It appears that every word I write, and all I have been working on for the New Year, has been related to a number of developing short stories. Now, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes, writing a short story is a nice break from the enduring task of writing a novel. Don't get me wrong...the writer still has an intimate connection with his characters; however, the reader is not privy to the numerous details of the protagonist or antagonist of the story.
I wouldn't say that writing a short story is easier than writing a novel. Sure, it may take less time. On the other hand, it can become difficult for the writer to convey the overall tone of the story. After all, depending on the publication he/she may be submitting to, the writer may be limited to a certain word count. A perfect example of this has been outlined in one of my previous entries. I submitted a flash fiction piece, entitled Rush. The publication to which I submitted the story limited the total word count to 750. Imagine...trying to create a scene that is descriptive enough to open the eyes of the reader to another world, yet still maintain the story fundamentals of a beginning, middle and end within 750 words! Yes, it was truly difficult--quite the challenge, I might add--but I managed to overcome the challenge. On a side note: I am still awaiting to hear the fate of Rush from the publication.
I have a plethora of short stories within my mind, just waiting to be released. Some are awaiting the finalization of editing, some are being submitted to various publications, and others are merely in the developmental stage. This month alone, I am hoping to finalize and submit six stories. I am working on other short stories that will become a part of my collection that I anticipate releasing by the end of this year, beginning of next.
During the process of writing these short stories, I have stumbled upon an older short story that I decided to re-write and submit to a particular publication as well. And, during my month of slaving to the written form of the short story, I have discovered that my recently published piece, I'll Be Home For Christmas, was nominated for the Preditors and Editors 2007 Reader's Poll for Best Short Story in horror. Voting ends tomorrow, so I will let everybody know what rank the story placed. Honestly, I would be happy if it made it into the top ten!
In the midst of short story mania, I told myself I wouldn't work on any other short stories this month. The reason being that I wanted to focus on the stories at hand and submit them to various, predetermined publications. Afterward, I intend to return to the final edits of my short story collection and finishing my next novel. Still, like some unstoppable force that cannot die, another story unexpectedly surfaced. Recently, a very close person to me came across a short story that I had written months back. Unbenknownst to me, the I neglected to save the story to the hard drive of my new computer. With a smile on his face, this person said to me, "I read your story, Puppeteer." My mind raced to the familiar title and the almost-forgotten tale. "I really liked it," he said. "You have to make sure to keep your stories laying around more often." This reference was made toward the story encased in a manila envelope. Of course, this piqued my interest, and I was instantly intrigued to revisit my short story Puppeteer. After reading it, I decided that it could not go without a final edit and submission to a publication I had recently encountered (and I wonder why I can't reach my specific writing goals each month). My drawback with this particular publication was that it was very limited to its content and word count. Coincidentally, Puppeteer fits within these guidelines. Hey, everything for a reason, right?
So it is that I am surrounded by short stories. I am living my nights executing compendious selections of prose. I am spending my days antagonized by characters begging for change and worlds awaiting to climax. One may think that I am veritably haunted by the short story as a literary form. But I absolutely love it!
January. This month has obviously been filled with abounding ideas and hopeful accomplishments. I have six short stories to finalize, one story that has been nominated for a reader's poll award, and a short story that has returned from the past. But I am complacent in knowing that I have a story to tell and that my stories move the reader.
Whether I attain the achievement of completing all of these various stories remains unknown. However, my intention for February is to work exclusively on my next novel. I suppose there is nothing short about that!
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andrew_wolter- Andrew Wolter
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