Challenge Still Going
Brain Still On Novels
For example, tonight I wrote a 3,600 plus word Thunder Mountain story called “Lost Canyon.” (Saw the phrase on some woman’s sweatshirt tonight at dinner and figured it would be a good Thunder Mountain story. So I wrote it.)
Story works great and I wrapped it into a short story just fine and dandy. And if you don’t look too closely after the cute ending, you don’t ask too many “But what happens next?” I sort of explained in the story what happens next, sort of. Or I pretended I did, but in the novel it wouldn’t work out that way, of course. But that wraps the story down at 3,600 into a short story.
All sixteen stories so far in 16 days could be starts of novels. Every one of them. (Yes, they will be on Patreon soon.) One is an actual start, didn’t even try to wrap it, but the other 15 work as short stories just fine.
As for how I am feeling, after this last week, I am stunned that I got any writing done, let alone any other work for WMG. Climbing back on now, but losing both Dave and Ron Goulart one day after another was a stunner.
I talked about their deaths some in the Motivational Monday videos today, and how something like that can motivate you into doing things that often are put off or need to be done. Probably not a great motivational topic, but what I was thinking about, so I did it.
Now if I can just get my mind off of novels and write short stories that don’t have to wrap up, but can just be short stories, that would be great. I think 16 novel starts in 16 days is enough.
And speaking of mind on another topic, I am finishing up the last three Pop-Ups in the series for the Master Business Class, then will start recording the Pop-Up series that is on the Crimes Collide Kickstarter. And the two special workshops. Kris and I have those pretty much together. They are going to be great. So I’m having fun doing recordings and focusing on mystery fiction.
7 Comments
Judy Lunsford
I had that happen a lot too. All those stories are on my “books to write” list now.
dwsmith
Yeah, this is one of the things that stopped me on this is past years. I really want to write some of those books, so I would stop on the short stories and move to books. Not happening this time. Going to both at the same time, which should be even more interesting in the time issue sense. (grin)
Philip
I love these updates! Keep it going strong.
I have to be honest, I really thought you’d struggle in these early stages. Sure, you’re a professional writer with decades of experience, but I thought, Dean is too busy. The guy runs a publishing company, essentially an entire online school for writers, and he has a major focus on health and fitness — no way he’ll truck along with this challenge. Boy, I’m glad I was wrong because this is inspirational.
dwsmith
Not saying I didn’t struggle. All on the time element. But only way to get something worked out is to just do it. Onward.
JM6
“All sixteen stories so far in 16 days could be starts of novels.”
That’s interesting. I had heard other writers talking about how one way to write a short story was as the LAST chapter of a novel that was never written.
Maybe that’s one key to productivity. You’re always STARTING stories and see where they go rather than working out everything which came before and just writing the ENDING.
I’m just musing out loud. I’m sure you cover this in one of your classes. Thank you for sharing your process.
dwsmith
JM6, you just made me shudder. Never heard of thinking of a short story as the last chapter of a novel. That is so wrong in so many ways, it would take me half a book just to explain why that is wrong in just fiction itself, let alone writing methods. Wow, just never heard of that before.
Max Spurk
Now I want to read that “half a book”. Even though I don’t write short stories (or haven’t till now). Do you think you find time to write it?