I haven't written a short story in years - probably since I was a kid - but yesterday I sucked up and sent one in to a magazine contest. The story took me a few days to write, and it came out OK, I think. We'll see what happens.
The nice thing about the short story is that it helped recharge me and freshen my writing, so I can get back to the "bull" - my current WIP that seems to be the book that never ends. It did help me look at my work in a new way, though, so even if I don't win the contest, I think the story has done me some good. Give it a try, if you're stuck on a longer WIP. There's a lot less pressure - at least there was for me. And a neat bonus is, the plot is condensed way down in a short story, so if I want, I could go back and expand it into a full-length book. Pretty cool, and maybe a good way for me to get more writing ideas! And as we writers know, having that idea box/file filled is a darn good insurance policy against writer's block.
good luck with the contest! I didn't know it was for a contest? Did you say that? My mind is mush these days (and I don't have a new baby!)
ReplyDeleteWe'll miss you this weekend!
Keep on writing!!! Good luck on the queries and stuff too!