Sunday, April 3, 2016

A Month of "One Story Per Week"

Michael Salsbury
One of the goals for One Story Per Week has been to ensure that I am writing fiction on a regular basis.  This is in keeping with Heinlein's Rules of Writing:

  • You must write.
  • Finish what you write.
  • You must refrain from rewriting, except to editorial order.
  • You must put your story on the market.
  • You must keep it on the market until it has sold.
  • Repeat the rules above.
This challenge has forced me to do most of these.  It's forced me to write, since I know friends, family, and co-workers (if no one else) are reading this.  It's forcing me to finish a story every week, even if I am not completely happy with it.  By definition, publishing it on the web is "getting it on the market" and keeping it there.  If you read it, as far as I'm concerned, then it's "sold".  And of course, having to write one every week keeps me repeating the steps above.

Although I've only been at this for four weeks, I'm learning quite a bit.  Some of the things I've learned:
  • Procrastination is definitely a problem. I keep waiting until late Monday evening to start and/or finish the stories.
  • The Monday night deadline must change. I can't be up late writing a story and expect to be well-rested for work on Tuesday.
  • The above situations force me to rush the ending of the stories, which doesn't serve them.
  • I've done no rewriting on any of these stories, which fits with Heinlein's third rule, but it also means the stories could be better.  My thinking is that someday I'll publish these as an eBook and I'll rewrite them then.
  • I still have issues with the "white room" and "talking heads" problems.  I haven't been good at visualizing what my characters should be doing.
  • I'm getting better at escalating conflict in the story, but still have a way to go.
Thank you for visiting and reading, and for bearing with me as I improve my short story writing skills.





About the Author

Michael Salsbury / Author & Editor

In his day job, Michael Salsbury helps administer over 1,800 Windows desktop computers for a Central Ohio non-profit. When he's not working, he's writing, blogging, podcasting, home brewing, or playing "warm furniture" to his two Bengal cats.

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