AUTHOR'S OTHER TITLES (26) A Sunday Story (Novelnovella Excerpt) (Short Stories) A small town loves and lies on a Sunday afternoon. [2,381 words] Ain't You Heard? (Poetry) A self-reflecting poem. [13 words] An Obligation In Kalamazoo (Short Stories) - [1,298 words] Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge (Short Stories) Patricia Fudge, a chocolate-lover who suffers a breakdown after becoming fixated with a guy named Elliott, whom she stalks. After she finds out that she cannot have his affections, she decides to use ... [1,143 words] Finding A Poem (Poetry) Writing poetry is the one of the most challenging venues of a young writer's career. Mastering the technique requires the power of language, and finding a poem somewhere in your thoughts. [13 words] Grayfield South (Short Stories) Two families converge when tragedy strikes. [7,086 words] [Mystery] Let No Man Tell My Story (Non-Fiction) - [1,274 words] Morning In Detroit (Poetry) The beauty of Detroit on a weekend morning. [354 words] Moving Beyond The Pain (Essays) - [2,014 words] Nighttime Babies (Short Stories) A man encounters two strange individuals on a weird Sunday night. [5,565 words] [Science Fiction] On And Off The Wall (Essays) - [1,538 words] Secrets From A Writer's Notebook (Short Stories) Isn't it wonderful when a writer's work is read and fiction becomes reality? It makes you wonder whose following you, who are your "true fans." Lovely is the new sarcasm. [257 words] Sestina!The Look! (Poetry) A woman walking in an inner-city neighborhood after a rainstorm questions the disconnection she feels from others of different backgrounds. She undergoes an epiphany that challenges her preconceived n... [306 words] Sing The White Note Black (Novel Excerpt) (Short Stories) An aspiring jazz musician comes of age in 1950's Detroit. [11,701 words] Sips Of My Coffee (Short Stories) - [732 words] The Cat And The Mouse (Short Stories) An adventure short story. [1,367 words] [Adventure] The Far Side Of My Room (Poetry) A writer's journey. [228 words] The Far Side Of The Room (Poetry) - [228 words] The Man Called Daddy (Novella Excerpt) (Novels) - [5,589 words] The Motown Chronicles: Sing The White Note Black (Novel Excerpt) (Novels) A jazz musician comes of age in 1950's Detroit. [11,701 words] The Nightmare Of Henry Dudds (Short Stories) This is a novel excerpt from The Motown Chronicles: Sing the White Note Black. I have decided to include this story in the trilogy that I am working on after all. [3,344 words] The Other Side Of Me (Short Stories) This story was inspired by the darker side of my hometown of Detroit, Michigan. [1,456 words] The Sidewalk (Poetry) A woman sees her neighborhood for how it really is. [396 words] The Theory Of Knowledge According To A Woman Named Righteous (Poetry) A woman is hearbroken over her decaying hometown. [224 words] [Romance] The Weight Of His Hands (Poetry) - [13 words] Three Different Ways To Tell A Lie (Short Stories) A father finds out that his son is not what he seems. [1,177 words]
How I Ought To Be As A Writer Piper Davenport
There are two characters here: Good girl, who is the do-er and Bad Girl, who is the Procrastinator.
GG: I am a writer.
BG: I am not a COMPLETE writer, you mean.
GG: I have written some things but nothing special.
BG: But not ENOUGH.
GG: I am on my way!
BG: Your way is taking much too long (voice drips with sarcasm).
GG: Stop saying that! I am trying, I am doing the best I can, right?
BG: Your best is not good enough. That�s why I think you should take a break. For maybe a day or two or three or four or five or six or seven. I mean, you�re not Sophia Loren for goodness sake. You�re not some goddess whose dreams are going to magically happen overnight. You are just you, a nobody, someone no wants to know. Deal with it. I mean, it�s completely arrogant to think that out of six billion people in the world, that people would read a beginner writer�s work, taste your words, savor in your surprises, disappointments, rejections, highlights, advances and setups. What makes you think of putting your name and standout in the same sentence?
GG: Hey, I like the way I write, sometimes. And when I don�t, sometimes I�ll stop and read a book or go see a movie and celebrate the rejection I�m about to receive. Then, I�ll start again and again and write crap. But then, I�ll just look at it and play with the words until they sound write. Even if I�m in a room full of people, it sounds right to me and they�re half-way paying attention, then I�m okay.
BG: You mean, writing from the heart? Sounds romantic but it doesn�t pay the bills.
GG: It is romantic. Life is romantic, especially the would-be writer. It�s like a relationship. It�s the thrill of the chase or being chased after. That�s the fun part. It�s the journey from beginning to end.
BG: Yeah, I guess but the ending is so bogus. What do you do? Start over again. Sounds like a chore, like washing the dishes. Yuck! No, it�s like homework. Something you have to do and that�s why you�re not a real writer: Blind optimism. You�d be better off in politics. Me, I have to know where I�m going.
GG: Who knows where I am going to end up at? I can�t predict anything, all I can do is love the words on the page and the language and everything that makes me feel good and go from there. I may not ever get rid of you but that�d be worse than getting rid of me and my hopes and dreams. As long as I finish, you will always be second to me, right?
BG: Who said anything about second place? I didn�t even know there was one!
GG: Umm, yeah. Second place means settling. Accepting less than what you deserve.
BG: So, are you saying that I�m holding you back? I didn�t force you to stop writing. Didn�t force you to take other people�s comments to heart? Didn�t force you to publish the first piece of crap that comes to mind? Where is my gun? I don�t have one. Oh, no! If anyone is to blame, it�s you!
GG: Me? You�ve GOT to be kidding me!
BG: No, I�m serious. Blaming other people, making excuses, it�s all a part of the rose-colored glasses you wear in your failure to accept your vision.
GG: I don�t think I looked at anything in my life quite that way. Maybe you�re right. I need to stop trying to make myself into something I�m not and just accept that I�m okay with how I write. There�s room in the universe for me and even you too. After all, who�s going to tell be the negative force in my life that engages me and keeps me on my toes?
BG: That would be me.
GG: And who�s going to welcome distraction in my life to keep me from burning out?
BG: That would be me.
GG: And who�s going to help me to write by creating this obstacle course in my brain That I must complete. Kind of like when I was in fourth grade? *Cries* I must, I must do something with my bust. Oh, what is the damn line? I�m getting Judy Blume flashbacks!
BG: Get over yourself.
GG: Yeah, sit and spin. Anyway, where was I? Oh, that�s right! I decree that my life is filled with not listening to other people but instead just following my inner-guide.
BG: That sounds terrible. Cocky. Wimpy. Cowardly.
GG: Oh, that�s not what I meant. What I mean is getting to a place where I�m following my passions and writing. More than yoga, more than calling a psychic, more than winning the lottery. Caring about nothing else except learning and reading and writing and moving forward. That my friend is the greatest self-gift for the would-be writer.
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