I wrote a new short story this morning. Complete, beginning to end. Okay, so maybe it qualifies as a flash piece because it’s just under 1000 words, but where yesterday there was nothing, not even a title, today there’s a story. How does that happen?
Damned if I know. This is another contest submission for the Hellnotes Wee Small Hours ongoing series of contests. Pick one of three prompts and write a story between 500 and 1000 words in length. I knew yesterday which of the three prompts I would choose (probably the least likely of the batch) and I did a little background research to inform the fiction. On the way home from work yesterday (it’s only a 3 minute drive) I saw the setting, but nothing more.
This morning I intended to do nothing more than create the blank file and copy my research into it. Instead, I started writing at 5:30 and by 6:15 I had the 950 words. Went through it once or twice (I love editing flash fiction—the exercise is mostly in trimming and sharpening, and I can go through a complete story in a few minutes) and sent it off to my first reader. Will let it percolate for a while and have another few passes at it before I send it in next week. I think it’s a very cool story. If it doesn’t make the cut, I may have at it again, beef it up a little and send it out elsewhere.
Quote of the day: “You Democrats. If you had your way, no one would ever shoot anyone. And then where’d we be?” Denny Crane, Boston Legal.
