Short Story: The Knot

This one has been transcribed and completed. I did less prep for it than I normally do. Though it originated from a writing prompt, was written more out of inspriation than planning. The style is first person, something I don't try very often, but enjoy in a short story. This one is definitely going on the edit stack.

My Computer Has Me Spoiled

If I had to choose between a television and a computer, I'd take the computer hands down.

Yes my computer spoils me. I type quickly, a skill I credit online role playing. I think it, and my fingers have typed it. This skill makes writing a more enjoyable process, except when I'm not at my computer, or when I'm stumped, and the tactile feel of a pen in my hand wakes up my brain and I resort to the painstaking process of writing it on paper. I don't know if it's because I'm getting older, or because my pregnancy damaged my hands (still questioning this), but my handwriting has become horrible.

I've written one story by hand (owie) and am working on another. It's done, I guess, but without the typed up version, I feel like I'm cheating. If it's not electronic, and I can't save or send it, or print it out in neat legible letters, it feels like it doesn't exist.

Mostly I'm afraid I won't be able to read my own handwriting later. So yes, my computer has me spoiled.

Short Story: The Lonely Orchard

This latest prompt caused me some grief. I came up with two story ideas, then had to choose between the two, which needless to say showed its grief in the form of writing confusion. I started my choice of the two on several different occassions, and deleting the garbage every time. I just couldn't connect with what I wanted to write. I couldn't even decide on a workign title, something I rarely have trouble creating. Finally, I sat down over lunch today with pen and paper and decided to focus on an outline (why the heck did I try to write without one, anyway?).

Instead of writing an outline, I handwrote the entire story. Eight pages of blaring red ink that I need to type up this evening. The good news: I reconnected with the story. It's going to need a lot of editing, but I like it.

The title: The Lonely Orchard

No blurb this time, you'll have to wait for the edit. :)

Short Story: Apotheosis

My favorite writing challenge of the year has begun: Forward Motion's "Story A Day" Challenge. It isn't truly a story a day unless I choose it to be, but it's a great focus time to work on short stories.

I wrote my first one today, a fantasy story about a man looking for salvation in a sword. He doesn't find it in the sword of course, but you'll have to read about it. :) Here's the opening (subject to change upon editing):

Apotheosis promised life remade, a chance not only for redemption, but restitution, and it lay beneath his feet. Matthew sunk to his knees and studied the map he had drawn months ago, drawn with a mathematical fervor that could not be matched by his wife's anger as she left their home that last time, nor the burning hatred in the eyes of his neighbors.

Forgotten Star, Not Forgotten

The new chapter one (affectionately called Chapter "A") is complete today. It took a while to get through, what with life (baby, eye surgery, etc). I've recently started reading Elizabeth Haydon and she reminded me why I love writing, hence the push to finish this chapter.

It's easy to forget these things when Life gets crazy. That is the role of Life, and why we struggle to make time for the things we love.

Spoiler from Chapter "A":

Crystal felt strange suddenly, and dropped the smile. "It's quiet."

"Too quiet," Jaylon agreed. "Mount up, we're not waiting for the hunters." He turned to retrieve her mare, and in that instant the shadow leapt onto her, the stench from its massive jaws terrifying her to stillness even as it sunk its teeth into her outstretched arms.

Faith

It took me a little while to find my way, but I finally I reached the point where I was ready and my body and mind were able to take me there.

I ditched the small projects as they didn't require a full committment from my writing mind. I enjoy short stories, but they have always been more difficult for me than novels. No, novels are my first love and always will be. If I'm going to work on something after a long day of work, baby, and chores, then it has to be something I truly love and am willing to lose sleep over.

Forgotten Star has risen from the ashes (gathered dust) of my filing cabinet for a fourth (and final!) edit. Using resources I've gathered over the years, I've prepped myself for editing and my sleeves are rolled up. I'm going to be posting here with my progress on it, which may not be the most exciting thing but it'll help me track where I've gone off the deep end. (Speaking of which, it IS 3am here).

My first issue came up in the edit prep. My notes are gathered; outlines, character profiles, and manuscript are all cleanly printed and ready for markup; notebook ready for notes, and I found myself stuck on a simple exercise trying to identify my theme. Faith, yes, that's it, but there's more, so much more, but I just couldn't nail it down. I needed help.

I logged onto my favorite writing locale www.fmwriters.com and searched for posts subjected "theme" and came up with oh, about 150 threads. I pulled one at random (yes, it was near the top of the list) that one of our authors started. She tends to start good discussion threads, so I figured it might clue me in to what I was missing. (Not so random anymore, huh?) Well, as I read her question about writing with or without your theme in mind, I noticed something odd at the bottom of the posters list: my name. I posted about Forgotten Star.

"Faith", I wrote, "in yourself, in your deity, in your loved ones. Troubles pile up when any of these three are denied by the main characters, but when they truly believe in themselves, come to believe in their diety, and their families finally trust them and their judgement - things begin to improve. "

Strangely, this theme is an issue I've been facing with my writing. I shied away when it became difficult, falling back on "I'm tired" or "the baby needs me", and while I do need my sleep (she's still only 7 months old), I need my writing as well. Not only has it haunted me with ideas since I stopped writing actively, it's riddled me with guilt. To have this thing that brings me so much joy and deny it, is a waste.

I'm done wasting my gift, my joy. There's room in my life for family, work, and writing. I've regained my faith in myself and the improvements are right before me.

11/17 Update

Good week for getting back into this, despite being sick. I picked up an old short story (incomplete) and worked on it a bit. I didn't add a whole lot yet, but I will in the coming week. I have to decide what I want to do with it. Based on the next step, I will either have to drop it into my favorite category: Convert Short Story to Novel. Yes, I have many of those. Which makes the short story writing a challenge.

I also started the joint project with my friend. We're in the worldbuilding stage and so far working very well together. Name for this project will be forthcoming, but the genre is something new for me: thriller. I've done fantasy and science fiction. I'm looking forward to this.

On the personal side, the baby is cheering for da bears and loving all the yummy food we are giving her.

It Didn't Take Long

No, the writing bug, my muse, fate, whatever form it chooses to appear as, my Need To Write is here. It won't leave me in peace. It showed up in the form of my friend this evening, who wants to co-author a novel. This friend happens to be one of the guys I've written with for years in a fun-only, fan-fiction, role playing kind of way. We had a conversation, came up with a strategy, and planned to meet next week to discuss our plan. Let me put it to you this way: I've already done my homework.

This project is going to rock.

Life

Writing is on the backburner because life right now, is very very good.

Success

Could it be? Have I truly written something? Something that may be construed as an actual complete piece of writing? Well, first draft at least, of something I've never written before: flash fiction.

I'm calling it Assassin for now, and it was inspired by a writing exercise on www.fmwriters.com that made me think back to a novel idea I had long ago. The jury is out for now, I'll take another look at it next week and decide.