Writing Short

Yes, I'm short, but I don't mean that kind of writing short. :) The other day we had a call for short stories from one of my editors, and I had been wanting to unload my computer of short stories I've already written. But three of the ones I like best--because they're paranormal--have already been published, although I do have the rights back. I just sold "Trick or Treat" to True Romance.

So I was looking at some of my other stories--really great beginnings, however, they already have too many plot threads to turn into short stories. So what makes a short story a good read, but still short? I was just talking to an author friend who says he always has too much story to tell to write them short. And another who said she loves writing short, but can't wait for the day to write long.

I write both because I love the variety. To take a single plot line, a few really great characters and make a story come to life is the ultimate goal for a short story. Or several plots/subplots, lots of twists and turns and write a full length novel.

But I'm lazy. I have tons of story starts, and several short stories. I want one of them to work. After editing Deidre's Secret all day yesterday, editing a partial for another editor, a blurb for yet another, and working on Allure of the Wolf, trying to wrap my mind around another story--and make it short, isn't working. I hate it when I have no control. I'm the writer, right? It's my story.

*sigh*

One that I was working on last night, that's already over the word count for a short story limit--is great. I love it. I've trimmed some of the extraneous stuff and not so extraneous stuff, but the problem is still, I have too many plot threads. Too many, and there's not enough time to tie up all the loose ends. And I love the way I've started it, so, that means it'll just have to be a longer story.

Back to the drawing board. If I'm going to do this, I'm going to just have to give in, bite the bullet, and---heaven forbid, start a new story.

Terry Spear

The Vampire...In My Dreams, coming to bookstores August 26!!!

Hearing Things What Aren't There?

I've been trying to repaint the interior of my house, and last night my daughter and I tackled the bathroom. Now, it had this awful dark checkered pattern and when the kids were younger had splashed toothpaste? or something on it that had bleached out areas. Not wanting to repaper, I opted for painting it. So how to do it? First, we have to use a shellac or oil based paint and then use a texture paint over that. The bathroom is long and narrow, and though we had the fan on and the window open, the fumes from the "odorless" shellac about affixiated us.

I felt as though when I went in to put on a third coat, I was breathing in 100 proof alcohol. But earlier while we were painting together, I kept hearing the prettiest music in the background.

"Are you playing some music in your room?" I asked my daughter.

"Nope. I don't hear anything." She narrowed her eyes at me. "That's not good, Mom."

The music would vanish, and I wouldn't hear anything for quite a while, then a different tune would play, very softly, very far away, but always pleasant and I wanted to know what the instrumental songs were.

"Maybe, someone's playing music next door...outside," I said.

But they weren't.

"Okay, this reminds me of the great composers," I said, trying to make the most of my ghostly music experience, or the hallucinations caused by the shellac, "some would hear the entire pieces of music they composed in their heads before they wrote them down. Just like authors who visualize whole scenes for their stories before they write them." I smiled at her.

She shook her head at me. "Not good, Mom."

So I hear music that isn't really playing. What's wrong with that? Music helps to make the job go more quickly. Even if it's really not there.

Terry Spear, Heart of the Wolf, The Vampire...In My Dreams

www.terryspear.com