Cash Laramie and the Painted LadiesSo now I will send PAINTED LADIES off to a whiz-at-editing friend and wait for the results. How about you? Do you make notes on your story's history? And, do you send them out for a second opinion or maybe just fling them into orbit?
By David Cranmer writing as Edward A. Grainger
(I began writing this as a flash fiction piece on June 9, 2010 in Maine and finished the initial rough draft in 24 hours. I continued to work on it in Montenegro before finally finishing back in Maine on 11/19/10. Cleaned up of the raunchier aspects with the idea this could be sent to AHMM or EQMM.) 2,198 words.
The Cash Laramie and Gideon Miles stories thus far: "Cash Laramie and the Masked Devil" in A Fistful of Legends | "Miles to Go" | "Kid Eddie" | "The Bone Orchard Mystery" (out for submission) | "The Wind Scorpion" in the Round One anthology | "Justice Served" | "Cash Laramie and the Painted Ladies."
18 comments:
Looking forward to this one, bud. Tantalizing title.
Looking forward to reading.
Thank you, both. Let's hope the whiz-at-editing amigo can help smooth out the edges. It still has a way to go.
On short stories, no.
On the longer stuff I write, I print out blocks of pages and stick them in a notebook, which I carry to work and basically edit to death.
My latest project wound up with 149 pages worth of notes.
Thrice.
Sounds great. Good luck!
I save all my brainstorming notes, which sometimes run longer than the stories, but don't record story history. Good idea, though.
G, "Edit to death." Good man. I'm right there with you.
Evan, I'm not sure why I do it other than I'm a history buff and like to look back at origins.
I'v e thought about doing so, but haven 't as yet. Maybe I'll have another think. I can see some benefit.
Looking forward to this one as well. And I feel hideously guilty that I rarely make notes on a story's history. When I do, I invariably lose them. Being deep is hard work! :)
Dave, Because I'm a history nut it just comes natural.
Rick, So true.
Interesting, David. Yes, I usually have a story history - a list of rejections, even - and also memories of the story's genesis. Some short stories have taken many rewrites and thirty years to see publication. If I ever get my sf/fantasy/horror stories into a collection, the afterword will comprise notes on the stories' history etc...
I keep a separate file labeled story notes where I put down information about the when, where and why of stories. I also keep a file that just lists stories and when they were written.
Nik/Charles, We are simpatico. I love afterwords in collections on individual stories and that will be my plan as well.
I don't make notes, but know you're having me think I should. Nothing ever leaves my house without my critiques partners looking at it at least once.
Chudney, I think that's the best approach when a writer is done with his or her rough draft and even the final polish. Good reliable objective eyes are a good thing.
Cash is doing alright.
I take no notes. My subconscious does the work. But I have few historical settings.
Hell, I'm lucky to get the story written without taking notes about it, but maybe I should change my ways.
Interesting stuff. I don't make notes (though perhaps I should...). And I always send my story out to other writers who always make it better. I'm in two writing groups that have made me a significantly better writer and editor.
Patti, Cash Laramie is on a roll but I think I need to pull back the reins soon. Too much of anything is good for nothing as my great Uncle Charlie use to say.
Oscar, All I do is what I've posted. When I start and finish and where I plan on sending it to.
Chris, It sounds like you're doing well then. I'm looking forward to reading more of your work.
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