Rock on, Erika!
While I'm here, I'll ask.
I have this thing I've been working on for the past six months or so. It's not a story, but it's not non-fiction, either. It's a fictional account of what I've been calling a "platonic climb" on a cliff in upstate New York. Sort of "this is what it's like to do this and this is what it feels/sounds/smells/tastes like, on an October Day on a multi-pitch route in the Gunks west of New Paltz." I've made up the climb and the characters but not the emotions or the experiences.
If that makes any sense.
Oh, and it's in 2nd person, dunno why.
I'm not quite done, but I'm trying to figure out what to do with it when it is. Any suggestions?
Shop it around to climbing/outdoor magazines. Or Web sites.
t edit
Or possibly
The Sun,
if it would fit one of their reader submission topics.
Consuela, how long? Are we talking about a novel-length work here?
The piece I've read that description reminds me of is actually a piece on rowing that I read in my alumni magazine, FWIW.
Suela -- [link] -- Motherrock calls itself Southern California's climbing magazine.
Just something Google turned up.
Nowhere near novel-length, Deb. I think it might be 3,000 words or so now, and I'm planning on trimming it down.
It's just weird, and I don't know what to do with it.
See, now, I don't think it's really appropriate for a climbing magazine, because it's very much on the novice level. It's not highly technical, not a trip report.
But then I dunno, the only climbing magazines I know are the big national ones, "Climbing" and "Rock and Ice", who have no interest in anyone who doesn't have less than 10% body fat and climb over 5.11.
edited to fix wonkiness.
That's why I suggested The Sun -- they publish *writing,* you know? Good writing that touches on emotions people can relate to, even if the reader has never been climbing in her life. I've read some of it in your blog, and I think it might be worth a shot to submit it.
I'm just going to be brave and throw this out there...
I posted earlier about my working on a novel for the first time (I've only ever written short stories, and I've only had one published) and I'm running into editing problems, because I pitched the whole story to my editing group (at university) and now a lot of them feel that they can't properly critique the first chapter because they know where the plot is going (which I think is bunk, personally). I'm feeling sort of anxious about it. I mean, I'm happy with what I've written, but I'm not sure about pacing, and my exposition (stuff that is wildly condensed in my short stories, but obviously now requires more room to spread out). Anyone interested in having a read?
