Salty Scares with Chocolate Sauce

(or: How to write something and get it critiqued by a bunch of "strangers")

You will need:

1 cup Fantastic Spatula Blog Host to issue a horrifying halloween challenge.

4 oz. (about 2 weeks) to actually do said horrifying halloween challenge.

1 pound (about 1 life time) each of fear of failing/fear of being awesome/admitting yourself a writer/ admitting yourself an artist.

1 teaspoon (about 3 months) work on a story where elements are the main characters.

5 swallows each of pride/embarrassment/self doubt/self shit talking

40 cups and 6 oz. short fiction work shop.

about 8 copies of previously mentioned story.

about 8 different opinions written on previously mentioned copies (opinions are best when freshly picked from strangers).

1 small portion of a bag of chocolate chips you found in the freezer left over from when you made chocolate chip cookie.

5 gallons of hot tea.

Salt to taste

Directions:

Combine halloween challenge with fears and admissions. Finally finish short story where the main characters are elements. Main characters are named Nade (Na), Cla (Cl), and Hye (Hydrogen). "Finish" is a broad term. You may think that the story is not finished but you joined a writers work shop and it is your turn to turn something in to be critiqued/workshopped by the other participants. Drink all tea and eat rest of the chocolate while finishing story. Swallow pride, embarrassment, self doubt, self shit talking at the same time and send the fraking story to your peers and get their input. The sooner you do that the sooner you can get some help where you feel you need it and you can ask questions about style, does-this-work, and any other questions you may have. Get constructive criticism and comments back from peers. Breathe.

Serves:

1 ridiculously over-sensitive self-doubter. Helps give direction on a story/idea self-doubter has been working/playing with for about six months now. Makes self-doubter realize that she is indeed a writer AND artist and that other people outside her comfort unit can and do appreciate/understand/get her writing/art.