  Short Stories
This week: Unbreak My Heart Edited by: Shannon  
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Emotions can motivate or imprison us. They have the power to bring out our best as well as our worst. Today we will take a closer look at grief, the third in a series of newsletters focusing on what it means to be human.
Throughout the process of writing this newsletter series I referred to The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi. Please show them some love by buying your very own copy of this invaluable book here.
Welcome to the Short Stories Newsletter. I am Shannon and I'm your editor this week. |
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"There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love." ~ Washington Irving
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. A photo can captivate and inspire you, make you laugh or cry, but there's no substitution for experiencing the subject first-hand--nothing quite like standing atop that majestic snow-capped mountain, arms outstretched, eyes closed, heart pounding in your chest, the arctic breeze tousling your hair as an eagle soars high above your head.
The same can be said for anguish. Sorrow, bereavement, sadness, heartache, mourning, despondency. There are many words to describe grief, but they're just words on a page. Sure, you can sympathize with a character who has lost a loved one, but it's something else to lie in bed for days, weeks, curled in a fetal position, your body wracked with sobs until your muscles ache, unwilling or unable to eat, wanting the pain to stop, just stop, please stop, and wondering how in God's name you can ever possibly survive this ... not sure whether you really want to. I've only experienced it--this monumental suffering--once in my lifetime, and it is complete and utter despair, terrifying in its all-encompassing ferocity, and I've never felt so alone.
When C.S. Lewis lost his beloved wife to cancer in 1960, he plunged headlong into his grief like only a writer can: he journaled about it. By writing down his thoughts, fears, questions, doubts, feelings, he worked his way through the loss, later publishing the collection, A Grief Observed, under the pseudonym N.W. Clerk. It is a raw, heartbreaking glimpse into what despair really looks like, and I am so grateful to Lewis for having the courage to publish it. It validates our sorrow and gives the grieving permission to scream, cry, question, doubt, rage, process their loss in their own way, their own time.
I'm a registered nurse. Unfortunately, grief is part of the job. You become proficient at identifying mannerisms, facial expressions, all those involuntary defense mechanisms your body employs in an attempt to protect itself. But what if you've been lucky enough to dodge this particular bullet? How do you convincingly write about a character's anguish if you've never experienced it or witnessed it yourself?
Observe (attend a funeral), read (C.S. Lewis is a great start), help (reach out to someone in need), view (rent a movie), surf (the internet offers limitless resources). There is a world of grief out there--more heartache than we care to admit or acknowledge, but what does it look like? Anguish manifests itself in various ways. For instance:
Physical:
 pacing
clenched hands
sobbing
yelling
empty stare
slumped posture
trembling
Mental:
irrational thinking
escape (sleep, drugs, drink)
bargaining
isolating oneself
denial
inability to focus
fixating
Internal:
muscle aches
runny nose
fever
nausea
chest ache/tightness
lethargy
blurred vision
Grief is a very personal, very private thing. Although there are stages, each individual experiences them differently, in their own time, at different times (bouncing back and forth between stages), and learns how best to cope.
Does your character want to be surrounded by loved ones, or would he prefer to be alone? Does she turn to drugs and alcohol, or prayer? Does he lash out in anger and helplessness, or clutch his remaining loved ones tighter? Does she ignore her grief by busying herself with mundane tasks, or does she check out, secreting herself away in a dark bedroom under mountains of blankets? Respond to this newsletter with your character's tale of loss and I will share it in next month's newsletter
Thank you for reading.
"No one feels another's grief, no one understands another's joy. People imagine they can reach one another. In reality they only pass each other by." ~ Franz Schubert
For other newsletters in this series, see the links below:
Part 1--"Shackled and Chained"
Part 2--"My Last Nerve"
Part 3--"Unbreak My Heart"
Part 4--"E is for Envy"
Part 5--"Imaginary Lover"
Part 6--"Soul Eater"
Part 7--"The Green-Eyed Monster"
Part 8--"Ego Trip" |
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!
|  | Moonlit Night (13+)
A man reminisces about his lost soulmate and experiences a supernatural awakening.
#989887 by Arismeir  |
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The following is in response to "My Last Nerve" :
Smee  writes, "Nice thoughts this week. Anger is definitely tricky because it can often lead to someone - a character - doing something irrational (or stupid). Ensuring the reader accepts the irrational means really selling the anger to them. Using as many senses as possible like this is great advice. Happy Writing." Thank you! I'm glad you liked it. 
Elfin Dragon-finally published  writes, "Putting anger and fear together ... a very small excerpt from a piece I'm working on:
'You some sort of changeling?'
The last word he uttered grated upon me worse than long fingernails across a chalkboard. I reacted instantaneously without a single thought. I now looked at Jordan through eyes of a dragon, anger clouding every thought. While wisps of smoke curled lazily from my nostrils, my lip curled into a sneer revealing long rows of pointed teeth.
'WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!'
'I don't know.' he squeaked while he trembled and shook with utter fear.
"Sometimes it's the little things which set our characters off.  " Little things, indeed! Send me a link to your story once it's done and I'll include it in an upcoming Short Stories NL. 
brom21 writes, "I’m not an angry person overall. I’m really shy and quiet and am a gentle listener. But in the entire world my stepdad is the one who gets me steaming. I hate being angry! But with him I just can’t help it. I am getting better though. I’m learning to ignore what ticks me off. So I can certainly relate to your letter. Maybe I shouldn’t have written this but I’ll let you decide. Thanks!" YES! It's crazy how certain people and/or things just set us off, isn't it? Thank you for having the courage to share such a personal side of yourself with us. 
Quick-Quill  writes, "I love this NL too! You bring great thoughts to the page. I'm saving this one for character builder. Rage! we hear and see road rage. How would someone exhibiting that act and what would it bring to your story? I have a great place to add this nugget. My MC is confronted with some men who belong to the "mob" they threathen and then throw him in the river (marina) I don't have him give enough reaction. He might need to become angry. As a dectective he will need control. the reader needs to FEEL his inner anger at the situation, the resulting dunk and maybe what he'd really like to do. Thank you again." Aw, thank YOU! I'm glad you found it useful.  |
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Short Stories: May 20, 2015 Issue [#6994]
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