Whew, it's been a month since a post. What kind of blogger am I? [Head hangs in shame.]
After the May revisions push, I started work on a short story promised to a great anthology. Dithered about it. Got distracted by a health issue which has just come to a happy resolution. Got distracted by a mountain trip where I found out Breath and Bone won the 2009 Colorado Book Award for genre fiction. [Hooray!]
Meanwhile, The Soul Mirror beckons and the short story bothers, because its opening just keeps dragging and dragging. I think I've got a good setup, but need some concentrated work [yes, really, concentration has been absent for the past 6 weeks.]
I want to base this story on Song of the Beast. I've had so many people ask for a sequel, and I did leave Elyria in a terrible mess. The primary relationship - of two people who each woke the other person's heart and courage - was resolved. But their future relationship was only hinted at. As the two people are very different and have been abandoned in messy circumstances, a variety of interesting things could happen. I wanted to give just a hint of resolution and/or new direction to Aidan's story. So what's the problem?
Well writing short, for one. I am just not accustomed to it.
Basing a story on the resolution of a novel, for another. How do I avoid too much backstory? That's where I'm bogging down. World background. Relationship background. As well as new characters and new situation to resolve. I feel as if I need to write completely for my own benefit, but I have to trust that I'll be able to pare it down enough to make it a great story for those who haven't read the book, as well as those who have. Tough. Think about it.
Timing. I need to get this done. How do people dash off short stories over a weekend?
More tomorrow.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Lazy, Hazy Days...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
5 comments:
YAY!! Congratulations on the Breath and Bone award! That is so very cool :)
I'm confident you'll find a great way to make the short story work, and really *really* look forward to more about Aidan!
~Anna
Congratulations on the award! It's certainly well deserved, and it makes *me* happy when a book I love is acknowledged like that.
As an aside, I've just found The Spirit Lens listed on Nielsen Bookdata - January can't come soon enough. It will be my number one summer read.
Good luck with the short story, Carol.
Suzanne.
Woo hoo on the Co. Book Award! If you were coming to Worldcon, I'd buy you a drink to celebrate. We'll just have to toast you in absentia!
Short stories, word for word, take me longer to write than novels and even novellas.
Funny, I'm writing a short story based on a character from one of my old books too. I just kinda missed him.
Congrats on the award! Recently visited an english bookstore in Montreal where I live now and was happy to see your books for sale. :)
I can't wait for the Song of the Beast short. I'm sure it'll be just as good as your short from Elemental Magic.
~Joanna
Post a Comment