  Short Stories
This week: Start with Why 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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Several years ago I stumbled upon a TED Talk by Simon Sinek titled "Start with Why." In the talk, Simon starts by explaining why Apple is such a successful company. As a repeat Apple purchaser myself, I was fascinated. His words rang true: it's not what you do, it's why you do it that attracts people.
"Why is Apple so innovative? Year after year after year after year, they're more innovative than all their competition. And yet, they're just a computer company. They're just like everyone else. They have the same access to the same talent, the same agencies, the same consultants, the same media. Then why is it that they seem to have something different? If Apple were like everyone else [what, how, why], a marketing message from them might sound like this: We make great computers. They're beautifully designed, simple to use, and user-friendly. Wanna buy one?
"Here's how Apple actually communicates [why, how, what]: Everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo. We believe in thinking differently. The way we challenge the status quo is by making our products beautifully designed, simple to use, and user-friendly. We just happen to make great computers. Wanna buy one?"
This reverse order approach was eye-opening for me. I instantly saw how this theory applies to the world's greatest and most successful writers. Take Stephen King, for instance. If Stephen King were like every other horror writer out there he'd say something like this: I write horror novels. My stories depict the dark side of human nature and humanity's fathomless capacity for cruelty. Wanna buy one? Not very inspiring, is it? What Stephen King actually says is this: "Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." This belief is evidenced by every horror novel I write. My stories depict the dark side of human nature and humanity's fathomless capacity for cruelty. Wanna buy one?
See the difference?
As writers, we know good stories are a dime a dozen. In order to get people to read our work (and keep them coming back for more), we must connect with them on a human level. They must believe in what we're doing, and that belief starts with why.
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P.S. Every registered author who shares their thoughts and/or creative endeavors relating to or inspired by this week's topic will receive an exclusive trinket. I will retire this month's limited-edition trinket at 11:59 p.m. WDC time on Tuesday, April 17, 2018, when my next short stories newsletter goes live.
Thank you for reading.
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I hope you enjoy this week's featured selections. I occasionally feature static items by members who are no longer with us; some have passed away while others simply aren't active members. Their absence doesn't render their work any less relevant, and if it fits the week's topic I will include it.
Thank you, and have a great week!
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#1609309 by Not Available. |
|  | Dentistry (ASR)
Most people go to the dentist when they break their tooth, so why shouldn't vampires.
#719763 by two of four  |
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The following is in response to "Winchester: Fact vs. Fiction" :
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~MM~  writes: I've never heard of Sarah Winchester or the mystery house. Thanks for sharing - I think I need to do some homework now! 
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Patrece ~  writes: After reading your February newsletter and the call to action on sharing thoughts or creative endeavors on it, I decided I wanted to reply. It must have been so heartbreaking for Mrs. Winchester to have lost her only child, never to have another, before also losing her husband.
In her position, I would have also added onto the home, but would have done so productively, to allow for all space to be utilized. I would have filled my world with orphans in need of a loving and kind home, yet one where they would learn the responsibilities needed to have a good, solid life once they grew to adulthood.
Of course this would have required hiring extra hands to help watch over and care for the children, and some farm hands...but it would have been so much more fulfilling, in my opinion, than how she handled things. Given the large land resources she had, I would have chosen to grow crops to sustain the large household, along with raising animals and crops to sustain them. The children would have learned a great deal, and understood what it took to make a life in that day and age.
I would have filled my need for a child or children by taking this route, and doing all I could to ensure that they were prepared for successful, or at least sustainable lives as adults.
I often wonder where life and our world would be today, had more resources for young orphans been available back then.
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bellowsface writes: Hi, - If I based my millionaire's income on the same as Mrs Winchester. then in our modern society just over a million dollars a year income would soon be gobbled up by such different building project. Over here in England a million pound soon goes when it comes to building unique structures.
I would however give them a second home in a warm country to spend their winters. If they were a stay at home millionaire they would need a hobby or two to keep them busy and invest their time into.
All the above assumes that the one million plus a bit is all disposable income. If not dependant on their daily living costs that figure could be greatly reduced.
Nice thing to think about. how would you make it work for you? Hmmm.
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GabriellaR45 writes: For: Shannon
This newsletter is a storyteller's heaven.
Just as Sarah Winchester's story is epic,
Shannon's stories behind the stories are
fascinating--a tribute to her meticulous
research. Re this week's unforgettable
newsletter, I will be haunted for days, thinking
about Mrs Winchester and her house.
Keep up the great work, Shannon !
GabriellaR45
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Princess Megan Snow Rose  writes: I would love to see this mansion. Mystery and weird I find interesting. I have seen the previews for the movie "Winchester." Thanks for sharing the story behind the movie. Great newsletter and now I want to see the movie and the mansion in the trinket.
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dragonwoman writes: I wonder if perhaps the poor grief stricken woman just continued as building and renovating because it was a distraction from her overwhelming grief, a grief that she could not forget. It is sad!
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Quick-Quill  writes: Well, That answers my question of seeing Winchester. I wondered after seeing the trailers if there wasn't something missing. I am in total agreement. Stop Hollywoodizing stories and just tell the truth. They really are better than fiction. I saw Noah and was so disappointed, I'm afraid to see Samson and Paul.
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BIG BAD WOLF is Howling  writes: Make a big garden.
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gingerlyme writes: I'm reminded of my tour of the Winchester Mansion many years ago. I came out just scratching my head. I'm not surprised someone made a movie about it.
Brains + money can take a character anywhere. A modern day example is Elon Musk. Whatever he can dream, he can afford. Mars? Let's go.
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Elle - on hiatus writes: What a fascinating story. I can see why it caught your attention. My mind is still boggling at the sum of money spent on that house. Wow!
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Ruth Draves writes: Thank you for voicing my disappointment in the movie exactly! I lived not a mile away from the Winchester House, and my family were acquainted with members of Mrs. Winchester's household. When we saw the movie was going to be filmed, the buildup was tremendous.The first trailer completely shattered our expectations. What could have been a definitive biography ended up as just another thriller/slasher. So much history was ignored for sensationalism. I hope someday that wrong is righted.
Ruth
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Pumpkin Harvest writes: Ok, now I have to go to San Jose to see this house. With that kind of income, my character would be creating jobs for everyone she ever liked or who did her a good turn in some way. She'd overpay, of course, to get absolute loyalty and confidentiality. She'd be involved in hands-on charities, homeless shelters, job training centers. She'd have her own company do documentaries and use newly trained people to do the technical work and all other aspects. Eventually, she would have her own television station, run more for her own satisfaction than profit. She'd be very vocal to politicians. In between projects, or when she had trusted people running them, she'd travel everywhere! She'd have a very nice house, not like the Winchester mansion, but nice enough to entertain out-of-town visitors, including TV stars, old movie stars, athletes, and dignitaries, with security intact. Famous or very accomplished people with no paparazzi, and peace and quiet, with no fans. She and her immediate family would allow them to come and go as they please or to be a part of the family. Everybody wins and she'd have a very exciting life every day!
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mduddee (an ex-member) writes: I just want to react to your email in that I stand shoulder to shoulder with you on the point of, "If it's not broken, don't fix it!" I haven't seen the Winchester movie and haven't really read much about it or the woman herself. I did think that she was crazy and all the rest, but that was obviously based solely on ignorance.
My point here is that if an individual does take interest in something and does do the research, Hollywood will almost without fail, misrepresent the facts and say that it is simply taking artistic liberty. "Based on a true story, is often used as a "get out of jail free card."
"If you don't want to tell the story of X then don't! Tell your own story and if people say, "Hold on, that's a lot like story X," then that's fine. Just don't say your telling story X. If they were honest then a lot of people would enjoy the movie without holding it up to some expectation that it cannot possibly hope to attain, i.e. historical facts.
But I digress... LOL
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Sum1's Home  writes: I have wanted to tour the Winchester Mansion for over 40 years. I am going to Pismo Beach again in April, and may fly in and out of SF. If I can get there a day early, I will be touring the mansion on my way south...
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Jeff  writes: I love the Winchester story! Like you, I've been fascinated by it for years and jumped at my first opportunity to see the house several years ago. I agree that I'm not sure how Sarah would feel about the fact that her house is basically a theme attraction now... but it sure is an unusual place to tour through! If I were an eccentric millionaire (I'm just missing the millionaire part, so I'm halfway there, right?  ), I always fancied using my fortune to be extravagantly generous to the people who so rarely get shown appreciation for the job they do. Wouldn't it be cool to surprise a beleaguered restaurant server with a $5,000 tip on a $50 meal? Or to surf Kickstarter projects and fully fund a bunch that you think will make the world a better place? It's weird, but whenever I have fantasies of what it would like to be rich, those fantasies always revolve around how to give it away.
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Elfin Dragon-finally published writes: I hate movie let downs. I usually go into a movie and don't care what any movie critic has to say. I go in with an open mind and just wanting to be entertained. But one movie really let me down. I left feeling like it should have given me a whole lot more. And that movie was "Eragon". I couldn't figure it out until I started reading the books and realized they tried to fit two books into one movie. Leaving a whole lot out in the middle. No wonder I felt let down.
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Loreli writes: Thank you for your newsletter. I am let down of your explanation of the Winchester movie. I wanted to see it, but if it didn't stick to the original story (which needs no embellishment) than I do not want to be disappointed :(
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ruwth  writes: Your trinket lured me here but now I want to visit that mansion for myself!! 
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Jeannie  writes: I think the Winchester Home in California intrigues us all. If a place is haunted, I would move out, but not Sara Winchester. Building on 160 rooms to her farmhouse, making it into a huge mansion is quite a feat. I admire her spunk to outwit the ghost her haunt her house.
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MacTíre Taibhse
GhostWolf writes: This is certainly an interesting article about Mrs. Winchester. I had forgotten some of the details about her and her continous building. As for what I think, I think that the truth about her own personal losses and the legacy of where her income came from (guns are not evil or bad, but that distinction could only belong to the person wielding it) played a role. I do believe had she not had the money, we would never really have known her story and she would have ended up in an asylum.
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Dragon is hiding writes: That show sounds scary. or maybe I’m just a wimp.  
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eyestar~* writes: Oh this is so fascinating and kept my interest. I have never heard of this place or the movie and am glad you shared it. I can see where it can spark the imagination for sure. I see a poem in my future. LOL Thanks for the bit of history and the mystery.
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JayNaNoOhNo  Occultist or not, she clearly needed to channel her own energy into something. To me it seems she couldn't find peace, and that saddens me. Though that restlessness and determination to carry on successive projects, essentially what this was, often yields some fascinating results. I grew up in a house with those window catches. I am currently telling the story to everyone I know!
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Lisa Noe  writes: Wow what an inspiring newsletter, the story of Winchester was amazing, I had not heard of her before, and this was awesome. She was a fantastic everything it appears, I understand the sadness she felt at losing her only child as I had a miscarriage with my only baby. This newsletter was fantastic!
Lisa Noe ~ kittylove
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Short Stories: March 21, 2018 Issue [#8775]
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