Regular Life

For those reading “Wall,” thanks, and hang in there. Although I’ve hammered out 1200 words so far for the next entry, I decided to wait until late Sunday night to post it and whatever I’ve added. If I always had time to write 1500 words a day, then I either would not have a job, or would not have a family. Unless, of course, that job was writing. Ah, a man can dream.

I might plug this too often, but if you have not read “Talk with a Killer,” then please go do that (or do it again) this weekend. It’s the first place I used Stivins as a character, and was not a continuation of something I started years ago (as is “Wall”). It’s the story of a reporter’s interview with Stivins, consisting largely of Stivins recounting his escapades, and, although the ending’s a bit rushed, the focal point remains that intimate talk. Plus…

There’s a twist. (Am I laying it on too thick here? I’m certainly using plenty of commas.)

It would be a great way to get your day’s fix of Stivins, and maybe you’ll find me tripping over plot discrepancies. But of course, I hope not.

This writing process helps me (and I hope some readers) understand the importance of getting the words out there in the first place, and then revising, revising, and revising, to make it tight and engaging. Some entries I have a chance to read over once before posting, but many I do not. The story, in all its ugliness and flashes of brilliance (one hopes), must be presented, and then you and/or an editor somewhere can tidy it up later. I certainly would change the order of some things, such as placing earlier in the story some elements that I didn’t think of until much later in the writing of it.

The work currently sits at just more than 13,000 words. That’s just over a fourth the length of what I call my novella, a 40,000-word story about — and I can’t believe this myself — a murder. That story, as written right now, centers around an average Joe as its main character. And an average Jill, to be fair. But they are not a couple. A cop has a fairly significant role, and he reminds me of Wall. Hmmm…

I digress, because it’s one of few things at which I excel. Perhaps I will post that story at some point, but it needs a LOT of work. Could be that this is the perfect place to find out just what it needs.

I don’t want to foist it on readers who prefer the original theme of this blog — Regular Life. I already feel that “Wall” has taken up too many valuable posting days, but in the past when I’ve utilized my story blog site, hardly anybody seems to read it (although those who do, I appreciate). I know adding another site to our busy lives is tough, so I’m struggling a bit with the decision on where to post my longer works of fiction.

If anyone is worrying about me because of the thoughts I put into characters’ heads, then please stop that. I mean, Stephen King dreams up some twisted f*cks in his books, and he’s just a nerdy guy who likes to play in a rock band with his buddies (and also has created some of the greatest characters in modern literature, and placed them in many downright moving scenes). It’s all just make-believe, and if I move a reader to laughter, despair, warm fuzzies, or even revulsion, then I’m happy.

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