  Short Stories
This week: Edited by: Ben Langhinrichs  
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Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You have got to set your self on fire for it.
Unknown
Greetings! I am one of the editors for the Short Stories Newsletter, and I hope to share some of my thoughts on writing short stories, and perhaps about writing in general. I suggest you treat these not as pearls of wisdom dropped from on high, but rather musings of a fellow writer, written to inspire, provoke or stimulate your personal muse. I welcome your thoughts, feedback and suggestions. Ben Langhinrichs |
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It took me fifteen years to discover that I had no talent for writing, but I couldn't give it up because by that time I was too famous.
Robert Benchley, American humorist
Finding Inspiration and Getting Published
Having been active on Writing.com for about a year and a half, I've had many chances to watch people deal with inspiration. Some are struggling to find it. Some are struggling to contain it and not let it overwhelm their external lives (raises sheepish hand here). One of the most surprising things to me has been that there are fewer people on Writing.com who are motivated by the desire to "get published" than I would have expected. Perhaps that is because with such a large community, publishing an item here may garner more readers than publishing it in some nondescript e-zine. In other words, for some people, posting here is getting published, or as good as. That is terrific for them, and I celebrate their success and the success of a community which makes it possible.
But there are others who long for a more traditional kind of "getting published." For those who long to see their name in a magazine, share their fame with the world, possibly even make a couple of bucks (though not much more than that), the goal is different.
But when the goal is different, sometimes the approach must be different as well. When sharing on WDC is the goal, inspiration can be found in any number of contests, activities and groups. Items can be put the Review Request board and get feedback from fellow WDC members, on the Shameless Plug page to share with the WDC community, or be sponsored to get more notice and recognition. Contests allow members to win awardicons or gift points. These are all good approaches to getting your writing read on Writing.com.
What different approaches might be necessary to get published outside of Writing.com? First of all, you have to spend a little time "out there" looking at magazines, e-zines, anthologies. Second of all, you have to find an appropriate venue for your style of writing, if you have one style, or for the genre or topic that you want to write about. Third, you have to actually submit your story. So, easy as one two three, right?
Well, not really. That first step can take a lot of time, and really depends on the second step. That second step only works if you have already been inspired. And that third step... that's a toughie under any circumstances, but it is especially tough if you haven't already found the inspiration, written and polished your story.
Let's back up and take a different approach. There is a wonderful site called Duotrope which lists thousands of magazines, e-zines, anthologies, etc. (I'm allowed to mention it here because it is not a competitor to Writing.com, but rather a tool we can use) You can browse around in genres to see what listings there are, see the acceptance rate at various venues, see the payscale, and so on. But there is more. There is a very handy link called Deadline Calendar , which lists venues with themes and upcoming deadlines.
For example, a fledgling e-zine (usually a bit easier to get into) called Pagan Imagination has a theme called."Winter Blues" with a deadline of Dec. 20th. Hmm, that's about two weeks. Let's take a look. Duotrope's listing for the e-zine include their self-desciption:
Pagan Imagination is a home for Pagans to share their artistry. Whether you write fiction stories, children's stories, create works of art, or want to share well written accounts of your magical results, you can publish it here. But here is an interesting twist, you do not need to be "a" pagan to submit, or have your work published here. Pagan Imagination is all about writers who think outside the box. Who might think to themselves, "ooo, that chair looks wicked evil. Think I'll write a story like that." Or something to that affect.
Now, instead of writing to a prompt in a contest for Writing.com (although that can be an excellent way to inspire as well), you could write a story to this theme, following the guidelines of this magazine. They want short stories from 5000-7500 words, so that is a constraint. If it doesn't work for you, and you want to write a much shorter story, keep looking at the different themes and deadlines. Find an inspiration, and write to that. When you are done, you can submit to the magazine with confidence that you have followed their guidelines.
I must admit, most of the stories I have written on Writing.com have been due to a contest here or a suggestion by a reader or just something I wanted to write. But I have recently tried the approach outlined above, and now have a couple of submissions waiting. Cross your fingers for me, and I'll cross mine for you... at least when I'm not typing.
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Some stories to read
An excellent contest to try
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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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Feedback about writing outside the comfort zone
Doug Rainbow  - Each genre has certain conventions. Generally the conventions are shortcuts to get where you are going without a lot of words. Writing out of your genre, you may not know the conventions and, instead of reliance on some triggered assumptions, you must write it all. This is both demanding and liberating.
Ladyoz - What a great newsletter! I admit I've tried to write romance too but I just can't do it in a contemporary setting. I can, however, rap out a roaring firey nearly x-rated romance in a fantasy setting with dragons bellowing at the gates (no unicorns). Why I can't bring myself to transport it to a modern setting is beyond me. Thanks again 
billwilcox - Aw, Rod Serling, one of a kind. Great newsletter about writing out of your comfort zone. 
LJPC - the tortoise - Hi Ben! Another great newsletter, very personal, and yet you manage to bring up important points and teach us something in the process. I look forward to reading your western/romance. 
Laura
sarahreed - You're absolutely right. If we don't try, give it our best shot, that's when we fail. As long as we push forward, we've won, we've succeeded. I've learned a lot from doing NaNoWriMo, but one thing that really sticks out for me is to not compare myself to others. If I took two steps forward today, that's great for me! It doesn't matter if anyone else ran a mile or stood still. What they accomplish is great for them, but it has nothing to do with me and I shouldn't feel bad (or good) if I did worse (or better) than anyone else.
Fyn  - And yet again, an awesome newsletter! Stepping out of the 'comfort zone', as well as being a challenge, serves a far greater purpose in stretching the writer, forcing them to grow both as a writer and as a reader--for there will be some research involved!
Items submitted by my wonderful readers
fabulous exercise in stretching those boundaries, ben--i can't wait to read your romance story! 
hm. if i had to choose, i'd say hard sf is pretty far out of my range. i've never been a big tech head, so anything with circuitry, motherboards, teleportation pods, etc. gives me hives. the closest stab i've taken at this genre is the attached story (Sensory Overlord). heh. ooh! but hey, it's been published already, this past june at AlienSkinMagazine. does that count? do i win?  
You don't win, but congratulations!
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Short Stories: December 02, 2009 Issue [#3423]
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