Short stories

I was reading a newsletter from Sisters in Crime and near the end of one article the author mentioned something that Ray Bradbury sometimes recommended -- writing a short story once a week for a year. Now for me, that is one heck of a goal.

As a freelance journalist, I write for a living and thus I write a lot. But that isn't writing fiction. I don't make up what I write. I just report what I know and write it.

So, writing 52 short stories in a year would be nearly as hard for me as it would be for someone new to writing. I would have an advantage because I'd already have the discipline of sitting down in front of a computer regularly and typing. But that's probably it. The mindset is totally different.

But it is an intriguing challenge, and it's one I'm considering. The first thing I'd need to do is establish a set time each week to write a short story. Then, working in advance, I'd want to think of and partially develop five or six short stories before I'd start writing. But even then, after one or two dozn stories, I predict I would be working week to week for at least six months. That would be a long haul.

That having been said, it is a worthy goal consider. I can't do it now but perhaps by some time in the fall I can seriously consider it.

I will try to let you know.

Thanks for reading and keep writing.