 Short Stories: September 26, 2007 Issue [#1975] |
  Short Stories
This week: Edited by: Ms Kimmie  
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
Short Story writing, while it can be engrossing, frustrating, and sometimes difficult, is still, through the good and the bad writing, fun. If it wasn't, we wouldn't do it. The more you learn about your medium and how to play with it, bend it, twist it, and make it come to life, the more fun it becomes.
In this edition, the Editorial looks at surprising your readers. The Editor's Picks section will highlight related stories from authors who have captured the essence of the topic and whose stories can serve as added inspiration in your own storytelling. Lastly, the Ask and Answer section is where you get to voice your opinions or ask questions on anything to do with short story writing.
Don't forget to submit your own stories for consideration in upcoming newsletters. |
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Surprise!
I edit books as a side job, and the truth is, I'm currently editing a book that I'm not all that jazzed about (it's non-fiction, academic). Though that happens rarely, it does happen. Fortunately, I had this newsletter in the back of my mind as I worked, and that alone puts me in a welcomed state of hyper-awareness. Ideas for newsletters are like ideas for stories; they come from anywhere and everywhere. We just have to stay open. So it was while editing for Academia that I came across this gem for our fictional purposes:
Surprise their expectations.
It was written by Professor George McWhirter, of the University of British Columbia. He was explaining the importance of including "the self in the thing," when I had to stop editing because I had a sudden flash of insight when I came upon the line, "surprise their expectations." I wrote it down, and thought about how that line could be used for this newsletter. I set aside editing, and delved into my interpretation of the quote. It was a good hour before I could go back to editing with a fresh mind. I was pleased to discover that Professor McWhirter's view of the term and mine were different. While his is about putting yourself into things in order to be more creative, I took the phrase to mean:
Surprise Your Readers
This doesn't necessarily mean you should aim for the unexpected twist at the end. Those are definitely fun to write and fit with the theme; I included a few of those in the Editor's Picks section below because they are just as valid for surprising your reader as any other device you may use. The point is to tell your story in a way that hasn't been told before.
Everyone has their favorite genres, and there are certain formulas that are followed. Great stories can be written within those formulas. Take the typical romance: boy meets girl, boy and girl have a huge misunderstanding, boy and girl wise up and get together. There are lots of stories written with that outline, and they are well-written and entertaining for the die-hard romance lovers, but think about the ones that "surprise" you.
Movies are a great place to highlight the theme. Sleepless in Seattle. Now that was a great story. It was a love story all right, but the main characters didn't meet each other until the end of the movie. That's an unexpected way to weave a romance. Or The Notebook. As awareness grew of just who the man was reading the notebook, women everywhere fervently hoped Allie chose the man they would've chosen. That a love story would begin with an elderly pair, one of whom has Alzheimer, is unexpected as well.
Or how about in fiction novels. What set the Harry Potter series apart from all the other stories of children learning magic? There have been many: with the children discovering themselves that they are magic; or finding old books and delving in; or simply being born to that world, aware of their status. It was the surprising way it was begun that drew us in. A boy was pulled out of his ordinary life, and told that he was required to attend wizarding school. How exciting is that!
Surprise their expectations. Do something a little different to make your readers say, "You know, I love a good drama (or comedy or what have you) anyway, but this is . . . different."
The stories in the Editor's Pick section were all included for their ability to surprise my expectation. Either the setting was unexpected, or the characters were, the story itself wasn't what it seemed to be, or simply the way the story was told, were different enough to be lifted from the "ordinary."
Next time you sit down to write, think of one element you can change that is "unexpected" in your chosen genre and see what happens when you apply it. And then send them in for consideration in my next newsletter!
A Challenge for You
Next month, I want to explore "Surprising Your Expectations."
If you write in a particular genre, I challenge you to step outside of it and write in a genre you would never have considered writing before, or doubted you could do well in, so haven't tried yet. Surprise yourself and then submit what you came up with. Tell us a little about the genre you are most comfortable writing in and why you chose the one you did. Just make sure to indicate in the text box when you submit, that it is for the "Surprise Your Expectations" newsletter - unless you're open to having your story considered in the newsletters written by the other Short Story Newsletter Editors. And that is perfectly fine too!
I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with: surprise them, surprise yourself, surprise everyone! 
Want another challenge? Be sure to read the last letter in the “Ask and Answer” section and share your thoughts on “determining the end of the story at the beginning.” |
All of the following fit the theme of this newsletter, but they each express the element of surprise in a different way. Enjoy and be inspired!
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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
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Pen Name
Dear Kim-Marie,
Your editorial on Character Voice was well-written and helpful. These lines are going on a paper for my writing inspiration: But when you want to get into your story, just get in there and Don't stifle your creations by giving them all your voice. Let them speak! Let them be free, even if that means you have to suppress your inner editor because you would never say something like that, or your friends would be shocked and your family would call the local Mental Health Association. Never mind the critics. Just give those characters freedom to be characters.
One other thing. I am writing a novel where the main protagonists are two brothers, ages 8 and 12. I feel like they do talk older than they are, or not necessarily that, but they are polite. But I HAVE listened to the way some kids talk today, and I want my characters to be relatively clean-cut.
Sincerely,
Lotusneko
I'm glad it was helpful! You know, you addressed a good point: how kids talk today. Their terminology - even the clean-cut ones - talk a little differently than the generations that came before them. Writing in the voices of children is a great way to stretch your "voice" abilities. Bravo!
Haley Frances
I've read a lot of informative newsletters since joining this website in June, but this one was just what I needed to hear. Thank you for your comment about the character biographies. I hate those things. Maybe they work for some writers, but not for me. They feel like filling out an extensive job application. I will now feel guilt-free letting my characters blossom under my pen, where I feel they belong!
Good for you. Guilt is the last thing you should feel when writing! Feel free to set it aside and don’t feel any more guilty for your passions than a dancer feels for dancing, or a sculptor feels for sculpting. You’re just as much an artist, and there’s no place for guilt in creativity.
Lauriemariepea
hi, kim--
thank you for your well-written and helpful newsletter!
i've always taken an instinctive approach to my characters' voices, just aiming for what 'feels' right for them in the story.
i'm glad to see i'm not completely nuts for writing this way. 
Ah, but you are nuts – in a good way! Don’t you have to be just a little different to even want to delve into the minds and worlds of make believe people? Running on instinct is so freeing. Keep it up!
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nomlet 
Outstanding newsletter, Kim! I worry that my characters all have too much of me in them. I look forward to checking out the sample stories you've selected. Thanks!
IdaLin
Awesome newsletter! Informative and entertaining. I love your examples and explanations of the importance of proper characterization and voice. Nice job.
Lynn McKenzie
You did a wonderful job with your first newsletter! I thought your suggestions on character voice were insightful and well illustrated. Thanks for sharing them with us!
dkdoulos
Thank you for this column on character voice. It's going to help me a lot in my writing.
- Kelly Michaels
Sharon
Your short story article was very informative and I will try to apply it to my short stories. Thanks.
Sharon
faithjourney
An excellent first newsletter! I enjoyed it and found it very informative. Yes, I do struggle to make sure all of my characters don't talk the same way I do. Character voice is very important. Thanks for the great newsletter!
Thanks to all of you for your feedback. I love writing newsletters, but the Ask and Answer is my favorite section! I get to hear what you think; how you feel; how you’re doing out there in the trenches. I love it.
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asymmetrical
Hello from a newbie. How do I know whether to label a story "short story" or "fiction"?
I assume you’re talking about the options you have here on the site for categorizing your work. The site states that fiction is: generic term for something invented by the imagination. So, technically, you could use fiction for those pieces that don’t fit neatly into the “short story” category, or other categories for that matter. For example, a piece that seems almost to be an essay, but not quite because it’s too story-like; or a piece that may be turned into a novel or novella at some point but that is too far developed to fit neatly into “draft.”
My personal opinion is that it’s a comfort thing. Use the sub-category that feels right for you.
A scroll through the site’s faq page under Getting Started will give you a better of idea of how all the sub-categories can be used.
rmsalsman
Question.
In expressing thoughts, as in -
Anything would be better than this stinking ship, thought Marie
Some people use italics, some use quotation marks and some use nothing at all to indicate the thought.
My Creative Writing tutor said to use nothing at all and that is what I prefer.
I have checked different recourses and cannot find a definitive answer.
I have not checked the Chicago Manual of Style because I don’t have one.
Strunk and White don’t mention it.
What is your opinion?
Thanks
RoseS
The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th Edition’s official take on it is this:
11.47
Thought, imagined dialogue, and other interior discourse may be enclosed in quotation marks or not, according to the context or the writer’s preference.
I couldn’t have said it better myself! Preference. Context. However, my preference is italics. Quotation marks are assumed to be verbal dialogue by the reader, so to use quotation marks can be a bit misleading. And to not use anything at all, can (remember context) also lead to confusion if it isn’t set apart from the regular text. So, do what feels right for you and makes sense for the story.
MarieAntoniaParsons
Thanks for this newsletter, Kim.
Age, ethnicity, region of residence, personality and temperament--many elements go into making that "voice." As a reader sometimes I am distracted by a character voice because I get caught up in the inflection or tone, wondering if it is accurate. As a writer, the memory of that discomfort might hamstring me when writing a voice.
One trick I use in crafting a character voice is to think of some actor I have seen who made a believable character. Some examples of this are: Derek Jacobi doing Shakespeare, perfect for a cultured European gentleman. Or Penelope Cruz, portraying a fiery Latin. Or perhaps De Niro, playing a mobster. Or Paul Newman playing a Southerner. I try to get a voice into my head. Sometimes that in turn helps me pin down a more accurate written voice for a character I am crafting.
Question for a future newsletter:
Determining the end of the story at the beginning?
Thanks for sharing your insider secret with our readers. I agree that television and movies are great resources for writers in crafting character voice. Inspiration is everywhere!
As for your future newsletter suggestion – I love that idea. The exploration of it. I’m getting ideas already. I’d love to hear what you, and other readers, think about that topic. As a collective, Readers, what is your take on MarieAntoniaParsons ’s question. I look forward to finding out! |
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