This week: The Short - and Shorter - of the Tale Edited by: Kate - Writing & Reading More Newsletters By This Editor
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Welcome to this week's edition of the Writing.Com Short Stories Newsletter; and our exploration in writing complete, though brief tales of mystery, humor, adventure, and more .
“Good things come in small packages
- why not savor a short story ~
aloud ~ today.” |
ASIN: 0996254145 |
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Amazon's Price: $ 12.95
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Greetings, thank you for allowing me this brief intrusion into your virtual home. Just as novels come in a variety of sizes, some to fit a pocket or purse, others only a briefcase will hold; so too the short story comes in a variety of ‘sizes.’ Nope, no ‘one size fits most,’ here. And although short stories are available in a gamut of sizes, genres, voices, and points of view, they do belong to the same ‘family’ as their ‘big brother/sister’ novels.
Flash fiction can be drafted in a creative breath, then refined, reworded, sometimes all in a day. A short story anywhere from 30 words to about 3000 is considered flash fiction. And even tighter, a complete story of 10-300 words has been dubbed micro-fiction. But these are not merely a scene, or expository. Flash fiction and micro-fiction have all the elements of a novel: beginning, middle and end, in brief. You find them in any genre - mystery, adventure, horror, comedy...that inspires the Muse Creative to write. Since they are short an shorter in length, each word has to count, to move the story forward. As I write short, I find myself speaking the words aloud, seeing, smelling, touching the action as it unfolds, word by word as I write.
A Drabble is one form of flash, a complete story exactly 100 words in length. It challenges writers to create an interesting and full story under extremely confined parameters. Each word has to count for something. It’s gained popularity in science fiction and fan fiction over the past several decades, and mainstreamed into adventure, comedy, mystery. The term and idea originated in the ‘70s, in Monty Python’s Big Red Book, originally a word game challenging participants to be the first to write a ‘novel’ in 100 words. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drabble) Other parameters may be added to challenge or inspire the writer, i.e., a picture prompt, or using a specific point of view, all dialogue, or perhaps no repeated words
Even shorter, if you dare, try a dribble, a complete story in 50 words; or go the other direction and weave a droubble (double drabble) of 200 words
All of these dribbles and drabbles and their derivatives have one thing in common – each is a complete story, plotted and driven from beginning to end by the writer’s insightful choice of words.
So, why not give it a try ~ and ‘drabble’ in vivid imagery to create a story though brief in length, replete in breadth, and a delight to read aloud And do read a few of the drabbles and dribbles and flash offered for your reading pleasure by some of the writers in our Community.
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Check out some drabbles and other shorts offered for your reading (maybe even aloud) pleasure, and perhaps offer the writer your thoughts, in a brief review and how about penning one or your own
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| | Stranded (13+) Entry for Dialogue 500 content. Prompt: Two very hungry people stranded on an island. #2184340 by essvee |
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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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ASIN: B07B63CTKX |
Product Type: Kindle Store
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Amazon's Price: $ 6.99
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Thank you for this brief respite in your virtual home, no matter how short or long your next story, have fun at it
Write On!
Kate
Kate - Writing & Reading |
ASIN: B01FST8A90 |
Product Type: Toys & Games
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Amazon's Price: $ 24.95
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