Despite the constant onslaught of migraines, I've been chugging away. While writing new chapters, I've also been spending some time editing older short stories. I want to keep sending out submissions, hoping to get more interest and publications. Editing is faster than writing something new, so I can focus most of my time writing the novels.
But editing some of the first short stories I wrote has been eye opening. Naturally, when I wrote them I felt each one was brilliant. Now, the flaws in the stories seem so obvious to me. I won't lie that I still think the plots and characters are amazing. But the writing itself needs improvement.
I never would have been able to pick out these issues without all the rejections I've gotten over the years. I've since learned that I need to work on rising tension, along with compelling and emotional beginnings. As I edit these shorts, I can clearly see how every beginning needs to be rewritten, but the endings are satisfying.
I'm working on the first story I wrote about Bryan, and the novella is a bit of a mess. The beginning is slow and clunky. I used the trope of a character waking up! It needs a great deal of work, but I'm happy to do it. Writing is the most important thing to me. I want to keep learning and bettering my work. If that takes a few more rejections, then so be it.
I know we'll get there soon.
Monday, May 16, 2016
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
How about, No?
I'm deep into writing my new fantasy, currently titled The Ladies of Bryne Park. Edits for Resurrected Thief are still going on between submissions, but I wanted to write something entirely new. And I'm so incredibly excited about this book.
The ideas were originally a jumble of little snippets and characters I couldn't quite place yet. But it all came together with the unifying thought of "No". Simply put, I was tired of being told what should be in a good fantasy. Tired of all the same examples over and over again. I started saying no to all those ideas, and this book came out of it.
It follows two young women escaping horrifying lives and trying to find freedom. Along the way, they encounter all sorts of magic and mayhem. Any dashing romance? NO! That was the first thing I said no to when I began writing this.
Another fine example came after a little conversation I had while trying to outline one character's motivations and their story arc. It was for the main dragon, and I couldn't quite get their reasons for helping our main characters down. I knew they were supposed to be defensive, but that was it. The person I was talking to immediately said I should have the dragon be a mother defending her eggs.
NO!
Why should that be the only thing a female dragon would defend? Why is that the first thing everyone comes up with when talking about women? Defending their lovers and children? Women can want plenty more than that. So no mother dragons in this book.
In the end, I decided that the dragon would have no gender. It is an inter-dimensional creature after all. This is leading to some interesting scenes and plots. Who knows where else saying no will lead me?
The ideas were originally a jumble of little snippets and characters I couldn't quite place yet. But it all came together with the unifying thought of "No". Simply put, I was tired of being told what should be in a good fantasy. Tired of all the same examples over and over again. I started saying no to all those ideas, and this book came out of it.
It follows two young women escaping horrifying lives and trying to find freedom. Along the way, they encounter all sorts of magic and mayhem. Any dashing romance? NO! That was the first thing I said no to when I began writing this.
Another fine example came after a little conversation I had while trying to outline one character's motivations and their story arc. It was for the main dragon, and I couldn't quite get their reasons for helping our main characters down. I knew they were supposed to be defensive, but that was it. The person I was talking to immediately said I should have the dragon be a mother defending her eggs.
NO!
Why should that be the only thing a female dragon would defend? Why is that the first thing everyone comes up with when talking about women? Defending their lovers and children? Women can want plenty more than that. So no mother dragons in this book.
In the end, I decided that the dragon would have no gender. It is an inter-dimensional creature after all. This is leading to some interesting scenes and plots. Who knows where else saying no will lead me?
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