When Should You Give Up On Writing?

 

Woman As Art

Have you been writing for years?  Are you working a job that has nothing to do with writing so that you can pay your bills?  Is your dream of making a living as a writer fading into the haze?  Have you thought about giving up on writing?

As a young man I was obsessed with the idea of making a living as a writer.  It didn’t happen.  But writing has enriched my life.  It got me to go back to college and to get a BA and an MFA when I was in my 50s.  It fueled my interest in blogging.  And now it adds excitement to my life every day.  Now at the age of 65, I realize that writing is a journey, not a destination.  You know, it’s just like life.

Now think about what your life would be like without writing.  Oh, by the way.  The Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette is a paying market.

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Writers, A Little Dialogue Goes A Long Way

Woman As Art

Dialogue can do so much for your flash fiction.  First off it gets your characters inter-acting with each other.  And the sooner you do this in a flash fiction story the better.  Inter-acting is essential to show-don’t-tell writing.

Dialogue is one of the best ways to characterize your people.  As in real life, readers will judge the people in your flash fiction by the way they talk.

But remember, dialogue is not just talk.  It is a device that carries theme and tension.  It moves the story efficiently to its resolution.  Dialogue is part of the sound track of your flash fiction.

Well, enough of this explaining about what dialogue is and what it can do.  Why don’t I just show you?  Here’s an old story of mine from the archives.

*****

Young Married Life

“I want you to do something special for me,” he said.

“What’s that?” she said.

“Masturbate for me.”

“Masturbate?  Why would I do that?  You’re right here beside me.”

“It would be something different.”

“Honey…”

“For me.  Do it for me.”

“But you’re my husband.”

“Sit up. Let’s put the pillows behind you so you’re comfortable and just lay back and let me watch.”

“You really want me to do this?”

“Yes, really.”

“You really want me to masturbate?”

“Yes.  Really.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“Okay…I mean if that’s really what you want…Okay…I’m masturbating.”

“Wonderful.  That’s good.  That’s real good.”

“I feel like I’m in a porn movie.”

Several minutes passed.

“How close are you?”

“I’m getting there.”

“You’re such a good wife.”

“You’re a terrible husband.”

“Really?”

“No.  You’re really a wonderful husband.”

“Thank you, honey.”

“Matt, aren’t you going to even kiss me?”

“You’re doing fine.”

“I can’t believe we’re doing this.”

“Are you close?”

“I’m getting there.  Yes, I’m getting there.  It won’t be long.”

“That’s my girl…That’s my baby…That’s the wild woman I married.”

“I’m almost there…almost there…almost there…almost…yeah…yeah…yeah…”

“Don’t hold back.  Don’t hold back.”

“Matt!  Honey!  Oh, Honey!  Oh…Oh..Oh…oh, yeah…oh, yeah.  Oh, my god.  Oh, yeah…That…was…a… good…one.”

“I could tell.  You are so bad.”

“I’m bad.”

“Now let’s finish up.  Just stay where you are…All right…Say, honey, fill my mouth with cum.”

“Honey, fill my mouth with cum…”

“Okay, keep sucking…Say, honey, I want to swallow every drop.”

“Honey, I want to swallow every drop…”

“Keep sucking…keep sucking…keep sucking…Sweetheart, say, your cum taste like the honey from the honey bee.”

“I’m not going to say that.”

“Okay, forget that.  Just keep sucking…keep sucking…keep sucking…keep sucking…now swallow it…swallow it…swallow…swallow…swallow…oh, baby…oh, yeah…oh, yeah…oh, yeah.”

He eased down on his back beside her.  She started laughing.  He looked at her and smiled.

She said, “That was hot.”

Writers, Sign Up For Your Free Subscription Today

Woman As Art

If you’re a writer, I want to encourage you to sign up for a free subscription to the Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette today.  Why?  The simplest answer is that this is a paying market.

Another reason is that this online magazine gets over 600 hits every day.  The readership is growing.  If your work is accepted for publication it will get a lot of exposure.

The final answer is that this magazine has a great future because it is unique.  Just take a look at the front page.  Then make your decision.  Let’s work together.  Let’s be partners in this experiment in serious writing and brazen sexuality.

The subscription tab is at the top of the page.

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