This week: How Many? Edited by: Legerdemain  
More Newsletters By This Editor 
 
1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions
This newsletter aims to help the Writing.com short story author hone their craft and improve their skills. I would also 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.
|
| ASIN: B004PICKDS |
Product Type: Toys & Games
|
Amazon's Price: Price N/A
|
|
How Many?
Many contests require a word count...not more than, or less than "X" number of words. I like to look at the prompt, let it percolate for a while and then flesh out my ideas on paper, creating a story. Is it short? Is it long? To be honest, I don't worry about it while I'm getting it all down on paper.
I then edit the story and whack out all the crazy stuff I tossed in there, thinking they were fabulous ideas that in the end didn't make much sense to the story. Then, if the contest that gave me the prompt has a word count expectation, I check the numbers. Do I need to cut? Do I have room to add more description or another character to help the story?
Sometimes what results doesn't fit the parameters of the contest. I don't throw the story away! If I have time, I write another and save the runaway story to work on separately. Yes, it won't qualify for the contest, but it's a decent story so why toss it? In the end, the creativity flowed and some new characters scrambled out of my head and onto the paper.
Either way, it's all good and as always, Write On!
This month's question: Do you watch your word count as you write? Send in your answer below!  Editors love feedback!
|
WDC March Site Contest
The task is simple: Write a short story using the image prompt as inspiration!
Excerpt: I ended my marriage because of a typo.
Excerpt: “I could swear she knows where we’re going,” Rory remarks as I drive our pickup down US 2, the highway that takes us from our home in Bemidji to Cass Lake. We got about eight inches of snow last night. Typical for winter around here.
Excerpt: His phone buzzed on the nightstand, rattling against the glass horribly.
Work Shannon: you up?
Excerpt: There was a dark mouth opening from the earth. It beckoned inviting the bold to explore its depths. Danielle knew cave exploration could be dangerous. Still she had Todd with her and she'd told their mom where they were going.
Excerpt: It had been a long day, but a good one. Perhaps the best yet. They were all long days, but it seemed the longer and harder they were, the better Fiona felt at night as she cooked a small supper, and discussed the next day’s lesson plans with her cat, Lois. October 14th was something more than a dinner-with-Lois night, however. October 14th was when Fiona learned what home, family, and belonging truly meant. That night, she was truly one of them.
Excerpt: Roderick McCrory, a forty-five-year-old Scotsman with fiery red hair, thick sideburns, and piercing green eyes, meticulously worked in his dimly lit Edinburgh shop.
Win big prizes every 24 hours.
This contest uses only spoken words or internal dialogue!
|
Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
Don't forget to support our sponsor!
| ASIN: B01FST8A90 |
Product Type: Toys & Games
|
Amazon's Price: $ 24.95
|
|
This month's question: Do you watch your word count as you write? Send in your answer below! Editors love feedback!
Last month's "Short Stories Newsletter (February 26, 2025)" question: Do you like prompts? What type?
A.D. Writes  : When it comes to entering a contest, I do prefer a prompt because it can help give direction and makes it easier to pick which story to use. Open prompts have their place but for me they are problematic because I have too many options. I'm the type that needs things narrowed down. Don't ask me what I want for dinner. Give me a few options and I will be capable of picking one.
Kåre เลียม Enga  : I like photos, paintings, most anything visual to which I can add the other senses with my words. I'm not as fond of quotations that limit what I can write about. For flash fiction I prefer three words.
dragonwoman  : Love prompt. Pictures, word lists, first sentences etc. To me, any prompt is a good prompt.
Ichabod Crane-writing-reading. : Prompts can be inspiring sometimes. Thanks for adding "Thanksgiving find." in your Editor's Pick.
Bilal Latif : Yes. Less is more.
TheBusmanPoet  : Nope. Never like prompts and never will.
Phantom Reviewer : No. My brain doesn't respond to them at all. I once received as a gift the Storymatic Card System. I sometimes pull out a few cards and line them up in various ways, but nothing comes. All my inspiration is "internal," that is, I'll be doing something else and an idea will strike like a bolt of lightning. To clarify, that hasn't happened much lately, but I can read prompts until the cows come home, and nothing ever... Wait a minute... Cows coming home?... I'll have to get back to you!
Scyphoza : I like prompts when I have a hard time thinking of what to write about.
Trebor : Don't know never really tried them. Is there a prompt generator or any websites I can go to?? I would think W.C. would wave one. If any could point me in the right direction please and Thank You. Kind of thinking it could pull me out of this never ending cycle of writers block and muse-a-palooza..
Joy  : I do like prompts, especially for blogging. They keep me writing. Sometime ago, I decided to write for any and all blog prompts in my blogging group, Blog City, no matter what the prompt asked. It was one of the best writing decisions I made. It keeps me going.
I guess contest prompts can do the same or something similar.
Jellyfish : Yes I like prompts for contests but I like them to be quite general, short, or a picture prompt. Sometimes the prompt is so specific the story is practically written already! 
tj wanderlust-words-in-motion  : Sometimes they work for me, other times they don't. As for what type? Something simple that leaves a lot of room to work with.
ßlυҽყҽʐ 🤍 : Prompts work well for me if they are not too restrictive and leave a lot of room for imagination.
Mousethyme : I collect prompts. I have three books of them and the collection grows by the day.
I prefer the ones that pop in my head. There's usually a hint at character, plot and possibly theme.
Thanks to everyone for your replies, I appreciate you! L~ |
| ASIN: B000FC0SIM |
Product Type: Kindle Store
|
Amazon's Price: $ 12.99
|
|
To stop receiving this newsletter, click here for your newsletter subscription list. Simply uncheck the box next to any newsletter(s) you wish to cancel and then click to "Submit Changes". You can edit your subscriptions at any time.
|
Short Stories: March 26, 2025 Issue [#13052]
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
