We’re officially over one twelfth of the way into the New Year, and if you’re anything like me, some of those crazy, exciting New Year’s Resolutions – the same ones that seemed like such bold goals at the end of December – may be feeling a little insurmountable by now. But instead of kicking yourself for not yet finishing your novel or losing that holiday weight, take a peek at SSC student Barabara Govednik’s essay at The Women’s Conference, and consider a new kind of personal goal for the coming year: “…To simply be who I am without putting up all the arguments against myself that have become second nature.” You might just find yourself making a new resolution.

Congratulations to Barbara for her publication – and many thanks for the sound advice!

We are so delighted to announce that StoryStudio student Will Fletcher had his short story “Dear Life” published in the Chicago Reader’s tenth annual Fiction Issue. Will workshopped this story in our very own Advanced Fiction Workshop just last fall. This is Will’s first publication, and he hit it pretty big time, which is no surprise from those of us who had the opportunity to work with him!

You can read Will’s story online: here.

Congratulations Will!

We often complain about how hard it is to find time to write, and would it be lovely to have the time and physical space to be selfish and involved with only our characters?!

Well, in the world of writing, there are actually a lot of opportunities to take advantage of Residency Programs at locations around the country (around the world, really.) So how do you take advantage? Like everything else, it takes research, commitment and follow through. Here’s how one StoryStudio student found her way:
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By Lauren Whalen

It all started with a link.

My aunt, who lives in New Hampshire and knows that I am interested in (read: obsessed with) writing, emailed me a link to the MacDowell Colony, located not far from her home.  I had vaguely heard of “writers’ residencies” but hadn’t really thought much about the concept.  For one thing, I have a full-time day job to support my writing habit.  For another, I’ve only been writing fiction for about two and a half years, my blog is barely six months old, and I haven’t been published yet.  At least not on paper.

Still, I was intrigued by the idea of an artists’ colony.  I mean, the concept is very cool: a fairly out-of-the-way haven for writers, composers, dancers and visual artists to focus on creating new work.  These colonies are located throughout the country and vary in time-span and price.  Some even pay you.

Okay, I was hooked.  And that’s what vacation time’s for, right?

I did my research (how did we survive before Google?) and looked at what I could reasonably afford in terms of both time and money.  I probably couldn’t be away for more than two weeks, and I would need some sort of financial aid or stipend.  Also, I write YA fiction, and there was at least one colony I found who wasn’t as accepting of that.  Eventually, I narrowed it down to three--MacDowell (as a reach), Ragdale (located conveniently in Lake Forest), and Kimmel Harding Nelson in Nebraska (an author whose work I really liked had been a resident there).

Applying to be a writer-in-residence is a lot like applying for college.  Most places want either references or letters of recommendation from people who know you as a writer--not only to get a better idea of your work, but to ensure that you will actually WRITE during your time at the colony.  This is important, because most colonies trust you to structure your time while you are a resident.  Also, you often have to enclose a personal statement and writing resume.

Then there’s the writing sample.  Usually 20-30 pages for you to show your stuff as a writer.
By far the most daunting part of the application.

This is where StoryStudio came in.

Last January, I wrote a short story as part of Baird Harper’s Fiction I class.  The piece was workshopped and received such positive and helpful feedback, that I decided to extend it into a novel.  In the summer of 2009, I took Fiction II with Lee Strickland, and workshopped a new chapter of this same novel.  Thanks to the encouragement and critique, I was able to polish this piece and enclose it as my writing sample when I submitted my applications in September.

Last week, I received an offer for a two-week paid residency at Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts!  After I stopped screaming, I immediately notified Jill and Molly at StoryStudio.  Not only had Jill provided a reference and recommendation for me, but the Fiction I and II courses prompted me to create, polish, and feel confident in the story that got me the residency.

Thanks, StoryStudio!

Holly Scottis a freelance writer and humorist. Originally from Dallas, Texas she now resides in Chicago where she is a member of StoryStudio Chicago, and the Chicago Writer’s Association as well as The Writers Center. She enjoys writing humorous short stories and essays based on life experiences and observations that readers can relate to in their day to day lives.

Meeting Notes

Big Pharma probably has a pill for this. Something I could swallow right now that would help me mentally check back into this meeting.  Of course it would probably make my hair fall out, my tongue swell and eliminate my sex drive. On the other hand, it’s probably best to lose my sex drive if I’m bald and can’t speak because my tongue is three times it’s normal size.

But back to this meeting. What a colossal waste of my time. Two hours so far, in a room full of people discussing subjects I care absolutely nothing about. Nothing. Software development, US Customs requirements, client expectations. I have to admit I am genuinely disinterested. 

Hi, I’m Bridget Shaw. I manage a software development company specializing in US Customs brokerage. Every day, (well almost every day- I seem to max out at four days per week) I come to this office and pretend to give a damn. I’ve been doing this for ten years. Ok. Not true.  I only started not giving a damn about 5 months ago.

Do you have feelings of hopelessness or helplessness, loss of interest in daily activities, decreased ability to concentrate?. If so, Zoloft might be right for you. Tell your doctor if….

I don’t think I’m depressed though. I think I’m just keenly aware that there must be something more meaningful to do with a life than posture for position on the corporate ladder. Then again, thinking about that is kind of depressing. How much better it must be to be blissfully unaware of anything real. Alcohol helps there. Makes me blissfully unaware.

But I digress. Right now I have about ten seemingly important (by society’s standards) tasks on my plate. They’ve been on my plate so long they’re growing mold.  Divide them roughly in half between personal and professional tasks. One of those tasks is “create a To-Do list”. This diatribe actually started as a to-do list but I lost focus and it quickly became a diary of real-time irrational thoughts. Actually, it started out as meeting notes illustrated with my favorite graphic doodles, morphed in to a to-do list, and then became a diary of real-time irrational thoughts.

Are you easily distracted? Have a hard time finishing tasks? Find yourself daydreaming? Consider yourself an underachiever? If so, ask your doctor about Concerta…..

Focus. So today, I’m sitting in this meeting and thinking, “What if I walk out of this room right now, keep walking, exit this building, get in my car ,and start driving west?” West because it’s warmer and my car would never make it in a cold climate. I’m worried it won’t survive this Chicago winter as it is. But who am I kidding? It wouldn’t make it 200 miles in the mildest of climates on the smoothest of roads. I’d have to get a tune up, an oil change and new tires. Which completely stalls my fantasy of impulsively running away to California. I’d have to create a to-do list just to leave in a reliable get away car. And given that this diary of real-time irrational thoughts was briefly a to-do list….. well… I could take a bus. If I take a bus then I can check off “oil change, tune-up and new tires” from my to-do list. (Mentally.)

Not a bus. Too much to sort out ahead of time. Find schedules, buy tickets, connections, then you’re looking for a cab to get to a motel. Not that I have any real experience with busses. I imagine they are much like trains only running alongside cars rather than above them. And I’ve had no luck with trains. I live a half block from the train station and can’t successfully get from point A to point B without detouring to points C and D somewhere in the middle. I either read the schedule wrong, or miss my stop, or forget to have cash for the ticket. I’m not sure what else the CTA needs to do to prepare me to use the public transit system but I feel completely inadequate when surrounded by seasoned commuters. Plus, there is nothing like sitting on a train watching out the window as the landscape changes to make me forget about my destination. The temptation to get off the train and step into a completely new place pulls on me like a gravitational force. Next thing I know, I’m late for an appointment and coughing up cab fare so I can back track to my original destination.

Buses and Trains are out.

I will have to escape in a car. I could steal my boyfriend’s car. He doesn’t use it anyway since he got his second DUI and lost his license. I mean it’s been two years now. I don’t think he’s planning on getting his license reinstated (or finding a job for that matter) anytime soon. And I could just leave him my car for emergencies. Perhaps I’ll just ask if I can borrow. No reason the getaway car has to be stolen. Why add real fugitive stress to my escape from reality? Another plus: it’s an SUV. Very conducive to packing up and driving halfway across the country. This might be an omen. If I was seeing a guy with a job and a license, I’d be stuck in the Corporate American Rat Race taking meeting notes forever. But as luck would have it, I’m on my way to escaping to California in a reliable, barely driven SUV with new tires.

Funny how things work out.

Huge congrats to SSC student Anne Laughlin on the launch of her second novel Veritas, which comes out today from Bold Strokes Books. Anne workshopped parts of this manuscript in the Advanced Fiction Workshop a few years ago, so we’ll happily take some of the credit for her success!

Kudos, Anne!

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