Pirates, Walk The Plank, Please

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So I’ve already used up 3500 words of my 5000-word limit on the pirate story. That’s good, in a way, because I’ve written a whole bunch in the last few days and I don’t hate it and I love the characters, but…

I love the damn characters and – totally fucking predictably - they’re taking me WAY deeper into their adventures and lives than I have room or any business being in a short story. I mean, I could write 5000 words worth of just backstory! Seriously, if I manage to tell the story they’re wanting me to tell in less than 20,000 words, I will find a fucking plank and walk off it. Gah!

Part of the problem with me writing short stories, I think, is that I don’t read nearly enough of them on a regular basis. I just don’t have a good enough sense of how they’re put together to successfully put one together myself. I’m making an effort to correct that, but … well, there are only so many minutes here and there in a day during which I am not required to be doing something else.

*exasperated sigh*

Anyway, I’m not giving up (since I love the characters so damn much), but I think I’m probably going to have to sit down and think about what the bare bones of the story are.

And then start over.

*blows raspberries*

Some days it just sucks to be me, don’t it?

.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Sorry to hear you're having trouble, Bethanie.

This is why I have yet to accomplish the "short story" feat. I get way too sucked up into the characters and their lives and then it turns into a novel on me.

Reading some short stories might help. What about the ones at the 'zine you plan on submitting the pirate one to?
10:44
Joely Sue Burkhart said…
Or you could always let the story evolve into something longer and then submit it directly to Drollerie! Sounds like you're having fun, and that is soooo important!
12:23
Bethanie said…
soleil - I've read 'em all! :D The real problem is the time it takes to find more and actually sit down long enough to read them...

joely - That's an idea. I hadn't thought of that... we'll see. for now I think I'm going to turn the first scene into flash maybe... Maybe...

I've got to do SOMETHING - despite being made to walk the plank, my pirates have woken me up at 3AM two days in a row now demanding attention and offering all manner of endings, scenes, clever lines of dialogue, etc. So it's write, write, write or ... hang them from a yard arm... :D
07:29
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