Who's Afraid of the Big Bad New Short Story?

[babarnett]

I sat down to read the flist and my brain exploded. Too many posts! No brain power to comment! Seriously, has someone figured out that more-hours-in-the-day thing yet? Where's my freeze ray?

Life has gotten quite insane lately, particularly at work, but I did manage to carve a good chunk of writing time on Saturday. As a result, I can hereby proclaim the revisions on chapter 7 of My Big Fat Epic Fantasy Novel to be done!

I started a new short story this morning; or, to be more accurate, I picked up something I had written the first 1,000 words to some time ago so I could finally finish the sucker. Lately, though, I'm finding that 1) I kind of love revisions, and 2) starting a new piece (even a partially started one) now petrifies me.

I blame the starting-something-new fear entirely on my internal editor. The little punk has been on one of her "Every word you write sucks!" kicks.

I know better than to listen to the punk (I'd never get anything written if I did), but I am rethinking my current revise-a-novel-chapter-then-write-a-short-story plan. I've got a ridiculous number of shorts making the submission rounds already (though a few are unfortunately nearing "To trunk or not to trunk?" territory), and I keep getting more and more excited about the novel revisions. So at this point, I'm wondering if it might be best to finish off the year with one last short story, and then just plow straight through the rest of the novel revisions.

Unless, of course, a short story idea starts stalking me until I write it. It's impossible to get a restraining order until the first draft is done.

Comments

[rcloenen-ruiz.livejournal.com]

I want the more hours in a day machine too. That and the time travel machine and the Beam-me-up-Scotty machine. I would like those in my Christmas package, please.

[babarnett.livejournal.com]

Me too. Santa needs to hook us up.

[jongibbs.livejournal.com]

I quite like writing short stories (or at least, flash fiction), but I much prefer working on novels. I think that's partly because I can let several basic ideas for different them gestate/ferment/fester over a period of months (even years), which means I don't feel like it's new when I do start to write.

Case in point, my current 'new' WIP is a medieval sci-fi novel, which I hadn't really looked at since I tinkered with the first draft, back in 2007.

[babarnett.livejournal.com]

That makes sense. I've only written one and a half novels to date, but because the ideas had been gestating for so long and because I had most of the structure and scenes sketched out, it wasn't nearly as intimidating as staring at the blank page going, "Ok, now what the heck do I do with this germ of an idea I haven't thought too much about yet?"

[bogwitch64.livejournal.com]

You need to Dog Whisper that internal editor of yours. The minute it opens its mouth to tell you you suck, Chhht! that sucker back down to size.

One really great thing that happened when I attended Viable Paradise (ten) was when the instructors gave us all permission to suck. Completely. For the first draft. For someone who loves editing (like you!) that should be like telling a kid he can play in the mud puddle all day, as long as she takes a bath that night. Suck away. Chhht! that internal editor. Edit when the first draft is done.

So says the bogwitch. ;)

[babarnett.livejournal.com]

The bogwitch is wise. :)

What really drives me nuts is that I used to be able to crank out sucky first drafts without a problem. Lately, though, that punk editor has been more persistent than usual. I think she's been eating her Wheaties. I was pondering earlier if my day job has something to do with it. When I'm cranking out grant proposals all day and working to deadline, I don't have time to allow myself to suck, and I suspect that my internal editor may be feeding off that and carrying it over into my ficion writing time.

[bogwitch64.livejournal.com]

The longer we write, the less leeway we give ourselves. It's because we are now conscious of all our suckage when before, we didn't notice it until we read it back to ourselves later. It comes with experience, no doubt about it.

But a little Chhht thing is still fun to use on that punk.