Boy! The writing is going well.
For the first time in my short writing life, I have decided to give myself a schedule. It simply involves working in the library at work for an hour - two hours a day. So far this week I have managed to crank out 2300 words (unedited) and the week before that I finished two shorts which had been knocking around for ages.
Writing short, short stories has always been my strength and my downfall. All my publications to date don't even add up to more than 2000 words between them! That's four stories, all under 500 each. Now, flash fiction has risen in profile over the years, but there is no denying that longer fiction is where the success lies. Sure Hemingway wrote the story:
For sale: Baby shoes, never worn.
But I've no doubt this was a bit of a gimmick, or a lesson, or just a point being made. As popular as flash is in the horror community, I don't believe it's going to win you a stoker, or get your book published by Leisure. All my favorite authors wrote short stories (and one or two flash) for a good few years before breaking into novels and it's a path I'm attempting to emulate.
So, this is what I have on the go:
Waiting for Dawn (5700 words) - The best and darkest thing I've written. Currently being edited.
Dead in the Water (3600 words) - Zombie sea life. What's not too like! Subbed out and rejected within a matter of days. Damn.
Roots (1700 words so far) - I'm working on this for subbing to the 'Spring Thaw Contest' over at New Bedlam. The project their running is pretty interesting and there is pro-payment, a magazine subscription and other goodies to the winner.
Fingers crossed.
