If It's Hot, Grab It with Both Hands!

Don't try this at home. It's a metaphor, not an instant recipe for blistered hands. 

As usual, let me offer some back story that sparked this topic. I've mentioned in the past that I signed up to participate in a fun anthology idea with 11 other fantasy authors. We were given a word count limit, a theme, and we were off. I completed the first draft fairly quickly, complete with changing perspectives and a unique take on the theme. All good. It was a bit skeletal when I finished the first draft at 12K words, but I was confident I could beef it up and still not blast past the limit.

I put it down there. For two months. I got through the holiday season on a minimal of writing and drawing, enjoying the time with family and sneaking in a bit of work here and there.

Tonight, I picked it up again and, holy hell, it hit me. The ideas for what I wanted to make a good story great came pouring in. Suddenly, I was meeting these ideas with fresh eyes and the words flowed with a staggering level of excitement.

It harkens back to an old lesson I learned about myself. Ideas do not always come easily. Sorry if I ever made it look effortless, but my ideas aren't plucked like perfect fruit. Often, talking with friends and bouncing off of their ideas is where I've always found momentum. Even my current stories do that. I'm not one of those people that benefit from Stephen King's advice to pile it all on out of the gate then have to trim the fat. I'm the sort that builds a frame and stuffs it full of goodies later. Which sounds a lot like a piñata, but in reality, it's more like a float in a parade. The goal isn't to smash it open but to dress it up and show it off.

In cases like this one, I felt the story click into place by being inspired by the pieces I started with. No glaring blank slate or numbing halts where the ideas aren't coming just yet. I charge ahead and make a note to strengthen it later. 

Like on the post about starting on Page 42, some people benefit from working 'out of order.' There is a lot of halted confidence for writers that just aren't benefiting from the advice of the red-hot authors. It doesn't mean you're a bad writer. If you're a bad writer, there might be plenty of other reasons for that, but until you try other methods and absolutely can't fix glaring flaws, you might actually be a pretty damn good one. I'll always stand by the assurance that even bad writers shouldn't quit. If there is more enjoyment to be had than angst over the quality, why stop?  There are bad writers that do make it big. It pisses people off, but isn't it strangely encouraging? Something you enjoy can be worth pursuing.

Back to hot things. Even with my doubts where I had left off, I found the hot spot. I'm not going to lie. Even after it's where it ends up, I'll always find something that prevents 100% contentment. If you're looking for that 100%, chances are you'll never find it and you'll never test it. I will come to terms with everything being tied up and all nitpicks can fuel future projects. Still, baby's all grown up and there's a time to release it to the world.

I've got plenty of wars to contend with: personal wars, fictional wars, Storage Wars, Star Wars... That derailed the train of thought a bit, but we all choose our battles. When I was younger, every damn thing was a battle. Never got shit done playing Crusader of the Never-Changing Minds. An effort in futility. What I absolutely can do is revisit those lingering projects after they sit in time-out and concentrate my efforts where they're hot. I could have worked on my current book. I could have drawn for the third book of my other series. It wasn't their time today. Today, I hot-rocked a short story.

To tie this one up, don't be afraid to set something aside. Generous deadlines give you freedom to find those magic moments. Test them. A lot. Go in without expectations. If you can't hit gold, move to something else. If you do, woo hoo! Let the moment take you!

Have to say, I'm pretty psyched about the anthology. I've never experienced being published with other authors. It has the potential of combining our fan bases and exposing our readers to new favorites. The prospect of reaching more people, finding a new audience, is another thrilling unknown. I'll be more than happen to share the experience. More details as the publishing date nears in October. I want to clear it with the organizer before jumping the gun on anything. Raven is a super organized one and I'm sure she'll dress up the promotion fantastically.