Short Stories & The Heartache They Bring ME!

So I've been working on this short story for a collection called "Mad Like Me," and I'm not sure if I'm over thinking it or if it just sucks. I mean when did writing shorts get so hard? I used to write short stories all the time and now it seems like I'm worried about the plot, the ending, character development. I guess in a way that shows that I'm growing as a writer, but does that growth have to come at the expense of pumping out a bad ass short?

I'm just going to break down the overall idea of my short right here so I can talk myself through it.

Title: Unfit

We have three characters for this story. 

Nurse Sarah (MC)

Dr. Calvin Alexander

Donald Willaim Connor

The story surrounds Sarah who has requested Calvin's help in murdering Donald, a serial killer who murdered Sarah's daughter Dallas. Dallas was given up for adoption years ago but Sarah found her and had been watching her from afar. Sarah and Calvin work in a mental hospital and they helped get Donald placed under their care by making him seem unfit to stand trail. 

They place Donald in a closed off section of the hospital and have him strapped to a bed where they plan on playing a deadly game of "Do you remember?" Where Donald has to remember or know some detail about his victims and if he gets a question wrong or refuses to answer then Calvin will do something very, very bad to him. 

This game is all fine and fun for everyone except Donald and Sarah because Sarah has been lying about Dallas this whole time. Her daughter died years ago and she has created this fairy tale based on a young girl she met in the mall and began following until that girl was killed. Sarah is worried that Calvin will find out Dallas isn't her daughter and not only will he not want to date her but he will lock her up. 

So now Sarah has two choices, own up to what she did or let the killer free and hope Calvin kills him before any of her lies get out. 

So that did kind of help, I guess this is more of a twisted comedy, Sarah also hears a voice in her head, that as the story rolls on you realize she's talking to that voice and more or less telling her the whole story.

Well, hopefully, I can knock this out and get it to the publishers. I want it to come in under 10k, this is my first real deadline and it's freaking me out. I'm over thinking it because this run down seems ten times more simpler than anything else I was thinking today. 

Thanks for letting me get this all out.

If you're a writer, keep writing

and 

If you're a reader, go support a indie writer!

Writing & Marriage

Stan Lee's wife died. 

Those are the words that fell from my wife's lips today. It's a heartbreaking statement. Not because I'm friends with Stan, (I do love the man, but I don't know him.) It's heartbreaking to hear as a husband and a creative soul. Stan and Joan Lee had 69 years together. That's 69 years of fights, 69 years of kisses, and many more countless things he's thinking about right now.

Yesterday I had a reader tell me I owe it to my readers to put out the best book that I can, and that what's out now isn't that. I wanted to act as if it didn't bug me, but my wife could see through the tough guy mask. She grabbed me by my face and told me I'm an amazing writer. She reminded me of all the good things people have said and reminded me that this is just my first year. I took the leap this year to write full time and it hasn't been all that fun (Writing has been amazing! Marketing, pitching and selling, that all isn't too fun.) 

Yet, through it all my wife hasn't doubted me. She cheered when my paperback came in the mail. She held me when my father died and I couldn't string together the words, "I'm okay," much less write a book. She kept pushing me even when I didn't want it or when I thought I didn't need it. She kept pushing me forward. 

I've been married for four years and in that time I've felt like I was drowning many of a time, but when I thought I would never see the surface or never get a bit of air back into my lungs. My wife pulled me back to the land of the living. She's my lighthouse in the storm as I sail through this crazy creative sea. So it's heartbreaking to hear that another creative sailor lost his lighthouse. I'm sure Stan had years of fearing he was drowning, only to be pulled from the waters by Joan. 

My heart goes out to Stan and the rest of Joan's family. I don't know the pain that he is going through and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. She's in a better place now, smiling down on you, and making sure the waters remain calm.