A Short Story Challenge For 2014

The last time I was here, I got to rave about my first fantasy novel finally being in print and to mention that I had a new ebook novel available too. I'm really happy to report on those developments but a writer has to keep going. A writer has to keep writing new stories. Well, at least this writer does.

I finished a novel last month and thought I was going to get started immediately on a new one and somehow complete it in 30 days or so. That didn't happen. My mind kind of fizzled out on me. In effect, it say, we just finished a book we need to cool down a bit before jumping into something else. Of course, I didn't listen. I proceeded to bang my head against the proverbial wall trying to get new words to come leaking out of my fingers and onto the keyboard.

Nope. This didn't happen.

The last few weeks were about me refocusing and charting the next course on a much larger journey. As a friend and I discussed earlier today, I am not a content-generating machine churning out "content" at a moment's notice. I'm a storyteller, folks. I need to get on with the business (and the fun) of telling stories that I'll enjoy writing and you (dear readers) will enjoy reading.

At the same time, I wanted to plot the next move so I did. I've decided to write short stories and then submit them to short fiction markets. I've culled a selection of markets that I will be sending submissions to for the next few months. I don't know how long I'll carry this on or when I'll start on another novel, but I feel like I need this turn in direction at this particular point.

So where does the challenge come in?

Well, I need set some parameters just for fun. I want to set some limits or a "finish line" that I could cross. So the initial leg of this challenge will be to write 20 short stories and get them circulating through the markets. Then if I hit that goal I will consider additional goals.