Catching Idle Butterflies

Roundabout Thoughts

If you read enough blogs, the chances of reading someone going through something you are also going through become greater, even likely.

This appears to be the case with me and Solitary Man (see "Invalid Entry"  and "Invalid Entry" ) as far as the return of our muse. I have also gone through a period of staring into a black and silent place where my muse used to live. When I did force myself to write, everything seemed not meant for human consumption – in other words, crap. It’s only been in the last three days that I ache to write and have a more positive outlook that it won’t be crap after all. I want to not only add to my blog, but edit my novel, even dive into writing articles again.

Which segues to what occurred to me not an hour ago.

I received a rejection for a query letter two days ago, and with my disappointment now faded, I decided I should look for another magazine to query or to send my manuscript. I have a membership to http://www.writersmarket.com where I can search for any type of publisher, contest, magazine, you name it, and in almost any genre imaginable. There it lists what each publisher is looking for, not looking for, current editors, addresses, phone numbers, websites, guidelines, etc. It’s well worth the $29.99 a year. It’s also better than purchasing the book, because I know for certain the data is up to date. Plus it saves on my ever decreasing bookshelf space.

Anyhow, I found a magazine I thought would be interested in my article. I clicked on their website and read through their guidelines. My hope increased.

Until I read their theme list.

My article, if not forgotten, I have mentally set aside. Why not instead write an article catering to their specific needs? As I read through their theme list I thought, “Hey, I can write an article about that . . . that . . . and even that,” ideas I never would have thought of had I not read through the list.

The list not only tickled my muse, but alleviated the concern that the three articles I’ve written and think worthy to be submitted would be the only ones I would ever write.