Finished a new story.
I just finished a new story! I have been thinking about submitting something to Wicked Karnival for their October issue and the thing is, the deadline is August 1st. Therefore, I figured I'd take something I had already written and shape it a little, maybe put it on a high-protein diet and hope it gained some muscle...most of my stories seem to have thin calves. It takes a lot of work with heavy weight to add calf muscle but I figured I could do it by August first.
Then, this morning, I'm up and starting my daily journal entry and for whatever reason, a story comes to me. BAM! Soon it's 90 minutes later and I'm working on the last page. These are the ideas that I like the best, the ones that sneak up on you and punch you right in the mouth. When my girlfriend got up and I told her the concept, she was really enthusiastic. After I finished the last page and printed it out, she loved the written story and suggested only a couple of minor clarifications. Did I mention she reads a lot? She reads horror and all kinds of fiction, which is one of the reasons why she's a good first reader. Anyone who reads a lot will get a good idea, I think, of what works and what doesn't. Even if they don't like a particular piece, they'll know if it's well written. My Gf will always give me positive comments--that's a given--but she will also share her negative comments with me. Of course, only AFTER the positive comments.
She's a jewel to be prized above all others.
I love having a new finished story. I mean, I love it. You then take the story and move it from your regular folder that's just titled "stories" to the subfolder titled "finished". That's where I move everything that has total content from beginning to end and has withstood at least a first read with corrections and spellcheck. Now I have another one to add, which brings my total up to quite a few...that hang together and read well, I think anyway, and that I'm proud of.
I just love that Aha! moment when something works and you're not quite sure why but it just does and then you have a good story. This new story tops out at about 3600 words but I'm hopeful that I can cut at least 300 words, possibly 600, and maybe clarify a couple of things.
AND I also have an idea for a mythos I created in another story of mine called Spillage...Darrell Schweitzer at Weird Tales gave me some great criticism on the story and while I agreed 100% with it, I wasn't sure how to fix it. BAM! Like a fist in the mouth, I have a solution.
Anyway, I'm out of here. I work tonight and it's one in the afternoon and after writing for three hours or more today, my neck is tired. I'm out of shape for writing but it's kind of like lifting weights, gradually it comes back. Muscles have memory. And so do writing muscles.
Jb
Then, this morning, I'm up and starting my daily journal entry and for whatever reason, a story comes to me. BAM! Soon it's 90 minutes later and I'm working on the last page. These are the ideas that I like the best, the ones that sneak up on you and punch you right in the mouth. When my girlfriend got up and I told her the concept, she was really enthusiastic. After I finished the last page and printed it out, she loved the written story and suggested only a couple of minor clarifications. Did I mention she reads a lot? She reads horror and all kinds of fiction, which is one of the reasons why she's a good first reader. Anyone who reads a lot will get a good idea, I think, of what works and what doesn't. Even if they don't like a particular piece, they'll know if it's well written. My Gf will always give me positive comments--that's a given--but she will also share her negative comments with me. Of course, only AFTER the positive comments.
She's a jewel to be prized above all others.
I love having a new finished story. I mean, I love it. You then take the story and move it from your regular folder that's just titled "stories" to the subfolder titled "finished". That's where I move everything that has total content from beginning to end and has withstood at least a first read with corrections and spellcheck. Now I have another one to add, which brings my total up to quite a few...that hang together and read well, I think anyway, and that I'm proud of.
I just love that Aha! moment when something works and you're not quite sure why but it just does and then you have a good story. This new story tops out at about 3600 words but I'm hopeful that I can cut at least 300 words, possibly 600, and maybe clarify a couple of things.
AND I also have an idea for a mythos I created in another story of mine called Spillage...Darrell Schweitzer at Weird Tales gave me some great criticism on the story and while I agreed 100% with it, I wasn't sure how to fix it. BAM! Like a fist in the mouth, I have a solution.
Anyway, I'm out of here. I work tonight and it's one in the afternoon and after writing for three hours or more today, my neck is tired. I'm out of shape for writing but it's kind of like lifting weights, gradually it comes back. Muscles have memory. And so do writing muscles.
Jb
posted by benaires at 7/26/2005 11:59:00 PM
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