Torn

"Nothing's fine, I'm torn; I'm all out of faith; This is how I feel; I'm cold and I am shamed; Lying naked on the floor."

Forgive me for that, but when I wrote in the title that popped into my head. I figured I'd share it.

I've quite possibly over-extended myself again. I've got a few different posts for Sally; one about her night out on the town and one about her day playing softball. This also includes an actual short story, told in 3rd person on that day out in the field because the blog is really a tool, a practice if you will, in really getting inside my character's head. If the story is good it should translate well into a story page and if I gather up enough I could get a book out of it. That is if people would buy it. Which I'm doubtful at the moment as I have no followers on here and only 3 on Sally's blog, which includes myself and my writing helper/online friend who I stole the idea from (with her permission).

I'm also working on a short story. I was inspired when rating articles at Helium under the Short Story: Writing topic. And it amazes me how few short stories are actually in there, most of them are written like memoirs or testimonies, and some of them out right say they are a true story. So with a little unfinished blip of a piece I wrote years ago, a story just took off. Now the thing about my short stories is they usually start a little too close to home. But I really REALLY don't want to be a Jenny Schecter so they usually evolve, leaving the true story behind as merely an inspiration. I've recently invited friends and family members into my Helium which will inevitably lead them here. Hopefully they won't see any of the little tiny details that remain true to myself, but will see them entirely as works of fiction. Writers should write what they know. It becomes fiction when you leave a significant amount of that behind. Where that line is exactly is left up to the individual though. I can only send it out and hope it gets perceived how I wish.

So not only am I torn between the many different things I'd like to be working on, and torn about letting people I know read what I wrote, I'm also torn between censoring myself or not. See this short story I've already been forced to because you can't swear. But I know how people rate and if it isn't in the debate channel where you only compares ones on the side you are on then if you write something they don't agree with they could very well rate it poorly. They should be rated on how well they were written as well as appropriate to the topic content (example; writing about a dog breed in the Autos topic should be taken down). But if my character just happens to get a phone call from her girlfriend... Well I can just see it being rated lower merely for that and not because I didn't dot an I or crossed a T. If I see an article using i instead of I, I check the other one to make sure they haven't done some glaring mistake and rate that one better. Wouldn't matter the subject matter.

Oh and as for Helium, if you do wish to join, let me know (emailing me with the email address you wish to use) and I'll send an invite which gives me bonuses. I recently wrote some stuff to the marketplace now that I have 2 stars. As for the creative writing memoirs competition, well I'm currently in 10th and yesterday was as low as 13th. So much for making money that way. But it is proof that I write better if I write fiction.

Not My Fault

I had entered a creative writing contest over at Helium. Out of 20 articles I submitted 15. A rather enormous undertaking for myself especially considering I was writing about myself. The contest was about memoirs, from learning to tie your shoe to your first kiss. Imagine my elation just as the competition was ending the submittal deadline finding myself in 2nd. Now the final calculations are going on and I find myself in 7th, imagine the puncture in that balloon.

But I found relief. Turns out it’s not my fault. Well not all my fault. I guess my inspiration wasn’t with me as I cranked out a few of those. Or maybe my life in general wasn’t as fun or interesting as the other competitors. Maybe I was too quick to post them and didn’t really give them a look over. Maybe I really should just stick to fiction or debates since I’ve done better on them.

Either way watch this video and you’ll understand what I mean by it’s not my fault. Of course if I would have gotten 1st and $25 then I couldn’t take all the credit either…



Either way with the sheer amount of articles I’ve at least gotten a Creative Writing Bronze Badge out of it. Plus I’ve been super inspired and have made many strides with my fictional character Sally. And the video has made me be at peace with my ranking on Helium and also has eased the fear of the daunting task (hint: never use daunting on a helium article I’ve read) that is my fantasy novel. But if you wish to read my memoirs you can find them on Helium and hopefully I’ll have something new to post soon.

Helium

I just published my story Mother's Intution on Helium under the Short Stories: Homosexuality title. So check me out on Helium!

First Post

Sorry I don't have a story to post. But I'm currently working on one. I may post some really really old stuff that I wrote when I was younger, you know to embarass myself. That will come later. I welcome comments, especially constructive ones.