Maybe fireworks is a bit much to celebrate the completion of a short story, but hot damn! this was a tough one to write. I started writing it on January 17th, and have diligently worked on it every day since then. As a result, the novel has been waylaid, last Sunday’s short story was a flash fiction piece, and my dining table is still littered with the remains of my desk organizing project.
But at just over 10,000 words, it’s finally finished!
What makes this story especially meaningful for me is the fact that I have a few short stories similar in complexity that are in various stages of completion…which is to say, they ain’t done. It’s been my typical bad habit to kind of wander away from these stories when the going gets tough, to step away and rehash and reimagine and replan. To date, that approach has rarely yielded a completed story…just a potential story with great potential, if that makes any sense.
What this means, hopefully, is I’m finally learning how to plow through the first draft, even when it feels like I’m going nowhere. This particular story gave new meaning to the term “slogging” for me, but it’s been worth it. I’m happy with my efforts. Now I’m off to print and edit!
Hope everyone out there is flying through their stories…and if it’s slow-going and muddy, I hope you’re donning your galoshes and continuing on. There’s rainbows and fireworks waiting for you at “The End.” 🙂