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| IWSG |
Not only is today November 5th but it's the first Wednesday of the month, and you know what that means? It means it's IWSG time!
The first Wednesday of the month is set aside for insecure writers across the blog-o-sphere to share all of our individual experiences, the gud, the baaaaaad and the plug ugly. You can either click on the link at the picture, or on the IWSG page located at the top of this blog.
Today's post is about a topic, while not exceptionally dear to my heart but resides just to the right of me (seriously, like my XP computer that I do my writing on is like one foot pace away from me), that is the latest plague ailing me, and I'm sure at one point has ailed you.
Having story that grabs you, shakes you around for several seconds to get the juices flowing, then unleashes you like a category 5 hurricane on an unsuspecting computer.
Right now, I can count on one hand (using the old calendar rhyme) the amount of times that a story has grabbed me in such a way that I had to simply spend all my free time writing it to completion: six short stories, of which three reside here and one resides here, two novellas of which the synopsis of one is here (note: this links is to my adult blog) and one novel.
For the past year I have fluttered between roughly a half dozen or so stories of various lengths in an attempt at finding the one story that will unleash the storm within and so far, I have a batting average that is extremely south of the Mendoza Line. Let me tell you, as someone who probably has some latent OCD flowing his veins, this has really bothered me at a level that I am simply not comfortable with being at for any kind of period of time.
But, as they say, there is at the moment, a microscopic glimmer of hope that this will be soon turned around. About four months ago, I started yet another writing project (shades of OCD), in that I wanted to do a short story anthology. I've already re-written one story, while it didn't really grab me like I wanted, it gave me enough of a nudge to perform the BICAW maneuver and actually complete the assigned task. I performed a quicky search of my XP hard drive and found a few more stories that looked like candidates. One, entitled Rain, has become the possible front runner of being the story that will become my category 5. While I haven't spent all of my free time rewriting this, I am spending some of my free time outlining a few plot possibilities for the story, which I will take as a good sign.
And that, my friends, is the plug ugly portion of my trifecta. Tune in next month when I will have the gud portion of my trifecta.
(c) 2014 by G.B. Miller. All Rights Reserved.
It will come. And then an avalanche will follow where many MORE come. I remember when I felt a bit scrambly where story is concerned, but probably about my 4th or fifth book the ideas started REALLY GRABBING me much faster than I could write. My current trouble is the story never seems to quite measure up to those amazing ideas... hmph.
ReplyDeleteI think a short story anthology sounds wonderful and it's great that you have a good start already. Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteWith a title like Rain, it has the potential to be a hurricane!
ReplyDeleteHart: I'm hoping so. About 3 1/2 years ago I went on a severe bend and wrote about 5 dozen two page short stories, and a few of those wound up being reworked into something better.
ReplyDeleteS.L.: Thanks for stopping by.
I think the short story anthology is a better realistic goal for me right now, as my medium of choice (the novella) is on vacation at the moment.
Alex: It's a good working title, but probably won't be the final. I've learned my lesson with having a title (Line 21) that readers couldn't relate to, so I want to make sure that the title I have this time people can relate to/understand.
You've got so many stories, must be tough to re-judge them all yourself for a anthology. That's usually ab editor's call.
ReplyDeleteI'm planning to use my XP (this is Win 7) for Adobe Pagemaker (off-line only) n printing. Still don't know if I'll get my Xmas project ready for printing in time, but that's the plan. Ambitious when considering I don't have enough time to eat n sleep lately! Plus I'll need $80 for Ink cartridges...
Snaggle: Actually, it wasn't that hard as I thought it would be. I've gotten much better at determining what is worth redoing and what isn't.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a very good use of your old XP. In addition to doing writing on mine, I print envelopes out for bills as well (can't handle using what the companies give with the bils).
You have an overwhelming passion and desire attached to your every written word.
ReplyDeleteG.A.: Thanks. Right now, the hard part is making it jell into something more meaningful.
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed by your determination. What is it they say about 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration?
ReplyDeleteS.R.: Thanks, but I think its more like 1% inspiration, 98% perspiration and 1% aggravation.
ReplyDeleteCan I join your group? :)
ReplyDeleteM: Anytime my good friend, anytime. :D
ReplyDelete