 Short Stories: June 16, 2010 Issue [#3804] |
  Short Stories
This week: Abraham Lincoln's Doctor's Dog Edited by: Ben Langhinrichs  
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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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Abraham Lincoln's Doctor's Dog
It can be frustrating for the writer hoping to get published for the first time. Write a story. Submit the story to various places. Read rejections. Weep. I have heard a number of new writers (and not-so-new) say, "What is it they want?" I can't answer that.
I can give you an idea of what they don't want. In the early 1970's (don't laugh, I remember back then), Disney put out a movie called The Barefoot Detective. A very young Kurt Russell worked in the mailroom of a television network and had big ideas, can't-fail ideas, about shows that would work better than the duds the network was putting out. For example, he decided to take some popular topics, Abraham Lincoln, doctors and dogs, and make an ultra-popular show about Abraham Lincoln's doctor's dog.
That is what publisher's don't want, and already see far too much.
But what is the problem? Let's take the example of vampires. Obviously, vampires are a big seller right now. The Passage is one of the hottest books of the season, and the Twilight saga goes on and on for the young adult market. Thus, you might say to yourself, let's write about vampires. Even better, let's write about sexy vampires appealing to teenagers. Proven stuff, eh?
Don't.
There's nothing wrong with vampires, per se, but you are writing a short story. (At least, that is the purview of this newsletter.) You likely don't have time or space to build a whole new world around vampires, thus making them your own.
The key to short stories is using just enough of a world already known that you don't have to describe it all, and using it in a way that makes it your own. Each element you add that has a known set of constraints, such as vampires, Abraham Lincoln, doctors or dogs, makes it harder to define your own world. A great short story could take place on Venus with squiggly worm creatures in a family relationship, because the known quantity family relationship would allow the short story while the squiggly worm creatures would make it your own.
Imagine a short story on Venus with vampires and zombies and werewolves. There are so many issues you have to cover with regards to the monsters that the planet's characteristics would be lost. The same is true, although slightly less obviously, with each popular topic you throw in.
The way to write short stories and get them published is to develop interesting characters and plots, not to recycle other people's characters and plots. In another newsletter, I'll talk about how to find your own voice, your own plot and your own characters.
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Feedback from readers
Ghostranch  Excellent newsletter. I'll try this out next time I pluck up the courage to write a story!
Joy  Indirect Proof proves right. Thanks for the tips, Ben. 
And Dumbledore and Gandalf in Miami? I could use a wizard or two for the plumbing for sure.
aszreal Fantastic point about character development. I like the way you've broken it down into 'testing' your own work to see if a different character would react the same way in the same situation. It's good advice when you're looking to see if all of the necessary components of your story intertwine they way they do. Thanks for using the analogies you did.
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If I hadn't spent the last year working on the story behind the other side of an old song, I'd agree that swapping genders for a character shouldn't work. Occasionally, it depends on how short the story is. The song "Me and Bobby McGee" is also a short story. It works, if sung by a man or a woman though. Originally Bobby McGee was a woman. The most famous version of the song, Bobby was a guy. Only in a longer version of that story would it matter. Maybe more than one "What if...?" is required for your test.
NickiD89  Fantastic newsletter! Not only will it serve my fiction to test a story by imagining the characters' genders are reversed, but playing that sort of "What If" game could potentially reveal how to make a current draft much better. The dynamics definitely shift according to details like character genders, and time or location settings -- and such a change could lead to fleshing out a more interesting tale. Thanks!
Free_Rip This is a really original way of checking believability, something I'd never considered before! A good suggestion - definitely one I'll be trying out. Thanks for such an interesting and useful newsletter, and for featuring my short story 'Owned'.
Mark How dare you presume to suggest that writers use thought and logic!  Next thing you know you'll be suggesting we get organized, and work on our memories! Piffle!
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