After Friday evening's INK critique on one of my latest short stories, Steve and I worked together Saturday sorting out the comments and suggestions. By noon, we had fixed the timing problem that plagued the piece since day one (past perfect vs. flashback stuff) and a few hours later, the piece was whipped into submission shape. Now to wait for the next Writers of the Future quarter opening (April 1st).

Next up was deconstruction of Working Title, a story with characters, a setting, and a situation that has a firm grasp of my attention even through all the missing parts. My problem was, still continues to be, that I don't know the ending. Part of that's due to not knowing the thoughts and reactions of the main character when years later, he's brought face to face with the guy who destroyed his dreams. Sounds simple enough but naturally, it's complicated.

We talked through some of the story line and Steve took notes for me. This will be the first story I've had to create an outline for but I think that might be because it's a BIG IDEA story with lots of people and setting stuff thrown in to make it deep and rich. If I can pull this off, it'll be the hardest thing I've ever written, even tougher to write than all those 50K, 60K, 75K NaNoWriMo novels I've hacked out over the years. But I'm not looking at this story, still untitled too btw, as the best thing I'll have ever written, just the toughest and a good learning tool. I've never outlined a short story before; the basics of each usually just flow from my head. This one's been different from day one, perhaps telling me I ought to outline more often. Or maybe I'm starting to think up BIG IDEA stories for the first time and if so, good. I think I'm good at creating believable characters and settings. I could always use some decent ideas and situations.

Today, another old, previously labeled 'dead file' story is being looked at. Too much emotion surrounding the critiques received on that one to talk about. In my eyes, it held such promise once and then, after a suggested rewrite or two or three or more, it all fell apart. Sometimes it might be good to leave something alone and move along to other things. That's been a tough lesson for me to learn although I think I'm getting better at letting my own voice have a say here and there.

We watched No Country for Old Men and The Mist last night. Odd, odd, odd. Naturally, The Mist being from a Stephen King piece (which I found excellent btw back in 1980 or so), sucked so bad it was enough to give a relatively stable person nightmares . . . from the directing and acting. No Country for Old Men was odd in that I like it, but knew that if as a written story it would be presented to our writing group, it would most likely be shredded. Choppy, confusing, almost incomplete seeming scenes, yet I found the dialog a joy and a hoot to listen to. Nothing like watching a Coen movie to make me feel creative and good about myself.