A lot of people will tell you that it’s important to stay focused on your current writing project until it’s finished, and not put it aside when the going gets tough, in favor of starting a new project. Well, that’s good advice. Sometimes I follow it.
But not today.
I’ve heard about a contest in New Orleans called “Saints and Sinners” which is asking for LGBT stories between 5,000 and 7,000 words long. That translates to about 12 to 14 pages. And the story, of course, has to involve “saints and sinners.” Probably in a major role, as opposed to the main character watching a television show called “Saints and Sinners” before going to bed.
The deadline is November 1st, which is only a week and a half away. But if I could write “The Meaning of Vengeance,” which rolled in at about 15,000 words, in two weeks — and get it published — then this should be a breeze! Right?
Well, we’ll see.
At any rate, I’m tired of homophobic Christians (not to imply that all Christians are homophobic — just these characters) trying to kill themselves and each other. I’ve gotten Isaac to the point where he’s about to attempt murder. But he can wait. I need a break.
So, in the meantime, I’ve come up with a basic plot: a young priest of the goddess, Shuuri (this is high fantasy), has a vision that compells him to go on a journey to a remote part of the kingdom. Why, he isn’t sure. But to aid him on his travels through treacherous forests and seedy taverns the temple hires a mercenary. They of course fall in love along the way, and when they get to their destination, something big and dramatic happens which reveals what the goddess was up to, nearly kills them and cements their relationship. What that is, I’m not quite sure yet. But it should be fun to find out!
Jamie Fessenden's Blog 