  Short Stories
This week: What's In Your Toolbox? 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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What's In Your Toolbox?
Like carpenters, mechanics and plumbers, writers need a toolbox. Every writer should make sure the basics are easily accessible, preferably on the top shelf (grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc.), but some writers have hidden drawers in their toolboxes--tucked-away places where they hide their best-kept secrets.
I recently attended a two-day writers conference in Boise, Idaho. Day one of this masters class weekend, hosted by the Popular Fiction Association of Idaho, featured former Green Beret and New York Times bestselling author Bob Mayer. With forty books under his belt and more than three million in print, Bob is a sought-after, widely-respected speaker.
Mr. Mayer stresses a concept that, at first, seems so simple we as writers often lose sight of it: What is your original idea? We've all wandered aimlessly a time or three in our writing. You know that manuscript you're working on about the serial killer and the seasoned homicide detective hot on his trail? Does the chapter where Officer Joe Blow goes to Borneo for the Bilingual & Brazenly Bottomless Bikers Biennial Beach Bonanza really further your story? Uh, probably not. Focus! We've all had writer's block at least once. When this happens, Bob says it's your subconscious telling you to stop because you've lost sight of your original idea. Print it out in a seventy-two-point font and tape it above your desk--a one-sentence summary of what your story's about: Officer Joe Blow must discover who The Midnight Mangler is before he kills again. This will remind you of why you're sitting there for four hours each and every day and help keep you focused.
Margie Lawson--writer, psychotherapist and international keynote speaker--took center stage on day two of the conference. In addition to her EDITS system, Margie talked about rhetorical devices--those tucked-away, best-kept secrets implemented by some of the most prolific writers in the business.
You may visit Margie's website to purchase lecture packets that cover both of these subjects in depth. Another comprehensive resource for rhetorical devices is Cindy Rogers's Word Magic for Writers: Your Source for Powerful Language That Enchants, Convinces and Wins Readers. This book was published in 2004. I bought it in 2005 and have referred to it so often my favorite parts are tagged with hundreds of Post-its, the pages dog-eared and the spine split down the middle.
I don't have the room and you don't have the time to read through all my favorites, but I do want to share a few of them with you. All the examples below were written by yours truly.
Alliteration--Two or more words in a group that begin with the same letter: The boat bucked and bobbed and beat against the bay.
Anadiplosis--Repeating the last word of a sentence at the beginning (or near the beginning) of the next: Fright seized her throat like a cold hand. A hand that squeezed and squeezed and refused to let go.
Anaphora--Repeating a word or words at the beginning of two or more clauses/sentences: I ran from everything I knew that day--from my abusive father, from my alcoholic mother, from my apathetic family and friends.
Asyndeton--The omission of conjuctions between phrases: She loved the rain, strong black coffee, making cupcakes, long hot baths ...
Epistrophe--Kin to anaphora, only the repeated word/words come at the end of the sentence or phrase: I remember his eyes. All the girls loved his eyes, and I soon discovered one could lose herself in his eyes.
Onomatopoeia--Word spelled like a sound. May be commonly-used (remember the Batman comics? Pow! Boing! Smack!) or writer-created: The body blooped to the surface.
Polysyndeton--The opposite of asyndeton. Polysyndeton is the use of conjuctions between each and every word, sentence or phrase: He drank and drank and drank. She watched and plotted and planned her escape.
Writers are like miners. We toil and dig and scrape away the fluff until we find that one golden nugget of excellence, then we cut, sharpen and polish that sucker till it shines.
Don't just be "another writer." Make your writing stand out. Make your writing the best it can be, and people will remember it ... and you.
I hope you found this newsletter helpful. Please show your support of these great authors by visiting their sites, buying a book or two and signing up for a class/workshop.
Thank you for reading.
 Bob Mayer: http://www.bobmayer.org
Margie Lawson: http://www.margielawson.com
Word Magic for Writers: Your Source for Powerful Language That Enchants, Convinces and Wins Readers by Cindy Rogers: http://bit.ly/17SuGi |
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Feedback
The following feedback is in response to "Short Stories Newsletter (May 27, 2009)" . I knew this topic would spark a lively discussion, and I wasn't disappointed. Just look at all this wonderful feedback!
very thankful  says, "Great newsletter. I agree with your point. Don't try to change your story from one genre to another. I've tried to do that with my stories. It never works. I've learned that I was meant to be a dark fantasy/horror writer. I can't keep those faeries and things that go bump in the night out of my head." I agree with you, Sister. Of course it is possible to change a story into something else, but I believe in order to maintain that original, magic creative spark it's best to leave well enough alone and let it breathe. Thanks for commenting!
vaagartha  says, "Will you accept translated short stories from other languages into English for the sake of creating awareness about the type of subjects that the people deal with?" Absolutely! I was referring to trying to force a story to be something it isn't--like trying to turn a drama into a comedy. Thank you for clarifying that, and thank you for reading.
fyn  says, "I, too, am a big fan of the 'let your story or poem tell you where it is going and what it is' school of thought. I guess it is all really about learning to trust yourself enough to let go and instead of leading it by apron strings, let it lead you. Besides, why try and twist a story for another purpose ... why waste a perfectly good opportunity to write something new! Thanks for using my piece in this week's newsletter!" You're welcome, fyn!
emerin-liseli says, "I am intrigued by the idea of turning a serious story into a light one - I believe that's the exact idea behind most forms of dark humor. Indeed, changing a story to fit a totally different genre means you lose something, but perhaps the gains outweigh them. Who knows? I think it's be worth a try. Great thought-provoking newsletter. Cheers!" People have done it, and done it successfully (Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire comes to mind here) but the writer wasn't trying to maintain the feel and tone of the original work (The Wizard of Oz) --he was going for something completely unique and fresh. It is, by definition, a revisionist story. Thank you so much for your great feedback, Em! I'm glad you liked the NL.
Adriana Noir says, "Great newsletter, Shannon! I couldn't agree more. Compromising your vision to try and fit someone else's ideals usually ends up with frustrating and dire consequences. I've always believed each thing we write comes to us for a reason...and I am so glad I'm not the only one that seems to lose creative control over the story and the characters when I go to pen their tale.  " I couldn't have said it better myself, Adriana. Thanks for your comments, darlin', and congrats on your new blue!
Zeke says, "I've had some success in converting a short story into another mold. I have taken at least three of my short stories and converted them into full length novels. I find the challenge of doing this quite fulfilling." Do you find that by turning a short story into something longer you maintain the original tone and feel? I've considered doing this myself, but changing one of my darker stories into something light-hearted--the antithesis of what my characters envisioned--is something else altogether. My muse might just go on hiatus if I tried to pull something like that. He's notoriously moody, and I find I spend much of my time acquiescing to his demands. Thanks for commenting, Zeke.
Stephanie says, "I agree that a good writer listens to her characters and lets them tell her where the story needs to go. But I think you can change the tone of any story by simply changing the point of view: choose a different narrator, or adopt a different attitude about the event." Gregory Maguire has made a living doing that. It might be fun to take a character someone else created, as Maguire does, and write about her and her daily life from her POV. Thanks for reading and commenting, Steph!
AliceNgoreland says, "I agree. A story is its own beast, whatever that is. Some are long. Some are short. Some are scary and others are sad. No story should be all things. It should be its own thing." Amen! 'Nough said. 
Just an Ordinary Boo! says, "A thought-provoking NL!  Isn't it strange that we can all have widely differing opinions and they can all be simultaneously valid? I happen to think you can tweak stories and add in elements not there before, it is an excellent writing exercise and hones one's skills and aids development as a writer. I find that left to themselves my stories would be only family-based light comedy, observational humour. But I have learned to add in a smidgeon of horror or romance, even mystery. I think the contrast helps. " Hi, Jyo! I knew this topic would inspire fervent conversation. I also knew there'd be people out there who disagree with me--that's why I emphasized the In my opinion part. I guess it all comes down to what works best for each individual writer. All I know is that when I've tried to change a story it loses its magic touch. Thank you so much for reading and adding to this very interesting conversation. 
sarahreed says, "I completely agree that each story has its own 'feeling' for lack of a better word, and it ruins the piece to try to change that. I've experienced the same thing as you--my stories or characters often write themselves. If I try to muck them up by changing their nature, they get mad at me and quit.  " Exactly! Characters can be temperamental little buggers. I find it's best to stoop and bow to them whenever possible.
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Short Stories: June 24, 2009 Issue [#3082]
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