Dear World

Please Kill Me,

Greetings and Happy Friday my night writers of Westeros, (is that reference dated already #I’mOld). How the hell are you? If you’re reading this, I can only assume that your Friday has thusly begun, (and is already annoying the coffee beans out of you). That being said, how’s about a little sit down with Uncle Chit-Chat?

So, I’m working on another anthology. I know, I know: “Real Writers write novels!!!! TWO A YEAR!!!!!”– yea, sure. I get the sentiment. To be honest, however, the long-form novel is not necessarily in my sights at the moment. (I just came off of doing one, and I can really use a less-consequential breaky-poo. #HaHa #Poo). So, I’m doing the damned anthology–

*drops to knees*

“AND YOU CAN”T STOP ME!”

*looks around*

*nobody’s watching*

#SolemnSilence

Anyway…A little about that.

I really enjoy writing short stories. There’s a quiet succinctness to them. It almost starts like a novel, (i.e. the thought, initiation, ambition, vodka, dreams of grandeur, obscurity, etc,) so I like to take them seriously.

Not so seriously that they can’t be fun. As a matter of fact, I HAVE A FREAKIN’ BLAST writing them. But, they are innately short and sweet. A gentle-high, if you will.

I notice that with my personal work, I take the opportunity to key in on grander ideas from past and future projects. It isn’t so much a repeat-offender, as much as it is– a delve into a single aspect of something (usually an emotion, impulse, or instinct that I’ve covered) that I simply would/could not delve into during the course of a full-blown novel.

Not saying that it’s impossible, but who really wants to read my self-fellation (#inventedword) while they’re trying to follow a plot that merely uses the tool instead of depends on it. (Don’t answer that, I don’t like change).

It also grants me the much adored opportunity to manifest some of my oddest and most off-kilter ideas. Sure, I can write about: a pasta monster, caked in dung, on a vengeful quest to find two-ply toilet paper. But ,for 350+ pages? I think not.

However, how much more accessible, appealing (and less face it–ENTERTAINING) would that read be if it was say, I don’t know– 10,000 words. A bit more intriguing right? (#Don’tAnswerThat #IStillDon’tLikeChange).

Simpler put– it just grants me the ability to purge my poor over-obsessed writer mind of some interesting ideas. I–being the astute ecumenical person that I am–don’t like to waste such tales. So, I collect them, and feed them to the trough that is my budding fan base. In a way, it’s almost saint-like. (Or sick and delusional. But #Whatever).

Anywho, in case you were wondering, that’s why I do things like this or this. Creativity is a horrible thing to waste, and personally, I think it can allow for some great writing, entertainment, and thoughts, that may otherwise have lingered in the nothingness.

We’re conduits for the craft, not its master. “It calls. We pick up”. It’s as simple as that.

And with that, I hope you all have a stellar day and a subsequently better weekend, (No jokes here…I genuinely do). I’ll be back at some point with more news from the citadel.

 

Enjoy Your Weekend,

–Antwan Crump.