To a new writer

It's not enough to a put a few sentences together and declare it creative writing. You will not stay by the reader's side to explain what you mean. The explanation should be built into your writing.

Facebook is perverted. Someone tells about the death of a friend and the message gets tons of "likes." FB has to come up with a more nuanced set of reactions. Sympathy, love and hate, Mr. Zuckerberg?

Just writing a story won't do. Writer is nothing without a reader. Get it published.

Question: What are you trying to accomplish with your work?

Answer: I don't want to accomplish anything. I just want to write and to share my writing with the world.

Beauty is not skin deep. It's what covers the skin.

A newbie writer complained that people don't read him because his writing is unconventional. My reply? As Henry Ford used to say, "You can have any colour as long as it's black." You can write whatever you want and how you want as long as people read you.

Why is your story rejected?

It might come as a surprise to you, but the majority of stories rejected by literary magazines are good. At least, there is nothing wrong with them. They have a fine plot, developed characters and accomplished language. Why are they rejected, then? Because writing a good story is not enough. Your competition—and that’s what the other writers are—crafts well. You are not competing with half-wits amateurs. Your story has to stand out. It has to be best of the best. As simple as that.