  Short Stories
This week: A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words Edited by: Shannon  
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Welcome to the Short Stories Newsletter. I am Shannon and I'm your editor this week.
Read on for your chance to win a 10k awardicon and merit badge of your choice! |
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Before joining writing.com in 2006 I'd never entered a photo prompt contest. I did what most writers do: waited for inspiration to strike before sitting down to write, or I'd stare at the blank screen, sometimes for hours, in an attempt to force my muse into action. I still do both of these things (although I find my muse is like any other muscle: the more I use it the stronger it gets), but once I discovered photo prompt contests my writing life changed forever.
I was still writing just like I'd always done, but I was exercising a muscle I'd never used before. It was different. Over time it because stronger, the stories came easier, and the writing faster, better. Soon I found myself looking at old photographs in family albums, taking photos of my own, and searching for pictures online to spark my creativity. It's become one of my favorite ways to write.
Here are a few ideas if you're trying photo-prompt writing for the first time:
 Write about a picture you threw away.
 Make up a story about the photo of a deceased family member you never knew.
 Take a snapshot of strangers on the street or in a park/waiting room/coffee shop and write about their lives.
 Search through photographs on a stock photo site like iStockPhoto. Pick one that speaks to you and write about it.
 Find a picture of an old lover or friend and rewrite the story.
 Dig through photos of your childhood. Tell the story behind the photograph (real or imagined).
 Randomly select a page from the morning paper and write a fictional story about the first image you see.
 Go to Google Images , type a single word like "alone" into the search box and hit enter. You might be surprised by what pops up. Pick a photo and write about it.
Are you ready to give it a try? Write a story based on the image below, and I've made it extra-interesting by choosing a photograph of various photographs.  Your story must be:
 Based on the image below
Newly-written for this contest
Rated 18+ or below
1,000 words or fewer. Word count must be provided at the bottom of the item.
Received by me no later than 11:59 p.m. WDC time on June 5, 2013. Create your entry as a Static Item and keep it in your portfolio. Email me the item ID number in bitem format and write "Contest Entry" in the email's subject line. For help using the bitem format, please refer to "Newbie Hyperlinking 101 - Bitem Format" [E].
Edited only until the deadline.
Any entry not following these rules will be disqualified.
The winning entry will receive a 10k awardicon and a merit badge of the author's choice. It will also be featured in the June 19 Short Stories newsletter.
Good luck, and thank you for reading.
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I hope you enjoy this week's featured selections. Please do the authors the courtesy of reviewing the ones you read. Thank you, and have a great week!
| | THE IDIOT (13+)
Balmy antics of an entrepreneurial lad who refuses defeat while pining for Dad's approval
#1270897 by DRSmith  |
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This item number is not valid.
#1533581 by Not Available. |
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#1625328 by Not Available. |
And for those of you who are unfamiliar with writing.com's official photo prompt contest, please check out
It is, hands-down, my favorite contest on the site and is directly responsible for some of my best writing. |
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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The following is in response to "Short Stories Newsletter (April 24, 2013)" :
Quick-Quill  says, "It is funny how many books (very good ones) you have to read through the first 100 pages. Deception Point by Dan Brown and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo are two I can name. We are taught to hook the reader at the beginning, but sometimes it doesn't happen and we miss out on a good book until someone says IT DOES GET BETTER. I am curious how you handled the family and THE BOOK. I have been through the same but I have book lovers on all sides so we know not every book will hook every reader.  " The topic hasn't come up again, but when it does I'm gonna have to be honest. It pains me to hurt someone's feelings, but it'd be worse to pretend I liked it just to receive book #2 in the series! 
LJB  says, "I do not agree that adjectives and adverbs are no necessary to the story. While I can tentatively agree when it comes to overusing adverbs, there is are extremes on both ends of the spectrum. Detail and description tell the story. If your character is just tall, that says nothing, there are a lot of tall people. The same thing is true as far a build, there are a lot of people with a stalky build, what makes your character's build stand out in the crowd? An adjective modifies a noun, and the adverb modifies s verb. Without them the story is nothing but a narrative. The tall man ran down the alley. The tall slender man ambled through the dark alley. The composer finished his composition or the expert composer completed his composition.
In art, music and composition, the picture is always just finished. It is never complete. There is always another color, word, of note to be added." Thank you so much for reading and sharing your thoughts with us! Yes, a few adverbs and adjectives are okay, but too many can kill a story. I went to a writing conference once that featured several editors and agents as guest speakers. One of the agents said that, contrary to popular belief, they don't like reading everything that's sent to them in the mail and that they're looking for any and every excuse possible to throw our manuscripts onto the slush pile, thus reducing their work load. He said the first things he looks at are the packaging and the cover letter. "If my name is misspelled, that tells me the writer doesn't take me or his work seriously enough to do his research. It gets tossed." He then looks at the manuscript itself. If it's dog-eared, stained, improperly formatted, or appears to have been written by an amateur he throws it out. Then he said he peruses the first few pages. If the manuscript is weighed down with adverbs and adjectives it gets chucked. "Amateurs think an abundance of adjectives and adverbs strengthens their writing when, in fact, it often does the opposite." Into the slush pile it goes. Scan any of my stories and/or newsletters and you'll find plenty of adjectives and adverbs. It's something I struggle with, too, but I'm aware it's an issue for me--one editors and agents frown upon. Ultimately the writing is yours and only you can decide how to tell your story, but if you plan to sell it, the agents and editors decide whether or not to publish it. 
Grace♥Leo health issues says, "Shannon, thank you for writing about the way you re-write, redraft, edit your work. I think this is a fabulous way to revise. I will use this on my next project piece." You're welcome! I'm glad you found it helpful. Thank you for reading and commenting. 
Sum1's Home  says, "Shannon, this is in regards to my comments on Earth Abides. Now I have to go buy it so I can enjoy it all over again 40 years later!" Good for you, Jim! After I finished it I bought several copies for friends and family. It's one of those books I could read over and over again and never get tired of. 
Ẃeβ࿚ẂỉԎḈĥ  says, "All I can say is--Oh, yes! This Newsie hits the ball outta the park. I, too have been pulled into reading stories that make my eyes bleed. They go nowhere fast. I also do the same thing as you; I yell at the book--words I cannot mention here.  Good one, Shannon! " Thanks, Webby! I'm glad you liked it. 
Marci Missing Everyone says, "Just a quick note on printing out your work before submission. I like to send my to my Kindle Fire, so if you have a book reader, you can do that as well. Then I use the note feature to make comments so that when I go back to do a rewrite, I can use the built in stand on my cover and just scroll down while I write again. Just a thought for those of us who hate using the printer. That's a great idea, Marci! Thanks for reading and sharing. I'll have to try that. 
tigereyes328 says, "thanks for this! it was great." Thank YOU! 
Fyn  says, "Thanking you for a spot-on newsletter! You nailed it! Good exercise too!! I also want to thank you for using one of my pieces in your newsletter...it is the coolest feeling in the world to see!!" Aw, thank you, fyn! And you're most welcome. 
fullquiver says, "Shannon, I am so excited to try this exercise! It is one of the best tips I have ever read and gives me a precise exercise to improve my writing. I am working on a piece right now and I am going to use it. Thank you for sharing this." That's great! I hope you find is helpful. Please let me know how it goes. 
Lorien says, "Oh, now I really, really want to know what book it was! Great summary of why some books suck us in and some just... fall apart." Just between you and me, it was Magic Kingdom for Sale--SOLD! by Terry Brooks. Shh! Don't tell anyone.
blunderbuss says, "Great newsletter Shannon - scary, too! I have already tried to remove a lot of 'wasted' words but maybe it's time to do it methodically once more. Think I'll choose a short story to start though!" Yes, it is scary, and we writers hate to cut any of our words. They're all precious little gems culled from the depths of our wounded souls. If I am attached to something in particular but know it needs to go I cut and paste it into a document I've titled "Bits & Pieces." Who knows? Maybe I can use it somewhere else down the road. Thanks for reading and commenting! 
The following items were submitted by their authors:
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#1929507 by Not Available. |
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| ASIN: B01DSJSURY |
Product Type: Kindle Store
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Amazon's Price: $ 5.99
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Short Stories: May 22, 2013 Issue [#5679]
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