Plans, and then what happens
I’d planned on writing two short stories this week. That didn’t happen for a number of reasons:
-On Wednesday night I gave myself permission not to write two short stories this week. I suddenly found myself working on publishing things, instead of putting words to paper. All I needed was that permission, that slacking of pressure, and I stopped trying.
-I honestly didn’t feel great, which is why I gave myself that permission. Took a couple of days to recover from that migraine and stuff. Even if I’d tried to finish the short story Wednesday I don’t think I could have. I didn’t feel good.
-The story ended up being over 9000 words long. Of the first 2000 from the existing story that seeded this one, I ended up changing even more, so maybe only 1500 words weren’t written this week.
-It took time. There were very few parts that just flowed. Most of it took a lot of time to conceive, to figure out, to get the voice and setting right.
-I drove to Yakima Thursday, spent the night there, and then drove back Friday. It was research for the next short story, which is set in the same world as the first short story I wrote for this challenge, with the same main character (Hell By Any Other Name.) He has such Voice, and such opinions, and I was taking in so much setting that I’m going to use, it was hard to switch between the open, nude hills of Yakima valley and the thick woods of back-country Louisiana.
Still, this story is finished and it feels good. At some point, when I finish the novel, “Zydeco Queen and the Creole Fairy Courts” I’ll be able to offer this one up as a loss leader. And yes, I’ll share any data that I gather about such an offer. But that won’t be until mid-year next year.
Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so here or there.