Blog Post No. 426
I’m still waiting on edits to come back and while I took a couple of days to chill out over the weekend, I’m getting the itch to write something new again. As I said last week, when I get deep in an edit and it all starts feeling like a drag, my mind wanders to new projects. Since the next major project is a lot more editing for the Invasion Novel and I won’t see new writing until August when I start the next novella, I thought I would take a crack at a short story early.
I was going to work on a couple of shorts in between getting Break/Interrupt done and starting the second draft of the Invasion Novel, but I find I have a bit of time right now and my mind keeps wandering to new ideas and new takes on old ideas. I could (maybe should) make more progress on the ebooks, but every once in a while, it makes more sense to lean into a feeling than do the smart thing. I have what I think is a good idea for a story and the excitement provides the kind of motivation that could help me get it written quickly. If it works out that way, I end up with a short story that is ready for editing and reworking as soon as the novella is finished. If not, hopefully I at least have a good start.
Either way, you can worry about wasted time or you can think about it as progress—just not the kind you planned on. Even if I don’t managed to get much of the story done, I will have shaken off some of the rust. Besides, if I can’t do it, that means I would have just fumble later instead, right? Maybe not, but there is enough logic to get me through any doubt. When it comes down to it, I feel like writing and I have a little down time, so why not?
I don’t want to get into what the story is about. I want to surprise my friends with it. Plus, if it doesn’t turn out how I plan, I save a little face. I do have one finished story (very short) that needs some editing. I think the long time it’s been between writing it and when I’ll eventually pick it up will allow me to really dig in and change it for the better. There is another story that I had started a couple of years ago for a local collection put together by Urban Farmhouse Press for people who took part in their reading series that year. I had to abandon it because it the required length was under 2000 words and I was at 1500 or so with more than half the story to write. It’s another idea that I’d love to explore to the end and make into something worth reading.
I miss writing short stories, especially since I’ve been working on longer books for a while and specifically been bogged down with edits recently. I fell in love with reading through short stories and I always wanted to make them part of my writing experience (or career if I’m allowed to get a little ahead of myself). As I said a few times recently, since some friends have had short published, I’m a little jealous, too.
There is a good chance that getting some short stories published would be good for my future as a writer, too. Nothing is a guarantee, but if I spend my time and energy on things that can help push me in a single direction, there is less chance of it being a waste. Though, every bit of wasted time and energy can be looked at as a part of the whole and can potentially be useful. I think a short story is a pretty good bet, and I want to do it. So, that’s a win-win, right?
Ben Van Dongen 