Idolatry Reworked

I sat down and did what I said I would last night - shock horror.

No distractions, no procrastination.

Comments made from the last market Idolatry was submitted to (ASIM), suggested the plot was a little vague. After rereading it, I can see what they are referring to. In the beginning, it purposefully doesn't reveal the name of one character or why she is at a seedy hotel for a business transaction (not that sort of transaction) - so I took on what I'd recently learned (thanks Alex).

Up front, I told the reader what's going on. I let the reason for her being there, what she was after and why, out of the bag very early in the piece.

I also changed the idol from one of fiction to a real one. I did a little bit of research and found a very striking little statue that fitted the bill.

I cut a few bits here and there but ended up putting one piece back which helped me tie up a brand new ending - remember that plant and payoff stuff Alex and I have talked about? I had a comment in the feedback about the ending not being overly satisfying, so I better defined the results of a particular action which takes place in the story. A line said very early on in the piece by a bit character comes back to help wrap things up.

As a refresher, and to bring those up to date who are new to this blog, this is the story which arose from an assignment I did earlier in the year. My lecturer made a comment about doubting me being able to turn the premise of the 600 word opening into a viable story. Idolatry is what I turned that opening into.

The lecturer, Mr Stone, has a way of giving praise with one hand and knocking the stuffing out of you with the other, a kind of literary carrot and stick approach. So it has become a mission to mold this piece into a story I can sell. Very little of the 600 words from the original opening remain, but the premise hasn't changed.

I'll sell this thing to a market somewhere - just to prove Mr Stone wrong on this one.

In other news...

The resubmission assignment went into the post yesterday so all my work for the year has been completed and sent in - 10 days in advance of the deadline. I'm expecting at least one or two back either today or tomorrow. Hopefully they don't require resubs.

Still no responses back about the rest of my submissions. May have to start sending out queries very soon.

Tonight is training again, although the weather seems to have turned a little cool, threatening rain. If the heavens do open up, that will shorten training and I may have time to get some work done tonight. Tomorrow night, it's time to start work on Newland again.

I wish you every success with your words and the order you put them in.

Speak soon

BT