The 24-hour story

[j_cheney]

So, this is one of the major challenges of the WOTF workshop. In theory, you could do this at home.

Conditions:
1) You are given a random object
2) You go to the library and do some research
3) You talk to a stranger
4) You write a story and turn it in at the end of 24 hours.

So, in my case:
1) I was given a small glass globe with glass flowers inside.
2) I picked up the books "Les Fleurs du Mal" and "Paris in the 20's"
3) I talked to the 63-year old salesman at the track shoe store (He didn't start running until he was 50, but he and his wife now run the local marathoning group. I got their e-mail addy, so I can mail them if I ever want to come into town and run. I also got fitted for a new pair of shoes, since Nu-Balance is discontinuing my style.)

Ok, 3 didn't make it into the story.

I'll confess, that the moment I looked into that globe, my first thought was of "Les Fleurs du Mal". Baudelaire wrote any number of creepy, debauched poems (for that time) and I immediately thought of the vampire poems in FdM. I wanted to go for a 'steampunk'y story where the globes with flowers represented the souls of the people of Paris, and the 'gardeners' are supposed to destroy the ones that turn evil (only one decides to hide them and preserve them instead, including those of the vampires).

I did a bunch of research and outlined the story, and then, too tired to write, I went to bed (say, 11 PM).

I woke up at 4AM, stole into the bathroom and started writing. As soon as my fingers hit the keys, my POV character changed from a barrister to a botanist. OK, that made sense. Then the rest of the outline went out the window. (This is a thing that often happens to me).

I stopped to eat brekky, then back to work. I recall telling different people that the story was unlike what I usually wrote (and having at least one other individual tell me the same about their story) which made me suspect that the time pressure was warping my brain. I ended up with a non-steampunk story (which was called a 'club' story by others) with a very misogynistic protagonist who was quite unsympathetic.

I finished the first draft with about 5 minutes to spare. I was not the last, though. ;o)

Then I got selected as one of the 3 to have my draft critiqued. ::heavy sigh::

First, everyone assumed that the POV character was female. I can fix that.
Second, his motivation was unclear. I knew that before I even finished, and I can clean it up.
Third, the mechanism of the 'bulb' was unclear. I can fix that, too.

Verdict? I need to add a scene, change a few things, clean it up, and do some period research (especially period botanical research). But on the whole, it proved that I can write a first draft in 24 hours that's decent, although not what I consider a saleable draft.

I suppose the object lesson is: I can write faster than I do, I just need to be more disciplined.

So, I hope to get this one out pretty quickly, as I now only have 4 things out. Wish me luck. ;o)

Comments

[melissajm.livejournal.com]

Good luck, and thanks for the food for thought!

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Thanks ;o)

[pabba.livejournal.com]

Sounds quite neat! Best of luck. :D

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[kelly-swails.livejournal.com]

That does sound like a cool object lesson. Like a reasonable NaNoWriMo; it's designed to get you past your fear of the unknown and your inner editor and just frickin' write already. It'd be a good weekend project for anyone.

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

I have to agree. The idea would be that you have to face critiquing at the end of the period, so you have to finish. Week-end retreat?

[alaneer.livejournal.com]

Thanks for sharing that. Maybe I should push myself a bit more, hm.

Good luck with the story; it sounds intriguing.

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Thanks... I just hope I can sell it.

[snickelish.livejournal.com]

Just to add what I've already blathered about this: your WOTF story had an Idea and lots of action and all that, but for mood and atmosphere and all that, I thought this one was even better, even in first draft. This one gave me chills and weirded me out, and I didn't have nearly so strong a visceral reaction - of any kind - to "Taking a Mile," despite that story's other strengths.

Which is just to say that I liked this a lot and I really do wish you good luck with it. :)

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Thanks ;o)

[jtglover.livejournal.com]

Good luck! Sounds like a wonderful experience. :)

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

It was exhausting! But good ;o) Thanks.

[babarnett.livejournal.com]

Man, this whole 24-hour story thing sounds both fascinating and frightening. Kudos for surviving it!

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

THanks...it was a close thing!

[incandragon.livejournal.com]

I don't know what to say, other than I'm really glad you wrote that up. Thanks.

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

It was scary.... ;o)

[camillealexa.livejournal.com]

I really am just curious -- not judgmental.

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Believe me, I thought they would balk over that as well...but no. Go figure.

I have another story out somewhere (been on hold for 340 days) that has a very bigotted POV character, and that has actually done surprisingly well. That POV was designed to sound like Dr. Watson (who was fairly bigotted, if you read SH), and at least one other person has commented to me about the likeness.

I admit, I think of these as 'guy' stories--not what I generally write ;o)

[camillealexa.livejournal.com]

So...nobody minded the misogynistic, unsympathetic MC?

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Surprisingly, no. It was set in the 20s, where that sort of attitude was common, which might have been the cause. Also, this is something of a horror story, so it isn't really as necessary. They did agree he needed to have one redeeming quality, though, which I am working on. ;o)