This is just a brief post to say thank you to everyone who has clicked on one of my “Finding Mister Wright” PDF story links over the last two-and-a-half years, since I started writing them. The characters who live in those stories – Marshall, Daniel, Rob, Paige, and more – have been a source of such bright light and love for my writer self, and it has given me such great joy when one of you has taken a chance on them (and me) and read one of their many tales of family, life, and love (22 and counting!). That said, I decided to take down the links for all of the stories, save the latest one, though that one will probably come down in a month or so, as well. I didn’t remove them because I’m ashamed of them – or of myself – but because I am planning to put them together into a series of short story collections that I will be able to go to on my shelf whenever I’m feeling lost, lonely, or in need of a little pick-me-up.
I’m certain I’ll talk more about that here when it happens, but in the meantime, thanks again to everyone who’s offered their support over the years with likes and especially comments. Many days, even just those little notes have kept me going. <3
I love your stories. They’re so authentic. I haven’t read the latest entries, but I will as soon as I am able to get to my laptop and print them out. Reading them on my phone is too strenuous.
I gave up on my “Cell Games” series because I didn’t feel the passion than when I started talking about it. Every character was flat and the stories were more info dumps than stories. And I think the reason why I wanted to do it was because I saw you and other bloggers doing the same thing and I wanted in. But reading your stories and others, I realized I couldn’t compete.
But I’m reminded that I can’t be anybody else; that everyone is different. As such, the writing is different. I do want to do something along the lines of a series since a novel is so overwhelming and you, among others, have told me how good of a writer I am. Perhaps, a new idea may rise from the ashes. And I might use a “Cell Games” story. I’ll have to wait and see what the writing gods have in store.
I think a collection of your stories is a great idea here. These characters have grown and matured together over time, it’s great progression for a book. The relationships have evolved in front of us, it would be interesting to see it all together in a book. Good luck with it!
Thanks for the idea, Neeks! I’d been thinking on-and-off about a book version, and, while I like having my big binder to show off, it’s just not feasible to read in bed anymore. 😀
Thanks, George – hearing from someone that they’ve enjoyed a story of mine truly means a lot. 🙂
I think most stories start out as info-dumps. We have ideas on where we want plots to go, but we haven’t quite figured out the mouthpieces, yet. That’s part of the writing process that I really like: finding those voices. They do become characters, over time and with practice. I personally enjoy building stories through dialogue and setup, so I think that’s where my strength lies, but it’s not the same for everybody.
If you still feel for your Cell Games series, you may want to try just working from those info-dumps. See what scenes really grab your interest and build on those. They don’t have to be fully-fleshed stories, especially to start. Some stories, notably short stories, are just working toward a punchline. If you’ve read any Elmore Leonard short stories, for example, many of those are like listening to a friend tell a joke or anecdote at a bar. He doesn’t bother with a lot of setup, description, or denouement, just a few quick beats to get to the payoff.
Good luck!
Thank you, Mayumi. The good thing is that I have them saved on my computer. I’m tempted to delete them, but as you said, I may find my way back to them.
I want to create a short story serial for my blog. Maybe “Cell Games” wasn’t the right avenue. But it’s not to say that it can’t happen. Not to go into too much, because I think that’s why I lost interest in developing the series, but I am thinking about a series set in a town. What do you think?
Definitely, do not delete them! If you want to get them off of your primary harddrive, I’d suggest transferring them both to a physical drive (like a USB storage stick) and some kind of cloud storage (like Google Drive, which is free up to 17GB, with a Google account).
A series set in a specific town can offer you a lot of opportunities, especially if you find that you lose interest with a specific batch of characters or scenarios. A town can have mystery, romance, drama, action, even supernatural, if you want to go that route. I think it’s a great idea to start around the outwardly simple idea of a town, and grow from there. You could find yourself building the next Twin Peaks! 🙂
Happy writing!
While I am sorry to see them leave here, I’m glad to hear they will be all in one spot on your shelf. Personally, I hope you keep adding to the collection and their lives together. There’s so much there that’s left to do, I think! And its a story you care deeply about, which I think we all have one, even if it never ends.
Sorry to butt in here, George, but I second Mayumi–don’t delete! That’s the same as throwing them away! We all start at that place of “nowhere” when we begin our writing journeys. Don’t worry about quality at this point. Just worry about fulfilling your creative center. The more you write, the better you will become. Promise! 🙂
I also agree with Mayumi’s thoughts on your idea about a series set in a town. I grew up in a small town, and I could write hundreds of stories based on the stuff that happened in that little place!
Super idea, Mayumi. Short story collections are really quite popular. But even if you keep them to yourself, what a fun treasure to have on your bookshelf. It’s really all about what makes you happy and fulfilled in the end.
Thanks, shade. That means a lot for me, coming from you. 🙂
I am definitely continuing the story of the crazy extended Wright family! I will likely post those new adventures here, too, because I need that justification, but I will keep them online for only a limited time. That way, my regular reader friends can read them for free and (hopefully) not feel like they’re being held hostage to pay for them in book form. 😉
While my abysmal reader statistics have something to do with this choice, I’ve found I really enjoy holding From Hell (A Love Story) as a *book*, grabbing it off the shelf and flipping through it when the fancy strikes me. It’s so comforting and convenient to have characters I love and scenes that brought me joy in printed form, I feel like I want to do that with all of my stories. I also feel like, the next time some family member asks me if I still write, I can then shove that book in their face and say, “**** yeah! What do you call this?” 😀
Thank you again for all of your support over the years. It’s always been a pleasure to connect with you over our different stories. <3
Thanks, Kate. I admit it would be fantastic to enjoy some recognition, but mostly I just really enjoy the opportunity that self-publishing gives little writers like me, who simply want to see their own stuff in print. That feeling is like no other, for me. That, and I love the idea of having a physical evidence answer for my judgmental in-laws when they ask in that condescending mewl they favor so much for me, “Are you still writing those stories?” … But enough of my bitterness.
Speaking of print, have you decided to take the hardcopy leap for your own books, yet? I, for one, would love to see YOUR name on my bookshelf, too! 😀
Interrupt away, Kate! 😀 I’m thrilled that folks can have a dialogue in this space.
That “nowhere” feeling stays with us, I think, no matter how much we write or how long we’ve written. It’s important to remember that EVERY story starts there, as just a glimmer of an idea, and it’s what we put into that story that makes it beautiful and terrifying. <3
Eek a collection sounds like a fab idea and i hope we can all buy a copy? 🙂 if not at least you have it on your bookcase just for you eitherway good luck!! x
Thank you, Jenny! I do hope folks will pick up a paperback or e-book copy! 😉 We’ll have to see how pretty I can make them.