One Challenge Ends and Another Begins

For those of you who have been following my Twitch stream, you know I was doing a short story a day challenge throughout the month of January. It is now the first of February and I can safely say that I completed that challenge. I had no time to spare and definitely don’t think I did my absolute best work, but for a challenge designed to get my creative juices flowing, it definitely got that done for me.

However, as with all things, it came to an end at midnight last night and a friend of mine, TheLadyWrites on Twitch, reminded me that Dean Wesley Smith, one of my favorite gurus, had put out a challenge at the end of the last year to publish one story a week for a year. That’s 52 stories. Now since I didn’t do any of this in January, I’m a little behind. Four stories behind to be exact; however, I am fully intending to make up that deficit and publish 52 stories this year. My personal criteria for a standalone story which can be published is that it must be at least 5K. It has to be able to stand on its own, which means even if I use characters I already have, you have to be able to follow what’s going on without having read anything that I’ve written before. Make no mistake, I will definitely be revisiting some of my old haunts throughout this challenge because I love them and want more people to pay attention to them.

Also, and among other things, I and TheLadyWrites will be doing a discussion on Discord regarding what to do with all the work done on the Short Story a Day Challenge. What can you use those stories for? That’s the primary question. I’m coming on as a hybrid author (that’s one who has been indie and traditional at the same time) and discussing what you have to do in order to really get your foot in the door in the traditional sense. She, a successful indie, will be covering the independent author section.

Finally, and certainly not least, ALICE is eligible for the Hugo Ballot. Now guys, I know I’m a nobody and no one knows who I am. HOWEVER, you are reading my blog and that means you at least are aware of me. Therefore, you should contact my publisher (Mocha Memoirs Press) and get a copy of ALICE so you can vote for me to be on the Hugo Ballot this year. Thanks all.

As always, if you want to read more, buy a book!