A Three Story Day!
That Is Right. Three Short Stories in One Day!
I needed to have one or two of these to hit the challenge, so still in the running it seems. And all three stories were with my new series character, Sky Tate: The Best Woman Detective in the Business.
She owns snark. And damn are the fun to write, exactly what I needed.
The Day And the Stories
Started off by getting up at 9:30 a.m. and was actually at our diningroom table looking out over Las Vegas by 10:30 a.m., doing email. And by 11 a.m. I started into a story I called “The Story of Jean.”
I have decided that every Sky Tate Detective Story will have a woman’s name in the title. Not sure why, just felt good, so I will rename the first one at some point.
The cleaners came and I spent the next three hours moving around ahead of them to stay out of the way and finishing the first story. It turned out to be 2,550 words long and I was interrupted too many times to watch my time exactly per session.
Kris brought home lunch from her exercise and we ate that. Then I started a second story I called “Debbie Does the Desert.”
I got about 900 words done and we headed off to do some shopping, both grocery and shoes. Then I bought myself a nifty pair of headphones I can wear if I want to watch the television late at night.
After that I took a nap, cooled off my neck some, and ate dinner.
After dinner I got another 1,000 word session done.
Realize all the time I have floor-to-ceiling windows around me looking out over Vegas. Sometimes distracting, mostly wonderful.
At around nine, Kris and I went down to the pool. She was going to walk to get steps and I sat by the pool and wrote. A perfect night, not too hot, not cold.
I got about a thousand words sitting by the pool. Then I went back upstairs and finished the second story at 3,400 words around 10:30 p.m.
Kris and I watched television and when she went to bed at midnight, I sat down and started the third story called “A Time and A Place for April.”
I wrote it in one session by 1:30 a.m. at 1,600 words.
So 23 stories down. 7 to go in three days. I’m still in the hunt.
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Day One… Scared Money… 2,700 words…. Total April words… 2,700 words.
Day Two… Rainbow Peak… 4,900 words…. Total April words… 7,600 words.
Day Three… A Beautiful History… 2,300 words…. Total April words… 9,900 words.
Day Four… A Song For The Old Memory… 2,050 words…. Total April words… 11,950 words.
Day Five… A Brush with Intent… 1,000 words…. Total April words… 12,950 words.
Day Six… Ghost Diet… 2,700 words…. Total April words… 15,650 words.
Day Seven… Rescue Two… 3,300 words…. Total April words… 18,950 words.
Day Eight… The Woman Who Knew The Time… 3,200 words…. Total April words… 22,150 words.
Day Nine… Long Hair Henry… 4,400 words…. Total April words… 26,550 words.
Day Ten… I’ll See You… 1,500 words…. Total April words… 28,050 words.
Day Eleven… Girl on the Bed… 2,000 words…. Total April words… 30,050 words.
Day Twelve… Everything Got Colder… 2,050 words…. Total April words… 32,100 words.
Day Thirteen… (did not write)… 00 words…. Total April words… 32,100 words.
Day Fourteen… (did not write)… 00 words…. Total April words… 32,100 words.
Day Fifteen… Old Memories… 2,700 words…. Total April words… 34,800 words.
Day Sixteen… Models’ Four.. 1,900 words…. Total April words… 36,700 words.
Day Seventeen… (did not write).. 00 words…. Total April words… 36,700 words.
Day Eighteen… Green Canyon.. 2,500 words…. Total April words… 39,200 words.
Day Nineteen… (did not write).. 00 words…. Total April words… 39,200 words.
Day Twenty… Something In My Darling.. 1,600 words…. Total April words… 40,800 words.
Day Twenty-one… (did not write).. 00 words…. Total April words… 40,800 words.
Day Twenty-two… Reluctant With Intent.. 2,000 words…. Total April words… 42,800 words.
Day Twenty-three… (did not write).. 00 words…. Total April words… 42,800 words.
Day Twenty-four… Two-Handeed Stand.. 2,150words…. Total April words… 44,950 words.
Day Twenty-five… Dead Woman Walking.. 2,100 words…. Total April words… 47,050 words.
Day Twenty-six… Cherry Jones.. 2,700 words…. Total April words… 49,750 words.
Day Twenty-seven… The Story of Jean.. 2,550 words…. Total April words… 52,300 words.
…………………… Debbie Does the Desert… 3,400 words…. Total April words… 55,700 words.
………………….. A Time and A Place for April…. 1,600 words…. Total April words… 57,300 words.
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Class #49… May 1st … Depth #3: Research
Class #50… May 1st … Author Voice
Class #51… May 1st … Dialog
Class #52… May 1st … Writing into the Dark
Class #53… May 1st … Writing Fiction Sales Copy
Class #54… May 1st … Writing and Selling Short Stories
Class #55… May 2nd … Depth in Writing
Class #56… May 2nd … Business
Class #57… May 2nd … (open)
Class #58… May 2nd … (open)
Class #59… May 2nd … Novel Structure
Class #60… May 2nd … Writing Fantasy
13 Comments
Harvey
Proud for you, Dean. Now I know you’ll beat the challenge. Great going, and it is wonderful when a story practically writes itself, isn’t it?
dwsmith
Not sure I’ll beat this thing completely, since I am in Vegas and got a ton to do here, plus seven stories in three days to write still. So shall see on that part. But for me this challenge has been a complete success. If I had tossed in the towel earlier, I never would have Sky Tate in my worlds and would not have written a bunch of these stories. So when people say that challenges don’t work for them, just feel sorry for them because of all the stories they are not writing.
Céline Malgen
Oh my. That’s amazing. Congratulations! I hope you manage to keep the focus on writing more stories, and that you succeed in your incredible challenge.
I also realised that three days ago you didn’t even know this series existed, and now you’ve got five stories in it, that sounds pretty surreal to me.
Anyway, I’m glad you’re having fun!
Kenny
Sounds like you’re really rolling and having great fun!
Looking forward to reading all 30 stories.
Scott Gordon
Impressive!
John D. Payne
Go, Dean, go!
JM
Why “The Best Woman Detective in the Business”? Does she admit there’s a better detective who’s a man? Possibly the God of Detectives, or the God of Justice, or whatever he’s called in that universe? Is she also the best Superhero Detective in the business? Or is there someone better? (It’s Batman, right? It’s always Batman.)
Obviously, if all of these are answered in the stories, just say so. I’ll read them all eventually, I’m sure.
dwsmith
Oh, hell, you read one you will understand, JM. There is a reason. (Grin) My Poker Boy Universe spreads out now over four series. Poker Boy, Ghost of a Chance, Marble Grant, and now Sky Tate. One of the stories yesterday I had Marble Grant and Sims help Sky on a case. Far too much fun.
Dee
Whoot! *Pom-pom shakes*
*Grin* I know you don’t need the encouragement – you’re a pro – a writer- and having fun. That you’ll succeed the challenge is a foregone conclusion to me – by how much is the exciting part – especially (!) with a snarkster grumbling in your ear!
I’m looking forward to meeting her – I adore snarky protags!
*Another pom-pom shake*
=D
-Dee
J.M. Ney-Grimm
Wow! Fantastic fun to hear about you writing three shorts in a day. Way to go! 😀
Scott Gordon
Here’s my update just in case you’re interested: Wrote 4,623 words today on Secret Agent Disco Dancer: Did Somebody Say Pizza? There are now 10,535 words now, including a series note (263 words) and Production Journal (1,598 words). It looks like I still need another 1-2 days to finish it off, but it’s really moving now. By the end of April I will have three new stories set in this universe + tons of other writing (approximately 60,000 words in all).
Rob Vagle
Congrats Dean! Your challenge has already been a success indeed! And you still have a few days left!
djmills
Yes, definitely a productive and successful month of writing! Yeah for Dean!
Even if you don’t get the last few stories done, I would call the month a total success! New series started and 23 short stories done! But I suspect you will get four more short stories written today and the last three completed tomorrow. Keep going! I am cheering you on!