No Genre fiction or Chick Lit?

I've been trying my hand at No Genre Fiction and I need some feedback.

This is my first attempt at No Genre Fiction.  It has no Romance, no Mystery, no Zombies, Aliens, or Vampires. It follows the rules as to no genre and it is a fictional story about something that can happen in everyday life.

So do you think it could be classified as,  No Genre Fiction? Or do you think it would be Chick lit?

Find one person's definition for Chick lit here  http://chicklitbooks.com/what-is-chick-lit/

Okay here's my story...

"All Grown Up"

    I look at my reflection in the mirror. No longer a child, there’s a young woman staring back at me. I hear the knock at the door and glance over my shoulder as my maid of honor opens it. 

   Standing there in his dark tuxedo, looking more handsome than I can ever remember, is my dad. He puts out his arm to me and asks, “Ready to go?”

   I walk over and kiss him on the cheek. Our eyes are almost even now and I wonder, Has he gotten shorter, or is it just that I have grown taller? This man who used to tower over me when he taught me how to ride a bike and to throw a baseball when I wanted to join little league. Leaving a smudge of lipstick, I wipe it away with the tip of a finger, nod my approval, and notice the gray that streaks through his hair. I slip my arm through his and whisper, “As ready as I’ll ever be.” I let him lead me out into the foyer as the music begins. Our steps are matched in harmony as we walk towards the alter and I can feel the eyes on us, watching every step we take. There is Aunt Mae, smiling and wiggling her fingers in a wave. And Uncle Henry, tugging at his tie, and looking bored out of his skin. Too many people watching us. It makes the heat rise high on my cheeks. I feel exposed and jittery. I stumble and tighten my grip on dad’s arm. 

   He pats my hand and smiles. His smile comforts me. Me, his little girl, looking all grown up in white satin and lace. “You okay?” He asks. “You’re not going to faint on me, are you?”

   I smile at him through the lacy gauze of my veil. “Dad were you this nervous when you married mom?”

   He leans his head against mine and whispers so only I can hear. “I was so nervous; I forgot to put my socks on. My feet started to sweat and my shoes slipped up and down. I had blisters for weeks.”

   I chuckle at his secret. We pause next to the pew mom is sitting in. Even though her smile beams with love, her eyes fill with tears. She dabs at her eyes and gives me a watery smile. I smile back and can feel my own tears well up as I turn my attention to the handsome man waiting for me at the alter. Dad takes my hand and holds it out to this man, who in a few moments of time will become my husband. As I let go of dad’s hand I know in his eyes I will always be his little girl, but as I take the hand of my husband to be, I know in fact that I am “All Grown Up.”

Okay that's my story. What do you think? C.K. Hopper left a comment on my other post saying that No Genre Fiction sounds rather boring, so I tried to make it as entertaining as possible. 

I am writing another one titled, "Passing the Time" that I will submit to a magazine that only accepts No Genre Fiction. 

   Also I have a question; Do you think No Genre Fiction can only be written in first person POV, or do you think it's possible to write it in second or third person POV?

   And if you'd like to try No Genre Fiction, post a short story on your blog and then email me the link and I'll do a post, sharing everyone's links.

   Have a great weekend everyone! And stop by my other blog and check out all the covers so far for, "Show Me Your Cover! http://karensdifferentcorners.wordpress.com/category/book-covers/show-me-your-cover/

No Genre Fiction!

I like a challenge. I like to be challenged and I like to challenge others. It helps our brain come alive, our creativity become fresh again and most important it keeps us moving forward.

I've been trying my hand at poetry. Now I'm not a poet. I write cute little rhyming poems. Nothing major or deep thinking about them, but one of the poems I have started writing, has challenged me to turn it into a children's picture book, along with my own illustrations (I'm not an illustrator either) But for me it's a challenge.

Anyway...I write romance novels and started thinking of short romance stories to submit to magazines. So I googled "submitting stories to magazines" and I found a few different sites that list magazines that take unsolicited submissions.

Here's one list for the UK http://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/short-stories/magazines/

And then there is this one US  http://www.everywritersresource.com/topliterarymagazines.html

And this one http://www.christopherfielden.com/short-story-tips-and-writing-advice/short-story-magazines.php#ShortStoryMagsUSA

Now what I've found, is that quite a few of the magazines say they only accept "No Genre Fiction"
Now I must not be the brightest person, because I had to google to find out what they meant by "No Genre Fiction"
I guess I should have paid more attention in my English 101 Story Composition class in college, But at that time I had never thought about writing and two weeks into the class my brother passed away unexpectedly and for a minute there, I almost dropped all of my classes, but I knew my brother would want me to finish. It was the last semester I needed to graduate. So I ended up writing all my stories for the class, about my brother as a dedication to him. In fact one of those stories is published in Patti Roberts book titled
"I Believe" (My story is titled "Do you believe") And you can pick up "I Believe" for free here on Amazon

So what exactly is "No Genre Fiction" Well my understanding of it is, it is a fictional story with NO romance, mystery, zombies, ghosts, no paranormal, no sci-fi, no...What! How do you write a "No Genre Fiction?" Better yet what do you write about? And some of them even say they accept stories with up to 10,000 words!
I might be able to come up with a paragraph or two, maybe even a page, but 10,000 words? Yikes! Your stories have to be things that happen in everyday occurrences. Things that could actually happen and yet they must be fiction.

   Well, I've come up with a few ideas that might work with those guidelines.

How about;

Shopping for a new dress.

Or

My son's baseball game.

Or maybe

Working in the yard on a beautiful day.

   These are just some off the top of my head. 

What kind of ideas can you come up with, that you think would work great with, "No Genre Fiction?"

   Have you ever written "No Genre Fiction?"

Could you challenge yourself to do so?

You can read some "No Genre Fiction" stories for free at Carve Magazine.
Just click on the link http://carvezine.com/fiction/#.UcBs7-e-2uI

I'd love to hear your thoughts! Leave me a comment!

Reviews vs. Critiques

I am doing "Show me your Cover" on my other blog for the next 30 days, so I thought I'd share a post or two here on Different Corners in my Life.
First, if you'd like to participate in, "Show me your Cover" you can find the rules here;
http://karensdifferentcorners.wordpress.com/2013/06/12/come-one-come-all/

In fact it's that post that got me to thinking about reviews vs. critiques.

Why is it, when we write a review, we feel the need to critique the book and tear it apart? Pointing out all the flaws, instead of just enjoying the story.

I recently read, Devil's Nightmare written by Robert Pruneda. In fact it is the first cover featured on "Show me your Cover"

It is a beautiful cover and a great story! And I gave it an honest review, but where do I get the right to critique it?

When I ask for reviews of my own books, I do ask for the honest truth. Give me all you've got, but that's because I haven't used critique partners or beta readers and I know I should. I know my stories are good, but my writing sucks, BUT I'm learning. Wow that was a little harsh, but then again, I am my biggest critic and my own worst enemy. I tend to grab the football and run for the goalpost and...Touchdown! Oops...I say as the other team pats me on the back. "Thank's, they say, 'for winning the game for us" It's all about hindsight, Karen. Stop and think before you speak.

But I like to read a book for the stories. I like a book that will give me an adventure. That will take me away. Make me use my imagination, and have me afraid of turning out the lights, and "Devil's Nightmare" did just that.

I'm a big Stephen King fan and have recently started re-reading some of his books. I re-read "Dead Zone" last week. Now Stephen King surely has beta readers, critique partners, proofreaders, and editors up the ying-yang, and yet there were typographical errors. WHAT! Stephen King? No way! Yes way.

I read, "Under the Dome" (long book, by the way) And there was one part in it that I just skimmed over. It didn't need to be there. He could have left it out and the story would have been just fine. But...

Since when did I become someone who critiques someone else's work? That's not me. When I pick up a book, I read it to be entertained, to get lost, to slip away from my humdrum life :-) and to find an adventure.

So from now on, if you ask me (Rob didn't) for a review, you are going to get a basic, "I loved it, or I hated it"
 If you ask me to beta read or critique it, then that's a different story.

Pick up "Devil's Nightmare" and read it. Put your critical eye aside and Read it for the story. It's a thrilling story!

All Authors Blog Blitz with Michelle Mogil

I signed up for the "All Authors Blog Blitz" event through my Goodreads Group,

Self Published and Indie Authors Support Group    

   

Created and Moderated by Y. Correa and you can find her Goodreads page here.  

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5129204.Y_Correa

And I am so excited to host Michelle  on my blog today! 

Please Welcome Michelle Mogil!

Michelle Montague Mogil has dipped her toes into the large pond of independent authorship and thinks the water is fine.

She's written her first novel, The Gentle Man:

Anastasia Trent is a Woman of a Certain Age, a systems analyst by day, and part-time bartender by night. One night, as she's trying to close up the bar, she's accosted by an odd little man who claims to be running for his life and begs Ana to take him in. Against her better judgement, she does. He promptly, and very willfully, turns her mundane life upside down and sideways, leaving her torn between the conviction that he's an aging Goth with a fetish for drinking human blood and a need for medical intervention, and the impossible possibility that he's a real live eight-hundred vampire bent on making her his consort. Along the way, she is confronted with life-changing decisions, and she keeps managing to make the wrong ones...

The Gentle Man is available at these fine stores:

Smashwords

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/320453

Amazon KDP

http://www.amazon.com/The-Gentle-Man-ebook/dp/B00AA1P5NG/

CreateSpace Store

https://www.createspace.com/4070588

Michelle is also involved, along with some decidedly shady characters, in an anthology of short stories. Titled Theme-Thology: Invasion, the book will be published by HDWP Books on September 28, 2013. For more information, contact Books@hdwpbooks.com, or you can follow the process of writing and editing the anthology here:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/109985509129850131136

Michelle has always loved to write, filling notebooks and journals with her thoughts and observations, but has only just now found the courage to show it to complete strangers. She is humbled and gratified to find people like to read the words that come out of her brain. 

She's all over this Internet thing — you can connect with her at the following social media sites:

Blog: http://www.michellemogil.com

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/111299914167349665201/posts/p/pub

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichelleMMogil

Twitter: @michmogil

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6883881.Michelle_Montague_Mogil

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/michelle-mogil/50/259/749

And a little about her personal life 

Michelle has three daughters, one of whom gave her three grandsons in short order. She lives in beautiful upstate New York along with one greyhound, three cats, an arbitrary number of chickens, and one very tolerant husband.