Faydra Stratton

Not Writing

It may not be very modern or feminist of me, but I am not in the camp that thinks today's woman can "have it all."  At least not all at once, and certainly not on my household budget which leaves zero room for a nanny or personal chef!

It appears this is my season to be focused on kids, not writing fiction, and I've stopped beating myself up over it. Blue came into our lives in November of 2007 and it took me until August of 2008 before I felt as though I was nearing an organized place again.  Our oldest son, Kaden, was about to start full-time preschool, so during my days I was back to one kid.  Even with a son as wild as Blue can be, I knew I could organize time for writing.  But then I found out I was pregnant which was so not part of our plan and it really seemed as though God was saying this was my time to focus on family.  

Being a published author is a dream I have to give over to God, even if that means it's on His agenda. Right now His agenda for me is filled up with all things family and I've come to accept that.  Focused on family means taking care of my kids all of whom, for one reason or another, have their own special needs above the norm.  For Kaden it's his speech and some dietary stuff, for Blue it's all the lingering CPS stuff, and for Toby it's Fragile X.  Add to that my house, church life, social life, and working jobs (that actually pay) as I need to to help our family budget then nope, there's no extra time for writing fiction. (I've been able to teach in the evenings here and there and have worked teaching reading two of the last three summers when my husband's schedule was clearer and he could take over much of the kiddo duties.)

So that's my life.  I'm immersed in doctors appointments, middle-of-the night feedings, helping my kindergartner do homework, CPS case worker visits (through November - then we're DONE!),  planning dinners, keeping a house clean for showings so we can move back to Florida, play dates, birthday parties...   

But I am blogging and it gives me some satisfaction.  It's as though I'm keeping notes for my memoir! Once Blue's adoption is final, I'm giving the family site an overhaul and making it public again.

All of that is to say that I'm not neglecting this site, it's just that for now, in this stage of my life, I don't have anything to post about.  

Revenent Culture

A college friend has opened a nifty bookshop in Greer, SC called The Silver Chair. (Well, I haven't actually ever been, but from pictures I've seen and all I've heard I know it's nifty!)  And now The Silver Chair has started its own zine, The Revenant Culture.  I've got a little something in the second issue.

Article on the Web Version of Newsweek

Here's the link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17116460/site/newsweek

And it comes with a paycheck!

Recent Publications

My story, "First Fall," is in the premier issue of The Ankeny Briefcase just published this December 2006.  Go here to get one.  I'm reading through and enjoying my copy right now.

I have a another story, "Miracles" appearing in the February 2007 issue of Relief "a quarterly Christian expression."  Look for it then and in the meantime check out their site.

About Me and My Writing

A little about me:
Originally from Florida, I moved to Wilmington, North Carolina for graduate school but ended up living there six years. As of August 2006 I'm calling Longview, Texas home.

For undergrad I went to the University of Florida (Go, Gators!) and received a BA in English with high honors and a minor in Religion. In 2003 I received my MFA in fiction from UNC Wilmington. Since that time, I’ve published articles in The Carolina Times, a local Wilmington magazine; Christian devotionals in Devo Zine, a short story in the literary journal, The Ankeny Briefcase as well as another story in Relief:  A Quarterly Christian Expression.

In my personal life I married Kevin, a fellow Gator alum, in August 2001.  In July 2005 we brought home our first child, Kaden Dmitriy. Kaden was adopted from Volgograd, Russia at age 16 months. In November of 2007 we added to our clan again by welcoming our first foster child, 11 months old at the time.  Blue, as he has come to be known, will finally have his adoption finalized in November 2009.  And in May 2009 we welcomed Toby, our youngest son, who was born at home.

About my writing:
I have completed two book-length projects: Horseshoe Circle and Faith and Kissing. Horseshoe Circle, a novel of about 60,000 words is told in short, titled chapters much like the Cisneros book House on Mango Street. The story explores how two people who begin their lives in the same place find themselves going in very different directions. Forever connected by the mythology they invent to explain their childhood and the Christian faith they somewhat share, the girls work to continue their relationship. The novel concludes when they are in their twenties and each has a son.

Faith and Kissing is a collection of stories all about girls and women dealing with God, men or both. I worked on it for my graduate thesis but have added one story ("Wanda after Richard") since that time. Because the ages of my protagonists range from 14 (Mesa, in the title story) to mid fifties (Wanda as well as Trudy in "Marital Ties") I think this collection would work well for a mother/daughter book club.