To Write, or Not to Write Short Stories

I’m a member of a writing group that has decided to publish an anthology of our short stories.  Sounds good, right? Yes, and no.

On the positive side, anthologies offer readers an opportunity to sample new authors, usually at a bargain price. It also enables authors to reach new audiences, and sometimes. to try their hands at new genres.

On the other hand…

While I’ve written a few successful short stories, I don’t easily write “short”. I have a few stories, but they are closer to flash fiction in length.  I don’t like to read long rambling tales so it stands to reason that I also don’t write them  I do tend to write stories that involve the cast of characters who appear in my longer works.

Unfortunately, that creates the problem of how to explain who these people are without lots of backstory. There isn’t time or space to do that in a short work of fiction.  I suppose I could identify it as a Living After Midnight story but what if the reader hasn’t read those books?  How do I make this interesting enough that it might make someone new want to read more? Maybe I would be better off using new characters as long as it takes place in or around Unakite. 

Decisions decisions.

If I’m being honest, I have to admit it doesn’t usually work for me to try to go outside my fictional world. My characters are so pushy they often manage to insert themselves into anything I write— if only for a cameo.

What do you think? Do you read short stories?

Cookies. Yes, I said it. Cookies.

Being home more than usual has been a challenge in many ways. By nature, I’m what my partner calls a slugabed. Meaning, given the option, I might just slug around and stay in bed. I wouldn’t go that far, but it is true that I don’t get nearly the exercise I did when I had to go into the office.

MMMM. Cookies.

So, I’ve been sitting around more, working at my job and writing, and trying to make sure I do stretches and get up, away from the computer, and walk throughout each day.

I’m also coming down off of a baking binge. You name it, I baked it. Banana bread, cranberry orange bread, cookies, actual bread.

See where I’m going here? None of that is good for me. NONE. But what’s a writer to do? Cranking out words is hungry work.

Fortunately, I found a recipe for cookies that is gluten-free and therefore not that bad for me. They’re made with coconut flour, almond flour, eggs, chocolate chips (YAY!), sugar, and butter. They are very rich. You can only eat one at a sitting. And they are really satisfying.

Drop me a line if you want the recipe.

Time to Change Things Up

I am currently slogging my way through Camp NanoWriMo and bemoaning the fact that I did not get a single word written during Camp Nano in April.  The self -flagellation reminds me that if I had only done the work in April I would be doing rewrites and edits instead of staring at a blank screen, trying to figure out what my outline notes meant.

Another worry for me has been nicknamed the Covid-15.  That’s the fifteen pounds the average person gained in the first months of sheltering in place.  I’d previously worked very hard to eat healthy meals, drink water, and exercise.  But with the quarantine, the lethargy that affected my writing also affected my healthy habits.  Months of sitting at a desk, followed by sitting on the sofa, and topped off by sitting at the dinner table, well, let’s just say I developed a fear of weighing myself.  Eventually I had to face the fact that some of my clothes were uncomfortably tight. 

I forced myself to the scales and was relieved to learn I’d only gained six pounds. It was still too much.  Even worse was the result of sitting.  Walking to the end of the driveway a couple of times a day just didn’t do the trick

My reasoning, such that it was, was that I deserved a break from work and good habits because it helped deal with the stress and worry of Covid-19.  Things would be back to normal by summer.

Obviously, that hasn’t happened.  Parts of the country reopened to devastating results, so the quarantine continues, at least in my state. My family continues to practice social distancing and #stayingathome. 

I’ve come to the conclusion that the next leg of the pandemic can’t be the same as the first four months.  I have set goals and planned baby steps for walking and exercising more, I’ve swapped my cola for water (most of the time), ceased eating so many carbs, and exchanged frozen veggies for fresh. 

I’m also creeping my way through Camp Nano.  I may not hit my goal,  but I am writing every day.  Those are great starts.

Now that things have lasted longer than we’d hoped, is there anything you’re going to do differently?