Megan
I Am Inspired By…
And Then I Thought…
So I had this book all planned out. I even started writing it. But somewhere along the line… well, it’s on hold for now. But I am writing, just not what I’d planned to. It bothers me while at the same time it doesn’t. This is not the first time it’s happened; it will likely not be the last. Writing is like that for me. I want to go one way, but there are stories that want to be told that pull me in another direction. It makes me feel like I have writing ADD or something. But I think it’s just part of my process. I write through an idea before I know if it’s working or not. And then new ideas take its place.
The reason I choose, for now, to write short stories is that eventually I lose the feel for it. I chalk it up to simply not having the right idea for a novel yet, one that really excites me, but perhaps it’s just what I am meant to do: Tell small stories. Taking a glimpse into a life can sometimes be far more interesting than knowing all you need to know by the time you close the back cover. In short stories, questions remain. Outcomes are uncertain. Just like life. Short stories are the now. Interesting, no? I just thought of that. Short stories as some type of Zen meditation? That might be pushing it.
Okay, I’ve pivoted in another direction. I’m not sure where it will take me, but I have to trust the journey. That’s what I am in this for.
Keeping It Real
For me, writing short stories gives me the freedom to wing my characters a bit. A novel requires planning and creating a character sketch so that you stay true to who that person is as the story takes its course. But with a short story, you are giving a glimpse into who a person is, a small piece of the puzzle. You could even say that a short story is a sort of character sketch, at least the way I write them.
One of the things that helps me make my characters feel like real people (I hope) is to give them little quirks or interesting background tidbits, most of which are stolen from real life. It could be a phrase that my mother uses, a family pet name, or some quirky behavior. I think it feels more real when it is real. Of course they say that truth is stranger than fiction, so it’s possible these things seem as if I made them up.
Paring down things to their bare minimums helps me keep things authentic as well. I try not to get too much into a story; that’s for longer works. Short stories, for me, are like peeking into someone’s window at a critical moment in their lives. It’s a heartbeat, a deep breath, an exhale. Who they are plays into how they got there and their reactions, but it’s not the full picture. It’s a person at a pivotal point in their day or their life. It may or may not be an accurate portrait of who they are, but it should be spot on for the person they inhabit in that moment. I try to achieve that by not bringing too much background into the story’s space, otherwise things get crowded.
I’ve heard from readers who’ve said that my stories are different from others that they’ve read, and I take that as a point of pride. I write what’s in me, without thought to what other people are doing, no matter how much I admire it.
What makes a story or character feel real to you?
Photo Credit: DSCF0117 – Version 2 via photopin (license)
What’s Going On Here?
If you’ve been here before, you might notice that something’s different. Without going into too much detail, I am making a fresh start with this page, so here it is. This is where you’ll find any information on my books, some scattered thoughts here and there, and maybe even a bonus short story or two, depending on my whims. Once in a while I may even post a photo. You never know what you’re going to get…
Welcome to my site.