Strays

Do you have one or two story ideas or half finished short stories lingering in limbo? Spring Cleaning time. Go through your portfolio (hopefully you've been organized enough to have a folder designated for Incompletes.) I don't know about you, but during the Spring Cull, half those titles I don't even recognize, conjured up in a short fit or spurt of creativity that obviously wasn't strong enough to compel me to write to the finish---perhaps the circumstances were such that I couldn't. Whatever the case, ditch them; you'll regret any time you spend on trying to resurrect something that obviously didn't have that intrinsic 'hook' in the first place.

In the elimination process, I generally end up re-reading those particular short stories or ideas and shaking my head, say to myself : 'What was I thinking?" Obviously some small thing in the moment inspired the thought or the effort at the time. However, if the subject no longer impels you to finish it off, delete it and make space for the ones you still can conjure up the interest and passion for; perhaps if you have some time out in the garden or around a camp fire in the summer, a short piece won't intrude too much on those pleasures. (You know my preference for winter writing on longer tomes.. :) )