Whoa…confirmation received….

It’s not about sending empty words into the air.

Yesterday was an interesting time. I’d finished my second story CrownTree and had sent it off to Realms of Fantasy in July. Today, the story came back in the mail with your standard rejection form letter. Yes, I understand this is normal and, in fact, is a mark of a writer, but still. Ouch! They rejected my baby!

This happened at the same time I had to go through and re-submit some other projects. One was an essay I’ve reworked into a devotional and sent out to a few places who couldn’t take it or just didn’t respond. Later, I got an email back from the editor. I opened it, thinking, two rejections in one day? That blows…Instead, the editor loved it and wanted to use it. Could I send a bio? It can include an email and web address.

<blink…blink> SURE!

At that point, the finger of God that’s been tapping me on top of my head for about several months bore down hard. “You know…this will be a good time to get a blog rolling…”

“Hmm. You think?”

“Positive.”

And so the Cafe was created.

This morning, I actually woke up early to check on it (okay, 7:45am may not be early for you, but it is for me, so don’t knock it). Got an email from the editor who accepted my devotional, “By the way, I love your blog. I’m a fan already.”

So it’s not just sending empty words into the air. I get it, Lord. I get it.

Welcome!

Well, I did it. I broke down, got down off my high horse and hopped on the bandwagon rolling out to the sea of obscurity. I’m writing a blog.

I didn’t want to, for the longest time. I always felt that there are so many blogs out there that are little more than online diaries, and boring ones at that. Guess what, everyone! Today, I watched an episode of the Monkees and clipped my toenails. Oh and btw, George Bush sucks! I just didn’t want to add to the mindnumbing pages of rants and raves, favorite foods, links to even more blogs, etc. I have enough to read as it is, and anyway, I should be using my time for real writing.

Yeah, well guess what? It seems that if I’m actually to succeed in the world of writing, it would be good to have a calling card of sorts to point potential readers to. Plus, it’s good to have something to hold me accountable, to show that I’mnot just writing blog entries and surfing the web. When people ask, “What are you writing?” I can point them towards my website. I have a page showing works that are already published, which you can read by following the links. I can whine and moan about my latest rejection and let other writers comment and commiserate. I can let the world in on the ups and downs of being a writer.

Plus, I get to use all sorts of neat widgets in the sidebar to show progress of my writing projects, and the music I listen to when I write. How’s that for incentive?

So, join with me, won’t you, as I progress from unknown, not-exactly-starving-but-I-would-kill-for-something-other-than-stirfry-each-night artist to a writer who has at least a few faithful fans. And just to let you know, this blog itself is a work in progress, so if you come on it someday and the headers all changed, or if the title itself is changed, then just roll with it. I’m still new to this whole thing.