Back when COLD MAGIC was a contestant in DABWAHA, an astonishingly fabulous book tournament held at the same time as March Madness (NCAA basketball tournament), I pledged in the second round (I believe) to write a short story about the character Rory should I win.

I won that round (and one or two others before my inevitable defeat to an opponent with a better inside game and stronger dribbling).

I did begin the story, since I knew when it had to take place. But revisions for COLD FIRE took precedence, and my natural disinclination to write short distracted me away, and then my continuing efforts with COLD STEEL made me feel that I must write COLD STEEL rather than work on anything else even if COLD STEEL was not going well.

I just never seem to learn that if one project is going poorly, it really is okay, and even makes sense, to work on something else just to keep the writing flow going.

Water under the bridge.

Yesterday when I mentioned on Twitter that it would likely be easier for me to finish the story if I had a hard deadline, N.K. Jemisin said she wanted the story tomorrow, which means today. Then my daughter solved the last niggling plot problem that remains.

I wrote 1000 words today to bring it up to 5000 words and have a precise outline of what happens in the rest of the story, which should run perhaps 2500 more words. My goal is to finish the first draft by Monday evening, although since I’m traveling that may be problematic. But that’s my goal. And I feel that I’m closing in. So if you actually want the story — which I hasten to assure you has no redeeming social value whatsoever — feel free to encourage me. Because I do not find short story writing easy or natural.