End of story

First draft is finished. Little over 9200 words, which is an awkward size for a short story these days but hey. (aside: why is it that short stories are getting shorter and novels are getting longer? Nobody wants to make a medium-sized time investment anymore...) Time to put it down for a while.

Ping faced his demon -- which was also mine -- and afterwards I'm glad to say that I got to write a scene with him in his relaxed, smiling, non-suicidal state. It echoes back to me as a bit of peace. Can't face my demons the same way my characters do, but it helps in some way to see them faced. If that makes any sense.

Stepping back a little, it's interesting how one can go through a story with one's characters and be in that moment, in there with them trying to get the immediacy down, but at the same time you're seeing the big picture (hopefully) and where it's all going, how it will end. It seems to me that actors do that, too. They've got the whole script in mind, but they've got to be in that moment. I don't know if I've ever heard someone talk about similarities between writing and acting.

I can only speak for myself, though. I'm interested in how other writers interact with their characters, if anyone wants to blog about it or point me toward something to read.

I'm also glad that although this story goes to some dark places, it ends well and I'm not leaving the character a sobbing wreck as has happened in other stories. There's an ick factor and I do try to get some suspense going, but I don't know if the story qualifies as horror -- someone else will have to be the judge of that.

The beginning sucks, though. Will need to work on that.

Next, back to Course Corrections to finish the first draft. Spent a very productive morning with my Idea Sounding Board working on what needs to be done.