Flash Fiction

It's National Novel Writing Month. The following is not a novel, although I'm working on it. Instead, I have some flash fiction for you. Let me know what you think. Maybe some day I'll use it for something bigger.

She was running. She had been running for some time. Her vibrant red hair had turned a darker shade with the dirt and sweat and grease. They had probably lost track of her, or at least fallen behind, some time ago, but she was not willing to let up. Adrenaline and fear kept her going.
She was deep in the woods now. Branches scraped her arms and caught in her hair. She stumbled over roots and nearly crashed to the ground more than once. She heard no other noise but her own footsteps, and the trees as she came crashing through the branches.
There was a light up ahead. Looking over her shoulder she saw nothing but darkness behind her. Running towards the light she thought, just keep going.
The light continued to brighten. Soon it was apparent there were two lights: headlights.
The car horn pierced the silence, sending a flock of birds soaring into the midnight sky. She broke through the tree line as the car pulled up to meet her.
"Get in," someone inside the car called.
She didn't hesitate. Wrenching open the door, she jumped in the passenger seat and slammed the door. The car took off before the door was closed.
"What were you thinking?" asked the driver.
She didn't answer. She stared straight ahead and let the heater warm her.
What was she thinking?

A Letter to Employers

I may start sending out with my resume. Forget the professional air. I'm going for straight-forward. Maybe it will at least make some employers curious.

Dear Sir or Madam,

My name is Melissa Miller, and I am interested in a position with your company.

My resume is not impressive. I will be the first to admit that. I did not spend my college summers at internships. Instead, I worked. I worked in childcare, food service, and recreation. For the last two years I have worked as a bookseller at Barnes & Noble. While this may seem like a low-level job anyone could be trained to do, I have learned a great deal about the publishing industry; valuable information that I can apply to my pursuit in the publishing world.

I do not have the 3-5 years of experience you are looking for. I do not have a master’s degree because I cannot afford it at this time. That is not to say I have not been working hard since graduating. While I have not spent much time in an office, honing my skills at a computer, I have done a few other things:

•         I travelled with a theatre company.
•         I learned to live and function on a very tight budget.
•         I have read reference manuals and etymology books. (AP, MLA, Chicago Style. You name it; I've gone through them all.) 

I know these will not make it onto a list of my accomplishments, but they say more about me than my resume. My professional work experience is minimal, but my drive to get a job done is exceptional. You will probably skim through this and be tempted to put it at the top of the NO pile. But please don’t. If you hire me I will not disappoint.

Sincerely,

Melissa Miller

Reading Time!

Read any of these books? Because they're part of this year's summer reading list.

I have a thing for Nordic/Scandinavian authors. Last summer I read Tor Ulven's Replacement, and recently The Faster I Walk the Smaller I Am by Kjersti Skomsvold. Both phenomenal. 

And what is this? New Neil Gaiman? Yes it is. The Ocean at the End of the Lane comes out next week, and I will put a stop to all activity while I read it. 

Happy reading!

This is a Post About Voting (It is Also a Rant)

A few months ago I was told if someone is an Independent, they are just dumb and can't make decisions. While I do my best to keep my opinions to myself and stay out of politics, I couldn't help but remark on this statement. How can this be true? How can an Independent be unable to make decisions for him/herself? The whole idea of an Independent is that they are not tied down to one party, but they make their own decisions on issues, independent of partisanship.

I won't tell you who I voted for (because that's not for you to know), but I will admit that I am an Independent. ::Uproar:: ::Spit-takes:: ::How could you say that!?:: It's true, and I'll tell you why: because I like looking at all sides of an issue before making a decision. I don't like Republicans. I also don't like Democrats. Why? Because they are too tied to their party. I like to be informed about both sides of a story, and I don't (or rarely) see that with declared party supporters. Let me say right now, that this isn't everyone. I know some very civil, openminded left- and right-wingers. But, I see a lot more people turned off to the idea of other people's beliefs and ideals simply because of party lines.  

Don't call me dumb because of my bi-partisanship. Don't tell me I can't make decisions because I don't want to just pick a side. If the presidency is so important, then I want to know what each candidate has to say. I want to know who they are, not what their party is. I want to be completely informed, not about one side, but about all sides.

I know, this is America. We all have our opinions, and you are probably forming yours about me as you read this. But this is my blog, and this is how I feel. If you are a hardcore supporter of one party, fine. Do whatever you want (like I said, this is America). Just don't tell me that I'm lower than you because I choose not to pick red or blue. Purple is a very pretty color.

That is all. I'm done. Go America.

A Film Review

I recently watched a movie called The Fall. It came out in 2006, but I only came across it earlier this week. Let me tell you this: I have spent the last six years missing out on a fantastic piece of cinema. How I didn't know about this movie until now is beyond me, but I am so glad I found it.

Set in the 1920s, it tells the story of a little girl in a hospital who befriends a man recovering from a terrible fall. As a way of getting her to steal morphine for him, he tells her a story. A wonderful story of bandits and revenge. I usually get pretty cynical about films (excuse me if I don't like people making movies just to say they made a movie), but this is easily one of the most beautiful movies I have every seen. It is visually stunning, and the music fits each scene perfectly. The meshing of the story and characters into the real life plot works in a way that is true to anyone telling a story: always changing, but still subtle and consistent. The little girl, Catinca Untaru, deserves an Oscar for her performance; she had me in tears by the end of it. 

If you like stories of love and revenge and fantasy (and who doesn't, really?) then watch this movie. If you've already seen it, watch it again... and again... and again. 

It's Summer Reading Time!

While my pile of books to read gets taller by the week, I've decided to pull some of them specifically for summer. They all seem to fit the sit-in-the-sun criteria for good summer reading.

I just finished American Gods, which was a decent book. I'm hoping this will be similarly entertaining.

He's a Norwegian poet. This is his only novel. 

If any book is perfect for the summer, it has to be this one. I mean, really, what is the first thing that comes to mind when you see this? The Hamptons? Newport Beach? 

Since The Great Gatsby is coming to theaters this Christmas, I will probably reread that book for the fourth (or ninth) time.

I'm also open to suggestions, so long as it's not anything by Nicholas Sparks, or Fifty Shades of Grey.

Graduate School and German Verbs

For those of you who don't know (and you might not because I haven't posted in a while) I am going to grad school in the fall. That's right, I'm dusting off this small town (Chicago) and heading east, back to the roots of America. Where? you ask. The University of New Hampshire.

Come August I'll be pursuing a Master's degree- and hopefully after that a PhD- in this thriving metropolis here. It's always been a dream of mine to live in New England, which may have played a role in primarily applying to schools on the East Coast. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to get back to my education, but I'm also looking forward to the pretty autumn leaves, the old architecture, and the slightly stand-offish attitude of the people. 

But, before I get there I have some major catching up to do. This English student has to relearn her German. That's right, German. Because all English students also have to be efficient in a foreign language. So I will be spending my summer reading this beauty: 

Get excited, people. The hot summer months are going to be be filled with umlauts and diphthongs and a gravely, angry sound like something is caught in my throat. 

So, after the mastery of German verbs, and four or five (or ten) more years of studying, you can call me Doctor Miller. 

Isn't it pretty?