The Home of Steven Barnes
Author, Teacher, Screenwriter


Wednesday, July 06, 2005

A story a week

a question  on writing a story a week:

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While I think this is a good idea, it dosen't tell people *how* to write a story a week. Some people write slower than others, and some people write in burtst, and then slow down for a while.

I think there's an emotional stamina that might need to be built up to hit the kind of pace you're talking about.
Josh Jasper | 07.04.05 - 10:20 pm
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If you write more slowly, swrite shorter stories, dude.  A story can be one page long, if it's compressed enough.  The number of words per day shouldn't be an obstacle--unless fear is stopping you.  In other words, a lot of times  the real object of a behavior pattern is to stop you from growing too quickly, to give your ego time to adjust, or even to hold you back completely.  This path I'm laying out WORKS.  And brothers and sisters, you'd better believe that there is a part of you that FULLY unerstands that if you write a story a week, or a story every other week, and send them out for publication, you are going to get rejected like crazy---and thenn you are going to succeed.  that means that whether you are afraid of success, or of failure, this is going to push your buttons like crazy.   this technique is the "here's the button.  Push it, and get what you say you want" method.  Now what?  What if you can have what you say you've wanted your whole life? Be very careful what you ask for.  Once you see how you can get it, you'll run flat into who and what you really are, and it's not always pretty.
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In terms of "how to do it"--well, you study story structure, especially the technique of the short or short-short story. You write 500-1000 words a day.  Saying "some people write slowly" is suggesting that there is no volition, no variance uneer conscious control.  Nonsense. ou can talk slowly or quickly.  Walk slowly or quickly.  the only thing stopping you is fear.  If fear is stopping you, address that DIRECTLY rather than using it for an excuse.  Say: "Fear stops me from going further.  How can I deal with that fear?  How can I turn it into energy to sustain and motivate me?"  On this website, I've talked about techniques for dealing with fear and anxiety. There are others.  Find and use them!

Steve


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