In today’s Journal
* Bradbury Challenge Participants
* TKZ Revisited
* Finished “Sinister Intent”
* Of Interest
Bradbury Challenge Participants
This will be a recurring weekly feature of the Journal, at least as long as those who are involved in the challenge keep letting me know how many stories they finished each week. (grin)
Yesterday I emailed all particpants and asked them to send me their info. What you see below is from those who responded. A few others in the challenge set their deadline days later, so I hope to report their stories and numbers next week.
Anyone can jump in and join at any time. This really is a great way to jumpstart your writing and get more practice pushing down the critical voice. Especially during this time of year, the prelude to what DWS calls “the time of great forgetting.” If writing is important to you (so if you’re a writer) this can help.
Note to Challenge Participants: Just so you know, I probably won’t email you every week to ask for your production input. This section will go live every Monday morning, so get me your info by Sunday night each week if you want me to share it.
Writer Story Title/Link Words
Chynna Pace Bootleg Ghosts 8100
Christopher Ridge Sickies 3500
KC Riggs The Wrong Foot 2244
Harvey Stanbrough The Writing of Hortencia Alvarez (The Siren) 3483
Harvey Stanbrough Sinister Intent 3482
TKZ Revisited
The author of the TKZ article I featured in yesterday’s edition of the Journal and I had a pretty good back and forth.
I recommend reading it, especially if you’re on the fence regarding whether to revise, rewrite, polish etc. You can find our exchange (the first several comments) at https://killzoneblog.com/2023/03/what-preys-on-your-fiction.html#comments.
Finished “Sinister Intent”
I finished the story, sort of, with a little over 2200 words yesterday, so I managed two stories last week. I don’t like this one as much as I thought I would, though.
I might revisit the story later. If I do, of couse, I won’t count it again. Either way, someday I’ll publish it and let the readers be the judge. Anyway, today I’ll get back to the novel for awhile unless another short story presents itself. Woohoo!
Talk with you again soon.
Of Interest
See “Five Months Ago” at https://deanwesleysmith.com/five-months-ago/. SALE!
See “It’s a Mystery!” at https://killzoneblog.com/2023/03/its-a-mystery.html. Talking about genres under the Mystery umbrella.
The Numbers
The Journal…………………………………… 380 words
Writing of “Sinister Intent” (short story)
Day 1…… 630 words. Total words to date…… 630
Day 2…… 580 words. Total words to date…… 1210
Day 3…… 2272 words. Total words to date…… 3482 (done)
Writing of Wes Crowley: Deputy US Marshal 2 (WCG9SF4)
Day 1…… 3231 words. Total words to date…… 3231
Day 2…… 2990 words. Total words to date…… 6221
Day 3…… 1805 words. Total words to date…… 8026
Day 4…… 2025 words. Total words to date…… 10051
Day 5…… 1451 words. Total words to date…… 11502
Day 6…… 1886 words. Total words to date…… 13388
Total fiction words for March……… 10302
Total fiction words for 2023………… 63126
Total nonfiction words for March… 16990
Total nonfiction words for the year…… 58320
Total words for the year (fiction and this blog)…… 121446
Calendar Year 2023 Novels to Date…………………… 1
Calendar Year 2023 Novellas to Date……………… 0
Calendar Year 2023 Short Stories to Date… 2
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………………………………… 72
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)………………………………… 9
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)………………… 219
Short story collections……………………………………………… 31
Disclaimer: Because It Makes Sense, I preach trusting your characters to tell the story that they, not you, are living. See https://hestanbrough.com/the-daily-journal-archives-gifts-dvds/.
I’m so glad I ignored my fear and took the plunge into this challenge. I was 1000% sure I wouldn’t be able to do it. I had such a rush when I finished the story last night. I’d been feeling a loss of confidence, lack of momentum, and slow progress for weeks. After completing this story, some of that confidence has been restored. It really is a great jumpstart. I woke up excited to write and buzzing with ideas for the next story, and the two novels I’m writing as well. Thanks for hosting this challenge, Harvey!
You’re very welcome, Chynna. I had pretty much the same experience and I’m sure others probably have too, probably including some who are participating unofficially in the shadows.
Sign me up, Harvey!
I’ve lost a lot of momentum this month with writing since ramping up my job search. My mood has been down since I stopped writing. This might be the extra push I need! Thanks for organizing this fun challenge.
Thanks, Frank. I wondered when you might pop in. 🙂
Haha. I’m sorting through a lot of stuff that’s been distracting me from my writing. Not sure if you’re counting flash pieces in this, but my personal goal is a short story (2,000-7,000 words) and a flash fiction story no more than 1,000 words.
Slowly building back up momentum one day at a time.
That’s fine, Frank. It’s your challenge, so whatever you want to count is fine. Who among us would tell the author of the six-word story “For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn” that wasn’t a great short story? Certainly not I.
Labels really don’t matter. In my opinion (for example), flash fiction is anything under 100 words (including the title). From there to 499 is micro, and from there to 1999 is a short-short. I’ve been very successful with flash fiction in the past, including some for a contest that was no more than (or exactly) 55 words. But unless you’re writing it for a contest, I fail to see a reason to limit yourself to a particular top word count. Most often I just let the story be the length it wants to be.