  Short Stories
This week: Web of Lies Edited by: Shannon  
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Welcome to the Short Stories Newsletter. I am Shannon and I'm your editor this week. |
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This newsletter has been nominated for a "Best Newsletter Editing" Quill Award! 
I'm a sucker for documentaries, mysterious phenomena, and bizarre news. I enjoy reading the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.) Watching true-crime TV fascinates me. Investigation Discovery is my favorite channel; the programming is quite educational, and it's a veritable smorgasbord of story ideas.
Rehoming: Did you know that adoptive parents can (and often do) give away their adopted children when things "don't work out"? On a recent episode of the show Web of Lies titled "The Child Network," 1 a woman named Megan talks about her involvement in online rehoming (A.K.A "readoption") forums. In these forums, people who adopted children from the United States and abroad discuss their inability to fit the children into their existing lives and families. They want to un-adopt the children and are looking for someone ... anyone willing to take them.
One case involved a man and his wife from California who adopted a three-year-old girl. The child proceeded to live with them for four years. Now seven years old, the child has "behavioral issues" according to her adoptive parents and they are looking for someone to take her off their hands. Megan finds someone eager to take the child, and the "father" drove the girl from California to her new family in Illinois. "Ungoverned by laws surrounding adoption, rehoming requires little paperwork." They simply had their lawyer draw up a transfer of guardianship, exchanged papers with the girl's new parents, and dropped her off on the doorstep. He didn't even go inside.
Authorities later discovered the new mother forged her "Home Study" document (the piece of paper verifying her eligibility), and a private adoption investigator learned she was procuring children for at least one sexual predator.
Cotard Delusion: "Cotard delusion is a rare mental illness in which the affected person holds the delusional belief that they are already dead, do not exist, are putrefying, or have lost their blood or internal organs." 2 The sufferer may develop the delusion secondary to another pre-existing mental illness or after a head injury. Symptoms may be mild or extreme to the point the patient believes he is already dead and refuses to eat, starving himself to death.
Dead Man's Fall: In addition to being the title of a novel, the name of a rock back, and what locals are calling a surprise waterfall that appeared overnight 75 miles from my house, Dead Man's Fall is a term used by law enforcement. In an episode of Homicide Hunter titled "Dead Man Falling," 3 Lieutenant Joe Kenda explains, "Humans, when they die standing erect, one foot will cross the other. It's referred to as The Dead Man's Fall."
Catfishing: "The term 'catfish' was made popular by the 2010 documentary film by the same name (which has also morphed into a series on MTV). It refers to a person who is intentionally deceptive when creating a social media profile, often with the goal of making a romantic connection. This deception can be elaborate, and may involve the use of fake photos, fake biographies, and sometimes fictitious supporting networks as well." 4
I know someone to whom this happened. It was over a decade ago; a coworker of mine started messaging a man who lived overseas. After a few short weeks, she was sending him photos. Then the man started asking her to do things in the photos (use your imagination here), and we, the women with whom she worked, warned her to be careful. We knew it wasn't real, but she was blinded by the attention. This man was her first "boyfriend", and before we knew what was happening she was bringing bridal magazines to work and picking out dresses and rings. "He's coming to Boise next week!" she said. "He's coming to meet my family and we're getting married!"
Later I learned she'd arrived at the airport bearing a huge sign with his name on it. She sat there with her family for hours and, of course, her betrothed never showed. The humiliation was too much for her. She quit her job and I haven't seen her since.
Munchausen Syndrome: I've seen a lot of things in my 16-year nursing career, but few were as disturbing as a patient I cared for more than a decade ago.
She was a young woman, probably in her early 30s at the time, and she was originally admitted with an infected cut on her foot. The wound was debrided and nursing staff did wet-to-dry dressing changes every 8 hours. The wound healed and the woman was eventually discharged.
A couple months later she was back. The wound re-infected so badly surgeons had to amputate half of her foot. She remained in the hospital for IV antibiotics and released a few days later.
A few months passed and she was re-admitted, this time with a new open and infected wound on her calf. We were horrified, confused, empathetic. What the heck is going on here? we wondered. The wound was debrided and packed, the obligatory IV antibiotics infused, and the woman was discharged ... only to be re-admitted weeks later for sepsis and a below-the-knee amputation. It was this moment we started to wonder whether the woman was being completely honest with us.
To make a long story short, the patient was cutting herself and stuffing feces into the open wounds. The doctor ordered a psych eval, among other things.
Munchausen By Proxy: In yet another episode of Investigation Discovery's terrifying series Web of Lies titled "The Sick Boy," 5 a 19-year-old single mother named Lacey posts online about her sick infant in an attempt to draw friendship and support. At four months old, Lacey's son Garnett isn't eating or putting on weight. He throws up everything Lacey manages to get down his throat. Garnett is diagnosed with Failure to Thrive and doctors perform a Nissen fundoplication to prevent him from vomiting. A few months later Garnett's condition hasn't improved, so doctors order another surgery: a feeding tube is inserted into his abdomen. "As her son starts his long road to recovery, Lacey documents every moment online ... messages of encouragement pour in."
For the next year Garnett's condition remains the same, and Lacey decides to move herself and her two-year-old son from Alabama to Florida to live with her grandmother. She starts a blog, Garnett's Journey, and the online community rallies around her.
In January of 2014, five-year-old Garnett is rushed to the hospital after having a seizure. He recovers quickly, but before doctors can release him he suddenly stops breathing and is placed on life support. Doctors discover he has extraordinarily high sodium levels and believe he was poisoned.
Garnett died the next day, and a nurse asked police if they'd seen the EEG video footage. In the video, police watched as Lacey lifted Garnett out of bed, carryied him off camera and into the bathroom along with his tube feeding. Moments after returning Garnett to his bed, Lacey sat watching as Garnett had what tured out to be a fatal seizure.
Police discovered Lacey had three different Facebook profiles and claimed to have been a wet nurse (untrue), stated she'd lost a previous child (untrue), that she had a brain injury in high school (untrue), she suffered from a blood disorder that required multiple transfusions (untrue), that her husband was killed in a car accident (untrue), that he died in a motorcycle accident (untrue), that he was a policeman hit by a car (untrue), and that her own father was also Garnett's father--the pregnancy a result of ongoing sexual abuse (untrue).
Investigators finally uncover the truth of what happened to little Garnett: the child had been slowly and methodically poisoned with sodium by his own mother since the day he was born. Doctors unwittingly performed a procedure preventing him from throwing up the poison his mother was feeding him; Garnett was a heartbreaking victim of Munchausen By Proxy.
"The tube feeding contained over 20 grams of sodium, the equivalent of 69 restaurant salt packets." On March 2, 2015, Lacey was convicted of Garnett's murder, receiving 20 years to life in prison.
Game2:Winter 6 Let's segue from art imitating life to life imitating art. Could you use a cool $1.7 million? Well, the loot could be yours if you can survive Game2:Winter, an "anything goes" real-life Hunger Games created by 35-year-old Russian millionaire Yevgeny Pyatkovsky.
Fifteen men and fifteen women will be selected from eligible applicants (as I write this editorial there are 340 applicants), dropped in the middle of the Siberian wilderness, and for the subsequent nine months, it's a free-for-all; every man (or woman, as the case may be) for himself.
"Participants will be free to engage in whatever they deem necessary to survive and win the prize, and that includes anything from forming couples or unions to fighting, rape, and even murder. 'Everything is allowed,' the Game2:Winter website declares." ("However," Pyatkovsky adds, "every participant will be held accountable for their actions and punished according to the Russian Criminal Code.")
"Sexual relations during the nine-month show are also permitted. 'We will not intervene into relations between participants nor monitor their sexual life either, and our cameras will not be able to follow every move in every corner of the island,' Pyatkovsky said. 'They are free to form any couple or union, and there are no limits or rules regarding sex. If a woman falls pregnant and manages to carry the baby, that’s fine with us. We will show the baby after the project is over.'”
"Contestants will also be able to request items they need from viewers, who can donate money to them on the Game2:Winter website. The items will then be delivered to contestants via helicopter."
"Game2:Winter will be broadcast 24/7 on Pyatkovsky’s online television channel, and people from anywhere in the world will be able to tune in and watch the action at any time, day or night."
"Hundreds of would-be participants, including ex-military, adventurers, and a 'professional blonde,' have already applied to take part in Game2:Winter, and the final selection will be made by online viewers, at an undisclosed date."
One wonders if there was a Game1:Summer.  Click here for all things Game2:Winter, including photos and applicant bios. Click on the drop-down arrow next to "Ru-Ru" (top center of screen) to read the site in English). Contestants will be dropped on an island in the Ob River, in Siberia, in July 2017.
Happy Game2:Winter, and may the odds be ever in your favor.
Do any of these ideas inspire your muse? Will you tune in to watch Game2:Winter? Have you written a story based on actual events? Respond to this newsletter and I will include your comments in next month's edition.
P.S. Everyone who shares their thoughts about this week's topic will receive an exclusive trinket. I will retire this month's limited-edition trinket at 11:59 p.m. WDC time on May 16, 2017, when my next short stories newsletter goes live.
Thank you for reading.
Notes:
1. https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/tv-shows/web-of-lies/full-episodes/the-ch...
2. https:////en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotard_delusion
3. https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/tv-shows/homicide-hunter-joe-kenda/full-e...
4. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/anthropology-in-practice/catfishing-the-tru...
5. https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/tv-shows/web-of-lies/full-episodes/the-si...
6: http://www.odditycentral.com/news/russian-millionaire-announces-real-life-hunger... |
I hope you enjoy this week's featured selections. I occasionally feature static items by members who are no longer with us; some have passed away, while others simply aren't active members. Their absence doesn't render their work any less relevant, and if it fits the week's topic I will include it.
Thank you, and have a great week!
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Abby goes to McGee for protection when an old stalker shows up.~1st place FanFiction 16!
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The following is in response to "The Watcher"
Purple Holiday Givings  writes: Hi Shannon. Like you, I've used a few key incidents from my past in my writing and it always amazes me how those small little moments turn into an entire story or a pivotal scene for one my characters. Thank you for the insight into Stephen King, and those 'what if' type questions that can sometimes lead to a very creative story.
~  ~
Tiggy  writes: Hi Shannon,
I enjoyed reading this week's newsletter. I agree that people watching is not only interesting, it can also provide some great inspiration for stories or poems.
The list of odd things you experienced encouraged me to dust off an old story which was inspired by a rather peculiar conversation. "Of Plants and Snakes" 
~ ~
innerlight  writes: I love to people watch also. One time my sister took me to the dump (we loved to sort through clothes and such. One day we saw a car pull up someone threw a plastic bag out. A couple of days later someone reported to the police they found a newborn baby in it. Talk about bad dreams it could have been us that found it.
~ ~
BBK writes: Thank you, I really enjoyed reading this newsletter. I will definitely remember this advice and hopefully, I shall come up with my next story. Meanwhile, I would like to share my experience which inspired me to come up with this short story: "Affection?" [E]
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Princess Megan Snow Rose  writes: People are rude. An old woman carefully parked her car away from other cars and a woman came out of the store and backed her truck up and ran into the woman's car and drove off and didn't look back. That is rude. I have helped the elderly in public. I worked in Nursing Homes for years. I try to be nice to everyone. If I do something wrong to a person, I apologize. I like that you mention Stephen King. His stories are weird but he has scruples and is very nice I bet. A good newsletter about observing people.
~ ~
BIG BAD WOLF Feeling Thankful  writes: My family has had some crazy experiences with other people. Here's some involving my brothers:
Older brother, driving home from PA, hits a deer, breaking it's back and legs. Deer is thrashing. Brother gets a knife, to put the poor creature out of its misery. A woman drives up, and starts yelling and ranting at him, treating him as if he hit someone, while the deer is still thrashing. Brother calls the police, and a local cop arrives, and asks questions. Woman expects my brother to be arrested, but the cop pulls out his gun, and puts the deer out of its misery, and lets my brother go, while the woman starts arguing with the cop.
Younger brother, walking around a big city with a friend during collage. Man shows up, pulls a knife, and demands money. Brother gets out his wallet, and gives him what he has - $7 - while the friend gives what he has - $150. Even crazier - man tells my brother hand his friend that, if they want some "good stuff", to come to a certain address. My brother goes, "Would of been nice if you told us that before you robbed us." Man laughs, and walks away.
~ ~
Jade Amber Jewel  writes: Interesting newsletter, Shannon! It now gives me a new view at making short stories! It's like someone opened the door, so I could find out that I can write about my life, with some tweaks. 
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sindbad  writes: This is a nice and interesting article you have. I am a great fan of Mentalist and I could identify and enjoyed the ambiance plus the control and grip on day to day event as depicted in the serial. We try and create a balance in our life, unexpected events leave a deep impression and you have expressed the different aspect of the same in a creative manner.
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Celeste Gabriel writes: I really loved this month's topic. Just today I realized while beginning yet another (hopefully this one will be completed) short story, that it must contain some element of truth. If I can't connect to it, I won't be satisfied and will eventually lose interest. That's where personal experiences come into play I believe.
~ ~
Prosperous Snow celebrating  writes: I'm always finding pennies laying on the ground. I combined finding a penny with the memory of reading my father's obituary online. That was how I found out my father had died. I wrote the story "A Penny from Heaven" , from the point of view of the penny, about a woman finding a penny from her father who had died.
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dragonwoman writes: I was in a local bar restaurant called "The Moose Is Loose' (a story onto itself, right?) when I heard the clack of pool balls. Now at that time I didn't know they had a pool table in the place. Well, the sound got my imagination grinding. I ended up writing a story where a pool ball was made into an explosive device to blow up a Mafia kingpin at his favorite pool parlor.
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Pumpkin Harvest writes: First, I'm impressed that you make it to the gym 4 days a week for an hour. Good going!
The Rambo/Glen Campbell story reminds me of how the song "Gentle On My Mind" was written. The author-musician John Hartford wrote it after seeing Dr. Zhivago. In his mind, Zhivago is the singer, thinking of Laura as he traveled through Russia. A whole generation enjoyed that song, not knowing the connection. And that, apparently, led to Rambo and another generation! How many stories or poems has Rambo inspired in a domino effect?
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brom21 writes: I've always been told people watching is a good way to get a story premise. I have never really tried it though. Perhaps eavesdropping would really get my muse sparking. But the next time I am at the doctor's office I will see what I can glean from studying the mannerisms of other patients. Honestly though, objects and scenes really access my creativity. Thanks for sharing your experiences and insight!
~ ~
Quick-Quill  writes: My novel involved a man searching for his grandmother. I did genealogy and used my experiences in the book. As I was writing my second 50K I watched the Jodi Aries trial. I used a lot of what I learned about the Mormons in my book.
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Jo writes: Good morning, Shannon.
Thanks for this inspiring newsletter.
I, too, am a people watcher and make up stories with "what if". You have motivated me to pen my recent 3000 km trip across South Africa on an open 20-year-old Harley Davidson. We saw, met and interacted with numerous people who will be characters in the article I'm submitting to adventure magazine. Our experiences over the distance and during the week it took to do the trip, will also feature in an article I intend to pitch to a magazine for retirees. (We are in our mid-sixties).
To outline my thoughts on the screen, I'll use your method of points regarding the people and situations.
Thanks again for this weekly inspiration.
Regards
Jo Hedges
(South Africa)
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Jeff  writes: I don't often write fiction based on personal experiences or bits of information gleaned from the real world. I tend to more directly translate those into essays, blog posts, and occasionally even poetry. My fiction is usually inspired by my imagination or specific issues I want to explore rather than influences from the real world.
~ ~
Beacon's Anchor  writes: Hi there Shannon.
I read your newsletter and it was interesting because I am a big fan of
Stephen King. The one thing I have to agree with you on is What if? So
I will go with that and think about what I've experienced in my life. 😎😎
So next time I have to write something, I will think back on What if.
thank you
Beacon40
~ ~
Elfin Dragon-finally published writes: Truly an interesting newsletter this month. Apri has given me some moments to put real life memories into poetry. It always amazes me how much of my life can be placed in such a genre. Here are a couple of examples....| | | Invalid Item
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Steev the Friction Wizurd writes: Great newsletter. You've had some interesting experiences. I'm not too sure you could turn the parking lot lady door dinger into a story though. Haha!
If I have written a story based on any of my personal experiences, then it was unconsciously done because I am not aware of it. I suppose it's impossible that personal experience doesn't influence one's writing somehow, but I never reflect on my past to look for story ideas.
~ ~
Lisa Noe  writes: I think you have a fabulous newsletter and I enjoyed your subject as I learned from it to watch and listen to my surroundings and create a story that way. I'm not a good writer of short stories, but I've been trying. this newsletter helped me. Thanks!
lisa 
~ ~
Elycia Lee ☮  writes: Oh my gosh, Shannon , I absolutely love your newsletter. I can relate to the things you say like... I have a dreamy memory of me being carried by my mum at the night market (which is like our local weekly bazaar). My mum carried me in a way I could look behind while she was busy buying something while fighting the crowd and there were many people at the night market. There were sounds of bells and I saw a man pushing his way in between the crowd. There were sounds of bells. It came from the golden anklet I was wearing. The man came to me and I watched him remove my anklet and disappear into the crowd, the bells of my anklet still ringing but getting softer and fading away. I asked my mum if this really happened and my mum said that I did have a golden anklet and it went missing. She said I was only 3 and she was amazed I could still remember that. Another story, many years ago, when I was a journalist for a local newspaper, I went to a centre for complaints where people with problems seeked help from the department. This centre held a daily press conference to highlight cases these people are facing which need public awareness or help. Once, there was a man who needed help from the public to located his daughter. He was so heartbroken that the press conference had to be postponed as we waited for the man to regain composure. I could still remember how he was squatting down, back against the wall, hands in face, sobbing his heart out and I've never seen a man weep like that before and so openly. This piece I wrote was inspired by that incident: "Missing Jenny"
~ ~
eyestar~* writes: Wow! I was fascinated reading your "observations" and shook my head at the things people do! It was interesting to hear how other authors use real life to set the muse going. I think nature or music inspires me the most at this point. I have written from experiences for sure, not so much from things I've heard that I recall. IT is interesting where it can lead. It was a good reminder to use the "what if". I recall reading Ray Bradbury saying that is what he often did. Thanks for the enjoyable read. I always learn something from reading your work.
~ ~
ruwth  writes: I've been more aware of my own people watching since reading "The Watcher".
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Elle - on hiatus  writes: "Invalid Item" was inspired by true events. My daughter is very easily distracted, and if I watched her swimming lessons, she would focus more on me than her teacher. The only way to get her to pay attention was to read a book or similar on my phone, which I did. She would then stop paying attention to me because I'd stopped paying attention to her, and she'd focus on the lesson. But other parents never understood that and would glare at me for being on my phone instead of paying attention to my child's lesson. The story kind of grew from there.
I love the idea of listing some of the unusual incidents you've had that could be used as fodder for stories. Would make a great newsfeed challenge.
~ ~
Dragon is hiding writes: I do like watching people, that's for sure, though I don't think I've ever actually written about a conversation or incident I encountered.... maybe I'll give it a try some day!
~ ~
NeedingBeachDuf 🐠⛵🏝️ writes: Shannon,
This was a great newsletter. I am always excited when I see you are the author.
Thanks for reminding me to pay closer attention to my surroundings. I'd like to don a GoPro so I could capture the nuances of speech and behavior of those around me. I suspect the sight of the camera would ultimately produce different results as some would act differently for the camera. Okay, then a camera embedded secretly in a necklace. Yeah, there is that whole recording someone without their knowledge thing. So, I guess my note app on my phone will have to suffice.
I suppose I should devote a bit of my daily writing time to the documentation of those interesting characters and potential story ideas.
Thanks again for the awesome newsletter!
D
~ ~
Ẃeβ࿚ẂỉԎḈĥ  writes: It's true, Shannon, stories plucked from personal experiences can really fire the muse. I am also a people watcher and seem to find the oddest things happening before my eyes. Those experiences tend to make their way into a Comedy Newsletter. However, I do have many stories created from weird events that are true. Some stuff you just can't make up! 
For instance,I wrote a story based on a family move from Houston to Wyoming -- in January!  I have submitted it along with this response.
Great newsletter, Shannon
~ ~
papadoc1 writes: Hey Shannon! Neat NL this! I enjoyed reading the spooky/scary/crazy people excerpts and no doubt, there is much more out there to be "found". But then again, I read your quote of S. King who tells us that "our job isn't to find them, but rather report them when they show up"...or something like that. All told, if I had a nickel for each weird thing that happens around here each week, I'd be well on my way to paying off all my student loans by now! I have included my own short story that took place in real life (mine) when I went fishing with my dog some years ago....please, time allowing, read "Invalid Item" - hopefully, it will be a winning entry and that Spooky Trinket shall be MINE...ALL MINE...!!! (Maniacal laughter heard from within an abandoned building nearby)
Toodles,
Dr J
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Short Stories: April 19, 2017 Issue [#8197]
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