Always so much to learn. If the learning ever stops, then I think I must be dead.
Through Romance Divas I connected with a nice, intuitive, and smart woman who agreed to critique this first chapter (posted as Footprints 1, 2, & 3). Her input gave me much to think about, and I’m grateful for that.
One thing she said really hit home. I am terrible about writing a scene or chapter, and then re-working it to death. I don’t mean a simple reading back through and jotting down some notes. I mean drastic rewrites. I am so guilty of doing this rather than continuing to write that I can’t believe it took someone else to point that out to me. She quoted something from Nora Roberts on this: “I can fix shit; I can’t fix nothing.”
Think about that.
Anyway, I love Footprints, but I don’t know exactly where it’s going. It’s been about ten years since I wrote what is posted here. That’s a long time and distance from a story I was never very sure of in the first place.
An email from an old critique partner and dear friend now has me looking in another direction. Instead of writing another long contemporary (at this time), I’m going to try a short story. She is one of the publishers of a southern press called Bellebooks, and they have a series of down-home, Southern-style books called Mossy Creek. The books all revolve around a place in Georgia called Mossy Creek. Each book is an anthology of short stories involving the unique people of Mossy Creek. I’m re-reading and studying and thinking and hopefully will soon have an idea (or premise as I read in a blog recently) for a story that I can submit for an upcoming anthology.
I’ve never tried short stories because they are hard. I’m too wordy to be concise and crisp with my writing. BUT… I’m going to try to be just that. The big key will be in capturing the mood, voice, feel of Mossy Creek.
What might help is that in recent months I’ve gravitated more toward southern women writers’ books than category romance. I’ve read Dorothea Benton Frank and Cassandra King and other authors of what I call chick lit. They’re stand alone mainstream titles. These two authors evoke a mood that I enjoy and that perhaps will help me to find the right voice for the Mossy Creek stories.
Anyone out there read Frank or King? Let me hear your thoughts, if you do. What about the Mossy Creek books?
3 responses so far ↓
Kim Wright // August 25, 2007 at 10:07 am
Mrs. Carol,
Mom & Dad (Gloria & Otis), just told me about your blog, so I had to come on over and say “Hi”! I tried to leave a comment on your other blog, but I couldn’t find a way without signing up for a blog, and since I have my own I didn’t want to take that route! It’s nice to be able to catch up somewhat with the family thru your blog. Don’t cha just love ‘em!!!! Tell everyone I said “Hi”, especially Mary, and I hope you are settling in well enough. I have bookmarked you, so I will be checking in often!
Much love,
Kim
jodi // August 30, 2007 at 10:23 pm
shorts aren’t any harder than longs. They’re equally hard. But if you think of a short as a scene from a long, it helps.
Each needs a beginning, middle and end. Think of it this way…if your life is a long story, what is one day in your life? It starts with you getting up and ends with you going to sleep. It’s not the whole story of your life, but it’s still you.
I recommend “Stone Angel” by Carol O Connell. It’s my favorite southern story. Of course, it’s book five in a series but the feel is fantastic.
write everything, you can always cut later.
Jen // September 20, 2007 at 5:59 am
Oh, I love “Stone Angel”!!! Awesome series with Mallory. Short stories are good practice for me. They have given me the training in editing and publishing without overwhelming me. Make sense?
I think some shorts from you, Carol Ann, would be fabulous.
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