Today I submitted a short story to The First Line, which describes itself as, “an exercise in creativity for writers and a chance for readers to see how many different directions we can take when we start from the same place.”
I only recently heard of this journal, and I thought it sounded like a fun idea. There’s not much structure – they provide the first line, you write a short story with that untouched first line.
I had three weeks to make the current deadline from the time I decided to submit, and thought that would be plenty of time, with room to spare. It turned out to be an adequate amount of time, given all the other events of daily life.
I have not written very many short stories in my life, and it was definitely a different experience. It was fun, and I like the fact that I was able to go from concept through draft through multiple revisions in such a short time. Plus I should get concrete feedback (even if in the form of a rejection) within about a month.
When I turned serious about writing a few years ago, I wasn’t prepared for how much everything involving planning and writing and querying and (hopefully) publishing a novel feels like steering some immense school bus. Each step takes a long time, longer than I would have thought. Writing a short story feels refreshingly nimble in comparison.
It was a good time, and I recommend it!