After completing Chio Pino: A Reverse Retelling of Pinocchio, I decided that, before moving back to my novel, it would be good to have one more short story under my belt.
Like most writers, I have quite a few short story ideas ready to go in an “Ideas” folder, and this particular story pops in my mind most often.
Even when not thinking about it, my brain keeps subconsciously adding more to The Machine‘s plot and lore. It happens when I’m mowing the lawn, or taking a shower, or trying to go to sleep. That’s a sure sign that the idea has legs.
When these spontaneous ideas come, I drop what I’m doing and write it down. Otherwise, even the best ideas end up forgotten.
To qualify as a short story, the wordcount needs to clock in at between 1,000 and 7,500 words. (Most short story markets prefer 5,000 words or less.)
My Pinocchio story started life as a short story, but, to my surprise, it grew organically into a novella.
That’s not from padding it out with filler content, either. I just focused on telling the best story I could, and refused to check the wordcount until I was finished, only writing and making changes that were in service of the story.
When I finally checked the wordcount and saw it weighed in at 20,000 words, I was thrilled. It was the longest story I’d ever completed, and it gave me more hope than ever that I could complete my novel.
Sometimes, the scope on these projects can creep. I wouldn’t mind if The Machine ends up doing the same, but I’m looking forward to Five Rings. Getting back to my first novel, my old stomping ground, and making real progress, is the motivation I’m trying to use to fight my way through this short story.
Nick Enlowe 