This story is the result of an exercise in a writing book--an exercise that instructed the reader to write the worst story they possibly could. It was designed to help new writers overcome a problem many of us face--perfectionism.
If a writer gives up the need for their work to be perfect--even starting at the opposite extreme by granting themself permission to be downright awful--then something surprising happens. The obstacles to writing--the internal demand to get the words just right--fall away, and instead the words just flow. Equally surprising--no matter how badly a writer forces themself to write, eventually the story starts to become important to them. An author begins writing using their natural skill, because they start to want the story to be good, instead of perfect.
That's what happened with this story. It started out as a throw-away--nothing more than a schlocky, amateurish, pulpy romp, with the intentionally ridiculous title "The Low-Down, Dirty, Martian Plot Hatchery." I originally intended it to be no more than a couple thousand words in length. The more I wrote, however, the more I found I wanted to know what would happen to this lone Belter who had uncovered a dark conspiracy. I stopped trying to make the story bad and instead worked to make it complete. In the end it turned out to be the longest story I had written up to that point.
"The Trouble Run" is still a pulpy romp, although I hope I have removed most of the schlock. I found, however, that it was something else as well. It turned out to be fun to write--and, I hope, fun to read as well. :)
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The Trouble Run
Science FictionLi Jie Robinson thought it was just another haul through the Belt--but he didn't know how bad his day could get!
