Published again!

A couple days ago, I got a package in the mail. I knew I hadn’t ordered anything from online since I’m not working at the moment, but the package was addressed (correctly) to me, and had my name on it, although the phone number was different. When my mom brought it to me, I told her I didn’t know what it was and we puzzled over it for a few minutes. Then she asked if I wanted to open it, and I said of course, since it was addressed to me and all.

Partway through opening, I saw that it was a book. “I didn’t order any books,” I said. And then I remembered: it’s a book that I’ve been published in! Oh yeah.

I know “Cinema Love” has already been published already in Best Gay Romance 2012 but I still find it pretty damn cool to see my name in print in a book. My mom, on the other hand, didn’t seem too impressed. Alas.

I want to thank Steve Berman for surprising me when he asked if he could include my story in the collection, which is starting to make me think that maybe people actually want to read my stuff. I think support and encouragement is probably the best thing anyone can do to a young writer.

Why I should keep writing

Look what I got in my inbox this morning, sent from someone in Saudi Arabia:

“I am not sure whether or not you are the one who wrote the wonderful story “A Lonely Astronaut,” from the ‘Tough Times Fro Teens’ book of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. The story, however, touched my heart and soothed my soul in a very positive way.”

 

This is what I hope to do, and for that matter, what I believe all artists ultimately want to do– to affect other people, to bring out some sort of emotional impact in people.  It’s comments like these that encourage me to keep writing when I doubt myself.  It’s comments like these that show I’m at least doing something right.

Thank you.

It’s official!

Look what arrived in the mail today! (I squealed for a bit… okay, I am still squealing)

I’m officially a published author!

Behold! (look in the Table of Contents)

http://www.amazon.ca/Best-Romance-2012-Richard-Labonte/dp/1573447587

Aha.

I’m sure no one really cares, but I couldn’t think of anything else to write for today anyway.  Well, I had been writing a gay romance story for the past week and I managed to finish it and submit it.

Yesssssss.  Fingers crossed for some good news!

All staring at the computer screen and no writing…

…make me go crazy.  I’ve spent a few hours today sitting in front of my computer, trying to push myself to write out a short story for a fairly well-known (at least to me) anthology before the deadline on May 31st, which is in exactly a week.  After getting some ideas by posting something on my facebook status and doing lots of thinking about what makes a good gay romantic story, I came up with a simple story but just the act of writing it all out and going into detail is really daunting.  Sure, I want to be a writer but it’s such an undertaking that even when I write something like a short story, I feel like things go so slowly.  Self-motivation is key, and I know that, and I am motivated but I sometimes I question myself as a writer in the middle of a project (such as this one) and then I don’t feel like I can do it, and all these questions come up…. anyway.  I’m sure it happens to every writer.

Long story short, I guess what I tried to say in that big paragraph that I could’ve said in a few words is that I don’t feel like I’m a very efficient writer.  It takes a long time for me to get anything out, and as someone who considers himself to be efficient in most things, I find it to be a problem.

Anyone have short stories?

Earlier this month, I came across an ad at Langara about a student at the school looking for short stories for an anthology she was putting together.  She wasn’t looking for any specific kind of themes or stories, and I decided to email her to ask her about it and to send some of my stuff to her.  It turns out her aunt owns a publishing company, who would be the one to publish this anthology.  She’s putting the anthology together partly because Langara, though it does have a yearly book of writing that students past and present can submit their material to get published for, they have a limit of 2 or 3000 words for short stories.  The other part is just to have something published, which I think would be super awesome.

We’ve emailed each other back and forth for a bit and she’s still looking or material.  If anyone reading this has any short stories lying around on their computer or knows of anyone who might have something or even feels inspired to write one for her and her project and would like to send it to her, send an email at jchan12@mylangara.bc.ca. And if you have questions, obviously ask her instead of me since I am unknowledgeable.

I sent her three stories I had written.  She hasn’t decided how many stories to publish and I don’t know if she’s set a deadline though at this point, since she’s gotten so few submissions, she might not have a set day.

So yes!  Get on it people!