I finished the hand written draft of the short story for this week. Huzzah! Tentative title: “The Viper in Tulum”

I like it, I really do. But I’m also frustrated with it, and disappointed in myself. I feel as though only 70% of what I had in my head actually made it to the page, that there’s still so much missing that I wanted to tell.

Part of that, I realize, is because I wasn’t fully imbedded behind the character’s eyes. But that’s tricky with this story, because the character is hiding, even from himself, until the very last scene. He doesn’t speak with his true voice until then.

When I go to type it up tomorrow, I also have to decide if this is going to stay a short story (around 4000 words) or if I expand it by dramatizing the backstory, instead of summarizing it. The writer part of my head thinks it would be cool, but the craft side isn’t convinced. It would end up doubling the size of the story.

Plus, I’m supposed to finish this story tomorrow, and I don’t think I could dramatize the backstory, type it all up, as well as go do the social things I’m supposed to do tomorrow.

What I may do is this: leave the story as is, but give myself permission to go back and flesh it out more later, say, when I finish writing the next novel.

You see, this story is part of the origin story for the next novel, “The Guardian Hound,” which takes place after “The Raven and the Dancing Tiger” and is set in the same world, with some of the same characters and some new characters. (Though the POV will be from a new character, and I think I’ll stick with his POV the entire time.)

I cannot tell you how much fun I’ve had with this story, expanding this world. Kept me awake last night thinking of things. Making shit up: that’s the coolest part of writing, don’t you know.