 Short Stories: September 19, 2018 Issue [#9123] |
This week: Finding Creativity Within 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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Finding Creativity Within
We all have challenges in our lives. Things that drain us emotionally. For many of us, it affects our writing. I know when I'm feeling down, I'd much rather just scroll around on click bait and read news, rather than do something that is productive. The ideas for stories are still there, those have never gone away since I was three years old, I just don't write them down. Sometimes I'll jot the beginnings of something, or an outline, even things like a scene sketch, it just doesn't GO anywhere.
But I still sit down to write. It's important to maintain your habits. Even if it means just fixing the grammar on what's already on the page, I still open it up and look at it. It's a habit I am loathe to break, even when life is tossing me some pretty major challenges. On paper I can still run, jump and fly; can still do magical things and be who I want to be. I might be writing a big pile of manure, but it's distracting me from other unhappy thoughts and making me smile.
So if you're distracted, or bored, or....whatever, it's perfectly fine to fiddle around in your portfolio and tidy things up. I'm sure there's a few things in there that need editing after the big site birthday celebration. And don't forget this month's site contest: "Quotation Inspiration: Official Contest" with the inspiration quote as follows:
"You are only young once, but you can stay immature indefinitely." -- Ogden Nash
With only a little over 100 days until Christmas, you might think about organizing your time and portfolio in preparation. I wouldn't say you should pick up your fruitcake quite yet. But give it some thought. And as always, keep your chin up and Write On!
This month's question: What do you do when you don't feel like writing? Send in your answer below!  Editors love feedback! |
Review....earn gift points and by clicking Good Deeds, win cash!
| | | Fixer-Upper (ASR)
He's found the perfect place for them to live. Will she love it or bite his head off?
#2168495 by Genipher  |
Excerpt: “It's a bit of a fixer-upper,” Karyox blurted before she could tear into him. Keeping a wary eye on her claws, he gestured out across the barren land. “Not a soul has stepped foot on it until now. With a bit of terraforming, we'll have this baby gleaming with green trees and grass in no time. Cousin Juigo's promised to help transport in some water. With some elbow grease, we could have streams, ponds, rivers . . . even waterfalls!”
Excerpt: There was another moon. An eighteenth moon. We looked at each other. Then we grasped hands as best we could with our spacesuits on, and ran, or rather, bounced, to where the rest of the group was.
Excerpt: Jhorri Grond pushed the rod into the ground beneath the shallows with a grunt. The lake was calm, her body causing the only ripples. In minutes, all four of her Jo’tren rods were in place. She chanted aloud to ensure that the Members could hear her words; spirits could be finicky.
| |  | The Wave (E)
An asteroid slams into the Atlantic sending a 3,000-foot wave to the Carolina coast
#2168644 by Danzig  |
Excerpt: I stopped in the middle of tying on a new lure and stared. I’m sure other fishermen and beachgoers were doing the same. Bobby turned to me his eyes big as saucers, slack-jawed and said, “What the hell was that?”
I returned his stare, shrugged and started to say, “Perhaps it was…” when the ground shook beneath us. We both looked down at the earth as if it were a living thing undulating under our feet. A deafening boom ripped the air and hot wind blasted across the ocean and beach and knocked us flat on our backs, our fishing rods and creels went flying. We scrambled to our feet; Bobby was as wild-eyed as I’m sure I was.
Excerpt: I'm not supposed to be here. In the sixty-seven days since Andrew's death I've only been grave-side three times. The first time—at the burial—I climbed in on the casket when they gave me a final ten minutes to say good bye, and the third time I'd made the Senior Sergeant I'd been staying with bring me in the middle of the night so I could be absolutely sure my dad wasn't digging up Andrew's grave like I'd dreamed. My dad's in Stateville, but I'd insisted anyway.
| |  | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#2168208 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: I counted them again, catching my thumb on a thorn. Nine. Fresh and fragrant, filling my kitchen with scents of garden and growth. I sucked on my bleeding thumb and inventoried the various noose materials: silver chain, gold chain, black ribbon—Jesus Christ! is that hair? The list went on, including screwed-up packing tape, twine, and a red shoelace.
“What. The. Hell.”
Excerpt: They flew up to the stairwell's third-story rail. The three wrens had discovered the strongest breezes funneled through the apartment building there, though over the summer they only helped in the mornings. By noon, the winds were as warm as the day and did them no good. One by one, they touched down on the rail. Other than being grumpy, plump, and having a bump on the beak, the wrens looked the same: a head and body which appeared as one; that is, no neck to speak of; dark roundish eyes, a pale yellow breast under cinnamon brown wings, and a long tail that often pointed up.
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This month's question: What do you do when you don't feel like writing? Send in your answer below! Editors love feedback!This month's question: ?
Last month's question: What passions inspire you to write?
brom21 responded: I really don't now where my passions to write come from. Usually it comes from a scene or or image in my mind. They just pop up. But they all mostly share a nostalgic essence to them. That is probably why my favorite genre is fantasy. The mysterious element of magic, castles, warriors and mythical beasts whets my pallet. Thanks for the NL.
Quick-Quill  replied: My passion is whatever story hops up into my brain. I have a great story that's out of my comfort zone to write. It would make a great action movie. I'm scared I'll get to the middle and it will fall apart. I don't know enough technical stuff to tell it, but it's an awesome premise!
Trish sent: I was very surprised to see an excerpt from my story, 'This Old House' in your newsletter. Thank you for including it. I get so much from these newsletters, but that was a pleasant surprise. Thank you.
Thanks for your responses, it's much appreciated! |
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