  Short Stories
This week: Fall Into Fiction Edited by: Shannon  
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Welcome to the Short Stories Newsletter. I am Shannon and I'm your editor this week.
Keep reading for your chance to claim an exclusive trinket! |
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Fall is my favorite time of year. The temperature is finally dropping and the holidays are just around the corner.
Colder weather means more time indoors, and more time indoors means more time to write, right? There's something about the month of October that makes me want to CREATE--fall into fiction, so to speak. For starters, I love Halloween; it's my favorite holiday. Couple the scary books I'm currently reading (The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All by Laird Barron; Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower #4) by Stephen King) with Syfy Channel's "31 Days of Halloween" and I predict perpetual plot production of phenomenal proportions. 
With NaNoWriMo less than four weeks away, now is the time to stretch those writing muscles and ready yourself for next month's sprint.
Like no other time of year, inspiration abounds. Notice the holiday preparations in your neighborhoods, read a psychological horror novel (there are many exceptional options to choose from), saunter a chilly leaf-covered trail, visit a cemetery at night, watch a scary movie on Syfy, peruse the costumes in Halloween City or Zurchers. If none of these methods pique your muse's interest, check out the Halloween-themed contests below, many of which are prompt-based.
Make a pact with yourself to write a certain number of words per week. Even if the number is only 500 (that's a mere 71 words per day), by the end of the month you'll have another short story under your belt--something with which to enter one of this month's featured contests.
Thank you for reading, and write on! 
P.S. Everyone who shares their thoughts and/or creative endeavors inspired by this week's topic will receive an exclusive trinket. Isn't he cute? I will retire this month's limited-edition trinket at 11:59 p.m. WDC time on October 31, 2017, when my next short stories newsletter goes live.
P.P.S. I am heartbroken by the senseless massacre that took place in Las Vegas on Sunday night. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone touched by this horrific crime. 
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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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The following is in response to "Points of Minutiae" :
Detective  writes: I know some things about forensics, mostly from watching shows like Forensic Files and reading books on the subject. I know enough that I would get frustrated watching the CSI shows going," that doesn't exist, that's wrong, that's wrong." Even shows like Forensic Files , which talks about actual real life cases, talks about how forensics isn't perfect.
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Quick-Quill  writes: You must have been watching Forensic files last night. It was human error. they found the test blood sample had the wrong label on it. Human error. Fingerprints are put into computers. Human evaluation is subject to error. Some say there is no perfect murder. I say anyone who gets away with murder has committed the perfect murder. If evidence can't be proven and the murderer walks away. It's Perfect.
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Dartagnan  writes: The Crime Scene itself should be thoroughly investigated,
1984, A neighbor has called and complained to the Brookes Family that their ponies were in his yard.
Over the past couple of months, there has been arguing going on between these two families over different incidents. When two of the boys crossed the street the neighbor was waiting. As the two boys crossed the street the neighbor took off shooting with a .357. The oldest of the boys was dead before he hit the ground, the other was shot in the arm.
The boy who died was said to have had a rifle but one was never found yet the shooter never spent one day in jail.
The only rifle the boy owned was at another house. He didn't have possession of it.
I man commits murder and never pays for his crime.
Why.
Where is the Justice.
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Princess Megan Snow Rose  writes: I am not a fan of crime shows but I watch enough soaps and learn about DNA and how it plays into who is the father of a child. Crimes? Soaps have their share of them and who goes to jail but the right person is never arrested until 6 months later. I don't write crime but I respect and admire those who do. This newsletter is informative and I have never been arrested. I just stay from people who I wish were else where.
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BIG BAD WOLF is Merry  writes: Law and Order all depend on what world your person comes from. In some cases, there isn't any law beyond that of "Might makes Right!"
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Ẃeβ࿚ẂỉԎḈĥ 2025 writes: Fabulous Newsletter, Shannon! You did a wonderful job reminding your readers that evidence is subject to human interpretation or error, thus not infallible. I love the sources you added after the editorial. I am a huge mystery buff and do enjoy it more when it is kept realistic.
 Thank you for the highlight of my story, as well.
WW
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drgn_kpr writes: I enjoyed your newsletter on forensic science. I know TV shows need that quick decisive answer to move the plot forward within the time allotted. However, at times the integrity of the story suffers. Written stories benefit by allowing the natural human frailties become part of the intrigue. Thank you for eloquently reminding us.
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textual writes: Erudite. My life had come to an end. I will be discrete but clear. I went down for accompanying a friend to a backyard pool party. My dreams of an Art career and a little white picket fence were annihilated, and now over forty years later, I'm just beginning to get my life back together.
I would say what would seem to make a Whole story, but the truth about this world is so trite, and insignificant that it does not matter. What's important is despite living like everyone else, with my eyes closed, I can see again and reality has not changed, for false positives that encompass what most most assume are the exceptions. In actual fact however, the "Fukushima's" are the norm.
This is true across the board, and the only substantiating proof I have is my own eyes, and my own memory.
Your writing here is an exception, and it's good to see that the spotlight of truth still shines on the Greek tragedy," that we all so blindly obey. Write on.
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Elizabeth writes: Thank you for sharing links at the bottom. Your information and the information at the bottom was incredibly useful. I most enjoy reading about the historical aspects of forensic evidence and fingerprinting, as it's so interesting to see how things have changed, as well as exactly how much they've stayed the same.
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willwilcox writes: I love the phrase, It's time to come clean.
I can picture the killer getting all his cleaning tools and coming over to clean the detective's house.
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dragonwoman writes: Wow, I think I just lost some fascination with CSI stories. Although I am quite enjoying the short series on History Channel on Tuesdays called 'American Ripper' which maintains that a American named H.H. Holmes was really Jack the Ripper.
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haldo writes: DNA be damned! That's why a credible eyewitness is THE most important testimony around. It surpasses all other evidence! It helped me when I was in a car crash. An insurance company will work any angle to relieve themselves of the burden to pay for the damages etc. But with an eyewitness, this goes for crimes as well, they shut-up and put up without hesitation. If you see it, report it!
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tonyb writes: As my 75th Birthday draws near, my writing is just as important to me today as it was when I first joined writing .com. a decade ago. To that end, though I have not posted lately, I feel it is time to put another short story in my portfolio. The Funeral of Little John, an alternative ending of the Robin Hood legend, tomorrow as I need to check for errors.
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The bald writer writes: Does it matter. I could see and understand that the fact there is no 100% in forensic is important. As writers we need to be as real as the world and our capabilities allow. But what does the world allow from a writer. I can see where if the story requires accuracy of the type you speak, ( and you can bring the reader along with you) then it would make sense. But if we lose the reader by being too correct, because the reader will not accept it: then maybe we are making a mistake by being so correct.
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ruwth  writes: I was drawn here once again by your trinket,  but held here by your subject. Here are some details from my own CSI experience. I was delighted that there was a clear fingerprint left by one of the folks who stole everything I owned. The investigators also did a swab for DNA fingerprint information. A year later I learned that none of the evidence taken from the scene was ever processed. The explanation was that the county had limited funds and chose not to spend the money to analyze the evidence. Needless to say, my case was never solved.  "A Story, A Poem and An Image" [E]
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Jeff  writes: While it's always great to make advances in criminology, it sometimes comes with the horrifying realization that an awful lot of people were convicted in the past before those advances shed light on just how uncertain some of that "evidence" can be! It's one of the reasons I actually like the appeals process. I know it's super expensive and takes a long time... but if I were on trial for a crime I didn't commit, I'd want the benefit of multiple judges, multiple juries, and multiple years to find ways to disprove the evidence being presented against me!
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eyestar~* writes: Wow! This was fascinating and shows you really did some study. It is interesting how we take other's opinion so easy if they are experts and believing in the ideal... nothing is infallible. Seems we need to keep asking questions. thanks for this taste of reality. Makes me wonder how many wrongfully accused folks there have been over the years and how many criminals got off.
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Dragon is hiding writes: Very interesting! I would always go the DNA route during those TV shows.... but I suppose in this technological world, your cyber history is good as well.
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dragonwoman writes: I guess when you watch all those crime dramas it would be best to remember that DNA is NOT a perfect science either. Too bad as that takes all the fun out of CSIs'
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sindbad  writes: Hi, Shannon. This is a thrilling and interesting subject you have expounded so well. I have been fascinated with DNA, and all such investigtoray tools since my childhood. This article did give me great input. Thanks a lot. Sindbad
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NeedingBeachDuf 🐠⛵🏝️ Writes: I don't need the trinket, but I wanted to say that I always enjoy your newsletters. They have something important for my writing and I toss them in a newsletter folder for future reference. Thanks!
D
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~ Aqua ~ writes: Wow - I have studied biology and genetics and they are an absolute and 100% confirmed way of knowing the person but I agree with you that it is the people that connect the persons and the chances of mistakes in this exist. A machine will give you data and statistics and numbers but it is we who use them and manipulate them according to what we want to see and hear.
Thank you for the amazing newsletter that helped me learn a lot about writing in the Detective genre. I haven't started writing anything in it but I hope to do so in the future.
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textual writes: I wish That I could remember just where I read, but I know it was a techno-thriller, where the DNA may be different in different parts of your body.
What I remember from as far back as the 70's when I first heard of fingerprints, was that it was no exact science.
When you think about the kind of people who are running our lives... Lawyers, television people, politicians, and corporate entities you've got to die of fear.
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Short Stories: October 04, 2017 Issue [#8494]
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