Title First?
I want to write a sequel to “The Widow and the Stranger” (Allegory e-zine, May 2008 issue). I love Sarah Kirby, and I want to write about another of her adventures. I like that she’s reserved and old fashioned, but at the same time she’s a liberated feminist.
When my writing group did the Story Every Day contest back in June, I actually wrote a sequel to tWatS, but it was too much of a sequel. It relied heavily on background that someone would only know if they read the first one. One of Jadon’s enemies tried to steal the amulet that he made for Sarah in an attempt to find him.
Sadly, while that might be interesting if I ever wrote a novel about Sarah and her Atlantians, it wasn’t going to work for a short story. Maybe if the same e-zine published it, but you can’t count on that. And even still, in the short story game, each story really needs to stand on its own. The characters can have more adventures, but they shouldn’t have continuing adventures (unless you’re lucky enough to have the chance to publish a short story collection like Mercedes Lackey’s Tarma and Kethry stories or perhaps if you have a market that’s committed to publishing them all).
Recently, I wrote a few paragraphs of the next Sarah Kirby story. The title popped into my head fully formed, and I actually kind of like it — “The Widow and the Lord” — it stands on it’s own, and yet it still harkens back to the predecessor for those “in the know.”
Sadly, that’s as far as it’s gone. I have a good setting and a new character for Sarah to interact with (and bring her common sense business acumen to), but I have no plot! Don’t you hate that? Great concept/idea/character, and no plot. I know that romance is the wrong way to go — Sarah had enough of that last time, and she’s not a woman who opens herself up that easily. So, I need a plot with a speculative twist to involve Sarah in the life of this lord. I want her to somehow save the day this time in a decisive way. But… how? Nothing is coming to mind.
Ah well… I guess I will just have to let “The Widow and the Lord” linger for a while. Perhaps one day, out of the blue, the plot will come to me like the title did. It’s strange, though. Usually I suffer through the title creation process. I never start with a title! Weirdness!
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It is how I almost always start, Erin; a title or an image comes to me and I build from there. I have a science fiction piece titled Coward’s Steel because I was driving through Columbus (Ohio) one day and misread a sign. It really said Edward’s Steel, but that’s not the way I read it.
I think it emphasizes one of the things I find to be so interesting about the creative process; we all come to it from a different angle.
And I love the way the subconscious mind works. I’ve had stories cook for months and then pop up the surface almost fully formed. Others that fall into place,almost for the first notion and others that I have had to struggle with every step of the way.
I have a piece of horror flash, Hostel Intent, out at Fear and Trembling right now. I actually started, with the idea of writing a horror story, without any inkling of title, setting, plot or characters. It was the hardest thing I have ever written; had to hammer it into place over and over, but I am so pleased with the results.
K.C.
I’d love to read it. I went over to Fear and Trembling, but I couldn’t find it. Their search feature is not very intuitive.
I love to hear how different people approach writing. It’s so fascinating how we all do it differently.
Coward’s Steel is an awesome title! It really leaps off the page.
Hostel Intent is still in submission. I haven’t heard a yes or a no. I can’t post it at my blog, or it’s considered published, but if you would like to read it, I can e-mail it to you. My e-mail is kcball@hotmail.com.
K.C.
Oh, got it! The other out.
Thanks! I’ll shoot you an email later sp you have my addy. Just on my way out the door to see my friend’s twins get dedicated.
Just start writing! Come up with a first sentence, write it, and then write the next sentence and write that!
It works.
I did get about a page written doing that. Sadly, I’m stuck at the sentence where the lord says he needs Sarah to come help him out with _______ . Ah well… it will come to me eventually.
::giggling myself silly::
I should not have been drinking coffee when I read that last post.
LOL! Hope it didn’t stain!
By the way, I really enjoyed your EDF story today. Great work, KC!