I didn’t prepare any blog posts for this week as I normally do over the weekend.
I’m not sure why, but this weekend brought me one of the worst cases of blasé I’ve ever had. Okay, one of the worst cases I could be bothered to try and remember. And yet, with the boredom, came an antsy, edgy nervousness I couldn’t shake. It was creepy in a way.
I feel the impending weight of winter in the air. The chill nights, the crisp air. It’s going cold faster than I remember in some time, which doesn’t bode well for a short, warm winter, but that didn’t have much to do with how I felt. At least, I don’t think so.
Quite a few times I sat down at the computer to write something – just a short story – and couldn’t get my fingers moving on the keyboard. My first excuse was not being able to decide on a tool. Of all the lame excuses, how lame is that one? I have more software for writers than anyone I know, and I can’t decide on one? I have no fewer than nine software packages designed to make writing easier. And I have Microsoft Word, and Corel Wordperfect. I can’t pick a software package? Really? Seriously?
Then I decided I was still “brewing” the idea. It wasn’t ready to come out of my head yet; still incubating, if you will. All weekend. A short story – more of a vignette, in truth – and it’s not ready yet. Whatever.
Then I decided I’d compare it to my new story structure method and see if it needed anything. A short story needs proper structure and planning too, y’know. What impact would it have? What impact did I want it to have? How would I execute it? Would I go with first person POV or a tight third person? (This is a joke; I always knew this story would be in first person. It sorta has to be.)
Next I decided I wanted to add a creepy twist, sort of theme this for Halloween. So, I came up with a nice twist in about three minutes. Oh, but that wasn’t enough, no. I had to think about the ending. I had to think about the storyline. So that meant lying down and … you know. Thinking. It looks like sleep. It’s not, philistines, it’s thinking. It’s writing. Kinda.
Then I decided maybe I’d submit it for a contest entry over on deviantART. Normally, I don’t enter contests on dA, because I … well, frankly, I suck. I always lose. So I’m not sure I wanted to do that.
So then I decided I had it all worked out. I didn’t get far with holding it up to the 4-part story structure method. I did, however, work out how the story will go, more or less. Some details are missing, but I’m not even sure they’re necessary. So then you know what I did?
I started debating whether I wanted this creepy, Halloween-themed story to be my first attempt at publication. I considered The Absent Willow Review for publishing it. Anyone familiar with them? Are they legit? Anyone know how I can find out? So, if not them, who? And I if I do submit it I can’t publish it on my blog. So by now it’s Sunday night, late, and I’m sitting here blogging instead.
Did I ever write that story?
How will you know? I said I might not publish it on my fiction blog. So how would you know? I could say yes and you’d never know if I told the truth or not, would ya?
How’s that for a twist ending? Neener neener!
How was your weekend? What’d you all do?
-JDT-
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