ShaNoShoStoWriEdSubMo 2021

I wasn't able to post last week, because our internet was down. To get the podcast up, I drove around until I found free wi-fi at a Carl's, Jr., then stayed in the parking lot long enough to get the podcast up. It was 2:30 in the morning, and I learned that McDonald's is surprisingly busy at 2:30 in the morning, at least when it's right off the freeway. I also learned that Starbucks shuts off their wi-fi at night, and when you try to sign in, they tell you to come back during business hours. The below picture is a tired me waiting through the drearily slow upload.

So this week you get what would have been last week's updates before I get to my ShaNo plans. (And for those who aren't familiar with my annual twist on NaNoWriMo, an explanation.)

First, I had a short story come out in a mystery anthology with a sense of humor. 

Available from Amazon in both paperback and Kindle

I also did a reading for Stories Live! which can be found on YouTube. This was the Halloween episode, so most of the stories are dark and twisty. It's always fun to do this!

Okay, ShaNo time. For those who don't know, because my main focus has long been short stories, I've always set my own relevant goals for the month of November, which has allowed me to hijack the energy for the month while getting things done that will matter to me in the long wrong.

ShaNoShoStoWriEdSubMo stands for Shannon's Novel and Short Story Writing, Editing, and Submitting Month. 

Funnily enough, this year my primary project happens to be a book, though it's non-fiction. I'm over halfway done with it, so that will be reflected in my goals.

25,000 words on current non-fiction WIP

Write 2 new short stories (we'll approximate 10,000 words for this, though the actual word count will vary)

Finish 2 in-progress short stories (approximately 5,000 words)

Turn around any short stories that get rejected

Edit 2 stories waiting for edits

Submit at least 2 additional short stories

Do you participate in NaNo? Do you do your own version? What are your writing goals for November?

May you find your Muse.

Junk in Your Trunk

Recently, I hit a point of, not really frustration, but resignation with my first WIP. I've been editing it, but it felt like something was missing. When this resignation hit, I started thinking perhaps this WIP was my trunk book.

By OCAL, clker.com

What's a trunk book/novel? It's that dirty secret so many novelists have, that novel they wrote that turned out  to be something they didn't want to see the light of day. It's the novel that couldn't or shouldn't be published.

I started wondering how and when you decide your WIP is a trunk book. How do you know this book isn't going to go anywhere? Or is no book truly a trunk book? Perhaps it's just the book that someone gave up on too soon. How do you avoid that mistake?

I've entered WIP #1 into two writing contests previously. In both instances, I was within a couple points of making it as a finalist, but I never made it that tiny leap into finalist territory, which tells me it wouldn't have won even if it had. But that means it can't suck completely, right? It wasn't panned across the board, but had some flaws that needed to be attended to.

Jeffrey Carr, clker.com

I've been having trouble getting back to it to edit, though. I'm what I call an oooo, shiny girl. I'm highly distractable (apparently not a word). I have so many ideas swirling through my brain all the time that I simply can't keep up. I have to write them down, and I have such a strong urge to drop what I'm editing and jump into the next story, because it's begging to be told. However, I don't let myself do that, which leads to frustration. I have blue brain. Blue synapses? Either way, I think you know where I'm going with that (my apologies).

Here's the thing. Once I let go of it and decided that perhaps it was time to trunk that sucker, I had a bit of a breakthrough. It will take a lot of work, something I hope to hit over the summer, but I may be able to salvage it. If it doesn't pan out, if I'm not happy with it, perhaps my WIP will find it's way into the figurative trunk. It's not there quite yet, though.

Do you have a trunk book (or more than one)? How did you know it was time for the trunk? Did you get tired of it or just finally decide it wasn't going to happen?

May you find your Muse.

P.S. Part 21 of Andrew Leon's Shadow Spinner series is free today! You can find it on Amazon - Part 21: The Chase. If you haven't been following his serial, I highly recommend it! And today you can pick up several of them for free, including the first one (which is always a good place to start).