The Pyrenees---Southern France

The Pyrenees---Southern France

Friday, December 6, 2013

A New Shout Out, Along with An Extended Old One--And The Joke's On Me

      Chicken Soup has a new call out for submissions. The Power of Forgiveness. This is something I've wrestled with for years. My brother and his wife are both addicted to Oxycontin--have been for over a decade-- and they've done some pretty heinous things. Things that are stranger than fiction. Things that I'm actually incorporating into my manuscript as "made up." Perhaps I will put a disclaimer at the end stating, "The events you read about were based on actual people and real-life events. The names were changed, in spite of their guilt."

      I know the drill. The bitterness only hurts me. I'm poisoning myself when I don't forgive...or at least release.

       Maybe I can work on getting healed as I work on a CS submission? Weirder things have happened...(The deadline is in June.)

       Also, the Chicken Soup folks have extended the deadline for their upcoming Alzheimer's collection. You have until December 12 to submit a story. Because my father was slayed by Alzheimer's, along with a close family friend, I've submitted two stories. I had a third one, but the necessary revising didn't come easy, and the deadline passed before I could finish it. Now, I have the time especially since the god of all teachers, the ice god, blessed us today.

      Yesterday, I got an email from the publishers at Chicken Soup. A month or so ago, I had gotten word that one of my "Multitasking" stories had made it over a couple of hurdles. The title of the tale, "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad," was a nod to one of my musical favorites.

      The email I got yesterday got me extra excited. My story, "All in Good Time" was being considered for the same collection. Two stories in one book. That would mean I only need to get 42 more CS notches on my publication belt to catch up with Linda O'Connell.

        Wait. My memory had really turned to Swiss cheese. "All in Good Time" did not ring a bell. What story was that?

        After opening the attachment, I realized they had changed my Meatloaf-y title. It was the same story, but now the decision was final. I was grateful to know I was for sure being included in the anthology, but felt a little silly counting an extra chick without even hatching it in my brain.



        How about it? I know everyone has a story about forgiveness they can craft and send off...Right?

      






     

22 comments:

  1. Forgiving is hard. My mother-in-law died this past July. My sister-in-law held the service before my husband could get there. The same sister-in-law who has yet to offer her condolences when my son died three years ago ...... he was gay. She is a deaconess in her southern Baptist church. I refer to her as Sister Christian ..... and not in a good way.

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  2. You sound like you're on a roll, Lady!

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  3. Oh, you are ending the year in good publishing shape. May this continue into the new year for you! Forgiveness...hum, that is a whale of a topic. Will have to think on it. Your frankness about family issues should be healing in itself...I know about putting truths in stories under the name of fiction. I think it is therapeutic. COLD here today...I don't want to move much. Did you get ice too?

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  4. Congratulations on the stories, Sioux!

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  5. Congrats on your stories. You can be my Linda. You are WAY ahead of my count of ZERO!

    Forgiveness? I forgive my mom for treating my stepsons differently at Christmas than my sister the ex-mayor's wife's kids. It's hard for young 'uns to see that they get one toy to share, while others get several of their own. I could never write about it, though. It would break my mom's heart. In her mind, I'm sure she had her reasons, and did not even notice what she was doing.

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  6. My grandmother always said, "To truly forgive, one must have the ability to forget." (Except she said it in French so it sounded way cooler back when I was a kid.) I think she was right, and that's one of the reasons offering forgiveness is so hard. The Bible says that God throws our sins into the "sea of forgetfulness" (in Micah, I think, but don't hold me to that). I hope that's true.

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  7. Congratulations, Sioux! I wonder If you could write about your mom, sister? you have several stories.

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  8. Kathy--There are lots of "Christians" who act very unChristianlike. I'm sorry.

    Mama Zen--Did someone say there were rolls? I like 'em buttered. (Thanks.)

    Claudia--We got enough to have a snow day on Friday. Yippee!

    Teri--Thanks. I'll see you in one week.

    Val--I know. Steps. Halfs. There's lots of inequality going on.

    Lisa--EVERYthing in French sounds better.

    Linda--Thanks. I think we all have oodles of stories incubating inside of us. We just have to find a way to get them to hatch...

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  9. Forgiveness can be difficult when the pain is still there. You write about it beautifully, and so open and honest that everyone can relate. That's what makes you such a good writer.

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  10. Mary--Thank you. I hadn't thought of still-existent pain being an obstacle (but duh--quite obvious). If that's the case, perhaps I can never forgive. But I hope it happens some day...

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  11. Congratulations, though I like your title better. Richard Bach said, "You teach best what you need to learn." I'm counting on that one.

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    1. Tammy--Thanks. Anything that harkens to Meatloaf would be the best, in my opinion.

      (Was that in his book "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" or a different one?)

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  12. You go, girl! Congrats on yet another Chicken Soupy year!

    Pat
    Critter Alley

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  13. Yay for Sioux of Chicken Soup! I expect to make your signing at Main Street Books Saturday. As for forgiving, well it is tough and often requires help. In my case, the Spirit of God helps me A LOT. Some pains go deep and never completely heal. But the forgiving part is really for ourselves, to clear away anger and mean vibes that interfere with our joy. The other party still has to live with consequences of their actions - even if it's just the loss of love they might have enjoyed.

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    1. Marcia--My head knows all of that. My heart...it's still not there.

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  14. Congrats! Two in the same book, WOWZER. At this rate, you just might catch up with Linda! And like Val, I'll be hard pressed to catch up with you with a big zero too!

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    1. Lynn--That is what I thought, too, until I realized that they had just changed the title of my story. But for a moment, I was quite excited...

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  15. Hi Ms. R!

    I am really intrigued by Chicken Soup--I used to read the Christmas one every year when my mother would put it out with the decorations. I would be really interested to hear about the process of submitting to CS and your experiences with it.

    (Something to add to our agenda when we finally meet up for coffee over the holiday break!)

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    1. Kelsey--I am looking forward to it.

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  16. Another book for us to share - love it Sioux... Congrats!!! Now if we could just get 20 gajillion more we could catch up to LINDA - HA!
    Forgiveness.... ugh, that will be a TOUGH story to write...!

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  17. Beth--You are right. It would take 20 gajillion to catch up with Linda.

    Thanks. And congratulations to YOU.

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