I’ve mentioned my novel won’t be out until next spring. I also have a new story set to appear in an anthology that has been pushed back to next year (a common occurance 2020/2021 for traditional and independent publishers alike) – which meant 2021 was destined to pass without a single new release from yours truly. 🙁
Sometime in between writing “Plus One”, the story originally intended for the anthology, and “The Patriarch”, the story I ultimately contributed, I experienced a big burst of inspiration for several other short stories. After focusing on teen angst in Silly Little Monsters, I felt ready to move on to adult woes; everything from toxic workplaces to postnatal depression. The new collection will again span multiple genres (with a heavier dose of horror), and still have moments of fun and whimsy interspersed with the more serious subject matter. As I began writing, I thought about past work experiences that dug up old insecurities. I realized two things: one of the stories in the new collection had to involve a teacher, and that teacher had to be Allison from “Queen Bee”.
I hadn’t intended to write a sequel to a short story – who does that? – let alone include it into the new collection, which is more adult in tone, but it just felt right. So did releasing “Queen Bees” well in advance of the next collection.
Its predecessor was one of those stories that began with a vague concept, and opened with a riff on someone I observed self-identifying as a bad boy (yawn), but ultimately the story developed a life of its own. Or rather, lives. More often than not, my stories are character driven. Sometimes these characters are a composite of people I’ve known. Other times I feel like I’ve tapped into some alternate reality (The Dark Tower, anyone? – I get it, Mr. King, especially the guilt when I fail my characters). The main characters in “Queen Bee” represent an odd couple you often see in scary movies: one sweet and naive, the other edgy and jaded. In this case, the friendship was very one-sided; less Sidney and Tatum of Scream, more Anita and Jennifer.
As an aside, I was one of those viewers put off by the initial marketing of Jennifer’s Body so I didn’t see it until after my final edits were submitted for Silly Little Monsters when I noticed YouTubers championing the film years later. I almost panicked when I saw parallels between the characters, but I breathed a sigh of relief as the stories veered in different directions.
During the process of writing “Queen Bee”, I had realized something about Allison. Taylor knew it, too, but Allison did not, so I withheld the information from readers. When we catch up with Allison in “Queen Bees”, she’s more self aware, but Taylor remains an enigma. I’ve never known anyone like Taylor – or Allison – but I think she embodies unresolved conflicts with people we never quite identify as friend or foe. Sometimes we have to find our own closure.
I’d like to end with some thoughts on the creative process. There’s this romanticized misconception that art requires suffering, but pain is inevitable. There’s enough to draw upon without manufacturing more. Even now, some people continue to rationalize the harm creatives cause themselves and others to realize their vision. Here’s the thing: artists have created some of their best work during times of healing.
We’re often told ADHD makes us creative and medication will diminish it. This has not been my experience. Before treatment, I had all these big ideas, but I couldn’t finish anything I started, and what I did write barely scratched the surface of what I envisioned. After, I’m so much closer to reaching my ideals. Personally I find the trick – and this may help anyone with writing block – is that when I get stuck on one story, I work on another. Then I go back or work on a different project (day-by-day, not minute-by-minute) so I’m always progressing something. I’ve also learned I have to write scenes as they come, and go back later to fill in the gaps instead of forcing things.
Existence is sometimes pain. Writing doesn’t have to be.
