His boots were filthy.
But far from being annoyed, I was struck with the memory of those boots (well, a different pair, surely), and the mess they'd made, inspiring me to write a story.
Back in the summer of 2017, Cara McKenna's writing website, Love Notes from Purgatory, opened a contest called The Teeny Tiny Romance Contest. The rules were simple: Anyone could enter, newbie writer or seasoned, published author. The story had to be a 2,000 word (or less) romance with a satisfactory ending.
Feeling bolstered by the enthusiasm I'd seen from readers of my fan-fiction, I decided to enter the contest.
But what would I write about? How was I going to establish a relationship, get the reader invested, and create a conflict and resolution in 2,000 words?
As I pondered these questions, I looked down at the dirty tile floor near my desk, and was struck with an idea.
I was, at that moment, angry with my husband for carelessly tracking mud from his work boots into the house. As a matter of fact, I didn't so much think it was "careless" but "passive-aggressive". I was in my own established relationship, in conflict with my partner, and assuming some pretty nasty things about his motivations.
I knew I had my story.
So I swept up the clods of dirt, cussing him all the while, and set to work. The story came easily, the word count constraint wasn't the hurdle I thought it would be, and I managed to bring a little tear to my own eye as I wrote.
I was happy with it. Yes, it was cheesy, and the title, Poet's Sunshine was even cheesier. But I was starting to suspect that cheesy romance was going to be my thing.
The most worrying thing for me was that Cara McKenna--THE Cara McKenna-- was going to be reading and judging something I'd written. I didn't necessarily think it could catch the attention of Ms. McKenna or set itself apart (in a good way) from the other submissions--which I knew were probably, in part, from veteran authors who actually knew what they were doing.
I didn't have hope that I would win. And I didn't. But I became a finalist!
And, let me tell you, it did wonders for my confidence. Truly, it was an honor just to be nominated.
Seeing my husband's dirty, crusty boots last night prompted me to remember that I'd never posted my story anywhere other than LNfP, and maybe that should be rectified. Who knew boots were so inspirational?
So, here it is. Poet's Sunshine: 2,000 cheesy words about love and marriage.
I encourage everyone to check out Love Notes from Purgatory. There's romance industry and craft advice, and of course, all of the submissions from the contest.
https://lovenotesfrompurgatory.com/contest/
And, because I'm a fan, I heartily recommend Cara McKenna's books. I don't think anyone does erotic romance better than she does.
Happy reading!
-Stella
No comments:
Post a Comment