Don't you just hate it when you've spend some time working on a story and then when it's mostly done you come up with an idea on how to tell it in a much better way.

Here's the story: I had an idea, not really a story idea but the backstory idea; the reason why a story would take place. I wrote down the ideas that came to me over a few days as I thought about it. Then I tried to come up with a story. Well, nothing happened. I thought and thought then decided to write it as a report. No characters, no action or conflict (but the report describes the conflict to come) just a here's where we are and this is what we have to do. So I write it as a report and let it rest then start editing it. Half way through editing the "story" idea comes. A good story, with characters, two or three ways of having conflict, neat technology, just pops in to my head.

Argh, I suppose I should write the story story. As my wife said, "Characters are good." For a while lately I've had these non-story ideas. Good background but not a story with characters and conflict. I should be thankful that that may be passing. For an example check out my earwig challenge story. It has two characters but is mostly one telling the other the history of the problem.

I think I'll finish the report version since that is nearly done and think of more story aspects as I do that. Who knows, maybe that will turn out great and one of the harder SF markets will pick it up.