Post-Apocalyptic

"We all love after-the-bomb stories. If we didn't, why would there be so many of them? There's something attractive about all those people being gone, about wandering in a depopulated world, scrounging cans of Campbell's pork and beans, defending one's family from marauders. But some secret part of us thinks it would be good to survive. All those other folks will die. That's what after-the-bomb stories are all about." 
— John Varley

A while back I read a book that was a collection of short stories about the end of the world and post-apocalyptic scenarios.  It was called Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse and I absolutely fell in love, not only with the book, but with the idea itself.  I can't imagine a more freeing experience as a writer than completely wiping out society and starting over, for better or for worse, the way you want things to be.  In this anthology there were several writers that I am a fan of including, Stephen King (my all time favorite!), Orson Scott Card and George R.R. Martin. I recommend that anyone who is interested in the subject matter pick it up as the book was amazing.
 I was hooked and I decided then and there to write my own version of the end of the world.  As I was writing this story it became more about the event, particularly the woman who caused the event than the fallout.  I became fascinated with the idea of a person who sealed the deal for all of us, of what her thought process would have been.  Would it be intentional, would she be evil or sympathetic, is she sorry, does she survive, is she ever caught.  All of these questions helped me build the character that this story revolves around. I feel very attached to her, more than I have to most of my short story characters.  I also decided to create a character that balances her out that gives the reader a different set of emotions to identify with in the aftermath. I also feel this helps because there is a perspective change at the end of the story and I wanted the readers to look at my main characters objectives from an outside perspective, to see some of the lives she had affected.  I am happy with the results, well as happy as I am with anything I write.  I am a perfectionist and I always think my writing can be better.  I guess that is a common ailment amongst creative people.
I took a big step for me and have started putting some of my original fiction online, for the masses to view if they so choose.  I will be editing and uploading my short stories to http://www.writerscafe.org/Pinkizzygirl0728/writing/

I will also post links to all my short stories to this blog as they are uploaded.  I am hoping that by taking this step outside my comfort zone I can grow and become more confident in my own work.  I am fiercely protective of my work and I feel that this has been a detriment to me because if I never let anyone read it how will I ever know if anyone but me thinks it is good.