Spend and Spend Well
When I started writing and sending out my stories for consideration, they went in envelopes that took a lot of stamps. Then journals accepted submissions by email, and I save a lot of money, even when a small reading fee was charged. The traditional print journals, usually associated with an English department somewhere, often pay […]
Our Love Could Light The World, Stories by Anne Leigh Parrish, Coming This June from She Writes Press
You know the Dugans. They’re that scrappy bunch down the street. Their yard is overgrown, they don’t pick up after their dog. The father hasn’t earned a cent in years. The wife holds them together on her income alone. Their five children run free, leaving chaos in their wake. You wouldn’t want them for neighbors, […]
Taking The Plunge
Well I’ve done what I once swore I’d NEVER EVER do – I self-published. I’m old enough so that the archaic term “vanity press” still resonates. Oh, how we used to disdain those desperate, third-rate, talentless writers who had to stoop so low just to get their words into the light of day. I cut […]
Souvenir
This companion piece appeared along with my story, “The Professor,” in the debut issue of Souvenir on Valentine’s Day 2013. 107 Oak Hill Place. That’s the address of the fictional home in my story, “The Professor.” The house stood at the end of a small cul-de-sac. Built in 1920, it was sturdy, with wood […]
Language is A Living Thing
These days, as the anniversary of her death approaches, I think often of my mother. A professor of literature, with a PhD from Harvard, her presence was intimidating. She could read in six languages: French, English, Latin, Greek, Italian, and German. She had little patience for slang, profanity, or errors of grammar, all of which […]
On This Inauguration Day
New beginnings, renewed hope and energy. A steadfast commitment to the years ahead and to the work they will require. I think of all these things on this inauguration day. As a writer, my thoughts turn to my chosen profession, and its particular challenges – also its amazing rewards. Over all the years that I’ve […]
Why We Write
The answer to that question has changed for me over the years. In the beginning, I told myself that writing was my calling, a destiny I had to follow, lured on by the love of language. Writing was a magic power to capture some little part of the world and remake it into something perfect […]
In a Word: Love
I went on vacation a few weeks ago – eleven whole days away from home. With me were my husband, son, daughter, daughter’s best friend, and three off-kilter dogs. Up on Orcas Islands in the San Juans of Washington State, one isn’t exactly cut off. The FedEx plane makes its daily trip to and from […]
Finding The Truth in Fiction
When I write fiction, I look for truths not yet revealed. Not always about deeds committed or intended, some truths are simply revelations a character will have, often about his own soul. Today I take specific examples from the pieces in my story collection, All The Roads That Lead From Home, to illustrate what I […]
We, Too, Are Worthy
Every writer knows that getting the attention and respect of editors, publishers, agents, and readers can be hard. It take a lot of work, a lot of patience, and a lot of heart. But what about from the people you’re close to? Your friends, people you work with, or even your own family? Sometimes those […]