TOYS

One of the nicest things about being a kid was having toys.  The more toys, the more choices.  More choices, the less boring childhood was.  While my mom was kind enough to give me a decent arsenal of such toys growing up, I always wanted more of them.  Still, working with what I had allowed me to realize that I had one hell of an imagination (like playing football with my Star Wars action figures).

Whether you're writing poetry, short stories, or even full-fledged books, think of your lit pieces as toys.  You want to build a sort of reserve.  The more pieces in your arsenal, the more choices you have.  But doing this takes a block of time and considerable focus.  Having a compelling reason helps. 

Once upon a time, I pretty much tossed a year of my life away writing short stories.  I wasn't doing it for fame or wealth.  I did it to stay sane after a particularly-painful breakup. 

At the end of that year (2007), I looked over the fifty-plus short stories and realized that I was onto to something here.  Some of these pieces needed to be shared, just on title alone: "Ninja Leprechauns", "A Rabbi And A Demon", "Heavenly Draft", etc.  These "toys" are what I ended up using to put my collection together.  And should I ever run into that beautiful gal who shattered my heart . . . I owe her a Coke.

So, write yourself some toys.  Create more of them than you need.  If you write that kickassed novel, write the sequel right after it (just to prove that you can). 

Then spend some time creating and polishing, in bulk, your toys.  Because once you start with the nuts-and-bolts side of the writing business, you'll have less writing time (belive me).  I try to kick out a story a week, just to satisfy my "writing addiction", keep my edge, and to expand my pool of options for future collections. 

But you know what?  I also spit out new stuff because I want more "toys".  And unlike my Star Wars action figures, I don't mind sharing these.