Short Fiction: Princess

Welcome to the conclusion of my unintended Short Fiction September.  :P  As with the others, this is a character study for a plot-in-progress, and the third of the three main characters.  This is also the one I had the hardest time getting a hold of.  While this character has been in my head for years, this is the first time I really tried to capture her, and she's not one to easily be tamed.  I feel a little better about writing her, but I do think she's going to cause me a lot of trouble.

And in case anyone asks, I don't know her name.  I've never given her one.  She's always only been Princess.

Short Fiction: Aklin

Since this seems to work pretty well, here's another character study for a current project.  She's loosely based on a concept for a character I played in a tabletop RPG years ago, mostly so I could use the name again.  I was having trouble getting a hold of her in the new world I'm working with, and wasn't even sure how to write her character study, until I realized I needed to let her talk.  I feel a lot better about working with her now.

Here's the bit; hope y'all enjoy it.

Short Fiction: Sophie

Since I don't have anything worth writing about this week, here's a small character study from something I'm trying to work on.  It's not much of a story, just me trying to get into a character's head and life a little.  I've been having trouble with, well, everything, so I thought trying a different approach might help.  No idea if it will.

IWSG: All the Things They Say

They tell me to write what I want to write.  That's all I've ever done.  I've never tried to follow a trend or anything like that.  But it's never worked out.

They tell me that if it doesn't work out with one book, write another.  Again, that's all I've ever done.  After fifteen books, I'm still wondering when it's going to work, when someone will actually want my stuff.

They tell me to just write.  Third in a row, that's all I've ever done.  I never think about whether something will be publishable or what-have-you when I'm still in the creating part of the process.  And that's never made a difference anyway.

They tell me I'm getting better.  Maybe I am.  But it doesn't matter how good something I write is if nobody ever reads it.  Writing that no one reads might as well not exist.

They tell me to try different approaches.  I do, and it makes no difference - query or contest, I maintain a perfect streak of absolutely nothing.  Hell, I haven't even received a rejection letter in months.  Just silence.

They tell me not to compare myself to others.  I do my best not to.  But it's hard, if not nigh-impossible, when there are so many amazing success stories out there, and I'm... here.  It feels like everyone I talk about writing stuff with has at least one book out, if not more.  (Do not bring up self-publishing in response to this; I've said my piece on that many times and I'm not having that conversation again.)

They tell me things to try to make me feel better.  I appreciate it, but I don't even hear the encouragement anymore.  It's always the same stuff, and words lose their meaning when you say them over and over again.

They tell me my efforts aren't futile.  I look at an unending streak of rejections and silence and wonder how we're defining "futile" differently.

They tell me to keep trying, that I'll make it someday.

I've seen no reason to believe this.