So my first week doing the modified Bradbury Challenge went well. It’s an adjustment to my daily routine, but I was able to get my reading accomplished and finished the first draft of a new short story, “Bank Shot”.
It was interesting to note that, despite giving myself a two-week deadline, I didn’t feel rushed. I had the story outlined in my head, so it was basically just transferring it from my imagination to the page. And strangely, the ending I originally had in mind didn’t change when I wrote it out.
When writing, I’d say that ninety-nine percent of the endings I initially envision never make it out of my head. By the time I write it all out, the story of the moment goes in another direction, or my protagonist does something unexpected and changes path. Something always happens when I let the story take the lead.
This one, for whatever reason, didn’t change. Is that a good sign? I hope so.
I actually finished the draft this past Thursday, so from start to finish it took ten days to type out 2,100 words. My writing window was small, only about thirty minutes a day, and I skipped working on it for two days due to other priorities. All in all, I’ll take that as a success.
So I’m now ready for the next story. I have an idea in mind, something I’ve been mulling over the past few months. I have the opening scene mapped out, and there’s a nice little twist I’d like to try with it near the end. And no, I don’t have an ending in mind. This will be one of my organically-written stories. Just the opening and a thin thread to follow.
I’m looking forward to seeing where this leads. Wish me luck!
RB