At the beginning of August, I created a hidden part of this blog to use as a journal with a way to show only one entry at a time. A place where I can share a bit of myself and my journey with friends without it being readily accessible to the public.
The first post set the categories that wouldn’t be visible on the front page or the blog. My next post, on the third, was to be a welcome to the story market gauntlet that I tend to use to submit fiction — in near precise order… And this list has pretty much been untouched since its creation.
Life got hectic.
Well, work got hectic and I devoted just about every waking moment to getting the flood of work projects squared away. For the first time, my job workload overflowed into my vacation time; into my workshop time.
Without a doubt, it was my worst showing to date. Didn’t get a majority of the pre-reading done. Didn’t get the first story in. While there, received several calls about several urgent projects that needed my attention…and they got it. I missed most of the techniques. Didn’t even get to think about the novel sketches…
Yeah, bad.
Each time the fires at work seemed to be out, another project hit my email. Whack-A-Mole with high stakes and for keeps.
In the end, I completed three stories (two of which are flash) and two (and a half) techniques. Though it felt like Hell at the time, it feels like victory now.
Through the work-madness, I buckled down and wrote.
Oh, there were more projects to work on (and there still are more now), but I re-prioritized. I lifted my head from the water and cleared my vision.
I took a breath. I did a technique.
Recalling that feeling. I took the time to submit one of the workshop stories to a market. I took the time to write this post, and–since I’m sort of on a roll–I’m going to share my Character Voice and Setting technique. Any story that I might write with these character orientated openings is a ways off and will most likely be redrafted.
This particular technique marks a growing comfort with my craft.
You see, with all the learning I’ve been doing, my creative words per hour plummeted to 200. A speed much lower than at any point in my writing-life. But a speed at which I’ve been able to write fiction that (frankly) pleases me.
Though I wasn’t happy with my speed, I’ve been rather satisfied with the quality of fiction. I acknowledged the drop, but never fretted. I know myself. I knew that speed would return once I got the improved craft into my skull. Though I’ve tried to unleash my fingers, they kept plodding along and I remained content.
This workshop–this crucible–found my fingers moving at twice their formerly normal speed.
Furthermore, at this speed, the technique received better marks than the one I had sluggishly finished before work started pouring in. The assignment, simplified, was to write about three assassins each, separately, experiencing the same setting.
[ *Redacted* ]
PS. Don’t be surprised if these eventually show up for flavor text on my Inspiration posts.
