Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Short Stories

Death Rites has been fixed up and sent to another publisher. It got a personal note last time. I'm hoping to get another or a sell.

Fugue was given an overhaul last night. It's in workshop, so I'm hoping to get some feedback this week. In the meantime, I'm going to look for a place to send it.

I've finally started delving into the novel. It's a qiuck but slow process, because I'm actually repiecing the parts I decided to keep. Chopping off 20k means a tighter story, but what's left makes no sense to a first time reader. It's been refreshing, however. It's a revisit into the universe, and I find myself able to get into the story so well. As much as I like action novels, this land is such a deep, different sort of land that I have to keep leaving hints, descriptions/exposition, and showing through action how completely different land this is. It's comforting.

The first novel is the easiest and the hardest to write. On one hand, your ideas are the best and brightest, and the idea of this nebulous thing, this pinnacle of writing shines in your mind. On the other hand, if you've started writing short stories or had a previous writing rejection, there's always an element of what others will think when you write.

It doesn't mean that you write for them, but it can help with reminding yourself that your readers, who cannot see into that fabulous mind of yours, probably would like a description or explanation at certain intervals.

Thursday, August 9, 2007

Finished Soul Hospital

I've completed another short story today - Soul Hospital. It's good, although much shorter than most of my other short stories. It's just over 2k words, which is nearly unheard of considering my more normal obsession with writing novelletes.

Yesterday I also completed revisions on Death Rites. Although I sent it out to a mag, I don't think they'll accept it without the exceptional fixings that I did. Oh well. At least I can keep sending it out!