 Short Stories: September 14, 2011 Issue [#4598] |
  Short Stories
This week: "Call 911 cuz you just stopped my heart" Edited by: Shannon  
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Welcome to the Short Stories Newsletter. I am Shannon and I'm your editor this week.
Writers can learn a lot by paying attention to people and how they interact with each other. This week I'd like to talk about how a family dinner at Red Robin® reminded me about the importance of humanizing our characters and endearing them to our readers. |
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If you'd told me two weeks ago that something as simple as a packet of Splenda® could inspire an entire character I'd have thought you were crazy, but I've come to appreciate (and embrace) inspiration in all its shapes and sizes.
Every writer I've ever met is a thief: we make a habit of stealing mannerisms, dialogue, quirks, phrases, tragedies, habits, and experiences. We populate our stories with our friends, families, spouses, children, and coworkers, changing only the names to protect the guilty. When it comes to exposing the beauty and the horror of human nature we're fearless, and shameless, and no one is immune to our pen.
When it comes to girls, my 20-year-old son is completely paralyzed with fear. He stutters and stammers and "would rather scoop up a steaming pile of worm-infested dog crap with my bare hands" than ask a pretty girl out on a date.
A few weeks ago my husband and I took our 22-year-old daughter, Ashley, and our son, Kyle, out to dinner. The waitress was a cute brunette who made one mistake after another: she brought us another table's food, forgot my side of ranch dressing, and brought my husband regular fries when he'd ordered garlic fries. She apologized profusely and explained that it was only her second day on the job. We assured her that it was okay; we were content to spend our time together enjoying each other's company.
"She's hot," Kyle said. "I wonder how old she is."
"Ask her," Ashley said. "I'll ask her for you if you want."
"Don't you dare! I'll push you out of this booth and leave if you say anything to her."
Ashley is Kyle's polar opposite. She is as daring and confident as he is reserved and shy ... and she loves to put her little brother on the spot.
"You should say something funny to make her smile," she suggested. "Something like, 'Call 911, 'cause you just stopped my heart.'"
"Oh, my ... whatever you do, Kyle, don't listen to your sister," I said.
For the next hour we ate, drank, laughed, plotted, and schemed. Everyone made suggestions about how Kyle should break the ice with this girl he was so attracted to.
"I've got it!" he announced, ripping the end off a Splenda® packet and dumping its contents onto his empty plate. "I'll just write my name and number on this sugar packet and leave it next to the tip."
"She probably won't even see it," Ashley said. "And what if she thinks I'm your girlfriend? We've been sitting next to each other in this booth for over an hour."
"I have a better idea," I said. "Why don't you write, 'Wanna go out sometime?' and put two boxes--one for yes and one for no--so she can check one."
Everyone started laughing, and although I'd meant it as a joke, they thought it was a great idea. It was settled.
My husband paid for the meal, and he, my daughter, and I waited with bated breath as Kyle slid the packet across the counter toward her. She said, "Oh, is this from you?" Kyle nodded. "What's your name?" she asked. Kyle slid the second packet across the counter toward her--the one with his name and number on it. We all burst out laughing, and she smiled. "Wow, you came prepared, didn't you?" She wrote "maybe" on the packet and slid it back to him ... along with her name (Brittany) and cell number. They've been texting and talking ever since.
This whole thing got me thinking about characters and about how giving them unique traits that endear them to our readers is so vitally important. Some of my favorites flashed through my mind like a slideshow: Holden Caulfield, R. P. McMurphy, Annie Wilkes, Ralph (Lord of the Flies), Roger "Verbal" Kint, Cole Sear, Merrill Hess, Wladyslaw Szpilman, Lt. Columbo (who, by the way, was ranked #7 of the top 50 greatest TV characters of all time according to TV Guide magazine). Each and every one possesses at least one interesting and unique trait that just works, and it's why we remember them decades later.
How does your protagonist act under pressure? Is he introverted and shy, or does he square his shoulders and take charge of the situation? How do the people around him adjust to his style? Do they help him or get out of his way? Change things up a bit. Allow your characters to try different traits on for size. If something doesn't feel right shrug it off and try on something new until, like Columbo's trenchcoat, you find the one that fits your character just right.
Thank you for reading.
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This week I'm featuring a few of my personal favorites. Each one of these stories received an awardicon from yours truly, and now I'd like to share them with you. I hope you enjoy them, and remember to do the authors the courtesy of reviewing the ones you read. Thank you, and have a great week!
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Feedback
The following is in response to "Short Stories Newsletter (August 17, 2011)" :
An apple a day....  says, "A riveting newsletter! For some reason, Janis Ian reminds me of Joy Harjo, one of my favorite poets. Thanks for the good read. It must have been great to be there in person."
mARi☠StressedAtWork  says, "That was beautiful...  I really loved it, sad and yet inspiring. It's amazing how people touch other people's lives with a heartfelt song or inspiring words, and they don't even know it the exact moment it happens-- but it does, an every time someone's life changes.  Thank you very much for sharing that!  "
kanthi says, "Thank you for sharing , I liked it."
bertiebrite hoping for peace  says, "There are many singers and songs that have touched my life, music is one of my best muses. But "At Seventeen" sang my young life. I was one of those "ugly duckling girls." At the time when one is young and impressionable, all the things denied to you seem to end your life right there. I escaped in writing and reading and have done so for more than 45 years. This article brought tears, helped me to realize how many other girls may have had to go through the same. Thanks for postin."
Mara ♣ McBain  says, "What an inspiring NL. I opening story about Chapter 11 made me laugh out loud! I loved the song you shared. I will have to look it up tonight. I saw so much of myself in the lyrics. Thank you again and for sharing Night and Day with your readers!  "
collierose  says, "Loved this newsletter! AT Seventeen by Janis Ian has always been by favorite song. Janis put into words what I was feeling. Thank you for sharing."
Pumpkin Ready for a New Year says, "Great article. I always loved that song. I was a big Janis Ian fan. Nice to know it's affected so many others."
Catherine Hall says, "So, once again, a WDC newsletter touches me. I remember that song because it seemed to describe me, too. And yet, I was never ugly; just beleived I was. I read once that it's best to write what you'd want to read, so I do, and I try to read what I wish I could write. I love it when something I wrote starts an emotional response and the reader lets me know. Nice, too, when your writing does the same for me. Thank you."
Thank you all for your kind words of support and encouragement. I'm glad the NL touched you in some way, and I hope J.A.'s story inspired you to dream big and never give up. Have a wonderful week!
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