Tag Archives: SAD

SAD # 3: The Encroaching Hand of Winter

Another story done. I actually started this one Friday night by hand, but tossed out everything I wrote. It was enough for me to get the feel for my character and her predicament. Last night, I sat down and wrote the entire story out on the computer. I almost didn’t. It was one of those “I can’t sit still” night, since my husband and daughter are away from home for a few days. Eerie silence in the house. But I connected with some friends in chat on Forward Motion and got things going.  See, friends come in all forms….

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trudging onward

It’s been a rough week with being sick and getting family plans underway and dealing with the day-job workload. Two of my herd are out of the house and it’s confusing the “child awareness” center of my brain. I can’t sleep because the house is so empty.

I have two stories that are in first draft progress. One is Moondust which is one of the werewolf stories, but I’m stuck for geographical reasons which I hope to resolve once I can think more clearly. The other is one I started tonight by hand, entitled The Encroaching Hand of Winter.

I think I’m getting better at titles. 🙂 Then again it might be my disrupted sleep cycles playing tricks on the brain…

SAD # 2: Calico Under Cherry Blossom

Rang in my birthday while writing a story by hand in bed with my favorite green pen. Yes, it works like that. I’m calling it Calico Under Cherry Blossom and it’s modern day but mystical and maybe a little fairy tale. It’s different from what I’ve written in the past, but it feels good. I really like it. For my FM friends, it’ll be up later today on the FM boards, I just need to transcribe it first.

revising, submitting, rinse, repeat

Hunting the Red went out and promptly returned with a no thank you. I’m in the processing of polishing it, and then it’s back out, where it will keep going until someone buys it.   Nighthunter is also awaiting it’s final cleanup. I’m no longer sure it’s right for Sword & Sorceress, but it can’t hurt to try. I had a brilliant idea to make it a frame story so she starts out in her special role before the confrontation with her dad, but I’m not sure if it’s brilliant or just desperate. I had played with point of view on this one before, trying to do something special with it, but I think it’s the character that needs to shine here, not the style or the prose. Funny how blogging about these things brings clarity for me.  Thanks for listening. 🙂

Oh, and I’m still working on SAD #2, but it’s got a title now: Takeshi’s Gift. Takeshi locates the orb that’s been haunting his drawings since childhood and discovers his gift isn’t what he believed it to be.

prioritizing

I had decided not to write the short stories until Nighthunter was submitted, and that’s when I got the idea for Hunting the Reds and wrote it yesterday. And then again today, SAD #2 came to me. I had to dig into it, and work through the characters more thoroughly, but I’ve got the story and the resolution and just need to type it out. And again, my muse has shelved my story for revision.

So I am politely thanking her for her help, but suggesting she take a nap, or think on story #2 a bit more while I get Nighthunter in order. Lunchtime is here: I’m jumping onto the revision before my muse can throw anything else my way.

SAD # 1: Hunting the Reds

One down, nine more to go. I played with the prompt for this one on Saturday, kind of got a novel idea out of it, but I really didn’t like one of the elements to write more than one story on a “male prostitute”. So I ditched it. I started losing hope for the rest of the challenge. But then it hit me what I needed to do.

The prompt I selected gave me four elements: character, item, setting, and theme. I kept the theme. (innocence) It might not count for a generated prompt story, but every third story can be a non-prompt inspired story. I may have to count this one in that category.

What did I write about, you ask? Well, it’s fantasy. And the biggest innocence reference in fantasy is unicorns. So I wrote a story about an evil unicorn. He’s Red.

first try

I pulled a prompt that actually gave me an instant idea for a story, but it was way too complicated for a short story. The idea itself is not perfect, but with some work, could maybe end up a novel one day. Just not today. Onto the next prompt.

story a day challenge

The deadline for the anthology isn’t until mid-May, but I like to participate in the Story A Day challenge as often as I can. Some of my best stories have come from this challenge. Plus this particular challenge gave me the boost I needed to figure out how to write those stories. I’ve come a long way. I’ve even learned how to revise. ;D

Speaking of revision, I need to work on Nighthunter like a madwoman and get it done so it’ll be ready for Sword & Sorceress. My personal goal was to submit by 4/30. I’m sticking to it. Tonight, I’m staying up late, thunderstorms be damned: I Has Laptop.

Tonight: Reivion

Tomorrow: Reivion

Saturday: Crazy Short Story Ride

Will you Story A Day?

May Writing Update / June Goals

I’m pleased with my progress this month. Not only have a successfully made the leap back into writing regularly, but I’ve surpassed my Story-A-Day success. Previously, I’ve only written 6 for the challenge. Go me!

May
*Participated in the May SAD Challenge [10 stories written]
*Located and joined fantasy novel crit circle to sharpen up my analytical skills for the Forgotten Star edit [2 crits completed]

June Goals
*Edit Short Story “The Crossing”
*Edit Short Story “Treischan Strenth”
*Forgotten Star: Write new content chaps “B” and “C” as well as additional content throughout the novel;
*Silver Griffin Crits: 4 crits