Flash Fiction Story Published

Exciting news! My flash fiction piece "Wedding Day" is featured today on the wonderfully zany new lit zine Dr. Hurley's Snake-Oil Cure. The goal of this literary journal is to "attack tedium in all its forms" and it is meant to be a "course of healing that will lead [readers] back to vitality, interest, health and youth." I am honored to have my story published by them!

Here is the opening of my story:

A bride, dressed in white gown and flowing veil, totters in high heels down the uneven pavement past Simone's Café. She holds a bouquet of red and orange chrysanthemums. Three men, wearing black tuxes, accompany her; one of them holds up the hem of her dress so it doesn't drag on the ground. 

"Congratulations!" I call out, raising my paper cup of coffee in a toast.

They stare at me, confused. Maybe they don't speak English? They are Asian, all of them, perhaps not born in America, perhaps immigrants from Japan or China, Taiwan or Korea. Or Thailand, maybe? Is Thailand an Asian country, or is it South American? My wife always had a thing for Thailand. Some friend of hers traveled there in college, for spring break or something, and wouldn't stop gushing about how beautiful it was, and ever since then Molly got it into her head that she wanted to go there...

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You can read the rest at http://www.fictionaut.com/stories/dallas-woodburn/wedding-day. I'd love to hear your comments!

Two Blogging Awards in One Week!

Exciting news! I have been given two wonderful awards for this blog!

The first is the Stylish Blogger Award. Thank you so much to Karen Cioffi for honoring my blog with this award. If you haven't checked out Karen's blog before, do so now -- you're in for a treat!

Part of the gift of this award is that I get to pass it along to seven others. There are so many wonderfully stylish blogs out there that it was hard to narrow it down to only seven! But here they are, in no particular order -- my picks for the Stylish Blogger Award:

• Lisa Haselton's Reviews and Interviews: http://lisahaseltonsreviewsandinterviews.blogspot.com/
• Jana Gifford, I Picked Up a Pen and Wrote: http://janagifford.blogspot.com/
• Kathy Sena, Bad Ballet: http://www.badballet.com/
• Patricia Fry, Writing and Publishing News: http://www.matilijapress.com/publishingblog/
• Debra Eckerling, Write On Online: http://writeononline.com/
• Jill Jepson, The Ninja Writer: http://www.ninja-writer.blogspot.com/
• Jennifer Wilkov, Your Book is Your Hook: http://www.yourbookisyourhook.com/blog/

The second award I received this week is the Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award, from my lovely writing buddy and long-time Write On! supporter Virginia Grenier. Virginia runs a sweet and insightful blog "The Writing Mama" at http://thewritingmama.blogspot.com. All writers, not only moms, can benefit from adding Virginia's blog to their favorites list.

Here are the seven blogs I am delighted to pass along the Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award to (again, in no particular order):

• Sarah Dessen, one of my favorite authors: http://sarahdessen.com/blog/
• Lauren Cook, The Sunny Girl: http://thesunnygirl.com/
• Margaret McSweeney, Pearl Girls: http://margaretmcsweeney.blogspot.com/
• Deborah Reber, Smart Girls Know: http://www.smartgirlsknow.com/
• Toni Reece, The Get Inspired! Project: http://www.getinspiredproject.com/
• Sue Oliver, The Passions and Possibilities Network: http://www.passionsandpossibilities.com/blog
• Jessica Burkhart, Tween Author & NYC Girl: http://jessicaburkhart.blogspot.com/

The final requirement of both awards is to list seven things that you may not know about me. Here they are:

• I was born three months prematurely, and weighed just two pounds, six ounces at birth.
• My favorite writing spot is Simone's Cafe in my hometown of Ventura, along with a chai tea latte and a maple walnut scone. 
• When I was sixteen, my mom and I hiked to the top of Mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States. 
• My guilty pleasure TV show is Degrassi: The Next Generation.
• I met my amazing boyfriend when we both taught a writing class for senior citizens in Lafayette, Indiana.
• I love indie music! Some of my favorite artists are Amber Rubarth, Joey Ryan, Skyler Stonestreet, and The 88.
• I'm named after my grandfather, whose middle name is Dallas.

That's it for now! Thank you again Karen and Virginia for the honors!

Settling in at Purdue! My Tips for Embracing Changes in Your Life

Sorry I've been a bit MIA on this blog the past week. I moved cross-country from my beachside California hometown of Ventura to Lafayette, Indiana -- my new home for the next three years while I pursue my M.F.A. in Fiction Writing at Purdue.

I live in a one-bedroom apartment in an old Victorian house on a beautiful tree-lined street about ten minutes from campus. (There's even a trolley I can catch a few blocks away that runs to campus and back -- how cute is that? A trolley!) I had a fun time decorating my new place with my mom, who helped me move out here and get settled. The weather has been much warmer and more humid than I was used to in Ventura, but I am adjusting. I love the lightning bugs, sweet tea, and Midwestern tomatoes. And everyone has been very friendly and welcoming. Today was my first day of Orientation for my new program -- in addition to taking fiction-writing classes, I'll also be teaching freshman composition to Purdue undergraduates starting (gulp!) next week. I'm a bit nervous, but I've always loved teaching and I'm excited for the new challenge of teaching college students.

Despite all the excitement, a big move is full of changes, and change can be stressful! I also miss my family and friends from home a lot. Here are some tips that have helped me keep smiling and embracing the changes:

1. If you feel sad or homesick, recognize that these feelings are expected and perfectly normal. Everyone feels this way sometimes. That said, try not to wallow in sadness. Instead, do something to brighten your spirits -- bake some brownies, buy some flowers for your room, put on your favorite CD.

2. Call your friends, family and loved ones -- even for just a few minutes, even just to say hi. Hearing a familiar voice can be a huge comfort. Also, remind yourself how many people care about you and are supporting you in your new adventure.

3. Reach out to new people. Invite your neighbor over for dinner. Ask a classmate if she'd like to grab coffee after class. Smile at a stranger you pass on the street. Potential friends are everywhere!

4. Get involved. Join a club. Take a class. Find out about events -- a poetry reading, a street festival, a concert -- and go!

5. It's okay to miss things from home, but focus on being present in your new surroundings. What do you like about your new place? What is there to explore around you? Get to know your neighborhood and your community. Instead of dwelling on what you miss from home, try to focus on being present in the moment and making new memories. Someday, you are going to look back on your life now and miss it!