Mental Meanderings

The Art of Short Story

And so it begins, day two of better inclinations. I spent the day at writing endevours today although most of those pertained more to research then writing. I did however manage a poem and over 750 words of a short story and with that I'm pleased.

She story has more progress then the words proclaim because I've done a great deal of research on the the culture of india and hinduism. It's an interesting topic and I gather information only to give my setting greater substance.

I've little to no experience writing successful short stories and so this is a true challenge for me and one I hope to come away from with success. I'd like to be able to write short stories because it's a large step toward writing for plot.

Some say short stories are harder to write and I'd believe it. Condensing an interiguing plot, and capturing the audiences emotions, fleshing out charismatic characters, in a matter of a few thousand words is no easy task. Giving these characters something to make a complete story about and having its beginning, middle, and end within such constraints seems daunting.

Still I'm encouraged by my beginnings with the story I'm currently calling, "A Jealous Wife". It's a working title and hopefully a better one will come to me in time.

I've layed out on notepad various aspects about this story but I'm still not certain how it will unfold. I have Sharada, a lovely hindu woman who feels unworthy of her royal husband. She believes he is unfaithful and will ultimately learn that it is her own insecurities that make her feel like she is undeserving of his love. Eventually she comes to accept herself and in doing so realises that all along he's seen her and loved her for the exceptional person she is. Of course, through her jealous antics they come close to ruin however in the end their marriage is stronger in surviving this adversity.

*sighs* I don't know, it seems a lofty subject for a short story. Perhaps it is too complex for me to bring about. I'm giving myself a 6,000 word limit since that is the bounds of the contest which prompted this story. I somehow have to introduce some sort of mystical being into the mix as well and I'm not sure how that will alter things. I'll have to think about that aspect tomorrow before delving much further with Sharada and Purushottam.

So a productive day, where I read some poetry, browsed some contests and added a few to favorites as ones I'd like to try. Wrote a poem to a given prompt and vowed to write more for that and other prompts in kind. I researched a little about HOW to write a short story. I researched and brainstormed the themes and setting for a short story and I began writing one.

*smiles* Rather grand accomplishments and to them I can add, getting my daughter to and from school, three square meals, supervising a two-year-old boy, two loads of laundry, two loads of dishes (one by hand and one by dishwasher), listening and singing to some favorite music, and watching snippets of television.

Of course the hour is late, so it's off to bed for me and no chance to read more of the current romance novel. Ohh I did print "The Dating Game" so I have that to look forward to at some point. But right now, sleep is primary and tomorrow will probably involve errands at least for some of the day.

I wish you all an enjoyable day in which you accomplish something you value with your time.