Short Stories: June 29, 2016 Issue [#7715]
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Short Stories


 This week: What Happened?
  Edited by: Leger~ Author IconMail Icon
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Table of Contents

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

About This Newsletter

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~ Author Icon



Word from our sponsor



Letter from the editor


It's summer where I live in the United States, and while I was puttering around packing for a trip - I started thinking about the topic for my newsletter this week. I've been doing newsletters for a decade and sometimes in the crazy thing called life, I find it hard to hit the brakes and get a topic settled on and turned in. (I completely missed one this month, thinking it was my week off, gahhh.)

I jumped in the pool to cool off, pondered a bit longer and thought about inspiration. If you often follow my newsletters, it happens to be one of my favorite things to write about. I see thousands of things that COULD be formed into a story, but what really needs to happen is inspiration. Not the "aha" kind that lasts an hour or two, it has to be something that grips my imagination in a vice and pressures me until I get something on paper.

As it happened, this week I saw a TV news article about a deranged guy who monkey climbed up a power pole and was standing up there while onlookers and rescue teams moved in to try and capture him for evaluation. And then it happened, he scampered away from the pole and grasping powerlines moved around the pole to escape. As you can imagine what happened next, he completed a circuit and in a blinding flash of light plummeted to the ground. He survived. End of news story.

Hah! Not the end for me. Don't you wonder how it affected him? What happened to his brain? Obviously he was a little cuckoo for climbing up there so did the zap make him more normal? Oh....so many scenarios. Right? Write On!


This month's question: Does the news inspire you? Even stories of bad things happening? Send in your answer below! *Down* Editors love feedback!


Editor's Picks


 Afterlife After Hours Open in new Window. (ASR)
The family business is dysfunctional, Siblings reconnect. Shades party.
#2087128 by Santa Author IconMail Icon

Excerpt: She remembered her mother’s Light. It was so beautiful. You could see it anytime you looked at her. It seemed to illuminate her from the inside. Everyone was attracted to mom. When mom was at Camp, the Light was even more intense. The Family business was a partnership. It was now Sheryl's partnership with Brett. Sheryl wasn’t ready, she hadn’t been able to find her Light.

 
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Frozen in Time Open in new Window. (13+)
Jhorri, an apprenticing Freezer, is given a brand new mission!
#2086008 by Than Pence Author IconMail Icon

Excerpt: Jhorri Grond pushed the rod into the ground beneath the shallows with a grunt. The lake was calm, her body causing the only ripples. In minutes, all four of her Jo’tren rods were in place. She chanted aloud to insure that the Members could hear her words; spirits could be finicky.

In the water, the quartet of rods aligned themselves and glowed blue on the ends, forming a square beneath the surface. It was many seconds of subtle shifting before the glow brightened. Jhorri felt her cheeks redden with embarrassment: if she had managed a more perfect cube initially, the rods would have activated by now.


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Dragons' Vale Open in new Window. (13+)
A story of a magical land entices an adventurous woman to try and find the Dragon Kingdom.
#2029897 by ZombeeLuv Author IconMail Icon

Excerpt: Her earliest childhood memories were of her first foster family when she was around eight. There were no records of her birth or who her biological parents were. She had been found swinging on a school playground by a teacher. All attempts to get her to remember who she was, or where she’d come from had failed. She’d never felt any sense of familiarity to a place before. Slowing down, she tried to figure out what had suddenly triggered the sensation.

 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#1993645 by Not Available.

Excerpt: Click...

God took a deep breath and considered the weight of the words He was about to dictate. Shaking the shivers from His shoulders, He leaned forward and rested His elbows on His impeccable mahogany desk.

"Bubbles, once this brief is finished and, after what I'm sure will be numerous corrections, since you suck as a transcriber, this needs to be delivered, via Burning Bush, to Moses. I hope to Me that you pay attention, because I don't have time to catch all of your typos...I've told you once before, this admin shit is not for Me and that's why I try to depend on you, but this is your last chance, so if you get this wrong, you're fired. Immediately. That being said, I'm a merciful God, so I'll give you time to find a new job. Just a forewarning."


 The Wrong Cairo Open in new Window. (ASR)
A lady follows her gentleman to Cairo
#2085890 by Schnujo's Doing NaNoWriMo? Author IconMail Icon

Excerpt: Eva pouted, annoyed for getting into this situation and even more annoyed at the good Dr. Theorem for putting her in this situation. Honestly, if you say you’re going to Cairo, who wouldn’t think you meant Cairo, Georgia. Egypt? Who would want to come to this god-forsaken place…dust and camels and spiders and…really, why would anyone want to come to Egypt? And why would she have possibly thought he didn’t mean Georgia? When he said Rome, he meant Georgia. When he said Athens, he meant Georgia. Why wouldn’t he mean Georgia when he suggested they go to Cairo?

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The Weekly Quickie Contest Open in new Window. (18+)
Can you excite in 969 words? Romance+ Contest. -Closed for NaNoWriMo
#1355442 by Dawn Embers Author IconMail Icon

Excerpt: Short stories up to 869 words. Post the actual word count at the top or bottom of your story, in the item, or in the forum post. // Story has to be newly created for the round you enter. Of course, you may always use established characters in the setting of the week.

 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#2087792 by Not Available.

Excerpt: This is a discussion forum and you are welcome to join me here to discuss the practicalities of writing.

 
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Good Deeds Get CASH! Open in new Window. (E)
Write reviews to win cash prizes!
#1908150 by Writing.Com Support Author IconMail Icon

Excerpt: Authors on Writing.Com are looking for good, useful feedback... and of course, exposure within Writing.Com. You can do a good deed by reviewing any qualifying item* on Writing.Com and you might win! Enter as many times as you want to increase your odds of being selected as a prize winner!

 
Submit an item for consideration in this newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form

Word from Writing.Com

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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Don't forget to support our sponsor!

ASIN: B000FC0SIM
Amazon's Price: $ 12.99


Ask & Answer


This month's question: Does the news inspire you? Even stories of bad things happening? Send in your answer below! *Down* Editors love feedback!

Last month's question: What other terms do you know for disposable characters?
No replies.

Additional comments sent:

Write_Mikey_Write! Author Icon:
Love the Star Trek reference! Have a great day!

Rex Kramer Author Icon: Quick shout out to say thanks for highlighting one of my short stories in the newsletter. I KNEW a losing entry in contest was getting way too many reviews, and now I know I have you to thank! :)

*Delight* "Invalid ItemOpen in new Window.- It's always nice to mention where you found someone's item for review.

*Bullet* *Bullet* *Bullet* Don't Be Shy! Write Into This Newsletter! *Bullet* *Bullet* *Bullet*

This form allows you to submit an item on Writing.Com and feedback, comments or questions to the Writing.Com Newsletter Editors. In some cases, due to the volume of submissions we receive, please understand that all feedback and submissions may not be responded to or listed in a newsletter. Thank you, in advance, for any feedback you can provide!
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Word from our sponsor
ASIN: B083RZ2C5F
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