S4C: At the Finish Line

Well, that's a wrap folks! Thanks for reading!

I've really had a blast this month writing Novak's Last Theory, and I hope you enjoyed following along. A (roughly) six thousand word short story is not very long in the grand scheme, but it was a big challenge for me with my current schedule, and I feel a sense of exhiliration to have actually completed it.

I think the S4C structure is well balanced. The 500 word limit on each installment combined with the range of writing between 9 and 12 total installments provides just the right combination of rigidity and flexibility. I shot for telling the story in 9 parts, and ended up needing all 12. So that turned out to be a good approach.

The 500 word limit... was both a dear friend, and a hated enemy. It worked great as motivation to get started ("I can do that!"), and then made finishing very difficult ("Now what do I cut?"). Overall though, a great format to force creative solutions. I found that I had to use very economic storytelling gestures to come across within that little space.

Anyhow, I could ramble on further, but it's enough to repeat that I had a great time, and I'm thankful to all of you that took the time to read the story. Knowing I had an audience was very motivating.

Next up, Sledgehammer!