Last night I did something I haven't done for months, write stories in cold blood. My only motivation was "I have to write, must get back to the routine of writing, must start now." So I keyed in about 600 words of a short I've been playing with for a while. I don't know if it'll get to conclusion, I sort of know what's happening. A link on Jay Lake's blog yesterday (can't find the link now, that man just posts and posts, it's like he's a posting machine) kicked me off that I need to write it out.
The story is told in several parts The first is a quote from a future non-existant report from SETI on why we haven't heard any signals, "Maybe they know something we don't." And then the main story (a mix of first contact, submarine in space, and adventure) is mixed in with a management consulting story (about monkeys, bananas, and water hoses that explains cultural learned behavior). All these relate to each other in interesting ways. I'm expecting it to be about 8000 words or so if I get it done.
But the main point is that with overtime now at a low (although yesterday we were back to the line, "We need these plates to fill the schedule overnight" instead of, "We need to control expenses, go home.") I'm back to having time to write regularly. And I need to taek advantage of that.
I'm also trying to figure out if "Daddy's Little Girl" is a story or a vignette. There's a whole story there, I'm just not sure it's a compelling story. The tension deals with asking if the narrator is sane or not. And I've been getting extra little lines that need inserting. I'm struggling with the concept of, "yeah, cool idea, but just doesn't hold me well." I've been wrong about my own stuff (designs I think a "meh" clients go bonkers over). So maybe it actually is good and I should let the editors tell me if they like it or not.
4 comments:
You're crazy in a good way, Steve.
And for sure, don't reject your own stories on behalf of editors you haven't even submitted to yet. That will drive you bonkers for real.
I'm just waiting for my Crazy Certification in the mail. I think I'll frame it. :)
I need to finish it. DLG went quickly from "Kewl!" to "cold fish." When it feels like a cold fish, I know it's time to send it out. Maybe that's what I should do. Finish the red-line edit, add in the little lines I've got on scraps of paper, and send it out.
You've said that before about the fish. I still don't think I get that. I guess it means you've polished the life out of it? That doesn't sound right either.
Camille, it means it feels over worked and dead. It's at the point that I can't work on it any longer. I should say that I don't like working on it any longer. Considering that I'm only one edit two, it feels weird to have that feeling about it. I've never finished a story that I haven't worked it over three edits (at least, maybe 6 or 8 times) before it takes on that feeling. So, since DLG is feeling that way on the second edit is worrisome.
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