Creativity Workshop: Weekly Roundup

I totally forgot to post this on Sunday, or even Monday. So this week I'm super late.

Last week's goal was to write in the western genre. As I think I mentioned, I have an idea for a western novel, so I was going to bypass short story and instead begin this novel. I managed a short-story length start - about one chapter - and I'm happy with it so far. I still need some plot work, but I have a good idea where it's going, I just need more detail.

So I would say I met last week's goals to my own satisfaction.

And since this is the end of the first 4-week block of stories, I would give myself a B grade. I dropped the ball in week 3, so had to rearrange my goals - leaving out the detective genre altogether. But I accomplished what I set out to in sci-fi, horror, and western, however I didn't link them the way I intended using the motif of doors. Oh well.

This week I'm supposed to begin work on the second set of 4 stories which will focus on emotion. My original goal was to write 4 stories focusing on emotional extremes all in contemporary settings and linked by main characters being members of the same family.

So far I have absolutely no ideas whatsoever and it's already Tuesday. I guess I'd better get brainstorming.

Here's where I make all my sad and pathetic excuses: Um, trying desperately to work and scrape together enough money to pay bills. Stress of said underemployment is causing my nerves to fray. Working hard on edits and revisions of novel. Doing critiques for some crit partners. Still wanna write on the sci-fi and western novels I started in weeks 1-4. Etc.

But...sometimes stress is the best inspiration. Anybody else get flashes of genius when you're mired in mind-numbing, stomach-churning stress?

Me too.

Okay, so that's it for this week's roundup. There'll be another one next week, and I'll try to post it as close to Sunday as possible!