Finishing

[gunhilltrain]

Just one more thing. Actually, I don't think all of my own stuff is spectacular! Over time, some of it seems to hold up quite well, and I've gotten few low scores (like a 2.67) that may have been more about the subject matter than the writing quality. But, yeah, nobody sets "most criteria," except for the authors themselves.

I hope t_h_seacrest is getting some benefits from these various digressions. He's asked some difficult questions that are not as easy as they first appear.

Hi t_h_seacrest, you have come back. So you're asked a question that's been on here before, which is "How do I write?," or more specifically in your case, "How do I finish it?" You must have noticed that some of the answers are versions of "This is how I do it, and maybe it will work for you too." Well, maybe or maybe not.

I'm guessing that you have about a half-dozen (?) works you're trying to complete, but I don't know how long they are, or what they are about, or even what you're own interests and preferences are. I was going to say that the first one you try to finish shouldn't be "too long," but what does that mean? My preference is that a single story or chapter can be done in 5,000 to 8,000 words, but there are others here who like 25,000 words at least. The "sweet spot" of when we are "done" is intuitive, maybe just below the level of consciousness if you accept that kind of psychology.

So maybe you do know, if you think about it a bit, which one of these stories seems most promising, or that you simply like more than the others. Maybe it would help for you to put your efforts in that one.

 

[t_h_seacrest]

So maybe you do know, if you think about it a bit, which one of these stories seems most promising, or that you simply like more than the others. Maybe it would help for you to put your efforts in that one.

Today I will choose the lucky tale. Shoot for 5k.
Return to this thread only when the tale is finished.
Should I violate this self-determined rule may I feel the wrath of a hairbrush or Millie's wicked paddle.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Today I will choose the lucky tale. Shoot for 5k.
Return to this thread only when the tale is finished.
Should I violate this self-determined rule may I feel the wrath of a hairbrush or Millie's wicked paddle.

That's good. About 5,000 words can be a pretty good short story.

You can overthink these things, which perhaps may have happened to you. Half of it all is "intuitive," as I said. I usually don't look at the word count per se, or rather I don't aim for a particular number. It's whatever it is when I'm done.

 

[t_h_seacrest]

You can overthink these things, which perhaps may have happened to you

Oh tell me about it. Overthinking... we go way back. It's kind of chronic.
A better title for this thread could be Follow Through. Habitually lacking in Follow Through.
Okay guess I've just earned a bruising from Millie's studded paddle.