Author's Notes for "Watching Him Sleep"
Sep. 27th, 2009 10:32 pm![[personal profile]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
starwatcher_fic.
Written in response to a challenge that was going around LiveJournal. Those who wanted to "play" would post the first line of several of their previously-posted stories; their friends were invited to select a line and write a drabble based on that line. One of![[livejournal.com profile]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
castalie's lines jumped out at me, and Blair was unfolding his story.
For those who haven't tried it, a true 'drabble' -- exactly 100 words -- is very difficult to write; it takes a skilled author to tell a story and exhibit the emotional involvement in a mere 100 words. My first draft was something like 140 words, and there was nothing to cut, so I reworked it and made it a 'double drabble' -- exactly 200 words. Polished it, posted it, and sat back with a satisfied sigh.
An hour later, Jim was insisting on telling his side of the story. An hour after that (I was supposed to be in bed, daggone it, but he wouldn't leave me alone) I had a matching double-drabble.
The next morning, I realized that the pair told a complete story. Feedback from the Cascade Times list led me to change one word for the better (Thank you; I forget your name, but I remember your comment), and Arianna supplied a more appropriate title. It's amazing how often these stories come together because of a group effort, and I'm grateful to anyone who's ever helped.
.
Written in response to a challenge that was going around LiveJournal. Those who wanted to "play" would post the first line of several of their previously-posted stories; their friends were invited to select a line and write a drabble based on that line. One of
castalie's lines jumped out at me, and Blair was unfolding his story. For those who haven't tried it, a true 'drabble' -- exactly 100 words -- is very difficult to write; it takes a skilled author to tell a story and exhibit the emotional involvement in a mere 100 words. My first draft was something like 140 words, and there was nothing to cut, so I reworked it and made it a 'double drabble' -- exactly 200 words. Polished it, posted it, and sat back with a satisfied sigh.
An hour later, Jim was insisting on telling his side of the story. An hour after that (I was supposed to be in bed, daggone it, but he wouldn't leave me alone) I had a matching double-drabble.
The next morning, I realized that the pair told a complete story. Feedback from the Cascade Times list led me to change one word for the better (Thank you; I forget your name, but I remember your comment), and Arianna supplied a more appropriate title. It's amazing how often these stories come together because of a group effort, and I'm grateful to anyone who's ever helped.
.