I have these two novels that I'm working on; the first is a crime novel, and the second is a road novel that I write longhand, when I'm out traveling. The progress is somewhat slow. It feels like I'll never get my writing up to speed.
I have some reports and a science paper I need write before Christmas. But that's my job, and it doesn't really count. I enjoy writing the science stuff too, and my amateur fiction writing is improving my science writing, which is fine.
So, I thought that maybe it would be wise to do some smaller writing projects, just to practise, before I return to my novels. Recently I got some ideas for a series of three or four short stories, with a common vague theme: Women who struggle with Pi, you know, this math constant 3.14159265 ... and so on.
The protagonist in all the short stories is a nerdy math teacher. He is very clumsy when it comes to women, and he has realized that he will never reach to the level of his heroes, the great matematicians like Gauss, Cauchy, Leibniz and Emmy Noether.
Does that sound like a good idea for some short stories? I don't know. We'll see >:)
(I found the picture of Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777-1855) on the Internet. He's well known for the statistical distribution that carries his name (the Gauss curve). He also discovered the Gauss theorem in Calculus (the Russians call it the Gauss-Ostrogradsky theorem), and the method of Gauss elimination in linear algebra. Gauss is considered the last complete matematician, who mastered all the mathematical sub-diciplines of his time.)
Oh yes, definitely! I don't know any of the mathematicians and I never quite go Pi. Maybe if I'd had a clumsy nerd of a Math teacher I would have done better at math. Then again, I think I'm altogether missing the Math gene. Funny though, I love sic-fi and nerdy stories--especially those with equations. ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm intrigued by the idea but it sounds more like its the math nerd that's confused? I think short stories are a great way to let you see whether you want to expand an idea into a full-length novel. Gives you a chance to develop the characters too. I say, go for it! :)
ReplyDeleteI think full length novels can be over-rated. I prefer short stories. I call them quickies though, haha, due to their steamy nature.
ReplyDeleteGo for it, C. Write some short stories with science and maths in. Geeks can be sexy.
My Darcy Vibrates…
Jayne: The short story is in progress. I'll post it here when it's finished, with or without equations >:)
ReplyDeleteLiz: Yes, that's the case. It's the math nerd who is confused, but I'm having fun trying to see things through his glasses >:)
Enid: I like quickies too. The short story is in progress. Unlike my so-called novels, I even see and end to it >:)