 Short Stories: February 20, 2008 Issue [#2229] |
  Short Stories
This week: Edited by: Leger~  
More Newsletters By This Editor 
1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions
The purpose of this newsletter is to help the Writing.com short story author hone their craft and improve their skills. Along with that I would like to inform, advocate, and create new, fresh ideas for the short story author. Write to me if you have an idea you would like presented.
This week's Short Story Editor
Leger~
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Product Type: Toys & Games
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Where Do You Get Those Wonderful Ideas?
I was shopping and found this wonderful gadget call the Idea Generator. You open the top and put in a cup of vinegar, a whole chili pepper, and a teaspoon of cumin. The directions said to whirl this around, then spread the mixture on a sheet of paper and wait fifty minutes. So, I waited.
At the end of fifty minutes, I had a mess. I used the rest to marinade some chicken. I was in trouble - still no ideas.
I had to fall back on my tried and true method, my Inspiration Idea page. I keep this Word doc in my computer and when I get a random idea (which usually, at that moment, have no time to write) I put this idea on the Idea page. When I'm not in the mood to write, I usually surf around looking at images. They could be travel images, images of animals, or images of people. People are my favorites! When I find something that tickles the writer-bug in me, I pop up the Inspiration page and type all the random thoughts and descriptions as they flow. I free-write until I have nothing left to say.
I get ideas when I'm on the go, too! Practice writing quickly at red lights. (Just ignore those people honking.) I do keep a tiny notepad in my car. Nice to jot down a passing thought, a line of poetry, even a reminder. Some of you might be stuck waiting in the car during your turn for the car-pool, use that time to your advantage! Brainstorm! Sometimes just a phrase in song lyrics will inspire you.
After some time, your Idea Inspiration page will be filled with all kinds of things - story ideas, characterizations and scene descriptions. A word of warning here: Go back to your free write immediately and organize it into a comprehensible paragraph. I still don't know what that "maple syrup taps in trees" entry is on my page. I'm hoping it will come to me some day.
You can find all kinds of idea inspirations right on Writing.com. From prompted contest entries to "poem-of-the-day" or "flash-fiction-of-the-day", there is plenty of idea ticklers right here at your fingertips. So, no more excuses, "I don't know what to write." You'll have a plethora of ideas handy. Now go write!
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#1357704 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: Maybe you've run into some pretty restrictive rules, some downright rude stipulations, and wonder if whomever's hosting such-and-such contest also does your insurance underwriting. There's no fine print to be found here, Contestants. No hefty rules, no hoops through which to jump. Just easy entry, simple guidelines, and sane judges. Okay, borderline.
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#1382917 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: Short stories only, up to 3,500 words. Sorry, no poetry, lyrics, plays, etc. for this contest.
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#1361791 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: A contest with a new Mystery Prompt each Month. You never know what I'll ask you to do!
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#1115993 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: All genres are welcome! Horror, romance, fantasy, sci-fi, western ... whatever you want to write, it's fine. Erotica is acceptable, so long as your submission does not exceed the GC content rating and follows the prompt.
Check the Contest Listings in the Item Jumps drop-down list for more contests!
Excerpt: I was a costumer and aspiring screenwriter, lying on some beach in the Caribbean, tired, broken, desolate. My director boyfriend had let me come as a kind of breaking up present; his uncle owned the island, but hardly had time to go. I was all alone. I felt so ugly, wandering the shining house, against the white sand and the clear blue water. I was sick, and I could feel it. I had known depression, but this bordered on…something deeper. And I didn’t try to stop it.
Excerpt: It was just a little harmless flirtation, Alyssa told herself. That was the first white lie. The second one was claiming to be single, and she said it before she knew the words were even in her mouth. She could feel her cheeks getting hot and she knew she must have been blushing furiously. She also knew it was time to end the conversation, but she didn’t know how. Instead, she found herself accepting an impromptu lunch invitation.
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#1386800 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: The study window was open to the cool night air that breathed softly into the room. At an old mahogany desk an equally old man lay with his head resting on its green leather surface.
A faint rasping sounded emanated from him as he breathed slowly in and out. He had worked long into the night and now, with his arms folded like a nest around his balding pate, he slept.
Excerpt: Jim sat on the swing, which creaked as it moved back and forth. He shoved his feet in the dust and held the chains in his ungloved hands, ignoring the cold and dampness. He stared into the fog, watching the empty street.
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#1389054 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: Jim was tired. The drive from Manchester had been long, difficult and very tiring and 40 miles still lay before them. A accident on the M5 had slowed their journey considerably, and to top all that, a thick fog had started to descend as their blue Volvo Estate started its climb up over Bodmin Moor and eventually to their destination at Newquay. His wife’s unending chatter didn’t help much either. A subconscious effort on her part lest he fall asleep at the wheel from boredom. She didn’t see the irony.
Excerpt: “Who would want to bet on a lame horse?” The words repeatedly echoed in Anita’s mind as she walked towards the college building. She had pretended not to have heard it then, and had ignored the curious stares, but now it all kept coming back to her.
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#1303884 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: We met in college, sitting next to each other in an English course. Immediately hitting it off we became study buddies and she would come over once a week. When we graduated and pursued our careers our friendship remained strong, even blossomed. She was in my wedding, hosted my baby showers, and was even in the delivery room when all three of my children were born. My kids call her Auntie Karen, and she bakes the best cookies I've ever tasted. She's always there when I need her, a shoulder to cry on when my dad passed away, and moral support when my husband left.
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
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This month's question: Where do you find your inspiration?
Last month's question: What are some of your favorite types of sites to research? How has it helped your writing?
Replies
Turkey DrumStik  : Hey, Leger. Writing made research fun for me, and I have found a variety of websites that have helped with research. Two examples that come to mind are gamesbis.com and olympics.org. Both have been helpful in my sports and international murder mystery works. They are chockful of information and provide even more links to Olympic niche sites (not to mention information on getting tickets!).
Kate - Writing & Reading  : A great issue on research ~ just a bit can add depth to your story by showing that your character knows of what he/she speaks. If find a good beginning source is the internet, where we can see the young adventurer in the story use his compass in math class to figure the correct angle to aim his slingshot at the fire alarm (early dismissal); or the same adventuresome child can use a compass to calculate true north on his trek to Santa's workshop to apply for a job as a toy tester. Research is a vital part of the creative process^_^
Comments
AliceNgoreland  : I was just going to write and tell you how much I like the fact when you select a story how wonderful it is that you pull a quote from it. It makes you want to really read them.
Thank you for selecting my newest tale, ""Invalid Item" " I am very honored.
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