In the morning, before I sit down to write, I’ll read some poetry or maybe a short story or two. Then, I jump on my computer, open the long-running document I’ve titled “Writing Journal,” and begin to write.
What do I write?
Sometimes, I’ll recap what happened yesterday and maybe make some writing goals for the day. Other times, I’m knee-deep in a story or a chapter and am chomping at the bit to get back to work on a particular part. And then there are the times when something I read has an effect on me.
That’s what happened when I wrote this next 101-word story. I’d just finished Ernest Hemingway’s Hills Like White Elephants. I won’t retell that story here, but there’s this silence that undergirds the two characters’ words and actions—the subtext. The unspoken emotions and thoughts make the story heartbreaking.
I was immediately moved to try my hand at a story where subtext dripped off the page. The 101-word format seemed a good place to start.
Initially, my intention was to extend the Hemingway story, to look at this relationship ten years later. But as my 101-word story came into focus, it became obvious that my characters were different people, and I don’t mean that time had changed them. Their personalities were…different.
Anyway, there’s a peek behind the curtain for you.
Now, go and read my story: How Did We Get Here?
Great post, Jon. We can be inspired by a lot of things. I think it’s cool that you were inspired by a Hemingway story to write your 101 word story, which is a good one :). I remember it and I love how you had that twist (your use of subtext is great too).
I think it’s important to be surrounded by art, to continue consuming it. It’ll keep us inspired.