Writers Keep Writing

This week’s TAW story – There’s A Pill For That – comes in at well under 2,500 words, which is a bit of a result. And we’re only at week 9! If it goes on like this, I may be able to produce stories of only a couple of words by the end of this ’madness’.

The point being, of course, that a story should be as long as it needs to be – and no longer.

Excess is a sign of a lack of confidence in the material. A fear of letting the work speak directly to the reader. When the author needs to keep butting in and ‘making sure’ things are ‘clear’ or that everything that might need explaining is explained, it’s not only a sign that the story needs rethinking but it’s an insult to the reader.

I’m not talking about deliberately being obscure and making life hard for the reader. I’m talking here about superfluous explication – which is not a type of ointment for treating adolescent acne. This can take many forms:

• The lengthy back story;
• The dialogue that doesn’t move things along;
• The descriptions that contain ‘nice’ prose but have no bearing on the story;
• The additional characters introduced for no reason other than to add a touch of ‘realism’.

I’m sure you can think of more examples. Let me know in the comments.

Of course, a certain miserliness with words may be a simple case of laziness. (I’m saying nothing on that point.)

Check out the other TAW stories listed on the Free Stuff page.

Then leave me a comment.

Especially if you spot excess.

The latest story in the tale a week series (TAW) went up on the site last night. (You can find “What’s In Boston” here.)

When I started writing it, I had the story that Steve relates to the narrator in mind but the slight twist around relationships at the end just arrived during the writing.

I always find that when characters take over – or in this case, act out behind your back – it’s one of the most enjoyable aspects of writing.

And onwards to TAW 9 for next Monday.

At the very end of the 70s I was lucky enough to spend time in Granada living in a beautiful wee house with great views of the Alhambra and the Sierra Nevada. The house was on the slopes of Sacromonte, which was then heavily populated by los Gitanos – Gypsies.

This week’s TAW story (learn more about TAW) – The Grass Is Greener – is set in Sacromonte around that time – although only the portable typewriter used by Robert is any sort of indicator of the period, I guess.

That’s seven stories in seven weeks. I don’t think I have written seven stories in a single year before, never mind in less than two months.

See what setting crazy targets can do!