A Published ADK Writer

[Gray Ghost]

I tried to resist posting a thread for fear of being boastful, but I just can't help it...I'm so excited I feel like a child at xmas. For the past couple of years I've taken up writing fiction as a hobby, and my Adirondack-set short story "Snapshot" was recently accepted for publication by the Midnight Times http://midnighttimes.com an online only magazine. While the story won't be readable until the January 1st '07 publication date, the title and my name are listed on the Next Issue page under Winter 2007 issue. I also thought a thread about writing would be a good place to have discussions with other aspiring/published writers. I will repost the link when the story is published, and in the meantime, though the accomplishment is miniscule in the grand "writing" scheme of things, I'm gonna celebrate a bit tonight....

[Ordin Aryguy]

Cool beans!!! Miniscule accomplishment? Hardly. I hope it's just the very beginning of a long list of publishing that comes your way.


Ordin

[Boreal Chickadee]

Congratulations!

Here's to much success in the future. We hope to hear more good news like this for you.

[Skyclimber]

Congratulations, It is exciting!

[Wildernessphoto]

Very Cool GG! Congrat's!

[Edelweiss]

Congratulations GG. I'm anxious to read your piece.

[Gray Ghost]

Thanks, everyone. The wait is unfortunate, but that's part of the publishing game. Again, I truly appreciate your comments. -Kyle

[Hugh]

Congrats Kyle,I hope this writing thing wont cut into your fishing time. Hugh

[Gray Ghost]

Thanks, Hugh. I definitely plan on hitting the ponds just as much as normal.

[kurtteej]

Excellent, this is great. I've been doing research for a novel of my own -- one about how my mothers family got to the US. Way back when, the first one here came over as a Hessian soldier that was captured at Trenton. He was put into a prison camp and eventually escaped. He settled around Reading, PA where some of the family is still located. Lots of research required on this to make it as accurate as possible.

[Gray Ghost]

Sounds like you've got some great material there, Kurt. I am also writing a novel--I'm about 21K words into it right now--but it is fictional, and ADK set. I know what you mean with the research.

[Kevin]

In a way it is a small step, and I think you realize this in the positive light I'm intending by pointing this out. But it does mean you have talent, otherwise you wouldn't grab an editor's attention. Keep crafting your voice and in time you'll have a small line of magazines looking forward to your next story. I'm eager to read it.

Here's my $0.02 on writing and my experiences with it.

I've been published (poetry) several times back on my college days (about a decade ago). Eventually I gave up writing altogether. I used to write about being a person I aspired to be, and being someplace else. Now I am the person I aspire to be and I have settled into a very nice life. For me writing was an escape, and a badge. I used to do it to be "that guy". You know, the 'artist' type. My image means less to me now. Now I'm just some guy who fixes computers and likes to wander around in the woods. Whether I die with a legacy of written work no longer concerns me. Recently I even came to terms with my motives for making music, my last bastion of creativity. When it stopped being fun it meant I was no longer recording for myself.

These are just my thoughts on the subject. I hope you can find the pleasure I never did from writing.

[Gray Ghost]

I have had my artistic frustrations as well. I was the frontman of a pretty successful rock band for a couple of summers but when it stopped being fun for me, we disbanded. I got a ton of pleasure out of it, and I still do when I sit at home and jam out a Dylan tune or a pumpkins tune on my Taylor acoustic. As far as playing out, I feel like I've already done that.

I'm pumped about writing because "Snapshot" is the first serious piece of fiction I've attempted in my entire life. MT was the first mag to look at it and they ended up taking it, which is encouraging. My goals leaving high school were to become a successful teacher and writer. I do the teaching thing by day (and i love it) so now if i can sell a few stories, I'll be all set. I should be hearing yay or nay on another story i sent out very soon. One mag already turned me down, but they had encouraging things to say about the piece. We'll see.

[Kevin]

be sure to bring an acoustic if you make a gathering in the future. Sounds like we have similar tastes in music (I think I still know "Disarm" ).

[Gray Ghost]

Disarm was the first song I ever learned to play and sing all the way through. I learned to play guitar by listening to Mellon Collie and Siamese Dream. This summer I was lucky enough to meet Billy Corgan in Boston before and subsequently after a show on his solo tour, which rocked! If you couldn't guess my band sounded very much like the pumpkins. If I ever make a get together I will definitely bring a guitar along.