“I’m afraid we’re turning this one down.

We loved the story, the setting, and the narrator. There’s a magic to Jenny that you capture so well. In fact, there were very few entries this year that showed true and remarkable ability with the narrative voice. Creating characters that stand apart and above the author themselves is a rare talent. And it helps that you have always had this extraordinary ability establish a scene and sense of place quickly, effectively, and eloquently.

And, of course, your own sense of quirkiness has always made your writing stand out. Your writing is impeccable.”

Well, sheesh. It’s been a rough year for writing, nothing getting published, longlisted and then held over for extra review (This is the result of that national contest/extra). Another press asked for a different novel of mine but now is ghosting me…and to be honest, my resilience is pretty much gone. I give up. What’s the point of keeping on when I have so much work that no one wants to publish? I don’t know…Rough. I know, I know…come back to the source, WHY DO I WRITE? 

I believe there’s nothing more fascinating than reading about how other people live. I come across the subcultures, live off-grid, live on the road, on the outside of mainstream Western literature and lifestyles, so that’s what I write about. I just wish I could find that one press who would take a chance on my unconventional narrators and trust that readers want to find out about rural New Mexico and those of us who live here on our own terms. 

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Since having major surgery last month, I’m slowly coming back to my projects. I’m working on a TESOL certificate from Arizona State University to help me teach online and in person. It’s a good one, challenging yet familiar. I’m back on my feet, walking again, not yet biking but i will soon.
The other projects I’d like to let you know about are all linked to my aim to share stories of how others live, especially in my own writing when you hear from outsider narratives set in rural New Mexico. You can find these types of short stories on Substack at https://substack.com/profile/14266625-sarah-leamy

The travel essay website is back up and running, where Brianna Stallings (the managing editor) and I publish personal stories of people and places from writers all over the world. An ongoing project I’m very proud of. Have a look and see if you’d like to submit an excerpt or stand alone piece to us, thanks. https://wanderlust-journal.com

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Each website has links to related content and projects. Poke around. Enjoy.