I’m taking a little victory lap here, because I just finished the second draft on a short story that I’ve been mucking about with for a long time. It’s no long — just over 3800 words — and it’s called The Magician’s Path.
Here’s a little bit:
The Magician sat alone in his study, and practiced his magic. He conjured small creatures who existed briefly before vanishing in a burst of fragrant smoke. He extinguished the torches with the wave of one hand, then drove the darkness away with the other. His magic was passable, and he was quite good at it, but the Magician wanted to be a true Wizard, and to become a true Wizard, he needed an apprentice to train.
In those days, though, an apprentice could not be recruited or even sought out. In those days, an apprentice had to come to a magician of his own volition, and ask to be trained. It was through the training that the apprentice would become a magician, and the magician a Wizard.
The Magician spent many years perfecting his tricks, and understanding the ways of magic. When a young apprentice finally appeared at his door, the Magician would be ready.
The year was young, though winter was at its deepest and coldest when the boy arrived. He was very young, and though the Magician had waited so very long, he was not sure that one so young could be taught, that one so young would be willing to do the challenging and unrewarding work that went into mastering magics. He told the boy these things, but the boy pleaded with him. “I am very young, but I am honest and dedicated,” the boy said. “I will study and I will learn and I will work as hard as I must.”
My instinct as a blogger (I’ve been at this thing for over 15 years) is to publish the whole thing right now, because I like it, I’m excited about it, and I want to share it. But my instinct as a writer is to sit back on it for a little bit, get into the next thing, and then come back to this for one final pass before I release it.
It isn’t a lot, but it’s something where there wasn’t something before, and it’s something that I started and finished. I’m not gonna lie, Marge: I feel pretty good right now, and I haven’t felt pretty good in a long time.
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Looks like good reading! 👍🏻
You should feel good, Wil. It’s not much but it’s enough to make me want to read more!
So… what happens next? Who is the boy? Can’t wait for more 🙂
More…must.have.more. Greedy mind seeks and must.have.more. Thank you for sharing!
So far, so good. Can’t wait to read more.
Han shot first (By that I mean publish it now, and touch it up later)
I liked it. I can’t wait for you to fully release the rest. Don’t sit on this too long… Thank you for sharing…
Genuinely want more!
Stud. Thank you for sharing your gifts.
I love it, especially the first paragraph where I can “see” him working his magic. I would do more “showing” through the next couple of paragraphs and it will be gold! Great second draft!
Excellent. Glad to see you writing fiction again. More please, when you feel it’s ready.
Waiting with bated breath for more. 🙂
Yes, more. I’d buy and read it.
Good start, traditional elements with a hint of what seems a new idea (to me anyway)
Yay for feeling pretty good! And for making a thing that you like, that didn’t exist before you made it!
It’ll be ready for our consumption when it’s damn well good and ready for our consumption. In the meantime, have a frosty beverage of your choice in celebration of The Magician’s Path!
W00t!
Sounds like a good story. Why is he called “the Magician”. Why is he not allowed to recruit? Why does he feel the boy is lacking, and why does the boy says that he can. Does the boy want power, or is he running away from something else.
Suggesting and requesting and audio version for a RFB (or an audio book. I’m not above shelling out some $$$). I think a read aloud performance would be great.
Yes to this! I’d be willing to pay for an audio version of the complete story as well!! Or at least the complete written copy. I’m sitting here thinking of of the possibilities of what happens next. That I’m left wanting more means your on the right track!
Good for you! Take two laps. I look forward to reading the whole story.
My favorite line from this entire post: ” I feel pretty good right now, and I haven’t felt pretty good in a long time.”
Oh, and the story is lovely—please finish it so we can find out what happens—-thank you!
Agree wholeheartedly.
I accidentally conjured small creatures of the ant variety who existed briefly at the family picnic yesterday before vanishing in a burst of fragrant insecticide.
I think that one needs some work yet Wil. It’s almost there but it is a bit underdone. Let your mind sit on it and come back later. I’m sure it will be a gem with some edits.
This guy… Eye roll.
Good job, Wil. I find that writing anything helps me right more. Keep at it!
Here’s to writing like a boss and feeling good about it!
\m/ \m/
Two ‘rock-n-roll-hands’ up in yer general direction.
I’ve been reading Terry Pratchett’s “Long Earth” series this past week and am about 1/4 of the way through the 2nd of 5 books. It’s such an interesting concept. Give humanity unlimited space and resources and humanity will continue to fight over space and resources because… well, because we tend to regress to poop throwing monkeys when space and resources are on the line, even when they’re mostly valueless. It’s a very long way from my favorite Pratchett, but as a critique of humanity, he’s (almost uncomfortably) spot on.
Substitute “Magician” with “academic”, and “apprentice” with “PhD student” (and a few words here and there) and the story still works 🙂
Good to see you’re working past your rough spot, Wil!
You’ve caught my interest already. I can’t wait to read the whole story. Keep being awesome!!
I like the hook of the apprentice has to seek a master. Something new in an old genre
Take your time. Set it aside, write something else then come back and read it – need an idea what to write? Chuck Wendig is good at giving lists of prompts. Pick one, write something that you have no intention of showing anyone. Be as silly or weird as you want. It’s the act of creating something new that separates you from your previous story and allows insight.
I want to find out what happens next! 🙂
I needed this today – because I’ve not felt as though I’ve accomplished much with my own writing in quite some time. Here’s to continued forward movement for us both@
Great, Wil! I’m really enjoying your story so far. But I wanted to let you know that as I was reading this story, Wrapped Around Your Finger (The Police) was going through my mind. Nice ear worm there!
Well, I really like what you have so far. But yeah, as a writer, I find it’s best to let some time pass so you come back to your own words with (somewhat) fresh eyes. Like, every year I do NaNoWriMo in November and write a whole bunch of words, then give it at least until after Christmas to revisit them. If I’m excited when I’ve just finished the first revision and it’s truly a good piece of writing, the second revision will only make it better. 🙂
You definitely have a great introduction, it sets up the story but also makes you go “but wait, how will it all turn out?” Which is the best you can ask of an introductory passage. 🙂 Not 100% certain you need the third paragraph though. Those two sentences are likely to be shown later in the story. 🙂 (sorry, my editing brain switched on, too many years as a Creative Writing major makes me start acting like everything I read is in workshop)
Wil, this post made me very happy. You sound so much more positive than you were in your previous two postings and it’s sounds like you’re getting your much needed creativity back to feel good about yourself and fulfilled. You sound happy again and when you’re happy, I’m happy. I love your story so far and can’t wait to read more. I’m so glad you’re getting your groove back. I’m so looking forward to what you will accomplish next. Take care and God bless!
Your fan always! ❤
Good for you, Wil! I liked what I read and would like to read more.
Neat!! Look forward to reading more.
Victory!
Yay! It’s done! Congratulations on this accomplishment. I’m a professional writer and agree with the other writers here who have commented. Now is NOT the time to post the whole thing or submit for publication. Now is the time to put it away for a week, a month — listen to your imagination, it will tell you when it wants to return to it. Reading your excerpt I thought this has a really nice feel to it, nice tone, and the questions readers need to keep reading. Science Fiction & Fantasy magazine (https://www.sfsite.com/fsf/) could be a nice market for it. I look forward to reading more!
Dear Wil,
It looks like the beginning of something. Of a story. Something that will continue and last.
Do you associate yourself with one of your characters?
Mickeymousenevercries
I never realized this, but writing is the one thing that has always made me feel better, in a kind of “washing away my fears” type of better. Reading is another one of my passions. I guess they go hand in hand. Unlike you, I don’t normally let other people read my work, it’s just so difficult when you share something, and all you want is a “cool story”, kind of response, but instead they go all “editor” on you and tell you exactly how many grammar errors you made. Not conducive to awesomeness in any way! In any case, I liked reading your story…it made me think about being young again, oddly. And what’s even more strange, it made me think of the time I was tested for attention and iq…*shudder. Not sure if that’s what you were going for, but it’s all good! 😉