Story Smash
Several months ago, I was invited to submit to an SF anthology. I looked over the guidelines for it, but didn't have any ideas for a story, so I let it slide from memory.
The day after Christmas, I came across the guidelines again while was clearing out old emails and WHOP! An idea came to me. It was intriguing, but only partly-formed, so I did what I always do in these cases--I went out for a long walk to think about it. The idea solidified, and the next morning, I sat down to write. I wrote close to six thousand words in two days. The story did stall partway through when I realized it didn't have an emotional center (it was basically a philosophical conversation between two people, very Asimovian), and I had to restructure it a little to create one, but in the end, I got it done.
The trouble was, the deadline is December 31--today! My usual pattern for shorts is to write a rough draft fairly quickly, do a rewrite almost immediately while the original ideas are fresh in my head, then let the story sit for a few days or a week, like bread dough left to rise. When that time is up, I do another rewrite and send it through the Untitled Writers Group. I do one more rewrite with their feedback in mind, format the final manuscript, and send it off.
But with the deadline coming up so quickly, I'd barely have time for a single rewrite, and I know some basic mistakes would slip through with so little reworking. So I emailed the editor (who had already published my work and knew me) to ask if I could have a day or two past deadline. He agreed. Yay!
Now my writers group is having a look on an emergency basis. I hope this story works out. It's quirky and funny and smack-you-in-the-head-y, and I have hopes for it. We'll see. :)
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The day after Christmas, I came across the guidelines again while was clearing out old emails and WHOP! An idea came to me. It was intriguing, but only partly-formed, so I did what I always do in these cases--I went out for a long walk to think about it. The idea solidified, and the next morning, I sat down to write. I wrote close to six thousand words in two days. The story did stall partway through when I realized it didn't have an emotional center (it was basically a philosophical conversation between two people, very Asimovian), and I had to restructure it a little to create one, but in the end, I got it done.
The trouble was, the deadline is December 31--today! My usual pattern for shorts is to write a rough draft fairly quickly, do a rewrite almost immediately while the original ideas are fresh in my head, then let the story sit for a few days or a week, like bread dough left to rise. When that time is up, I do another rewrite and send it through the Untitled Writers Group. I do one more rewrite with their feedback in mind, format the final manuscript, and send it off.
But with the deadline coming up so quickly, I'd barely have time for a single rewrite, and I know some basic mistakes would slip through with so little reworking. So I emailed the editor (who had already published my work and knew me) to ask if I could have a day or two past deadline. He agreed. Yay!
Now my writers group is having a look on an emergency basis. I hope this story works out. It's quirky and funny and smack-you-in-the-head-y, and I have hopes for it. We'll see. :)
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