Why a Story or Idea is Never a One and Done Deal by Debra H. Goldstein
Usually, I introduce you to writers you might not otherwise know through my blog. This time, I’m going to tell you a personal secret that it often takes authors a few years to realize: a story or idea is never a one and done deal. They can often be recycled in numerous ways.
For example, the first story I ever had published, “Malicious Mischief,” featured a young married male lawyer, his mother, the players in his mother’s Mah Jongg game, and a former Nazi. The story won an award. A year later, a different version of the story and characters won another award. Four years later, when I was writing Should Have Played Poker: a Carrie Martin and the Mah Jongg Players Mystery, I realized that the main character, Carrie Martin, was going to have a complex back story. To balance the serious nature of her character for readers, I needed to introduce some form of comic relief. I tried different sidekicks, but nothing felt right. That’s when I remembered my favorite “Malicious Mischief” Mah Jongg players. Their revival became the perfect foil for Carrie.
In 2015, Bethlehem Writers Roundtable published my short story, “This Is Where I Buried My Wives.” The idea for it came from TV commercials for a dating service that had people seeking mates to enjoy a farm related life. The emphasis wasn’t on the meet-up, but what happened after the characters were building a relationship. It was a fun story to write, but nothing I intended to visit again. Then, last year, Tough Magazine announced a call for rural stories, and they were willing to take reprints. “This Is Where I Buried My Wives” seemed perfect – it was in the word count, the theme was what they were looking for, and the story was a bit different than what I thought most of the submissions would be. I sent it in. It was accepted and run. Not only was it nice to have a story find a second home, but getting a check for the tale again was also pleasing.
This month, issue 152 of Black Cat Magazine Weekly (which should publish on July 28) should feature a Barb Goffman reprint selection of “Harvey and the Red-Head.” The story was originally published in 2019 in an anthology of Texas related stories, The Eyes of Texas: Private Eyes from the Panhandle. I can’t tell you how excited I was when Barb contacted me that she wanted to republish the story. This means that new eyes will see my work. Once again, the premise of a piece not being a one and done deal will be proven true.
Finally, I recently signed a contract for publication of a collection of many of my early short stories. Watch my website, https://www.DebraHGoldstein.com, for more details. The book, with multiple tales, will underscore that a story or idea doesn’t fade away after being birthed into the world.
The post Why a Story or Idea is Never a One and Done Deal by Debra H. Goldstein first appeared on Debra H. Goldstein.
The post Why a Story or Idea is Never a One and Done Deal by Debra H. Goldstein appeared first on Debra H. Goldstein.
