The other day I was playing with a new program I got called Scrivener and the funniest thing happened: a short story fell out of me. It was very much akin to how a woman doesn't know she is pregnant until the pink blob is halfway out of her and screeching for a damn nipple and decent health care. I didn't know it was in me, but once it was nearly out I felt so obligated to have it out completely. Horrible metaphors aside, I wrote a pleasant little story and I had fun writing it. It all came from a random sentence I wrote simply to fill a space. Upon writing that sentence, it hit me: this could actually be a story! 2,000 words later, "An Incident with a Gargoyle" was born!
I decided to man up and read my story at my writers group the other day. I found something oddly therapeutic about reading my story out loud. Like I was hearing for the first time that my stories don't always suck and I may actually have some talent with this thing I've been wanting to do since 3rd grade. I really could be an author someday if I keep this up. I finished reading my story and it was met by the polite "That was good"'s and one of my favorite compliments ever: "You write crazy very well!"
I've completed a measly total of three short stories this past year but I'm proud of each of them. It's very hard for me to write a story without completely investing myself deep within it. So far two stories have been created by one part a crazy idea and one part the perfect writing music. Sia will be deemed my muse of 2015. The other story came from a random impulse and a true desire to write. That has made me very excited. I have a desire to write, something that has escaped me for a few years now. I am writing and enjoying the process again. I'm not seeing it as an obligation. I've come to love short stories because they are like sprints through fun ideas. Now, I just need to get up the courage to actually try and publish them. But where to start?
I hope I can write one short story every month in 2016. I think that's fairly realistic, no? At the end of the year, I will have 12 new friends, each as deranged as the next (I write crazy well, remember?). I'm still working on this "setting goals for myself" thing and so far I'm not doing too horrible. I'm writing at least one blog per week, often a belated second quickly after, and I am still drafting and prepping for NaNoWrimo. I would share my stories hear, but I'm horribly paranoid about theft (you can blame some nasty middle school experiences for that) so I am afraid you will have to wait until I figure out the whole "publishing" thing first.
I wonder if I have another short story somewhere in me this evening? I should be doing job applications but I'm still doing the "reevaluating my life" thing. Yay?
Tootles!
Xoxo
Glad to hear you're writing again! Now if only I could do the same. . .
ReplyDeleteTotally want to read it, but I get why you wouldn't want to post here. My sister has been published a few times, so let me know if you'd like an introduction!