  Short Stories
This week: Story Starters Edited by: Shannon  
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Welcome to the Short Stories Newsletter. I am Shannon and I'm your editor this week. |
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"Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere." ~ Anne Lamott
It may sound simplistic, but if you want to be a better writer, read and write a lot. It really is that simple. And when I say read, I mean read everything you can get your hands on, from science fiction to romance to horror. Read epic fantasy monstrosities like George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, fun cozy mysteries like Alexandria Clarke's Witch Myth series, and everything in between. Read every day, even if you only have time for one chapter. After all, how will you know what good writing looks like if you've never seen it?
In addition to reading a little something every day, try to make a habit of daily writing. It can be something as simple as a blog or journal entry, a chapter for your work in progress, or an essay about your summer vacation. You could do several five-minute writing sessions a day, set a word limit and don't leave your computer until you meet your goal, or set your alarm for 5:30 a.m. instead of 6:00 and hammer out a few paragraphs before work.
Writers tend to wait for inspiration--that light at the end of the tunnel to illuminate their muse in a soft amber glow, but why wait for a light at the end of the tunnel when you can switch on a lamp? Sometimes you've got to tackle your muse, wrestle him to the ground, and pummel a story out of him. That's where writing contests come in.
I've found entering prompt-based contests both here on WDC and elsewhere to be very helpful, whether they be word prompts, genre prompts, photo prompts, or quote prompts. Prompt-based contests broaden your horizons and expose you to writing under strict rules and deadlines--things every serious writer needs to embrace.
Need ideas? Perhaps one of these will inspire you:
 Create a writing grab-bag. Jot down genres, locations, characters, weather conditions, and objects on separate slips of paper and put them into a hat. Draw out three and see what you come up with. Be sure to set yourself a word limit and time frame in which to complete the story.
What if? Start a list of what-ifs, or have friends/loved ones suggest a few for you: What if you found a winning lottery ticket? What if you discovered someone living in your attic? What if a stranger knocked on your door in the middle of the night? What if you really did have three wishes? What if someone claiming to be from the future had a warning for you? What if you were the only survivor of a plane crash? What if you woke up tomorrow and everyone else was gone? What if you found a diary hidden in your new home? What if the roles of humans and animals were reversed and they hunted us or kept us as pets? The possibilities are endless.
Visualize a memorable event from your childhood and write it from the perspective of someone else who was there.
Think of your favorite character--it can be someone from a book, a movie, or real life--and incorporate him or her into your story.
Flip through the phonebook or find an online name database , locate a name that piques your interest and build a character around it.
Try an online story starter or purchase an app like writing.com's "Writing Prompts."
Grab a copy of Bartlett's Familiar Quotations and do the old close-your-eyes-page-flip-and-point trick. This book has thousands of quotes, and it's an indispensable addition to every writer's library.
Navigate to Google.com, type in the genre you're interested in writing (fantasy, romance, horror, etc.) then hit enter. Click on Images at the top of the screen and scroll until a photo strikes your fancy.
The Storymatic Studios offer four different options with "six trillion" (The Storymatic Classic) or "six gazillion" (The Storymatic Colonial Williamsburg Edition) "stories in one little box." I have both versions and they are fantastic! There's also The Storymatic Kids and Rememory editions.
Consider buying books like The Amazing Story Generator or The Writer's Book of Matches. I have both and they are worth every penny.
Try your hand at one of my favorite writing contests available right here on writing.com. Some haven't been updated for a while, but keep checking back. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they'll be back: "What a Character! : Official WDC Contest" [E], "Short Shots: Official WDC Contest" [ASR], "Quotation Inspiration: Official Contest" [ASR], "Journey Through Genres: Official Contest" [E], "The 4 Controversies Contest" [18+], "Roots & Wings Contest" [E], "The Writer's Cramp" [13+], "The Bard's Hall Contest" [13+], "Invalid Item" , "ACRO*BATICS [Round Over]" [13+], "What if...? (Closed)" [13+], "Invalid Item" .
There are numerous ways to spark your creativity and hone your skills. Read. Write. Read and write some more, and keep reading and writing. Try something new. Broaden your horizons. Step outside your comfort zone. Don't be afraid to ask others to review your work, and edit until it's the best it can be. Share your work by responding to this newsletter and I will include it in next month's edition.
"If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot." ~ Stephen King
Thank you for reading.
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To celebrate WDCs 16th birthday I am participating in the 2016 "Invalid Item" and giving away 11 of my exclusive "Be the Change" merit badges!
Read the details at the link below, and good luck!
| |  | Invalid Item
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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!
|  | Cottage Tale (E)
A tale from the mists, that came in the night, as someone seeks to find the light!
#1727771 by eyestar~*  |
| | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#2022301 by Not Available. |
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The following is in response to "Map Your Course" :
An apple a day....  writes, "I learned something similar to mind mapping in a memoir class. We were told to draw a circle with the name or title, then draw out spokes like a wheel and on each 'spoke', write something we remembered about the topic...do it all quickly. I find it to be a good reference so I don't forget to include things as I write my story." Yes! It's the same thing just written by hand. I find I lose things I write on slips of paper, but I always have my phone with me so I can jot down thoughts, character traits, etc. in Popplet or MindMeister and be done with it. Thank you for sharing! 
Osirantinous  writes, "I do like this idea of mind-mapping a story idea - quick and easy, with less chance of losing notes or not being able to read them later! I've got Scapple, which is a PC/Mac-based tool (from same people at Scrivener). In all honesty I don't use it a lot, mostly because I'm a pantser and my notes are as pantsered as my writing, but I do like it. More unfortunately, I've Windows phone which misses out on all the cool apps!!!" Yes, I LOVE my apps!  I find mind-mapping a very useful tool when it comes to keeping all my story ideas in one place. I hate outlining and find this method much easier and so much more fun! 
GabriellaR45 writes, "Shannon: Bravo !
This is a fabulous newsletter.
I have to admit, I know nothing about mind mapping.
It will be fun to check out Popplet.
Thanks for sharing effective ways to streamline writing process.
Keep up the good work  " Thank you! I'm glad you liked it. I think you'll find Popplet and/or MindMeister easy and fun to use. Let me know what you think! 
JasperAK writes, "I start off with loose-leaf note paper that I typically put bullet points on. These go into a yearly 1"-2" binder that I use as a Commonplace Book. When I have several non-consecutive pages or printed research, I use three-prong portfolio folders that I buy at the back-to-school sales for about $0.15 each. I have separate 1/2"-1" binders for draft work--most of my work are short stories so they fit fairly well." I used to do the same thing--print or write everything out. My notes always ended up with coffee rings or water spots on them, though--or lost/misplaced altogether. I can't tell you how many times I've unpacked a box after moving and said, "Oh, there it is!" 
dragonwoman  writes, "I usually outline, characters, setting etc. The mind mapping confuses me a little, but I may try it." Do you like outlining? I'm impressed! You might be the only writer I've ever "met" who does. My dad always said, "If it ain't broke don't fix it," so if outlining works for you I can see why you'd want to continue doing it that way. If you do try mind mapping I'd love to know what you think. 
Grin 'n Bear It! writes, "What a great NL! I can't believe I haven't thought about mind mapping for my own writing. As a school psychologist I find that the majority of students I evaluate have good visual-spatial, visual memory skills, etc., but don't know how to use their strengths to aid their learning. I often recommend different types of graphic organizers and the use of visualization. Like the writer in the link you provided, I'm not a linear thinker, so I'm very optimistic using mind mapping could make a great difference, especially in my struggle to write longer stories. Thanks SO much!" Aw, you are so welcome. I'm glad you found it useful. And thank YOU! 
Loreli writes, "It's just the way I start writing. I write down ideas in scenes. I might jot down words on a random piece of paper but it's not an 'idea' until it's a scene." Yep, me too. I think we all get random ideas that never really go anywhere, but once we can see a whole scene play out in our minds ... well, that's when the fun begins.  |
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Short Stories: September 07, 2016 Issue [#7840]
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