write a collection of short stories

I’ve written a couple of stories, having funwith it! It’s taking me quite some getting used to to stop myself drawing things out, forcing myself to get enough plot into a short period of time to be interesting.

I love to write and often I have the biggest urge to write, my only problem is coming up with ideas for the stories. So if anyone has any tips, then I’ll love you forever.

I’ve finally managed to collect enough time to jot down some ideas for stories. Time is my biggest obstacle. I’m helping to raise my nine year old nephew. Between the football practices and trips to the grocery store, I barely have time for myself. I vow to do some serious writing this weekend!

I recently finished a short story called Detritus. It’s way too long, actually, and imperfect in several ways, but I’m glad I finished it.

I spent last week on the developmental edit, and it went faster than I thought, so I got started on the next draft. My plan is to write/edit at least 800 words a day, and to finish by April 18 (when I leave for the Calvin Festival of Faith and Writing).

“Developmental edit” is my term for messing around with the plot and structure of the novella. I need to figure out which scenes to keep, and how to arrange them. The challenge is getting the two separate drafts (one for each character) to mesh and interweave.

I also need to do more notes on the setting and other characters.

I estimate I’ll need two weeks to do this work.

By writing for half an hour every day in January, I finished the second character’s draft, all 23,631 words of it!

Gosh, I would be thrilled just to have this book done and not to be worrying about it. But concrete incentives seem to help, so … WHEN I finish I will buy or make a Tiffany stained glass lamp for my desk, which I’ve always wanted.

I wrote an initial draft for this novella during National Novel Writing Month, 2003. Last November, I pulled it out to begin editing it. I decided to add another point-of-view character, so my next task is to add to that initial draft.

So far I have three stories completed for the collection I’m working on. I plan to finish three more stories and a novella.