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My prompt for @Bucky 's December contest is "Write a story about the Dullahan" and I've spent the last couple of days reading everything I can find on the subject.

I got a late start on the contest and with any luck I'll still manage a decent submission by the deadline.

I haven't really had much success as a "planner", but I've plotted out the main path and have come up with various scenarios for when things go awry. We'll see if I can stick to the outline or if the story starts going off on wild tangents on its own.

I will use this post for my biweekly updates. (PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND)

12/6: Plotted main path and plan to start writing tonight.

12/9: My project word count is currently at 2.4K; mostly brainstorming, etc. Haven't begun writing the actual storygame yet.

12/13: Tweaked the setting and characters a bit and narrowed the focus. With any luck I'll be able to write the darned thing.

12/16: Still banging my head against the brick wall that is this project.

12/20: Lost momentum so starting over for the sixth? time.

12/23: Still plugging along and getting nowhere fast.

12/27: Not about to give up, but I've started over yet again and hope to actually get somewhere this time around.

12/30: Started my story for the final time. I'll go with this version no matter how bad I feel it is.

1/3: Throwing it at the editor and praying that it sticks. Might add more if I can get over this stinkin' headache I've had since this all started.

1/4: Published.

I'm looking forward to this one. It's nice to give some of the non-typical creatures and legends some story time. A lot of different ways you could go with it.

Yeah, this prompt feels like it was tailor-made for me. I'm just having a bit of trouble knowing where to even begin, but I'll get there. Maybe...

"A lot of different ways you could go with it."
I'd wager that "insane" wasn't one of the ways you were referring to...

Good luck!

Thanks! I'll need it...

I got tired of looking at this darned thing and decided to go ahead and publish while there's still time. I know it's short, but there's no way I would've been able to finish the initial storyline in only a month. This is actually my eighth start, I think, and I really had to trim it down in order to make the deadline. Anyway, here goes nothing.

Also, I learned a lot while writing this and hopefully my second won't be such a headache.

Hope you enjoy!

Awesome, congrats on your first story! I was worried you were going to wind up pulling the plug on the whole thing for awhile there. I could only glance at at the moment but the first couple pages look just fine. You really were stressing for nothing, anything you write is automatically going to be better than 80% of the stuff that gets published here. Now you've gotten past the biggest hurdle of just throwing words down and pushing them out there and not worrying if they're perfect, and it all gets a lot easier after that. Trust me, I have recent experience in this. :P

I really have you to thank for this. First, for making it mandatory to enter the contest. Second, for a whole month's worth of stress headaches. And third, for finally being able to put my words out there for the world to scrutinize because I watched you go through the agony first and figured I'd do the decent thing and pick up the torch!

So thank you! You are the wind beneath my wings!

With any luck, it won't take me another three-and-a-half years to publish my second.

Congrats on getting complete and pressing that Publish button!!!

Thanks! It was a hard won battle, but I actually did it. Finally!