So I guess I’m writing a western short?

I mean, not really. It’s still a military short with light sci-fi elements. But I was plodding on it, and I didn’t like what I had written, so I threw most of it away. I realized something about the skeleton I kept: it wasn’t a military short, it was a classic western plotline in a mil sci-fi setting.

I haven’t really read a lot of westerns (Shane was my last one, a while ago); most of my exposure is via film. But this plot feels right, so I’m going to go watch some Magnificent Seven and some Yojimbo to get in the groove, and then bang this out.

I’ll be soliciting some feedback from a few people before I release the story to the public. Let me know if you’re interested.

I’ve got spurs that
Jingle, jangle, jingle
As I go riding merrily along

– Gene Autry, Jingle, Jangle Jingle