Hello, welcome to all! Another week is almost over and I'm still searching for the right markets for my short stories. I did submit one fiction short story over 3,000 words to an e-zine. It's nice to see certain online publications have submissions forms on their website for writers. This is so convenient and saves time. Some publishers don't mind if you either paste or save your submission as an attachment. I like this method better than submitting through email or regular mail. During the week I've continued to promote my blogs online. This has been a challenge too. I need to make good contacts and network, but this is difficult when you're a young, unpublished writer. Most of the time, it seems like experienced professionals don't want to be bothered. Yes, they're busy, that's understandable though it's not too much to ask for a few minutes of their time. Being ignored or forgotten in an inquiry doesn't stop me from writing and expressing my true convictions or active imagination.

Ideas for stories come from weird and unexpected sources sometimes. In fiction, a lot of writers develop a central idea based around a main character, whom they've met or stumbled across in real life. They notice special characteristics about this person such as how they talk, behave, their mannerisms, appearance, personality, etc. Putting this character into a unique, awkward situation which an audience can relate to draws their attention. This is one reason why TV sitcoms and movies get produced. There are powerful, compelling elements that generates great interest. Further developing an idea requires sound thinking. A writer has to ask himself or herself questions like, "Where would be a good setting? What kind of environment surrounds the main character? Pleasant? Stressful? Hostile? Who are the supporting characters? Sorting out all these details ahead of time helps, but I don't think it's necessary to do all at once. If things start forming in your mind when you get in a flow of writing, go from there. Whatever works for the writer is good just so the story starts to make sense and a conflict is created then later resolved. You can flesh out an idea a long ways by thinking it through and experimenting with notions. Also, it helps to write what you're passionate about.