 Short Stories: January 08, 2013 Issue [#5457] |
  Short Stories
This week: Taking Stock of the Trunk Edited by: Jay's debut novel is out now!  
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So what's in your trunk?
No, not that trunk. Your writer's trunk.
Trunk stories, as they're known in some circles, are pieces that you have written but for any number of reasons might not have sold. Whether you are new to writing short stories or a dab hand at it, there is nearly always something in the trunk, and some of what you have in there might surprise you. My suggestion for this month of change and resolutions, if you have not done so already, is to take a moment to inventory your story trunk and see what you have. In doing my own personal inventory, I found a few major categories of stories and came up with a few things each one is good for:
The Golden Oldies: things you wrote so long ago you can't remember why you wrote them. Items from your past serve as a quick metric of progress compared with recent work, but might not be a high priority for fixing up and sending out.
Related to these, there are also the well-worn swatches; pieces that have been thoroughly workshopped and sent out only to boomerang back again because it's never, for whatever reason, found the right audience with the right editor. There's nothing technically wrong with it, but sometimes it seems like something is missing.
Then, there are the bits and bobs. The trifles, notes, vignettes, shards, flotsam, jetsam, and detritus. The 2/3ds finished story that was great until you realized the plot came apart at the seams. The thing where you wrote down that awesome scrap of dialogue and never did get around to crafting the rest of the story. The scene with the two characters who never actually meet in the story. What was that all about, anyway? Surely you have some bric-a-brac tucked away in the trunk. Haul it out, dust it off, and see if it is still useful. You might want to cull it if you will never use it, but don't be afraid to refresh your memory on your old ideas. You might find something shiny and new tucked in with the old linens, as it were. 
Until next month,
Take care and Write on!
~jay
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This month's picks-- check them all out!
First, a really topical article I enjoyed:
Some short stories:
Some contests to get you going in the new year!
Don't forget to give the new Random Read revamp a look this month, too! Reviewing is one way to hone your own writing skills and help other authors at the same time. |
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Feedback from last month's editorial: "Unresolved"
Quick-Quill  writes:
I feel I could have written this NL. There are many of us that feel the same way. I am not afraid to succeed. I don't mind rejection if combined with what was wrong, not just "We aren't doing this type of story." What I am afraid of is, "You really aren't a good writer of books. Stick to short stories." Ouch! To write a novel is harder than a short story and fear that I can't do that is the biggest factor. Merry Christmas! See you in the New Year.
RICH writes:
Hello, This is something I found while reading a Wdc blog entry - maybe it is helpful, maybe it is old hat, still, it should be remembered. Best for the season.
http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/3-quiet-fears-that-stop-writers-from
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