Many of my best stories started out as accidents. I would be messing around with words and ideas for no real purpose when out of nowhere a complete story would blossom in my mind—plot, characters, and all. In the case of M: The Plastic Prometheus, it turned out to be an entire novel.

Earlier this month, I was playing with the 3-Cup Method (Tim Waggoner’s invention, I think), hoping to find something that might inspire me. It involves three jars: one for Plot Archetypes, one for Story Situations, and the final for Story Elements. I pick a random slip of paper out of each and try to make a short story with them.

I’ve used this technique often in the past, including with “Ink,” which I consider to be the best story I’ve ever written. This time I chose the following:

Plot Archetype: Post-Apocalyptic

Story Situation: Seeking boon from a powerful force

Story Element: Brambles

I had barely written these down when ideas flooded into my mind. With each passing second, it grew and grew, and ten minutes later, I knew that I had a novella on my hands. Thus, Shadows of Er was born.

This novella marries science fiction, fantasy, and horror. I have never attempted a post-apocalyptic story. In fact, until a few years ago, I despised stories about the end of the world. But for some reason, this one called to me.

Shadows of Er is a product of some of my most beloved tropes. I recently read Michael Moorcock’s Dorian Hawkmoon series, set 1000 years after the apocalypse where magic has melded with science. I love how Moorcock executed this concept, and I tried to imagine a similar scenario but set only a couple hundred years after the fall.

At the same time, I was aware of the many clichés involved in such stories. I knew this concept was well-trodden ground, so I tried to make it my own. I added a healthy dose of my signature cosmic horror and even incorporated it into the mythos I mentioned last month.

I was eager to dive into writing, hoping to maintain this momentum. But first, I had to outline. For eight days, I structured my ideas, figured out who exactly these characters were, and put extra energy into creating strong arcs for each of them. I experimented a lot with outlining, and it seems to have paid off.

With the outline finished, the writing began. I started off a little rusty, but around Day 3, I hit my stride. On average, I write about 500 words an hour, but with this project, I’m doing 600 to 700. It’s pouring out of me.

Once I finish a chapter, I go back over it and clean up the mess. In the past, I waited until I was finished with a project before I edited, but this method helps me maintain continuity and keeps things fresh in my mind.

Shadows of Er stands at roughly 12,000 words as of posting this, and according to my outline, I’m about halfway done. Did I plan on spending the month writing a novella? Absolutely not. Do I have any plans for submitting it? Not a one.

This is one of those stories that I feel compelled to tell, even if no one ever reads it. I’m loving the heck out of it, and the new methods that I learned while outlining will change my writing forever.

Tchau,

Zé