Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Jumping In to the Deep End

I've rarely been one who gets all the information before jumping into a situation.  If I want to do something, I do it, and pay whatever consequences later. That's not to say that I'm reckless--at least, I don't think of myself that way--but I'm not someone who likes to do a bunch of research before doing things that I'm interested in.  I'm much more impulsive than that.

I say this in relation to trying out new activities.  For instance, when I wanted a new quilt years ago, I bought some fabric and started sewing it together, rather than read up on it first.  I had never made a quilt before then, and I didn't follow a pattern (other than the one in my head), nor did I know what size I was shooting for.  I simply measured my bed and added a couple inches.  It wound up taking me quite a while to finish the quilt--and there were many times I had to pull out the stitching and redo what I’d spent so much time on--but I was proud of myself for having done it.  I’ve even made quite a few of them since, and still haven't looked at a quilting book for tips.

Then, there was the time I got a free couch off of Craigslist that needed new upholstery.  I did find a book on the subject and glanced through it, but I got a little bored with all the detail described in the book.  So I decided to just take the old fabric off, cut the new pieces of cloth from the old ones, and reattach the new pieces.  That project also included some altering every now and then.  There are some small gaps in the fabric here and there, but unless I point them out, most people can't tell.  Those gaps wouldn't be there if I'd taken it to a professional, but the couch has still served us well these last 3 years.

I use this same approach in my writing, apparently.  I recently decided to e-publish a short story of mine on Amazon and Smashwords.  I know there is much speculation about whether that’s a wise thing for an unknown author to do, but I also know me.  If I take the time to learn all the ins and outs of the publishing world, I'm sure I would get overwhelmed, and wind up not following through with it.  Whether out of boredom or fear I'm not sure . . . probably a little of both.  So I’d much rather jump into the deep end of the pool, as it were, and learn how to swim through all the mistakes and rough patches that will come my way.  I've no doubt that there will be many lessons I could've learned before taking this big a leap, but I find that doing it this way makes it more interesting to me.

So, without further ado, I’d like to introduce my short story . . .



High school sophomore Tabitha Patterson receives her first paid assignment: follow Sarah's boyfriend and find out who the redhead is that he's been seen with. With the help of her best friend, Stu, Tab discovers that--in order to solve a mystery--sometimes you have to get your hands a little dirty . . .

You can download it at the following sites:

          Amazon.com for Kindle at:  Sarah and the Other Woman
          Smashwords for other e-readers at:  Sarah and the Other Woman

I hope you enjoy the story.  Now, I’m off to dive into the Marketing deep end . . .

12 comments:

  1. You sure you're not a guy? We're typically (and fairly accurately) known for reading directions only as a last resort. (Oh, and guys invented the GPS so we wouldn't have to actually ask for directions when driving!)

    Good luck on your short story and let us know how you do.

    ~ Jim

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  2. Nothing tells you how deep a lake is as quickly and accurately as jumping in off the pier. Of course you will also learn how cold it is when you hit the water.

    Happy swimming and good luck.

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  3. Good luck on your short story, Alyx!

    I'm just the opposite. If I want to do something, I research it as if I were going to be tested on it or have to write a paper. I hate re-inventing the wheel and feel it's great when I can learn from someone else's mistakes rather than have to make them myself to learn that lesson. Probably a function of having been an academic for so long. I stand in awe at someone who will just jump in!

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  4. LOL, Jim! I absolutely have that tendency myself, so I must be very in-tune with my masculine side. ;o)

    Thanks for the luck, & I'll definitely let you know.

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  5. You're very right, Warren. I can take the timidity of pacing myself into a lake only for so long, before I just decide to say "heck with it," & submerge myself completely.

    Thanks for the luck. :o)

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  6. Thanks, Linda.

    My husband, Craig, is someone who also needs to know all the ins & outs before attempting something. Sometimes, though, I notice that his tendency to do that keeps him from trying things, for fear of making a mistake. But, that's why there are so many different methods to accomplishing something.

    Thanks for visiting.

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  7. I enjoyed reading your short story, Alyx! Tab reminds me of my niece who complains (loudly) about "hella". Are you considering a series with Tab as protagonist? I hope so!

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  8. Good luck on the short story, Alyx. I don't have the guts to jump in like that--I'm more like Linda. The only time I've ever done that was here for the presentation of our Christmas stories, but then I didn't think that those would be marketable, just enjoyable reads.

    Please blog about the process of getting them up at Amazon and Smashwords, the formatting issues and the companies policies.

    Thanks and good luck.

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  9. Good luck on your short story, Alyx.

    I'm like you to a cetain extent. I hate reading directions until I find myself in a bind. And when I think of something I'd like to try, I don't think long before I jump in a go for it. I've tried many things over the years; some I've continued with and others I've given up on, but at least I'm always trying new things.

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  10. Thanks for reading it, Kara!

    Yes, Tab is slated for a series of novels. In fact, the first novel in the series is what I'm in Revision Muck over. Now that the wedding is over, I can focus on the series again. I just thought that short stories would be a nice way to get others interested in the longer books.

    I'll let you know when that one is ready for publishing.

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  11. Those are good ideas for future blogs, EB. I'll make sure to do that.

    And, you never know what will be marketable to whom. So I'd definitely think about having a short story anthology being a yearly thing for WWK alumni.

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  12. Good for you, Gloria, in trying new things! They say that's one way to keep your mind fresh.

    I also recently saw a quote from Albert Einstein that said "Anyone who has never made a mistake, has never tried anything new." So, I say you're in good company if you make a "mistake." :o)

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