Okay, I got a backlog of posts and post ideas going back a week or so. Here’s where I try to get to them.
Last week, I workshopped a flash piece for the crit group, formerly titled “NIGYSOB,” one of the Games People Play in the book written by Eric Berne. It’s been a week, so I’m trying to recall the context of the notes I made.
The Good
- Good characterization.
- Nice twist at the end.
- It was apparently the right length (Just over 1,000 words. I’ve edited it down to about 920, though I have the sense that it might’ve been too much).
The Bad
- The parentage of one of the characters was too ambiguous for most–especially when I intended absolutely none.
- The escalation of the conflict felt rushed.
- Some disagreement over whether or not I left enough clues to the “punch line.” Everyone felt I didn’t, but some liked it that way.
The Ugly
No real ugliness, this time around.
I joked about how I wrote and brought a finished flash piece when I’d started two longer-length shorts which I haven’t finished. Well, now I’ve got two pieces to finish and two to edit. I think I’ve got a legit excuse for not bringing something to read next week–I should be editing!