tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post5123199279565433528..comments2024-03-29T08:45:57.792-04:00Comments on Patricia Abbott (pattinase): Short Story Readers and Writerspattinase (abbott)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02916037185235335846noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-32027037202360750312011-11-18T01:24:57.478-05:002011-11-18T01:24:57.478-05:00For me, it's all about the ending, so if I don...For me, it's all about the ending, so if I don't know the ending before I start the story, I'm likely to stall. I like doing the polish too--all the really hard work is done and it's fun.Katherine Tomlinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09696623795926663895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-82271649175942723262011-11-17T23:12:08.521-05:002011-11-17T23:12:08.521-05:00Hopefully the first, but sometimes the second. Alt...Hopefully the first, but sometimes the second. Although what I enjoy most is polishing the writing. So it's the prose more than the story sometimes.pattinase (abbott)https://www.blogger.com/profile/02916037185235335846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-23513019225254811452011-11-17T19:43:37.186-05:002011-11-17T19:43:37.186-05:00What I mean is, did you sit down to tell a story, ...What I mean is, did you sit down to tell a story, which you're writing down, or did you sit down to write something, which hopefully will be a good story. I guess I'm thinking if the storytelling is the goal and the writing is just the means of sharing it, since we can't all just gather around the campfire and listen to you tell it, it will be easier.<br /><br />Obviously, I'm no writer.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-53902747413406987292011-11-17T18:54:38.875-05:002011-11-17T18:54:38.875-05:00As the story winds toward an end, it's not kis...As the story winds toward an end, it's not kismet, more like a repressed memory so I may be okay.pattinase (abbott)https://www.blogger.com/profile/02916037185235335846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-6870275711318268012011-11-17T17:10:00.427-05:002011-11-17T17:10:00.427-05:00What stalls me most often is weariness or the need...What stalls me most often is weariness or the need to do something else.Todd Masonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01815516018079824802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-20829243653650064212011-11-17T17:03:02.033-05:002011-11-17T17:03:02.033-05:00In my experience, Dave's experience is also ab...In my experience, Dave's experience is also about the right proportion...AHMM publishes about twice as much (usually mildly/borderline) fantasticated material as EQMM. But both might object to kismet, depending how applied (unless of course you are Jeffery Deaver, when your aggressively improbable story resolution and ridiculous characters will be hailed as genius).Todd Masonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01815516018079824802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-45064873978729203772011-11-17T15:14:58.722-05:002011-11-17T15:14:58.722-05:00I have not written that many short stories, but wh...I have not written that many short stories, but when I get stuck in a novel, it is mainly boredom. <br /><br />I always plan a novel fairly thoroughly, and I don´t begin writing until I am satisfied with my own ending. So what may go wrong is the middle - when I have lost the initial enthusiasm and feel I am writing flat and stale shit, if you´ll excuse my French.Dorte Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14535044092722418173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-37492560208025446682011-11-17T14:23:17.376-05:002011-11-17T14:23:17.376-05:00Not sure what you mean, Rick.Not sure what you mean, Rick.pattinase (abbott)https://www.blogger.com/profile/02916037185235335846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-14333637424036311652011-11-17T13:38:07.879-05:002011-11-17T13:38:07.879-05:00This may not help any, but my thought is this: you...This may not help any, but my thought is this: you're not telling a story, you're trying to write something. BIG difference.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-64306364338146455082011-11-17T13:18:49.131-05:002011-11-17T13:18:49.131-05:00I think novels need an outline more than a story p...I think novels need an outline more than a story probably. <br />Endings--oh, if you could just tail off. I like tailing off.pattinase (abbott)https://www.blogger.com/profile/02916037185235335846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-89649013941794288752011-11-17T13:08:46.873-05:002011-11-17T13:08:46.873-05:00For me, the excitement is bringing the vision in m...For me, the excitement is bringing the vision in my mind to life. Of course, no matter how detailed I have it plotted, I always end up taking detours, and other changes happen, as the work becomes more a living + breathing creation. I know a lot of writers take that more random journey approach, and I've never been able to understand that. Writing is a craft. If I was designing a software system (which can be every bit as creative or more so than writing), the only way I wouldn't end up with something half-baked is if I put in the work ahead of time, and if you want a tightly plotted book, I'd have to think the same has to be done. Probably no accident that most writers I like I find out later write detailed outlines.Dave Zeltsermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-30611358099560853352011-11-17T11:04:24.701-05:002011-11-17T11:04:24.701-05:00Endings almost always stall me. Beginnings are eas...Endings almost always stall me. Beginnings are easy, and the most fun. The trouble with endings is, sometimes that I can't find a decent one, but most often that I can't find one that somehow is new, that I haven't done before, or that twists things around a bit. Those seem only to come with time and thought.Charles Gramlichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02052592247572253641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-42997558076295973352011-11-17T10:47:22.512-05:002011-11-17T10:47:22.512-05:00If I plot too much, I lose the excitement; if I do...If I plot too much, I lose the excitement; if I don't plot at all I hit walls. <br />Thanks for the info.pattinase (abbott)https://www.blogger.com/profile/02916037185235335846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-35100216405971409422011-11-17T10:37:51.164-05:002011-11-17T10:37:51.164-05:00AHMM has published 2 stories of mine with fantasy ...AHMM has published 2 stories of mine with fantasy elements (Closing Time, Dave Stevens I Presume--both in my 21 Tales collection), and EQMM has published 1 (A Hostage Situation), and of course my Julius Katz have what can be considered a fantastic element (EQMM has published 2, and will be publishing at least 2 more).<br /><br />So far I have never stalled out on a story or novel, but that's probably because I have them plotted out and have built up a certain level of excitement to write them before ever starting.Dave Zeltsermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-48092129829500753912011-11-17T10:29:03.995-05:002011-11-17T10:29:03.995-05:00What I hate the most is when a story seems good, y...What I hate the most is when a story seems good, you're writing it at the speed of light, you take a day away from it and suddenly, holes pop up. Everywhere.pattinase (abbott)https://www.blogger.com/profile/02916037185235335846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-26612834848958947732011-11-17T10:05:56.380-05:002011-11-17T10:05:56.380-05:00I, too, have seen stories with elements of fantasy...I, too, have seen stories with elements of fantasy in those two magazines from time to time. <br /><br />For me, #2 and #5 usually stop me. It's really frustrating. There are times where it seems I'll start several stories in a row and never finish any of them. Or if I do get through a first draft it's awful.Chris Rhatiganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05769089157184374652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-20705234008964606672011-11-17T09:20:11.314-05:002011-11-17T09:20:11.314-05:00No. 5 happened to me just recently. My original en...No. 5 happened to me just recently. My original ending was too obvious for either the characters or the readers to fail to foresee it, and I couldn't think of anything better. So I started writing open-ended dialog between two characters, and eventually one of them said something that gave me a hint. It was quite a relief.Al Tucherhttp://alberttucher.writersresidence.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-64446379173297731712011-11-17T08:06:48.800-05:002011-11-17T08:06:48.800-05:00Yes, there are occasionally fantasy-type stories i...Yes, there are occasionally fantasy-type stories in EQMM and AHMM. <br /><br />Sometimes a story just ends and there is no solution. I guess they leave it to the reader to decide what happens next.<br /><br />Jeff M.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-12019914397047197562011-11-17T08:06:21.818-05:002011-11-17T08:06:21.818-05:00Patti - When I'm writing, what stalls me more ...Patti - When I'm writing, what stalls me more than anything is when I'm caught in a plot or character tangle. Something about the plot or a character just isn't working and I can't figure out why.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-23922877896923075962011-11-17T07:39:11.006-05:002011-11-17T07:39:11.006-05:00I get stalled over a story or news story for a var...I get stalled over a story or news story for a variety of reasons — ennui, burnout, frustration, writer's block, procrastination, grammatical correctness, lack of ideas or imagination, and an overwhelming sense that what I've written so far is just not good enough; self-doubt, as Joe calls it.Prashant C. Trikannadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-74087911086959394492011-11-17T07:21:48.301-05:002011-11-17T07:21:48.301-05:00Self-doubt. There may be some supremely confident ...Self-doubt. There may be some supremely confident writers, but I suspect there are many writers like me who don't finish stories because of self-doubt.<br /><br />Also, I found your #6 idea compelling. It is one I often think about as I am writing. Originality is hard.Joe Baronehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10275991273751678636noreply@blogger.com