Saturday, October 27, 2012

A new concept

The other day I started an online literary journal and am in need of submissions. The best place to start is here, with all the talented artists and writers I have come to know and love! If you have any little pieces hanging around—photos, pics of artwork, etc then send them to figlitmag@yahoo.comAll work must be original, no reprints please.

The concept is to create an atmosphere of voices, like the party lines they used to have on the old phone systems. That sort of thing. If you have an old photo of yourself and a cool story behind it, or a town fable that was legendary, a travel story, a remembrance of a night that has stayed in your memory forever, then send it in. But it doesn't have to be any of that, Fig Literary Magazine wants the best of fiction: short stories, flash, abstract, surreal, funny. The point is, it should be your best work and written with honesty. For more information, visit http://figlit.blogspot.com

I guess this an answer to the question I asked last week. Should I get an MFA? With much consideration I realized it would not be wise to go and spend countless hours and money pursuing something I already have right here. Literally. What sealed it for me is when I opened a college textbook I had purchased a while back from a book sale. It was like a mini-MFA course right there in my hands, and what I found out was this: I already knew everything it was teaching. I got this. I need to use this. No one's going to be able to teach me how to write better because I already write better every time I open a new document, read a new story, book, article. Once I figured all that out I thought, well, what's next? I've had this longing lately to go back to the little library my mom ran in the town I grew up in. I can still feel its creaky floors, can still see the dim light filtering through dust-curtained windows, can still hear the patrons, smell the books, the beautiful, burgeoning sense of hope, yet longing that followed me as I sat there so young and expectant. I wanted to be there again, have my own shop, start something new. So this project is that shop to me, that something new. I hope you'll join me in making this little shop and big success!

P.S. I already stuck a poem on there to start things off, not from vanity, but it was just darn bare! 






5 comments:

  1. You have a bit of a problem with the figlitmag website link, Amy. At least here in the UK, you get a warning about possible phishing from the site, and are advised not to go to it. Most people will take heed of the warning and not visit it, I fear. Just thought I would let you know.

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    1. Thank you, Tom. Maybe I will move it over here to Google blogs and just do it that way. Can't lie, I'm a little disappointed about it right now.

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  2. Okay, I've just searched the net for warnings but it appears Weebly is on the up and up so I think everything's okay. They have 11 million users and I can't find a complaint yet on google. I am going to leave the magazine for there now as I have't experienced any warnings myself.

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  3. Amy, I think you're right - what you have is right here and that each little piece that you write is building on the one you have already written. Maybe Tom is right too. Sometimes I check my 'blogger dashboard' to see who's been visiting my site (sheer vanity on my part)Anyway a few days a go I noticed this strange looking web address - when I clicked on it - it told me that my computer had 5 viruses and corrupt files and I don't know what and advised me to download their solution. Google/AVG flashed a little warning message at the bottom to warn me NOT TO. I have AVG and did an immediate scan - there were no viruses or corrupt files, but there sure would have been if I had downloaded this little scam. Figlitmag may be fine - I don't know. If you did decide to set something up on blogger - I would be happy to send a little contribution from time to time. Keep writing xx

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  4. There you go, I've added Fig Lit to this blog. I'm sorry for the trouble, and thanks for letting me know about the troubles you found over at Weebly.

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