A conversation last evening set me to thinking about this. If you happen to be new to the blog, a quick bit of history of my writing journey. I was around ten years old when I knew I wanted to be a writer (Yes, influenced by Little Women). As a middle class, one-income, three children family, financial support for me to do that wasn’t going to happen and I didn’t want to do the “starving writer” bit. I had written short stories and some poetry of course although sadly, in the time before computers I lost the file in my subsequent moves. Anyway, I did tinker with short stories later, did some professional writing, and kept the dream of the novel for “some day”. Fast forward to my decision to primarily self-publish and thus the body of work I have.

I enjoy short stories though and am inspired periodically to write a new one. I did even have one published (“Ferris Wheel Love”) a number of years ago. A great many of my stories do take place or at least start in bars and that does come from the phrase of, “Write what you know”. Indeed for fans of my first novel, Orchids in the Snow, that combines my military background with the social aspects of the Officers Club. The list of stories and essays are in the Archives on my website, https://www.charliehudson.net/stories/story_archive.html

Those that take place all or in part in bars written from early to later are: Come Here Often?, Draft With a Sprig of Mistletoe, Painted Cabanas, Twelve Pack Trip (not exactly in a bar), Closing Time, Closing Day, Running Yellow Lights, Forty-two Beers on Draft, Herding Seahorses, and Flight Delay.

Hmmm, just thinking about short stories might bring on another idea. We’ll see. Oh, there are also a couple that are really long, but generally 3,000 or so words in length.