behindtheax

Can't sleep

so I thought I would get up and make some camomile tea and then I thought maybe I should write in my blog while I am up because I had all these thoughts going through my head anyway. But as my water was boiling I figured why not make some peanut butter toast while I am at it which immediately woke my dog. Now she wants to go outside but I can't let her because she will bark. It is warm here tonight and the crickets are loud and the raccoons are squeaking, I can hear them in my grapes. Every morning now the patio is full of squished grape skins. I think the raccoons prefer the seeds and juice and toss the skins? It makes for a lovely mess. Have at it guys. I thought of an idea for a short story while I was trying to sleep, I even have a name for it With stones from her garden. Well, I hope I made that up and didn't glimpse that title from a book shelf somewhere which could very well be the case. but while I was lying there this character came to me and started taking shape a little bit. I hope something comes from it. I don't want to start it right now though because I am close to finishing this other story that I have now rewritten about a hundred times. I'm only making it worst with each rewrite and should really toss the whole thing but I can't because I like it. I doubt it will get to the point where it will see the inside of an envelope but hopefully. I don't send my stories out a lot. This year a total of five, three new ones and two previously rejected ones. Three have been since returned to me and the other two are overdue to come back. I hope they didn't get lost. I'm not trying to fool anyone, especially myself, but nothing ventured nothing gained and it is fun, even the rejection notes. One rejection letter was very helpful. The editor said I was telling the story rather than showing the story and that the ending basically sucked but he did say "lots of potential here". He also used the words lyrical and original, which are words to dream by. So at some point I will return to that and rewrite, send it out again. The second rejection letter that I received said my story had merit but wasn't suitable for them and he underlined in pen with two strokes, not one, to try them again. I think I spent hours staring down those two small strokes trying to determine if that meant a little or a lot of emphasis on try us again or was it just a slip of the pen? They can drive you a bit bonkers, rejections notes. Bottom line, they say what they say and I got to stop trying to read more into them. Anyway, I finished my tea, my dog went back to sleep, and I think the night is beginning to cool off some.

posted by mary j. @ 1:52 AM