I recently saw a quote from author Autumn Christian:

At the end of the day, writing should be fun. It’s a silly little dance with God and the abyss. If it doesn’t feel fun, you might need to reevaluate why you’re doing it.

This month I can say I’ve had oodles of fun working on a handful of projects. Whether discovering new ways to tell a story or working with characters who have become good friends, it’s a feeling that reminds me why I wanted to be a writer.

Studying the Short Story

Once again, I was too ambitious. Last month, I said I was working my way through a textbook entitled Behind the Short Story, doing a chapter a day. I didn’t fully realize the scope of this until I started. Each chapter includes four exercises, two of which usually involve writing short stories. I just don’t have it in me to write two short stories in a day.

Instead, I’m spending two or three days on each chapter and skipping the exercises that seem unnecessary. I aim to complete the book before the end of September.

This textbook may be the most valuable manual on writing that I’ve ever read. It contains all the secrets of the art of short fiction with some incredible examples. And while it’s oddly edited and arranged, I’m learning so much.

The Autobiography of M

KillerCon inspired me (you can find my recap of the event here). Earlier this year, I gave up on a horror novel I’d written entitled The Autobiography of M—not because it was bad, but because it disturbed me. I hated to think that such a thing came from my mind. What would other people think?

But being around all those authors who have mastered the disturbing gave me courage. I talked with my editor about this novel, and he agreed to look at it.

I’m taking the next two weeks off from the textbook to polish the novel as best I can before I send it off to my editor. I’m terrified what he might say. Will he love it? Will he hate it? This may sound vain, but I can see this as my first published novel. Then again, misplaced confidence has often been my downfall.

All I know is that I’m having the time of my life editing this project. I haven’t had this much enthusiasm with my writing in months, maybe even a year. That usually translates positively.

It’s a character-driven story (unlike much of my early work) and I find myself enamored with some of the characters I’ve created. Even the rotten ones—or rather especially the rotten ones. The textbook has shown me more ways to enrich the characters, and I can see them starting to crawl off the page.

I had originally stopped writing The Autobiography of M because I worried what people might think, but after speaking with several authors at KillerCon, I realized that I should tell the stories that I want to tell, have fun, and not fret over the opinions of a small group of people.

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That’s it for today. I need to get back to editing!

Tchau,

Zé