Sporting Chance: Reflections on A Story Every Day So Far (October Edition)

It's November already. Two things occur to me about November. One: it's been nearly a whole year since I put my little book of stories out into the world. Two: I'm in the penultimate month. I'm so close to the home stretch I can bloody well taste it.

Goals

I set my mind to writing a story every day this year. With every day that passes, it feels like I might actually do this thing.

A Sporting Chance

I was never athletic when I was at school. I don't remember being picked last for teams, but there weren't many people after me. I rarely managed to place in any races, let alone win.

I think I was about ten, and some kind soul had taken pity on me on Sports Day and put me down for the easiest race: the Egg and Spoon. It didn't matter if you lost that one. It didn't count. It was almost luck. Did you get a wobblier egg that wouldn't stay on? How deftly could you scoop it up when the whistle went?

The eggs and spoons had been laid out at the starting line. Mismatched things, slightly different shapes and sizes.

The stars had aligned: I had a perfectly-shaped egg, and a good-sized spoon. The one fit as neatly into the other as if someone had taken the trouble to test each egg and see which were the best fit. I was striding off down the track while most of the others were still trying to scoop up their eggs.

A glance to either side showed I didn't have much competition. The others were hunched small, staring at their eggs and making tiny steps, and having to stop frequently to scoop them up again.

I dared to break into a run. My egg stayed on! Somehow, I knew it would.

The disbelief when I got near that tape. Me, who never won anything! When I realised I might actually do this thing.

I flew down that last stretch with screams in my ears.

I remember that feeling. I can taste it. I'm chasing it right now.

The Nuts & Bolts

As of 31st October, it's 305 days in to the yearlong Story Every Day challenge, which started on 1st January. Only sixty-one days to go!

• My word count for October: 16498. As always, this doesn't include the author's notes at the end of my micros. There were two rewrites I didn't include, and I didn't include Ellie Nine One Thousand either, because I actually wrote that months ago.
• Stats: My monthly peak at my stats showed that my reads soared and then dipped. It's on a minus percent at the moment, despite having over 1k reads in the last month.
• Reads: I hit 15k on 10th October. I'm nearly at 16k now. Thank you everyone for your support.

• For all the writing I've been doing, I don't think my October stories have had many eyes. My most-read, most-liked piece in October was Making Your Vocal Piece Readable: 101. My most-read, most-liked micro was #276 Time Capsule (which surprised me, because I didn't love it).

Achievements

• I got three Top Stories: Time Capsule, Imposter, and Queen.
• I got Runner Up in the Unreliable Challenge with Chocolat Chaud.

I also placed on the leaderboard a few times.

• 2nd: An Honourable Mention for "Most Discussed" (Do You Know Who I Am?)
• 16th: another "Most Discussed" H.M. for Room of Unforgiveness
• and just last week, on the 30th: second place for "Most Discussed" (Making Your Vocal Piece Readable: 101)

This Month I 'Ave Mostly Bin Writin'...

about parasites: Something Bugging You? and Ring of Fyre

about COVID: Time Capsule and Tales of Way Back When

about dreams: Sandman, Dream Milk

about death: too many to list! Cadavers, and ghosts, and murder, oh my! Well, it was Halloween, wasn't it?

I started a new series with Monday's Child.

And on the wanky poem front: Five! Mostly for the sky-ku challenge.

Reflection

I have endured some jaded days this year, but none, I think, in October.

I've had days where you know what, I can't be bothered. I've had days where I wondered why the hell I started this thing.

I've had days when late evening rolled 'round, and not only do I have nothing ready to publish, but I don't even know what I'm going to write. Panic sets in. Sometimes I've been casting about mentally for a story idea while I'm in the bath. Flicking through my notes at stale ideas (it's so much better to use them up while they're fresh, isn't it?) Logging in to Vocal, and opening draft after draft. Can I use that one?

But not in October.

Ideas have fallen like leaves. I could almost cry for the ones that escape, but I don't have time. Too busy wrestling with the ones I managed to grab by the tail.

Why the glut? Is it because I'm feeling the benefits of daily practise? Is it being inspired by Halloween?

Could be a bit of both. There's a kind of magic in October, and it's that as well.

My favourite story this month was probably Sandman.

What I've Learned

I've been too busy writing, and putting out the fires in my fingertips to learn anything. It feels like my feet haven't touched the ground.

Goals

Let's have a look at how I did with my goals for October:

• Reciprocate reads - Smashed it! I still have a few to catch up on, but I'm nearly there!
• Movie review - lol
• Book review - errrm
• Recipe - I managed that!
• Dollar challenge piece - yep!
• Reflections on challenges I entered
• Continue posting before 11PM - NAILED IT
• At least one longer piece of fiction - done!
• Lean into the Halloween skid and try more horror - oh done and done!

Goals for November

• Continue to reciprocate reads, and maintain a daily reading practise
• Reviews: one movie and one book
• One recipe
• Dollar challenge piece
• Continue posting before 11PM
• Wrap up some of the series I started that are still dangling
• Keep up the momentum. I can't stumble now, not when I'm so close!

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Thank you for reading!