With my teaching load finally reduced (I’ve been doing extra work at that job for the past three months or so – there’s a massive shortage of ESL teachers in Perth!), this week I have actually had two days at home to get my writing work done. Of course, I actually need about three or four, but two days is certainly better than one. And it was great timing because I’ve been trying to write a Christmas-themed short story for a contest which closes tomorrow.

The idea for the story has been sitting in my head for ages – well years, actually, since I visited “the real Santa” in Finnish Lapland a few Christmases back. But I had almost given up hope of having time to get the story out and looking good in time for this contest deadline, until I woke up early this morning and realised that I had enough time to give it a go and still make the rest of my regular writing deadlines today.

The story is half fun and half serious, but I had a lot of fun writing it. And the best surprise of all was the ending, because it changed. About half way through I suddenly remembered the advice I’d used in the last 24-hour short story contest: to lead the plot towards a twist, and then suddenly twist again in the other direction! And I managed to do that with this story (successfully, I hope) and I really rather like it. And it’s quite rare that I say that about a short story I’ve written – I often despise them later.

Anyway, the result of the morning’s work is that after having no more than an outline, I now have a 2,500 word short story sitting on the dinner table to edit later. (And take at least 250 words out, using Stephen King’s 10% rule!). Of course, I may already despise it by the time I read it again later on, but I hope not, and in any case it’ll definitely be heading in to the contest tomorrow.