the boys ready, and went upstairs and knocked on Tabia’s door.

In her old-fashioned white slip, Tabia sat slumped in front of a mirror, thin, pretty, tugging at her long brown hair.

"I should’ve cut it. I should’ve listened to you, Mom. It looks horrible."

I was stunned. Did I just hear her say she should’ve listened to me? Jesus, that was a first.

"No, your hair looks fine," I finally answered, taking the brush from her hand. "It’s beautiful."

Tabia assured me we could catch a ride to school with the Powells. That was a relief. My hand gently tugged on the girl’s long tresses and it seemed such a short time ago that she was just a bald little baby, folks wondering when she’d get her hair. Now it was so curly and thick... I told her I was proud of her.

"Graduating high school’s no big deal," Tabia countered.

"Well, it forces you to make some decisions. Like what you’re going to do next."

I caught the girl’s eye in the mirror. Tabia blushed and said, "I think I just wanna stay at the animal shelter. Until I figure things out."

I took her by the shoulders. She waited, tense like she was about to get a lecture about being brave, having bold dreams, college, travel, the world, mental limits...

So I sighed and said: "That’s fine. The animal shelter is a good place. Too bad it doesn’t pay more, but it’s a nice thing to do."

"I just don’t know-- "

"Look, sweetie, it’s not like there’s some kinda family tradition you gotta uphold. Anything you do will be a step up. Just take some time and get past... the things you gotta get past."

She stirred, looking down and away.

I stayed at the mirror and told her how I was glad she was going to be sticking around home right now, about my strange feelings about these food prices. I said if this kept up, we were going to need to be there for each other.

Tabia announced she wasn’t worried.

"You’re not?"

"You can get through anything."

That took me back a bit, and I laughed softly. "Maybe I’m just lucky. Maybe I don’t have any other choice."

Tabia smiled, but probably really didn’t know what I meant. Her congeniality was part of the new distance we gave each other these days before falling into screaming battles. It had been a hard year. Almost two years. Early in her junior year, Tabia started hanging out with a corn-row-haired boy named Jarvis. Jarvis talked about photography and was always taking pictures and, I was sure, smoking weed. I’d been there myself, not to mention watching my sister go through a banquet of chemicals. I talked to Tabia, told her I didn’t want her out getting high. Whether it was at a party or in a car or at someone’s house, it all could lead to trouble. And still, didn’t the damn phone call come anyhow, the one that rings so loud at night and means nothing but the beginning of something bad. She and Jarvis were busted getting high in his car. Even worse, the officers found three dozen paper hits of LSD in the glove compartment.

Jarvis, two years older, was in adult trouble and he quickly pleaded his way down to a possession charge. Tabia, however, a juvenile, went to a different court. The judge there, I was shocked to discover, wanted to punish Tabia for "intent to distribute." She said my little girl was a drug dealer. Tabia stood there in front of this woman, and my girl’s got tears falling and no kleenex. I got up and went to her hand her one. The bailiff gave me a look, then motioned with his head to go on. The judge, she saw me do this too of course, but she just shook her head solemnly. I went back to my seat in those hard wooden pews, unable to get a fix on where this had all started. Had I failed as a mother, was this genetic, some sort of addiction gene from Jani,? Was this all from being abused by Kip?

Tabia was released into my custody and had to wear an ankle bracelet alarm. She lost her driving license and had to go to drug counseling. Feeling frosted as a troubled girl at school, Tabia ended up spending a lonely senior year, watching far too much television by herself. It had only been a month ago that Ma finally persuaded her to go after the animal shelter job.

And now Tabia Washington was graduating high school. Damn difficult to figure if Tabia was young for her age or too experienced. I teased myself with imagining how she was going to react later when we gave her the graduation card with the thousand dollars in it. It wasn’t the world, but it was a ticket to it.

Tony Soltis is working on a novel "A Great Hunger,"which tells the story of food disappearing in America as a result of genetic seed farming, depleted fisheries, salination of ground water, and cattle diseases. Panicked buying creates soaring prices and hoarding. During the crisis, two families, one wealthy, one working class, both struggle, as their own needs wrestle against their values of wrong and right, justice and compassion, love and hate, pity, revenge and forgiveness.


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Fiction Short Story

"The Clock"

by benning

The ceaseless ticking drew her eyes once more to the old clock hung upon the wall, its glass face reflecting the upside down image of herself.

"6:30," it read in the dim, fading orange light from the kitchen window. She turned her attention to her ironing, the hiss of the steam roiling around the bright white shirt, rising to tickle her nostrils with the fragrance of detergent and starch.

"Where is he?" she thought for the thousandth time, her strokes nearly in time with the clock's sound.

Her eyes were drawn again to the clock. Shadow cast in the dying light lengthening across the wall; gleaming silver needle of the second hand sweeping around inexorably. The black numbers seemed to dance as the second hand swept past them, as if mocking her. "He's gone. He's gone. He's gone." they seemed to say, mocking her. "Your fault. Your fault. Your fault." She tasted salt at the corner of her mouth and realized she was crying. She could scarcely see the clock now, the light so dim; the tears blurring all. Still it ticked away the accusation. "He's gone. He's gone. He's gone."

She rested the iron on its tail and dabbed at her eyes. She closed them tightly against the memory of the fierce, slashing argument of the morning.

"Your fault. Your fault. Your fault." the clock intoned. She didn't see the flash of bright whiteness that crossed the clock's round face; didn't hear the crump from the driveway; heard no tap of shoes coming to the door.

"He's gone. He's gone. He's gone." the clock screamed.

Strong hands grasped her shoulders and gently pulled her into a deep embrace, as she wept. The familiar tang of aftershave filled her head; scratch of beard along her cheek as he kissed her, saying "My fault. All my fault. My fault."

"He's back." the clock chirped. "He's back. He's back. He's back."

benning (benningwar@ij.net) began writing in 1996 as an outlet for his creativity, and to see if he could. Working as a janitor in West Central Florida, he has yet to publish a thing, but has earned a rejection slip!


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Healthy Horizons

Laurie Lupold

Back to School

The summer vacation is now at rest and if you are like most parents you are breathing a sigh of relief that it's over. I know for myself it seemed never-ending. With six kids under toe I was constantly at wit's end and definitely not very productive. Though I was able to get some pieces written here and there, they were forced and I didn't find the enjoyment in writing that I normally would have with the peace and tranquility I'd find in a quiet afternoon.

My son, now home, threatens to quit even before he gets started. No doubt this is putting a strain on our relationship. I don't like quitters and I don't find that he'd be doing himself any favors by doing so. He threatens me like I am the child and he is the parent. It has been frustrating to say the least.

I've taken an interest and registered for some courses, which I haven't done for some time. I found even I don't have all the answers. Haha! I'm not letting that interfere with my ambition though. What would be the fun in taking them if I already knew their content?

These are the types of things that I try to teach my son but he is sixteen and knows far more than I, so he thinks. All those ambitions he had while he was away seemed to fall to the wayside the minute he got home. He was no longer a poster child for the institution but I had become just another kid who is sure to eventually find the wrong path again. I had had higher hopes than that.

Here I sit weeping to my audience of loyal readers as if you wanted or needed to be brought into this part of my life but I can't help myself. You have all become like a family to me and given me a home where I can unload life's fatalities.

Many peoples' advice has been to require that he either works or goes to school. Well I suppose to some degree his working would be positive but what if it is a job where he can never move forward and has no promise for future gratification? Am I really doing him any favors?

I suppose I have sifted through several thoughts on this issue but I'd love to hear from you, my audience. What would you do if you were put into this same predicament? Have you ever been? Was it resolved? Perhaps resolve it as if you were telling a story and give me some input. I've given you the conflict, now it's your job to write the possible solutions and endings. Pass it on to me. I'd love to read your thoughts.

'Til next keep reaching for those Healthy Horizons.


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Insights

Koh Tin Peng

"It's my life"

I can identify with the Insights article by Lori Morgan, Needtochangeitis, where she laments that she might be going through a mid-life crises as she is experiencing unhappiness and always feels that she should do something different with her life. Maybe that is because I am going through a quarter-life crisis. I am uncertain of my direction and always feel that I should do something different and more exciting than what I am currently doing.

Having been out of university for a few years and worked in a few full-time jobs I don’t really like, I am starting to wonder what I should do with my life and what should be my career. Most of my other friends in their twenties are working full-time and they seem contented. At times, I wondered why I was different. Why couldn't I follow the masses? Knowing I was very different from my other friends caused me much unhappiness. For years, I considered myself a bit strange as my thinking didn’t fit in with my friends of the same age. It made me quite a lonely person since the only one I could depend on is myself, and at times I couldn’t even do that. I had low self-esteem and wanted approval from others. I felt safe if I was among the majority. However, by following the majority and not my heart, I was unhappy with myself. All this unhappiness coming from the misconception that I had no control over how I wanted to lead my life finally took its toll and caused depression. I knew that I didn’t want to follow the road always travelled by graduates: get a job, get a husband, have a few children and work in a stable job until retirement. I wanted to be able to follow my heart and not perform for other people’s approval.

I am different and so are all the other people. Each of us is a unique individual that has a unique life path. After this realisation, everything became clear and finally, I am able to put down the burden of being the nice and accommodating person who has everyone's approval except my own, and do things that are close to my heart. I value my right to be myself even if I am different and strange in the eyes of others.

After this realisation, I made up my mind to pursue a childhood dream of becoming a writer and decided that there is no better time to start than the present since I was without a job and had lots of time to spare. However, six months after I first made the decision, I still haven’t done much. I like to read and write in my diary regularly and I have started to put more effort into writing down my thoughts and ideas and noting interesting findings from my readings. However, I have not done the most important thing: to write and submit my writings regularly to editors. I believe that I am afraid of failure. I did submit a few pieces to editors in the first two months but I got no replies. I start to wonder if maybe I’m not cut out to be a writer and maybe I’m just too young to have anything interesting to offer. Once, when I told a friend that I wanted to be a writer, she commented that I was just too young and inexperienced and asked if my English was that great. I felt disheartened at her comments but after some thinking, I disagreed with what she said. Although I am young, I have a lot of ideas and strong analytical skills. Although experience is important, being observant is also another way for us to get good ideas and I am an observant person. As for that comment about my English, although it is not flawless, I know that I can write understandable English and am constantly making the effort to improve my language skills.

From the start, when I decided to give my long-time dream of becoming a writer a chance to become reality, I wanted to support myself by writing. However, as time went by, I realise I was unrealistic in my expectations. I did not major in English or Journalism in university and I don’t have any published clips to showcase my work. Thus my lack of relevant education and zero published work did not help in my chance to get a job in writing. Wanting to venture into freelance non-fiction writing, I got stuck because at times, I was confused about what topics I should write about as I don’t have any particular niche areas in which I am knowledgeable. I don’t even know how to go about sourcing for assignments after getting no replies from the few queries I have sent. Thus, up till now I haven’t done any writing that pays except writing educational materials which I don’t considered to be writing as it is mostly mathematics.

In order to support myself and to pay the bills, I started to take up assignments teaching computer skills to kids in school in additional to writing educational materials for companies and tutoring students in their homes.

At times, I tell myself maybe I should start to look for a full-time job, as freelancing does not provide me with a stable income but I know that I won’t be happy working full-time, at least for now. I am still content doing freelancing and although I don’t earn as much as I used to, I just tell myself that I should do what is best for myself. I'd rather earn much less and be happy than to stress myself physically and mentally doing something that I don’t enjoy. Freelancing also allows me to slow down and smell the roses. I am not as bad-tempered as before, as I have enough rest and relaxation.

Working on a freelance basis also provides me more time to pursue my dream of writing. Now I have more time to read up on how to write better articles and how to source for ideas and assignments. A less hectic lifestyle also makes me more receptive to my surroundings and better able to observe life around me.

At times, I still have doubts about my writing ability but I know that self-doubt is inevitable; even Stephen King experience self-doubt in the start of his writing career. Why should I be so different? Seldom do people become overnight successes. Most people work hard at their crafts for many years before their talents are recognised. I am still a novice and I have lots to learn and improve on. Thus I remind myself that from now, I should not only do more writing but also more submissions. One of the criteria for becoming a writer is the ability to handle rejections, and I try to see rejection as another step closer to the acceptance of my writing.

Writing is a skill that needs lots of practice. Being able to fully support myself through writing is a goal that I will work toward. It is my dream to have a book published in my name someday. Although I don’t know when that day will come, I know that I have to try or else I will regret it. Thus it is with newfound courage that I decided once again to submit a piece of my writing.

Koh Tin Peng (kohtinpeng@yahoo.com.sg) is a female in her mid-twenties living in Singapore. She has just started pursuing writing as a career and hope that one day, she can publish her own book. To support herself while pursuing the dream of becoming a full-time writer, she teaches and writes education materials on a freelance basis. Inspired by the Insights column by Lori Morgan, she decided to pen this article to talk about her struggle to become a writer.


T-Zero: The Writer's Ezine
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Poetics Presents The Writers' Ezine - T-Zero Xpandizine

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Poetics Presents

Phyllis Nielsen

Phyllis Nielsen is retired and live in Portland, Oregon. She has been taking classes from Writers Village University since January 1, 2001 and started writing in poetry in March of this year. She also belongs to a flash play critique group and had one of these produced in New Zealand.

Writers' Village members look forward to reading more of Phyllis' work.

Renga

gentle breezes stir
whispering bamboo
hidden grotto

draping branches
beside creek

water flowing by
splashes into pool
calico fish

rising waterlilies
floating on pool

screen of iris
rocks gather
koi sanctuary

Copyright © 2001 Phyllis Nielsen


T-Zero: The Writer's Ezine
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Copyright 1998 - 2007, Writopia Inc. All Rights Reserved
Spotlight The Writers' Ezine - T-Zero Xpandizine

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Spotlight

Priscilla Fagan

Nancy Hendrickson

Nancy Hendrickson is a freelance writer who lives in San Diego, California. Her newest book , Making Money Writing for Niche Markets, will be available through our own ePress soon. Her articles have appeared in Astronomy, History Magazine, LA Parent, Family Tree, Ebay Magazine, Family Chronicle, Smart Computing, and more. She has written over 60 articles on collecting and over 500 shorts for History Magazine's web site. Nancy has co-authored 2 books for amateur astronomers and is a Contributing Editor to Family Tree Magazine. She has developed several niche markets, among them genealogy, collecting and computers. It was my pleasure to interview Nancy for Spotlight. Visit Nancy's web site.

T-Zero: Have you always been a writer? Do you have any particular background or creative writing courses that you draw from?

NH: Even before I went to kindergarten, I remember running around with little pieces of paper I'd scribbled on. So yes, I think I've always been a writer. When I was in high school and college, I loved researching and writing term papers, which is probably why I enjoy writing non-fiction articles today.

Although I didn't take many creative writing courses in college, my degree is in English--which means I did a tremendous amount of reading. For me, being a writer means being a reader. Reading good writing--whether fiction or non-fiction--always inspires me to improve my own work.

As you know, many non-fiction writers dream about writing fiction and I'm no exception. I've taken several fiction courses through Writer's Village, and find they also help my article writing as well. My favorites are the series on Mythic Structure.

T-Zero: Tell us exactly what a Niche Market is.

NH: A niche market is a specialized market. As a non-fiction writer, I'm interested in a wide variety of subjects, which makes me a generalist. However, I learned long ago that editors are more comfortable working with you if they feel you are highly skilled and informed in their particular niche.

It occurred to me that although I am a generalist, I can specialize in several different niches. I picked the areas I know the most about, and went about presenting myself as a specialist in those areas. For example, I wanted to write about genealogy, so I started a genealogy newsletter and built a genealogy-related Web site. Both positioned me as an expert, and helped in getting some of my first genealogy assignments.

T-Zero: You've developed several of your own niches; genealogy, collecting and computers. Did this develop from a special interest you had in each or did the interest develop once you found the market?

NH: Those particular niches were based on my own personal likes. However, I learned to develop my own "niche within a niche" in each of those fields. For instance, although I've been interested in genealogy since childhood, I positioned myself as an expert on Internet genealogy. Because I've been online since 1986 (my first subscription with CompuServe), it was easy to call myself an online expert.

I've had computers for years, but it wasn't until I bought a Handspring Visor--they're like Palm Pilots--that I really got interested in writing about computers. My first articles were on using Palms for various hobbies. I sold pieces on Palms for astronomy, Palms for health and Palms for genealogy. Once I had my foot in that particular door, it was fairly easy to get other computer-related assignments.

I'm a great believer in writing about things you really enjoy. Why go after assignments that you're going to hate writing?

T-Zero: You've written for several magazines with different interests, do you have a favorite subject?

NH: I love writing about people or events that transcend ordinary life and touch us in a place buried deep in our souls. For me, this usually happens when I'm writing about history. I don't get to do this often, but when I do, it's Nirvana.

T-Zero: We at T-Zero and WVU are learning the craft of writing and honing our skills. Writing for niche markets takes research, can you lead us through a typical beginning, middle and end of preparing your article?

NH: You're absolutely correct about needing to hone research skills as a niche writer. When I get an assignment, the first thing I do is decide how I'm going to approach the article (my tone, style, structure), whether I need to do interviews, and what type of research will be necessary.

For example, I'm doing a piece right now for The Writer magazine on "Holiday Gifts for Writers." I needed to come up with 20-25 items a writer would like to get as a gift, then write a paragraph about each, including the price and where to buy it.

This piece was fairly straightforward--I added things to the list that I'd like to have, and then incorporated things my editor wanted on the list. After that, all I had to do was search the Web for each item, and write my descriptions.

A more typical piece for me, though, is one I just finished for a genealogy magazine on "finding your frontier ancestors." After deciding on the components I wanted the article to contain, I got on the Web and started looking for experts to interview. I eventually interviewed two authors who specialized in the frontier, an expert on military history, and archivists at four different state historical societies.

Next, I took all my notes and started fashioning the article. Once I did that, I could see where my research was a little thin, so I went back on the Web, as well as through my own books to fill in the gaps. Once that structure was complete, I began writing the piece. By that point, I had enough information to write a fairly well-honed article. Of course I went back a couple of times to polish it, which means not only catching my errors and improving the way I said something, but also moving paragraphs around until the piece flowed the way I wanted it to.

One last thing--and this is just my personal quirk--once I know how I want to structure the article, I frequently write my lead paragraph before I do anything else. Having a solid lead keeps me focused.

T-Zero: What or who influenced you to get into article writing?

NH: I truly love helping people understand a subject better, and writing articles gives me the chance to do this.

For example, I like writing an article that helps you get the most from your Palm Pilot, or one that helps you find your ancestors, or one that gives you a piece of medical information that alleviates your worries. Writing these articles gives me a great deal of personal satisfaction.

T-Zero: What type of books do you like to read when you find the time?

NH: Unfortunately, most of my reading time is spent on keeping up with computers and Internet technology. It doesn't leave much time for reading for the pure joy of it. In fact, I jokingly call myself an illiterate because I spend so little time reading great literature.

However, a friend of mine recently inspired me to start reading novels again. Of those, my two favorites are The Archivist, and Girl with a Pearl Earring. My criteria for a good read is that it makes me think, it touches my heart, and that it's beautifully told.

T-Zero: What advice would you give first-time writers who are interested in developing a market for their work?

NH: It's such a cliche, but a true one: Write what you like.

If you love kids, for example, write about them. This may mean starting out writing for a kids' magazine and then expanding into parenting magazines; or, it may mean writing about crafts for kids for a family magazine.

Also, I think a big mistake a first-time writer makes is in seeing their niche in too narrow a focus. By this, I mean there are far more markets for every niche than you might imagine. For instance: although there are genealogy-specific magazines, that doesn't mean they are the only market for my work. I can sell pieces on genealogy to computer-related publications, retirement, travel (genealogy research on the road), collecting (I found Great-Grandma's diary), history, ethnic, and general interest magazines.

If you want to develop a market for your work, spend some time in the bookstore looking through the magazines. Then, do a little thinking outside the box, and expand how you see your particular market.

T-Zero: Your book, Making Money Writing for Niche Markets, is quite comprehensive and covers everything you need to write articles. If there was one key element to selling articles, what in your opinion, would that be?

NH: Learn to write a killer query. Of all of my skills, my query writing one is my strongest. I have learned to sell myself and my ideas in a way that makes it difficult for editors to say no.

Grab editors by their collars from the first sentence and don't let go. Let your passion show through. Tell them why you're dying to do the piece and why they should be dying to pay for it. Yes, editors are business people, but they are people. They want to be excited, they want to find that query that promises to thrill them. Make it be yours.

T-Zero: I always like to end an interview using some of James Lipton's questions which gives us an insight in the author we spotlight and it's fun. Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule.

T-Zero: What is your favorite word?
NH: Hubris. I love the image it creates in my head.

T-Zero: What is your least favorite word?
NH: Interface. God, spare me.

T-Zero: What turns you on?
NH: Music that makes me feel every emotion, from the inside out.

T-Zero: What turns you off?
NH: Whining.

T-Zero: What sound or noise do you love?
NH: The crackle of a wood fire.

T-Zero: What sound or noise do you hate?
NH: Car alarms.

T-Zero: What profession would you be in if not this?
NH: I would compose music.

T-Zero: What profession would you hate to be in?
NH: Anything that traps me in an office or forces me to do the same thing day after day.

T-Zero: If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive?
NH: "You did good, kid."


T-Zero: The Writer's Ezine
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Copyright 1998 - 2007, Writopia Inc. All Rights Reserved
Submissions Guidelines The Writers' Ezine - T-Zero Xpandizine

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Submissions Guidelines (Updated)

Until further notice, only plain text submissions in the body of the email will be considered.
NO ATTACHMENTS.

What We Pay For

Fiction: Stories should be of interest to writers in general, not just a narrow group.

Fiction should be submitted to fiction@thewritersezine.com. Payment starts at $15.00.

If considered for publication, you will be asked to return an email agreement including your name and address.

Craft Features: Queries about Craft features should be sent to nonfiction@thewritersezine.com.

Payment starts at $15.00, and, if considered, you will be sent an email agreement to fill out and return.

Poetry: Due to the large number of recent poetry submissions, a temporary hold on further poetry submissions is in place until early 2008.

Please do not email us to ask what we pay for in other categories. When we can add to our list, we will include it in these guidelines.

What We Publish

Original short fiction, poetry, and non-fiction, particularly non-fiction related to the craft of writing and interviews.

For fiction we prefer something with a plot and resolution. If we like the main character, we are more likely to accept the story. If the main character has a problem to resolve or has to make a choice, that's conflict, and we love conflict! Too many writers confuse conflict with fight scenes. Don't be one of them. Give us a protagonist who acts, makes choices no matter how hard they are to solve his or her dilemma, not a wimp who drifts along and has to be rescued.

Non-fiction should be related to the craft of writing or be good resource material for writers. Accuracy and originality are vital. No reprints. If it has already been published somewhere else, our readers will spot it and let us know.

What We Won't Publish

Anything that inspires "hate," is defamatory or is pornographic.

Simultaneous submissions.

Material that has appeared elsewhere (reprints).

Seasonal material submitted during the same month (i.e., a Christmas story in December). Our lead time is short compared to print publications, but we do need time to edit, html and proof submission. A good guideline is to submit the manuscript by the first of the preceding month (i.e., submit a Christmas story before November 1st).

Length Recommendations

  • For Fiction, under 1500 words is preferred. We will consider excerpts from longer works.

  • Poetry should fit on one printed page if possible. A maximum of five poems may be submitted at one time (when the hold is lifted).

  • Non-fiction or Craft features have the most leeway in word count. In general these manuscripts should be 750 to 2,000 words. We like to take advantage of the hypertext capabilities we have available and link to charts, graphs, lists and so forth. Thumbnail versions may be included in the body of the article.

Rights

All rights other than first electronic, non-exclusive 'anthology' (for collections of T-Zero: The Writer's Ezine works only), and non-exclusive archival rights (we keep back issues online) are and remain the sole and exclusive property of the author.

Formats We Will Accept

Plain text in the body of an email.

T-Zero: The Writer's Ezine is an HTML publication. This gives us access to a variety of options but it is also a limiting factor.

  • Underlining is used exclusively for links in HTML. Please do not underline in your manuscript. It you are including a link to a webpage for reference, please mark the link the following way: (WEB LINK) http://thewritersezine.com (END WEB LINK).
  • The less than (<) and greater than (>) signs are used to enclose HTML encoding. If you need to use brackets, please use the square [ ] ones instead.
  • Paragraph indentation requires time consuming insertion of multiple HTML symbols. Please separate paragraphs by inserting a hard, blank line between them.
  • Fonts need to be simple. No multiple fonts. We prefer standard fonts such as Times New Roman, Courier or Arial set at 12 point. If your subject matter requires something else, ask us first.
  • The curly (smart) quotes, apostrophes, the em dash (two hyphens together) and ellipsis … (three periods) become strange and exotic characters when copied from your word processor into email. Check your preferences or options to see if you can use straight quotes. 
  • Text formatting such as bold, italic, centering, bullet list, etc., should be noted in the text by using all caps in parentheses. For example, if you wanted to italicize the word submission, you would type: (ITALICS) submission (END ITALICS).

Editing

We expect you to run spell-check and to check your grammar and punctuation before submitting. We will not reject a submission for a few typos or errors, but will if there are an excessive number of errors.

Note: Since our reading audience is international, we do not require a specific version of English. Use the spelling appropriate to your region.

We will automatically correct obvious typos such as “ton” for “not” and may correct simple agreement problems. For anything beyond that, time permitting, we will return the submission to you with a request for corrections.

Getting to Know You

Fiction and Craft features published in T-Zero: The Writer's Ezine include brief third person biographical notes on the writers. For all submissions, please compose your own bio and include it to save our editors and yourself time later if/when your piece is accepted for publication. We suggest sharing a little about your background, occupation, geographical location and what inspired your story.

How and Where to Submit

We do not accept submissions via US mail. Email submissions only, to the appropriate department, in the body of the email. No attachments accepted.

Fiction should be sent to fiction@thewritersezine.com.

Craft Non-fiction should be queried first. Send query to nonfiction@thewritersezine.com.

Poetry: Due to the large number of recent poetry submissions, a temporary hold on further poetry submissions is in place until early 2008.

Include the type of submission (fiction, non-fiction) in the subject line.

Be sure to include your name and email address in the body of the email.

If you do not receive an acknowledgement that your submission or query was received within a week, please send a follow-up query with “Did you Receive?” in the subject line. In the body of the email, please include your name and email address, the title of the work submitted, and if different, the email address sent from. Do not resend the submission unless we request it.

Good luck!


T-Zero: The Writer's Ezine
http://TheWritersEzine.com
Copyright 1998 - 2007, Writopia Inc. All Rights Reserved

 

© Copyright 1998 - 2007, Writopia Inc. All rights reserved