  Short Stories
This week: Edited by: Legerdemain  
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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.
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Memorable Characters
Who remembers Quasimodo of The Hunchback of Notre Dame? Many have imitated the character, worn such a costume, or acted the part. Did you know Victor Hugo called the book Notre-Dame de Paris? Hugo believed the main character to be the cathedral itself.
Hugo created many interesting characters in this story. Claude Frollo, the archdeacon who raises Quasimodo and is obsessed with Esmeralda. Phoebus, Esmeralda's playboy crush and even Fleur-de-Lys de Gondelaurier his fiancée were all intriguing characters. Yet everyone remembers Quasimodo and his deformity. Why? His deformity gave him notability.
When writing your own stories, think about what makes your characters notable. What makes them stand out in the story? Obviously, slapping a hunchback on your character is probably not an option, but if you want them to stand out, what could you do to make them unique? Could it be what makes them different would make the character memorable?
Physical attributes are only one of the facets of a memorable character. When writing, giving your major characters depth with different personalities, unusual speech patterns, mannerisms and concise richness make your stories - and your characters memorable.
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A volunteer brightens Chistmas Eve for a jaded foster-adoption worker.
#1446674 by Jinks  |
Excerpt: Hazel fiddled with the temperature control knob as she waited for the volunteer to return to the van.
Do you blast the window with heat or cold if it's fogging on the inside, she wondered again. Not that the leak of air escaping the van's aging system would make much difference even if she got it right.
The volunteer's bright Christmas sweater and step caught her eye as he moved past the front windshield.
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#894790 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: Another Halloween.
Pam and I used to sit on this front porch and hand out sourballs. They were all we could afford. We'd listen to echoing giggles of trick-or-treaters and talk about having kids of our own some day. We'd laugh and eat candies until our tongues ached. We'd stay out here until the Jack-o'-lantern candle burnt itself into a puddle, and we could see our breath in the crisp air. These are the times I'm trying to think about tonight.
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#1321275 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: You always hear the stories of how identical twins have a close bond that cannot be broken, each feeling the other's pain or happiness, finishing each other's sentences. I cannot say that ours was more special than other twins -- all I can tell you is that our bond was very special to me.
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#1429158 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: William Santiago escorted an overconfident exterminator through the bank, down the stairs, past an empty employee lunchroom. While they walked along a narrow well lit corridor, He couldn't help but think about his troubles.
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#1443681 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: Thinking about the yummy pie made Mr. Munch's tummy grumble a little. He needed a snack. “Perhaps a super-gooey, slightly-chewy, chocolate martian bar will do the trick.” he decided and quickened his pace to Sweet's Market.
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#1374071 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: Earl left the house that spring night feeling very good about himself. He knew he was handsome, even gorgeous wouldn't be too much to say. A magnificent specimen, wouldn't be an exaggeration. The night was young and he had things to do, rounds to make.
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#1415480 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: A swift chill swept through from the west wing to swathe like arctic fingers round my entire body, it was then I noticed the walls begin to warp and bend; demonic emaciated fingers ooze through the pliable facade. The beastly form of the devil's messenger slipped from the wall like grease from glass and stood before me.
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#747531 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: Having wrapped-up her weekly visit with her parents, Alex Lang was walking to her car when she did something she never does – she paused to talk to a stranger.
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#1185170 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: Movement in the corner of Marianne's eye snagged her attention. Trees hid most of the area where she sat, but leaning slightly forward allowed her to peer around the tree trunks. While she couldn't be seen from the doorway of her home across from the park, her seat on the bench offered a nearly clear view of the house's doorway. Her stakeout began to payoff when she craned her neck to peer past the trunk of an oak tree and spied Ronald returning home about thirty minutes ago. She suspected he'd let the other woman in through the backdoor.
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#1446810 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: After mustering her courage, she entered the auditorium, and confidently approached the podium. Tapping the microphone, she said, “Excuse me for being late. I was running a little behind…”
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This month's question: What were some of your most notable characters like?
Last month's question: How do you define "dark" writing?
Replies
IGWOOTEN : Most of the dark writing I have read seems to create an atmosphere of desolation and hopelessness, no matter what the ending. Whether it be an individual's tortured quilt-ridden soul or the mystery of something foul in a forebodding location. I think the thing about dark writing is it doesn't have to be horror but can fit into any genre, eg: dark-comedy. Thanks for a fascinating NL. Of course the opinion of what dark writing is will be as varied as the writers.
Mike Day : I would suggest it is more a flavour, a style perhaps for example a Dark Romance or a Dark Thriller. Just my two pennies worth. Great News Letter by the way.
pooja_sr: That was a great newsletter, Leger! "Dark" is something that cannot be defined, in my opinion, I think it is mainly about how the writer interprets it for the reader to feel, understand and respond to.
kiyasama: Much thanks for plugging my story!  I'll be honest and say I wasn't all that sure about the 'dark' genre and didn't know the difference between that and 'horror' - but your newsletter definitely points out the differences. Good job with this!
Adriana Noir : Great topic! I can't wait to see the responses to this. To me, dark deals more with the emotional state of the characters. It could be angsty or run along a psychological vein. It should evoke strong responses in the reader like anger or empathy...maybe a little thrill. However, I don't think it's a sign of something wrong with the author. Some of us just have different muses and fortes. When I read dark fiction, I expect a lot of inner focus and extenuating circumstances. Cutting or thoughts of suicide might be considered dark by some, but I almost feel like the "emo" thing is growing cliche in writing as well and prefer strong characters that fight to survive. To me dark is that tradgic time we all experience at one point...where the glimmer of hope is all but extinguished, the deck is stacked against us, and we fight to plod on anyway. After all, there is a reason they call it being in a "dark place."
Helen McNicol : I think for me you hit the nail on the head with Anne Rice's Vampire Cronicles. This is what I'd call dark romanticism...it is possible to be repulsed by the actions of her characters while at the same time fall head over heels for them!
Capt. J B Dryden III, RAI : My thoughts on the "Dark" genre. I think that this is a misleading genre title. As an editor of speculative fiction, I would have to consider this a synonym for Urban Fantasy, New Weird, or possible Slipstream. I'm not sure, though. It seems like an odd choice for a genre.
mlarsen05: I think dark and horror go hand in hand. Either one is the genre and the other is a subgenre or the other way around.
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Short Stories: July 09, 2008 Issue [#2485]
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