  Short Stories
This week: 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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Mommy, where are you?
What do you do when you run out of steam in the middle of writing a story? Your characters were speaking well and moving along in the story and then everything grinds to a halt. If you write on the fly, it could be because you don't know where the story is going, or the story has taken a sudden unexpected turn. Even the most carefully formatted story can change with a sudden inspiration. Unfortunately, sudden turns can create big havoc with plans.
Another reason is editing. Perhaps you went back to the beginning part of the story and realized there's a huge plot gap. You left grandma sitting in the rain in her rocker and no one knows why Aunt Betty has the shotgun. It all seems so right in your head when you're writing it, what happened?
Relax. This happens to a lot of writers. If you can't move the story on without filling in the gaps, take a break from new writing and fix what you have. If a little backfill is needed to flesh things out, sometimes it's better to write yourself a note to go back and keep writing what is fresh in your mind.
I've also found it helps to disconnect from the keyboard and step away from the work. An outdoor walk, some time with another hobby or reading something else can help clear your head and let new inspiration shine in.
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#1480867 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: The chapel hummed with low voices, over which the cantor's voice half-sung, half-chanted the hymns. Men and women in prayer shawls and yarmulkes sang the responses and carried on greeting one another between each line. New congregants entered at a steady rate.
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Newly crowned as Rabbit King, Gerald swaggers into school assembly for revenge
#1574950 by Wybo  |
Excerpt: One time he came out was his 5th birthday party. His Mum, a drama teacher, had cajoled him into dressing up for it, pushing him in the direction of her extensive costume box. Gerald had chosen to dress as a mushroom. He made his entrance to hysterical laughter and a punch on the nose from Billy Bishop
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#1595178 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: Spam received the phone call early that morning. He was the only one in the office and he didn’t expect Cassidy for another hour. The voice on the other side of the line was very cryptic. There was something about being in hiding, being scared to come out, and needing help. He jotted down the address and hurried out of the office. He should have known better. Hell, he did know better. But, that never stopped Spam from leaping first and checking the facts later. That was a trait he was going to have to work on.
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#1579920 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: Early morning of October 8, 1849, the police came to my home and nearly broke down the front door as they pounded and yelled through it, “Doctor Talbot, come quickly!”
Excerpt: Jimmy, get up off your butt and take Moose for a walk, right now. I’m not going to tell you again.”
“Mom, do I have to? I don’t walk Moose. He walks me.”
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#918688 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: David Longfellow was having a loud day in what he considered a quiet life. Normally, Sundays at Knightsbridge EMS were quiet. Normally. But April 17th was proving the proverbial exception to the rule. It was 10:30 a.m., and David had already run three calls – two of them with lights and siren – since coming on duty at 7:00 a.m. He was used to busy days during the week. A usual Sunday, however, was two or three calls in a 24-hour shift, not the first three hours.
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#1509252 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: As Monica looked out across the fields, her eyes fell upon a run-down barn, its wide doors partially open to the frigid morning air. Monica started, the hands inside her pockets clenching into fists. She hadn’t expected the barn to still be there, not after all these years.
Excerpt: THE SPIDER WRIGGLED, trapped in a gooey web that slid down the side of the tree. Slid actually was not the best word, considering it was barely moving at all. The tiny creature flailed its sticky legs at the air and the moonlight glinted off the amber-colored beads adhering to its body. Manabozho leaned down and peered at it curiously, tilting his head this way and that as it struggled futilely to free itself.
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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!
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This month's question: What do you do to keep your story moving along?
Last month's question: Does research help or confuse your plot?
Stephanie : What research does, I think, is add a level of believability to a story. Even if all your research results in only a single sentence, or the tiniest of differences in setting, there still seems to be a level of detail that wouldn't be there without the research.
NickiD89  : Great NL, Leger! My answer to your question is yes, research helps strengthen my stories by giving me the details I need to create authenticity and texture to aspects of my stories where I have no direct experience on which to draw. For example, I once wrote a story about firefighers. I researched everything from the names of specific equipment firefighters wear and use, to the lingo they use on the job. The resulting story was realistic and the dialogue sounded believable -- something I wouldn't have achieved without the results of research.
Adriana Noir : What a great idea for adding some zing Ledger! I really loved the part about not sounding like a textbook or the editor can suffer from narcolepsy!  Thank you for featuring my story too. I really appreciate it!
Grace : I find that research definitely helps. It can also give you inspiration for they story. However, I find it difficult to find the right information for medical illnesses and such for history. Obviously we knew a lot less a hundred years ago compared to now, but where do I find out exactly what we knew and how we treated the sick/wounded. Do you have any suggestions or sites that could give this information?
I have friends in the medical field, so I generally quiz them endlessly. Perhaps another reader would have suggestions?
Lynn McKenzie : Interesting and helpful newsletter! The story enclosed involved a lot of medical research, but I would emphasize that it helped quite a bit. Writers have no excuse now for neglecting research with the resources available on the Web. www.diagnosispro.com was particularly helpful for me.
Savannah Lynn<3 : Answering to your question, I believe research does help. I've written stories about drug abusers, and since I don't do drugs, I have no idea if how I'm describing the high is even accurate. Researching and seeing how people really feel about this or that drug helps me portray my character better. And those real life accounts may even spur more ideas for the plot. Great Newsletter! =D
darkskye : When researching to make your story more credible, you can learn so much more than you thought.  Thanks for the great newsletter!
Lauriemariepea : "This month's question: Does research help or confuse your plot?"
The thing with research is that a little bit can be dangerous (to paraphrase alexander pope), giving us just enough information on a subject to screw it up.  But jumping in and really reading up on a subject will give a writer new inspiration, as well as a comfort level with the material that opens up possibilities in the story direction he might not have had when ignorant. (wow, that's an awkward sentence. sorry!  )
J. A. Buxton  : While writing the third novel below in my Home of the trilogy, I did a massive amount of Googling to verify the authenticity of my 19th century characters In my opinion, this attention to detail helped to move the plot along, and I didn't insult the readers with false historical information "Google: A Writer's Tool - Part I" [E]
sarahreed: When I've done research, it has helped immensely. Recently, I challenged myself to a contest where the crux of the story revolved around Elvis. I've heard his music, but am not of an age to have lived through his life. So I did some research, asked some friends who are music buffs, and turned out a pretty decent story. It's not perfect, but I know it would not be half as good as it is without the research. Thanks for reminding me how important research is. 
Thank you, thank you very much...
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Short Stories: September 02, 2009 Issue [#3248]
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