Toe in the Water

Success!

Success!

I don’t mind telling you, I was getting worried. First, Andrea says something about me being known for poetry more than prose. Well, if I were known for anything, of course, but I know what she meant.

And then I enter this period, lasting for two or three months, when I seem able to write nothing but poetry. There’s the blog, yes, but it’s hardly the same as writing short stories, is it? The fact remains that I seem to have written nothing substantial apart from poetry for ages. I’ve never really seen myself as a poet.

So that is why I have been hunting for some contests for short stories ever since SCREAMS!!! decided to take a break. I found a few but couldn’t think of a decent story to write. This was becoming serious.

When Lilith of House Martell posted on the Newsfeed to advertise her new contest, Only Short Stories (https://www.writing.com/main/forums/item_id/2252653-Only-Short-Stories), I hinted that I was thinking about it. Yesterday I had an idea about the setting. But no plot. It refused to appear.

Desperation struck today and I decided it would have to be one of those “just start and let it tell itself” things. I did and it worked. In the end, I had to be careful about word count and even trimmed quite a bit when it was finished. Now all I have to do is worry about whether it’s any good. I like it but that doesn’t usually mean a thing.

The point is, however, that I’ve done it. And, if I can do it once, I can do it again. Poet, schmoet, I can write anything!


Word count: 279