So I’m challenging myself to write three stories between now and the end of 2009.

I had the hardest time coming up with some ideas in the past week or two — I think my brain was still recovering from re-drafting the end to my baseball novel as well as putting the final polish on my YA fantasy novel, all in the days after my two-week Master Class in early October.

And now it’s two months later, and I’ve been itching to write something completely new — no stories related to novels I’ve written or hope to write, no sequels or prequels, no outtakes or fixer-uppers from failed stories or novels. Not even a story based on our webcomic would do.

I had to sit down and just write, so I could put all that I’d learned in my workshop to good use. I struggled for a couple days this week, made a list of ideas, and then finally gave up and went for a walk yesterday afternoon at work.

Of course, that’s when I figured out what I wanted to write. I don’t want to say too much about it — always a good way to jinx a work-in-progress, talking about it — but the story is a challenge in a variety of ways. One, I wanted to start with setting and over-describe the setting. And second, I wanted to play up all the sensory details (these two things are some of my tools I wanna polish up in my toolbox).

And finally, I wanted to write this story FAST. Just get it out.

So… this morning I banged out the opening scene. Almost 2,000 words. I’m shooting to finish the draft Friday morning, and get it in the mail that morning.

So far, so good.

Then, I want to do it two more times, with two more all-new stories. I may try to write an old idea over from scratch, and I also want to try to write a story for a music-related anthology before 2009 is up.

Ironically, here’s my “Writer’s Horoscope” from YorkWriters (for yesterday, but who’s keeping track?):

Gemini (May 21 – June 20) – Today could be the day you succeed.  Today could be the day when your dreams are realized.  Who knows who is reading your work, right this second?  Who is thinking about it?  Who may be reaching for a phone, or typing that all important email?  This could be the day that everything changes.  Or not.  But every day could be that day, and today should be rich with possibilities.  If it isn’t, maybe you should have more work circulating.

I think the stars are trying to tell me something…

So don’t let me slack on this challenge. I wanna get these three stories done, so I can dive into 2010 with a full head of steam (and work on those new novel ideas, and the comic as well). No slacking!