Where Do Stories Come From?

It’s been my experience that fictional stories are inspired by some actual person, place, event, or a combination of the three. From that point of departure, my imagination takes over and a story, with little resemblance to the reality, forms. In the case of my new story, “Belonging,” the point of departure was a combination of the above three elements that set me to writing. There was an older girl whom I idolized at about seven years old. I tagged along after her at the summer camp we both attended. All was well, she enjoyed being worshipped — until it wasn’t. She and her older friends gave me an initiation rite in order to belong to their “club.” I ran away and the idolization ended. But, I never forgot my sense of betrayal.

To read “Belonging,” which is included in Gold Man Review, Issue 6, please go to this link by clicking here.

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The journal can be purchased in book form or downloaded to your Kindle.

Featured Client For Writer’s Relief

We are pleased to introduce our Featured Client Kathleen Glassburn! The managing editor of The Writer’s Workshop Review, Kathleen has been a prolific as well as successful writer. Kathleen’s writing has been published in Amarillo Bay, Rio Grande Review, RiverSedge, and many other literary magazines. She’s also been a finalist in Glimmer Train‘s Best Start contest.

In Kathleen Glassburn’s own words

Researching places to submit my stories took valuable time that I wanted to use for writing. I sought out Writer’s Relief several years ago, and I appreciate the excellent job they’ve done targeting appropriate publications for my work.

I’ve never had a problem with writer’s block (hope this remains the case), but rather my task has been to find the right words, eliminating extraneous ones. It has become one of my goals, at the suggestion of Writer’s Relief, to keep my short stories under 3,500 words for a greater chance of publication. Staying within this guideline has made me a stronger writer.

While I continue with my novel-in-progress, another goal I have is to send Writer’s Relief one new or rewritten story each submission period. I’ve met this goal every year of our relationship, accumulating a large backlog of stories, many of which have been published. It’s hard juggling a novel and short stories, but with Writer’s Relief’s schedule in mind, I have been able to do both things. As an aspiring published novelist, I think it’s important to have short stories released while I continue writing my longer work.

Self-promotion is difficult for me. This seems to be the case with many writers. However, in today’s publishing world, the necessity for this is a fact of our lives. Writer’s Relief helped me develop a website. It showcases some of my published work and is an immediate way to put myself out there. I reference it in the signature block of all my emails, and it is noted on my business cards.

My Writer’s Relief team, through regular phone meetings, encourages me and provides suggestions for new ways to build my writing career. That said, they are respectful of where I am at the moment. I like having a group of people who are committed to my success, a group of people who understand how difficult this pursuit can be, a group of people who are making my writing life easier.

Thanks, Writer’s Relief!

More about Kathleen

Kathleen Glassburn graduated from the University of Washington with a BA in English, and went on to earn an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University, Los Angeles. She currently resides in Washington, with her husband, three dogs, two cats, and a 45-year-old turtle. When not writing or reading, she likes to play the piano and horseback ride. Her work has been published in Amarillo Bay, Blue Lake Review, Cactus Heart Press, Cadillac Cicatrix, Cairn, Crucible, Epiphany Magazine, Imitation Fruit, Lullwater Review, Marco Polo Quarterly, Rio Grande Review, RiverSedge, SLAB, The Talon Mag, Wild Violet, and several other journals. Her story “Picnics” was a finalist in Glimmer Train’s Best Start contest. She is managing editor of The Writer’s Workshop Review. 

She has published two dime novels, A New Plateau and Ridin’ High, through Red Dashboard Publishing. A third dime novel, part of this Santa Fe Trilogy, will be coming out in 2016. She has a novel-in-progress entitled Making It Work. It will be completed in 2016.

The Story Behind “On Plotting the Dime Novel”

Sometimes I’m overwhelmed by all the options. I’m talking about the deluge of email invitations and announcements. I often wonder: Should I do this? Should I sign up for this? Should I stop everything and re-write a story to submit to this contest or this publication? Should I go to this conference? Responding to everything that piques my interest leads to fragmented efforts.

I never had this problem before I started sending my work out. Up until that time, I wrote for myself, got an MFA for myself, and spent a lot of time working on my craft for love of the endeavor. At some point, it seemed right to start submitting. I told myself, “I’m not going to get hung up on publication.” HA! It’s gratifying to see your name in print and to know that someone, somewhere, likes your writing enough to publish it.

When I go a long time without acceptances, it’s disheartening. No matter what, I keep on scribbling or typing, trying to be as true to my vision as possible, avoiding topics just because they seem hot, writing and submitting stories that honestly speak for me. One practice that I’ve found helpful is to write about whatever I’m contemplating doing in my daily journal, then to wait for that feeling of rightness that tells me to go ahead. It takes the pressure off and sorts through the deluge.

This is what happened with The Santa Fe Trilogy and my subsequent relationship with Laura Madeline Wiseman, whose interview is included in the Spring Issue of Compose Journal.

My fictional story, “A New Plateau,” inspired by an actual trail-riding accident, was one of a kind. I received a message from the editor of a Boston publication where I’d submitted saying that they didn’t have a place for this type of story, but Red Dashboard Publishing was re-introducing the dime novel. Perhaps they would be interested. A day or so after writing about this in my journal, I sent my story off to Red Dashboard. A short while later I received an acceptance as well as an invitation to write a trilogy. Both these stories and the interviews that followed have opened up new possibilities.

Which brings me back to Madeline. She had a book of poetry, “The Bottle Opener,” published as a dime novel around the time that mine was published, and she got in touch with me, wondering if I would like to be interviewed. I felt honored that someone of her expertise wanted to ask questions about my take on writing. Then, it was my turn. I interviewed Madeline. Both interviews provided me with a way of putting into words, in the form of answers and later my own questions, ideas I’d gleaned along the way. And, I learned a lot about Madeline’s process and values from what she had to say.

I try to talk myself out of feeling overwhelmed. I try not to worry about “all the options.” I’m not a patient person by nature, but I have learned to wait for this sense of rightness that directs my writing life.

– See more at: http://composejournal.com/the-story-behind-on-plotting-the-dime-novel-by-kathleen-glassburn/#sthash.d7gDTB05.dpuf