 Short Stories: October 22, 2014 Issue [#6622] |
  Short Stories
This week: Hints and Foreshadowing Edited by: Leger~  
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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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HINT HINT HINT
In stories, foreshadowing is giving hints about upcoming events. It is an old literary device to hint about things to come in plot development. Sometimes authors use "red herrings", especially in mystery writing. A red herring is a false clue, to lead readers in the wrong direction. Foreshadowing is often written at the end of a chapter or scene.
I like to think of foreshadowing as something like setting up a treasure hunt. I lay out little clues, scattering them in my story, just waiting for an attentive reader to pick up on them. If they pay attention, the story becomes richer with anticipation. Suspense and anticipation keeps your reader involved in your plot and interesting in reading more.
Foreshadowing doesn't have to be a blatant sentence stuck smack dab in the middle of your work. Work it in! A sky clouding up could be a clue of a darkening plot. A dripping faucet could preclude a flood. The sound of a car idling in the background could hint about an upcoming drive-by shooting. Your clues can involve all the senses. Think about working in this device when writing your story. One of the questions I ask myself when reaching the end of a scene or chapter is "What happens next?".
Next is a discussion about segues.  Segue literally means transition. The smoother the transition, the easier it is for your reader to keep moving and stick with the plot. Segues are an important element in short stories to keep them short. Not every character, emotion, or bit of information needs to be developed. A single sentence moving your reader to the next chapter and preparing them for a new scene can be sufficient. Moving smoothly from a story scene or sequel is important. If you don't move to another scene smoothly and just move abruptly, it is called a jump-cut.
Jump-cuts can also useful. A jump-cut is when you skip interim action and flip right into a new scene or new spot in your time line. This is a case where sometimes "tell" can be better than "show". A jump-cut keeps the pace and high action moving. Be careful not to jar your reader with a jump-cut. Use transitional phrases to clue your reader to where they've landed. 
These devices are used all the time in writing. Sometimes you, as a reader, won't even notice them. But as a writer, think about the tools you have in your arsenal and use them. You'll become a more effective writer and your story will become smoother and a better read.
This month's question: When do you find foreshadowing to be helpful in your writing?
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Excerpt: The screen door squealed open on its worn out spring. Ma stood there with a brown egg in her hand. "Come on. We're gonna see if that weather man was right."
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Excerpt: "Mr. Jayden," she faced me with a grin, "I`d like to inform you that we are very interested in your work, in fact, our marketing department says they expect booming sales," she stopped, then stared at me preparing me for the next, "But, as the legal consultant I can`t allow titling this as a true story".
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Excerpt: The waning sun crept below the horizon, pouring out a radiant glow of orange and yellow streaks encircling Darian's angelic invisible ten-foot figure, waiting in the spiritual realm. He paced back and forth on the Mount of Olives dressed in a silver suit of armor, with his fingers curled around the sword strapped to his hip, poised and ready to meet his opponent. Darian turned his head, revealing handsome features and long raven hair, whirling around his tense face and shoulders. Clenching his teeth, he cupped his hand over his eyes and searched below for some sign of the adversary. He hesitated. Then, what he dreaded appeared in all its heinous infamy.
Excerpt: “Mom stayed up late tonight, and I couldn’t sneak past her,” Pacing back and forth, Lacy explained her dilemma. “She caught me a couple of times trying to sneak out, but I covered by telling her I was thirsty. I finally grew tired of drumming up excuses, and snuck out my window."
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Excerpt: November fourteenth will go down in history as the day of the Cheez-its. It started out just like any other workday. Edward had his usual severe head cold and sniffled miserably through phone calls. Susie was spouting bullshit about how she wasn’t going to get her children vaccinated because it caused autism. She read it on the Internet or maybe saw it in a commercial during one of her Lifetime movies. Mr. Lucas cleared his throat as he made his rounds from cubicle to cubicle, looking dead on the inside.
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This month's question: When do you find foreshadowing to be helpful in your writing?
Last month's question: Do you have a source for describing emotions?
allenalien  replied: I never write a scene without thinking about whether it rings true. If I can't identify with the emotions and dialog I just wrote, it goes in the trash. It's not always the emotion or expression I would personally have, or all the characters would be versions of me. I read the scenes back, try to inhabit each character, and speak the dialog out loud as if it was the real reactions and emotions of that character. I do this for each character, no matter how minor. If it clanks, it stinks, and it's rewrite time. For what it's worth, allenalien
Elfin Dragon-finally published  submits: Well I must have missed last month's question so I'll answer both...
1) Do I cache story ideas? Definitely. I have a folder full of research for story plots and like David scraps of paper for bits of poetry ideas for later. I never stop thinking about new ideas.
2) Do I use my cached ideas for contests? You bet. If one of those ideas works for a contest I'll rev it up and see if I can make it work.
3) Do I have a source for describing emotions? Well, it's mostly my poetry moods. Poetry, for me is an outlet for my emotions so I often have pen and paper handy. Even if it's just to write down a couple lines, it will be what I'm feeling right then and there. So I suppose you could say that those lines I write at that moment become my source for describing emotions when I need it. And any other poem I write.
The Run-on King PDG Member responds: Actually I do being a senior citizen in my life so far I have run the gambit so to speak. The interesting thing is when I'm in an emotional scene I get the feelings myself I want to portray. Weird I know but it helps me tell the reader what they should or shouldn't feel at the moment. I do find writing emotional scenes hard unless I feel what the main character is feeling. I never thought of keeping a memory trove of feeling words to use to over come the times I cannot connect with my character. Thanks for the great help I have to get started on that.
blunderbuss sends: Hi Legerdemain!
Thanks for highlighting my story in the Editor's picks. As to sources for emotions - I love and use my Thesaurus (I have more than one) and if you just go online and type in Thesaurus experience you will come up with a lot of useful possibilities. A while back someone did recommend an emotional reaction type of synonyms source, but I didn't note it at the time and have, of course, lost it!
vada answers: The emotion thesaurus is a great tool for generating ideas for describing a character's emotions.
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