Blurb
Paul has seen Victor before, he just can’t remember where. The rush of fear in his stomach when Victor glances his way is familiar. Paul knows the slant of his smile. There’s nothing safe here, but when Victor offers to meet over coffee, Paul is swayed by this sense of knowing. Victor’s touch feels like an old lover. His hands have been here before.
Paul is sure he once learned something Victor is trying to hide. His hair stands on end whenever Victor gives him attention, like his body reacting to danger that his mind can’t recall. He’s not sure uncovering more is a good idea but he craves what Victor might give him.
Paul wants to know why he longs for Victor’s voice. He dreams about conversations they’ve never had. He desires a darkness he’s never seen before. They met only once, but this longing is too intense. Victor is keeping secrets, Paul just can’t remember them.
Expanded from Mile High Vampire, a reader favorite flash story previously published in the collection Fanged. En Memoriam stands alone.
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How to Tune Your Brain from Writing to Editing
En Memoriam is one of the shortest stories I’ve written, but it’s one of the hardest I’ve ever edited. Since I consider drafting to be the most difficult part of the process, that surprised me. But in the six months that I struggled with this story, I learned a few things about editing. Maybe they’ll help you, too.
1: Commit To It
I usually have two or three stories going at once. One in outlines, one drafting, and maybe one editing. The first two are messy, chaotic processes. I say yes to every possibility and things can get ugly right before I call a story’s first draft done.
But editing is another beast entirely. Editing requires my desk to go from fabulous entropy to right-angle organization and unoccupied horizontal spaces. Editing forces me to kick out some of those ‘yes’s and drill down on what’s really important. And for En Memoriam, editing required me to focus on this story only.
I resisted limiting myself to only one project. One thing is dull, I get bored at the drop of a hat, but En Memoriam languished for months as a result. When I finally committed to editing, looking at nothing else until it was done, I polished it off in under six hours.
2: Find Your Time
I am not a morning person. Boyfriend will be the first one to tell you, if I need to get up before 7, I’m in physical pain and I will tell you all about it. Despite that, in the four or so hours just after I get up, I am my most productive editor. I’m alert, my brain is on overdrive, and I’m at my most optimistic in the morning.
This is not at all true for drafting or outlining. That crazy creativity needs the late nights to get going, all the better if lights are off and it’s just the glow of the laptop in front of me. Tunnel vision kicks in and nothing exists but the story playing in my head.
So play with your time. Fiddle with outlining in the morning and drafting in the evening. Try writing as fast as you can during lunch break. Up later than usual? Put yourself in front of a page and see what comes out. You might be surprised.
3: Keep a Checklist
Everyone has their own personal quirks of language. I like the word ‘indeed.’ Boyfriend will tell half a story with ‘it’s and ‘they’s before naming the subject. What sucks is it’s hard to see our own ticks in our writing, and it’s even harder to remember them if someone points one out. In En Memoriam, characters were gasping left and right until an editor highlighted every instance of the word for me.
Ask your beta readers to tell you if you overuse a phrase, word, or syntax. Then, when they get back to you with an answer, start a list. Add to it with every book you finish. Before long you’ll have a substantial and personalized list of items to check before your latest story goes out for submission.
In the end, just like writing, editing is a personal and unique experience. What works for me might not work for you, but it’s worth a try if you’re still looking for rhythm. Your pattern may change over time, too. School, work, family responsibilities get in the way of our carefully crafted schedules. That’s when you fall back on the only thing everyone can agree will work:
Butt in chair. Fingers on keys. Get it done.
Tami Veldura is a writer, reader, lover and artist. She currently resides in San Marcos, CA. She writes science fiction, fantasy, steampunk, and GLBTQ fiction.
Website: www.tamiveldura.com
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Twitter: @tamiveldura
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Email: tamiveldura@gmail.com
Read Elizabetta’s Review Here!
Darn…seem to have missed the giveaway. Added the book to my wishlist. It sounds really fun read.