Day 341
Sunday, August 12, 2007
I want to write a short story, but I have a problem.
I can't think of a plot.
This hasn't been a problem for me in the past, since I tend to throw things at the computer screen until something sticks. This isn't working; maybe it's from brain-drain from work, or because I'm trying to work with a genre I've not tried much in (sci fi or fantasy).
The problem with the second point is that many sci-fi/fantasy short stories spend a chunk of time setting up the environment, making known the nuances that differentiate THIS fantasy world from that of Tolkien's or Roddenberry's. I thought about foregoing that and just diving in, not explaining (or just not getting into) differences in the fictional world. Almost like something David Mamet would do (could you imagine Edmund in Space or Glengary Glen Ross-shire?).
The various sci-fi/fantasy subgenres that lend easily to short narratives--cyberpunk, space opera, our-world-but-magical--have fallen into a state of near self-mockery, so it might be best to avoid. My hold-out option is to do something steampunk; but regardless, I could use some suggestions.
posted, with grace and poise, by Jason @ 8/12/2007 11:37:00 PM,
