Most of my short written pieces are my posts for on the website and run 300 to 400 words. When I wrote “For Love of goats”, I wrote shorter pieces around 150 to 200 words. Now I am trying my hand at writing drabbles, one of them anyway.
Writers Digest
No writer knows everything about writing, even if some of them think they do. And there are new ideas and reminders about writing. Where do you find them?
One place is by reading a wide range of books. My reading list runs from picture book concept books through juvenile, some young adult into adult. It includes fiction and nonfiction.
As I read, I decide what I like and what I don’t about the book. The things I don’t like are things to avoid in my own writing. Things I like might change how I write.
The other place to find out new things is in magazines. Writers Digest is one of them. It mentions new authors, writing advice, agents and more. One of the other things is a writing contest.
Writing Drabbles
First there is the question of what a drabble is. It is a story in 100 words, not counting the title.
When a word count is so limited, every word counts. It is a story, so something does happen and has a result.
The Contest
There is a picture. Writers are to write a first line or a story based on the picture. The latest one is to write a drabble.
Usually I look at this and turn the page. The pictures are of things I have no or little clue about. And there is the doubt I can do this to begin with.
Inspiration
I just finished a book called “Cowgirls”. And I have always loved horses. There was that picture of a girl up on a horse.
I do have a drabble draft. Actually it is the second or third one. No title yet. Is it a real drabble? I’m not sure.
Will I submit it? I’m not sure about that either.
Writing it is challenging and fun. That is a reward in itself.