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RE: Lois: A Story Written for the Ink Well Fiction Writing Challenge #2 - Bad Habits

in The Ink Well5 years ago

I like it! I like the story, how subtle the emotional built up is presented as we see Lois' background, I like to see how she finally breaks. She wears that cynic face to mask her scars and her unfulfilled dream of having a loving family with children. I feel sorry for Lois, but I am sure she would throw everyone's pity in the trashcan as she is too proud to let others see that she remains a fragile hurt woman inside. So many people do it everyday for their own personal reasons.
That was a great piece! 🌼
Take care!

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Thank you, dear @ruth-girl. 🌺
Sometimes, when I write a piece I have a particular reader in mind. In this case, I thought of you and some of the characters you have created in your stories. I had a feeling you would "get" Lois. We are all so complex, and imperfect, often hurting ourselves as much as anyone else.
Forgive me for suggesting this, but I think you should write. And I think you should polish your already-written stories, put them together with your new ones and make a compilation. This you can publish as a short story collection. If publishers don't want it, that's OK. You can publish the book on your own. Even if no one buys the book (I've been there!) it's still a great thing. Your family and friends will treasure it, and your kids one day will have it as a legacy.
I have published such books for myself, and for others. Cost absolutely nothing. Do your own formatting and cover art. Upload on Amazon (and Smashwords, if you want an ebook)
Hope I'm not being presumptuous. All that creativity needs an outlet :))
With great affection and respect, 🌞 🌟
Your mature, New York friend,
AG

Apologies for taking so long to reply, I had read your comment, but every time I wanted to sit and write back something else happened.
I love those pieces where you have to figure out the emotional background of the characters, the strikes that carved them into what we can see now, it's intriguing, like searching the answer to a mystery (all human souls are a mystery after all).

Writing takes commitment and a very specific emotional state. There has been some denial in me the past months, mostly because of the too much workload, but I've been thinking the same as you. I need to polish my old pieces (I have this one in mind in particular, one of my favorites and one that I'm proud of, my Lilith! https://steemit.com/writing/@ruth-girl/why-lilith-part-vii It needs a good ending and a nice polishing, let's see when I'll find the will to work on it).

Self-publication huh? It has occurred to me once, but never really decided to do so. I've read a post here in the past, it said that you can publish your writing on Amazon for free, I don't remember which steemit user that was though. Perhaps I need to get more serious with that.

Thank you so much for all the honest support and care!! It always puts a smile on my face reading your comments. 😊

Take care and stay safe!
Ruth

Dear Ruth, 🌷
No apologies. I'm a retired grandmother, with the luxury of time. Often I don't comment on a post because I don't want to intrude, and am never disappointed when there's no response.

Lilith:

Wow! That's some story. And to read it now, during a pandemic--there is startling resonance. You take such care with the story, with every word, every sentence. Casual readers will miss signs of meticulous editing. But writers will see it.

As for self-publishing:
To encourage you I'm linking to the Amazon page that lists some of my books. I went a bit wild at self-publishing a few years back. It is so easy and satisfying. My daughter owns these books and gets about $35 a month in sales for all of them :)) Only one that really sells is Jonas Salk: The Battle Against Polio.
https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3ARhythm+Prism+LLC&s=relevancerank&text=Rhythm+Prism+LLC&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1
There's another list under A. G. Moore with overlapping titles (I really wrote a lot of books !!)
https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3ARhythm+Prism+LLC&s=relevancerank&text=Rhythm+Prism+LLC&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1
On this list, the only one that ever sold decently was A Lupus Handbook. I give that away free now as an ebook.

I do not expect a response to this email. You are busy, I know.

I wish you happiness and bright days ahead.🌞

With great affection (and respect for your writing skills)
AG