February Writing and March Goals

[osprey_archer]

I have finished a draft of David and Robert. I’ve said this perhaps four times at this point, but this time it really seems to be sticking, so I’m going to have to find something else to write. This is unfortunate, because everything else I’ve tried to write during this pandemic feels dull and lifeless and crumbles in my hands around the 10,000 word mark.

I wish I could figure out what made it possible for me to write David and Robert because then maybe I could copy that quality into another story, which I would then also be able to write. Instead I am adrift, like a skiff on high seas, and the world is deprived of the further outpourings of my genius, etc. etc.

Also, although the Honeytrap tail has been doing really well for me (with the Valentine’s sale I’ll be breaking $600 for February), that’s not going to continue indefinitely. How can I amass money for JapanTrip2022 if I can’t write anything?

Uggggh.

Anyway, my goal for March is to finally write that Natasha fic I promised kore. (Yesterday I rewatched Winter Soldier as Research. Remember when Marvel movies actually gave the character moments time to breathe?) Once I’ve finished that, I’ll go from there.

Comments

[minutia_r]

Just spitballing here, but you could write things that are intended to finish under 10,000 words? That may require a different distribution model than your current one, but it might be worth a try. I know you've sold a couple of short stories to anthologies before.

[osprey_archer]

Yes, I'd have to think about the distribution model. I've heard from other people that short story collections sell poorly - in fact, I think sales are better if you sell a short story on its own, although I'm sure if it's TOO short people will balk at paying. (Not sure exactly where that point is, though.)

It might be worth trying to knock off a mermaid story in case Mermaids Monthly opens for submissions again.

[rachelmanija]

Congratulations!!!

Have you tried writing something intended to be complete at under 10K? That way you could at least figure out if the problem is with the stage of the story, or just with the length.

[osprey_archer]

I did write the two magical pet stories during the past hell-year, so I think the problem is the architecture of the novel, so to speak. There are so many moving parts in a novel & I can't hold all the pieces in tension with each other like I normally would.

...maybe I should try writing more stories that are basically fanfic with the serial numbers lightly filed off.

[rachelmanija]

Yes, and they were absolutely lovely! I would definitely try writing some shorter serial-numbers-filed-off fics.

Any F/F pairings you like? 1950s spy vs spy perhaps?

[osprey_archer]

Feral Soviet spy/stylish British spy, forced to work together because their respective agencies refuse to believe their warnings about the rogue Nazi science division gathering power at some isolated spot in the Alps...

That definitely sounds novel length, I would need to pare it down. Actually, that might be a problem with anything spy v. spy. It took me 100,000+ words to get the leads together in Honeytrap and I suspect Dottie/Peggy would take as long IF NOT LONGER.

Boris/Theo worked as a short story because really the only barrier to their romance is that Theo is a dumbass. Clearly I should think of more pairings with a similar "They could get together if on Character X stopped being so stupid" dynamic.

[littlerhymes]

Congratulations! A WILD DRAFT APPEARS!

I wish I could figure out what made it possible for me to write David and Robert because then maybe I could copy that quality into another story

The search for a replicable method continues. I feel this deeply, haha.

[osprey_archer]

It turns out that each story is its own journey and you have to figure out how to write each one anew each time! WHAT IS THIS. I bet crochet doesn't work like that. :( You could crochet five hundred scarves and not have to learn ANYTHING new at all, I bet!