western short story

The Story

/ Shirley Sorbello / Leave a comment

I’m daydreaming…looking at man with an oversized cowboy hat riding a bull or a wild horse in a large corral. I’m not sure which it was because I was wondering more about why this vision was invading my thoughts. I dismissed it, but then when I saw the same sight in my mind’s eye the following day, I decided to sit down and meditate upon it.

As I relaxed into this vision, I realized that the man was an Italian singer that I enjoyed listening to. This realization made the whole daydream even more bizarre. I started to make notes as I watched the sketchy images of an unfolding story. I wrote the short story, “That’s Just the Way it Is” in a little over two hours which I published in 2013. A little later I wrote a sequel, “Return to Texas,” published in 2014. The cowboy from the vision became John Colter, who is the protagonist Becky’s, first husband.

Somehow Becky’s story never “felt”  finished…too many loose ends needed to be connected. Life got in the way until 2020 when I began working on a book that would reveal a more complete version of Becky’s life. This book became the novella Where the Heart Goes in which Becky’s shares scenes from her life as a child up until her death, from a place that seems like the afterlife. It’s like a saga packed into a novella-sized book informally narrated by the protagonist. This is a story of love, guided by the heart.

Where do stories like this come from? Is this a past life memory…mine or someone else’s shot out of the collective unconscious? Was I Rebecca? Perhaps it’s just the product of an unbridled somewhat creative mind. We will never know for sure, will we? What I do know is that this story was meant to be written and lives in a special place inside my heart. I hope that it will find a place in yours as well!

Note: That’s Just the Way It Is and Return to Texas are FREE on Amazon, today through Dec. 3rd!

In the Silence

/ Shirley Sorbello / 10 Comments

I’ve been quiet for a while as far as blogging or any type of writing goes. While I have been dedicating some of my time to genealogy and home improvement projects, as well as life in general, there have been serious moments of reflection about my writing.

Rebecca, the protagonist from my first two short stories, “That’s Just the Way It Is” and “Return to Texas” has become very vocal (to me, at least) about the fact that her story is not complete and asked me to please allow her to finish it. All too ready to put aside the novel I’ve been working on for a few years, probably because I know it needs the dreaded major revision, I have agreed.

The new short story will be called, “Last Breath.” Parts of it are written, and I am in the process of doing the cover. Although I dislike boxing myself in, I will say that it should be available by May. While writing this story, I am doing more historical research about the time period of this piece (1884-1891 in Texas) and the impact it has on the storyline.

In addition, I have decided to do a novelette where I will be expanding these three stories, and including some historical influences especially the Civil War. Much more will be revealed about Rebecca’s early life in Philadelphia before she and her parents moved to Texas right before the War. At this point, I haven’t decided whether this additional project will be completed before or after my novel.

While it’s nice to see your words in print, it must be even nicer to hold them in your hands, which aside from the noise from Becky, is motivating me to put these stories into a “real” book.  Perhaps I could even stretch it out to a novella. I’ll probably let her decide.

I welcome any comments or ideas, especially from those of you who have read my first two stories. For my fellow writers, how’s your writing life going? What’s new? What’s flowing, or not? It’s time to make a little noise on this blog!

Photo credit: copyright: <a href=’http://www.123rf.com/profile_fintastique’>fintastique / 123RF Stock Photo

The Protagonist Speaks

/ Shirley Sorbello / 7 Comments

One of the things that surprised me when I first started writing fiction was how strong and independent the characters can become, even to the point of wanting to speak outside of the story. Let me introduce to you Rebecca Coulter from That’s Just the Way It Is which is FREE on Amazon February 3rd through February 5th!

Becky

It’s me, Becky Coulter. Thanks for stopping by today. I invite you to read the first part my story if you haven’t done so and to say thanks if you have.

It was difficult to find the love I had dreamed of in my Texas cowboy, John, but I did discover incredible love with my children, and well, as you’ll see in the sequel there were a few bright spots in my later life. My children were the most important thing to me; I sure hope I did right by them.

It’s a terrible thing for a mother to bury a child and even harder when the father had a part in the deed. Johnny was the love of my life and my biggest disappointment. I always told the young’uns, “don’t expect too much of anyone else, just yourself. That way you won’t feel let down, but you can always be proud of the person you are.”

I hope you like my pictures. My parents took them before they left Texas with one of those new fancy cameras from Philadelphia so they’d have something to remember me by. Pa had to close his store when the war got underway ‘cause Mama wanted to go back East. In 1862 I was only twenty-three and so full of hopes and dreams. I was happy then, and it was good to feel that way.

Ranch

John never wanted his picture taken so you can only see a glimpse of him. Thinking back, that’s just the way John was. He never let anyone, even me, completely know him. It was like he held on to a part of himself too fragile to share with the world. I don’t think he was a bad man, just carried too many wounds from childhood that scarred his soul a bit. It gave him a dark side and placed a shadow over the way he looked at life. He and I never did see the world in quite the same way; it’s really sad when you think about it.

John

I believe life is what you make it, but the Lord had a spoon in the batter so when it was all over it was the right life for me, just not what I expected. A year after I left John, my youngest, Matty, and I took that long dusty ride back to Texas into the second half of my life. My saddest moments came along then, but also many of the best. I look forward to sharing more of them with you soon in the sequel that’s being written now.