The Story of Layla

I've begun to notice myself falling into a certain pattern in the short stories I write, and I think I can finally recognize it as a rough version of the basic pattern of short stories I enjoy to read.

But why bore you with an outline when there's some quality music waiting for us?

Let's listen to the best version of Eric Clapton's "Layla":



And now the short story outline with time-stamps:

:00 Anticipation
The medium, the layout, the title
The short, quick sketch of the setting and character
The reader is prepared for...

:37 Blam!
The shock, the hook.
It catches people by surprise or awe.
The reader is dragged willingly into the...

1:04 Plot
Here's what's going on.
Here's the conflict
Here's what's gonna happen...

2:53 Awesome
Action! Adventure! Sex! Victory!
And then...

3:55 Take a Breath
What next? Right...

4:10 Let's Get Serious
The meat course arrives.
Characters develop, challenge and are challenged, overcome or are overcome.
Now the writer has wrest out every last bit of Good Stuff from the story, which like all things good must...

7:30 End
A little bit of meaning, a morsel of resolution.
A theme capped off, and a hearty...

7:58 "Thank You!"

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This Writing blog will be posted every day at 6PM (my time) with a word count goal? Yes/No/OK as well as quick status update for the day's projects. Below that will be whatever book I happen to be reading at the moment. The content of the blog itself will be almost entirely about Writing.

Along with whatever absurd ideas needs to be skimmed off the top of my head that day. These may or may not relate to the daily picture and label.

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2000 words? Yes

Short Story "Pure Humanity" - finished, submitted

Flash "Preemptive Mercy" - finished, submitted
Book "Lived Too Long To Die" - chapter twelve
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Reading - "On The Road" (Jack Kerouac)