I came out of NaNoWrimo with two short stories I'm fairly happy with. They will both need some work, I'm sure. I'll leave the degree of reworking in the hands of my critiquers for the moment.
Since Healer will be coming up first--I'm still tweaking the second one--I'll introduce that one today.
As I've mentioned, I always head into NaNo with the intent to do something different than what I've done before. I can't say that I've ventured beyond the typical definition of fantasy or sci-fi since I've been seriously writing. So that was mission number one.
Healer is a paranormal, sort of creepy, little story of a woman tired of being bound to her healing gift and a desperate mother with a critically wounded child. The child is innocent. The mother is anything but. The healer, well, she's up for debate.
Coming in at just under 5,400, Healer is one of my longer short stories. For some reason I like to write long novels and short short stories. I'm sure that must mean something. Maybe I have a lot or not enough to say? Perhaps, with this story, I've found a happy medium.
(No, you're not the only one who just envisioned a grinning fortune teller just then.)
I love creepy stories.
ReplyDeleteMaybe your novel/short story word count means you see the world as black and white, novels should be long, stories should be short and you won't let the two creep close together.
OK, I'm confused. I see something called "Blue Warning" next up in the queue (which I've bookmarked). Is that something else entirely?
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the stories.
ReplyDeleteBlue Warning is a rewrite of a short I'd finished a few months before NaNo. Healer is up next week. :) I'm going to be submitting several shorts, since that's what I have completed at the moment.
ReplyDelete@Arc - I like how you think. :D
@Elena - thanks! Now to polish them up and get them out in submissionland.
Hey, you got two stories written--I'd call that success! I've wanted to try NaNo, but this year we moved. Maybe next year.
ReplyDeleteWelcome Mysti! I hope you'll join us for NaNo next year. It's a lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteSo you're writing and editing two novels, querying them, AND marketing the short stories? I admire your ambition. I can only ever seem to accomplish one thing at a time.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to read this story, but I don't understand the reference to 'the queue'.
I'm only querying one novel--which at the moment is also being revised due to an editors comments, totally overhauling another and have several others waiting for polsihing in the wings while I'm writing short stories and trying to find paying homes for them. ;) It seems I thrive on chaos.
ReplyDeleteIt's in my critique group queue. Several of us are members of critiquecircle.com I don't know what I'd do without my wonderful crit buddies. Oh. Yes, I do. I'd submit typo-ridden, underdeveloped crap to everyone. Ack!