  Short Stories
This week: Mixing It Up 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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Mixing It Up
Just for fun, list all the types of stories you would like to experiment with. I started one, and then got distracted with plot ideas. That's a good thing! I had some on my list, like steampunk, western and paranormal. Then I started thinking about a paranormal in a western steampunk setting. A green alien in bionic chaps? A funny image, but I'm not sure I could succeed with that one. The science fiction / western idea is out there, Stephen Gould, author of Jumper has written a new novel - one about robotic "bugs" that eat anything metal, including metallic implants in humans. They destroy the Southwest and the only thing that seems to stop them is water.
Mixing it up can be a good formula for success. Paranormal romances are very popular and what makes them successful is taking a romantic template and inserting a new type of character. Could a futuristic vampire plot be marketable? Or has the blood-sucking run its course and werewolves taken over? Harlequin, one of the world's leading publisher for women, has hundreds of paranormal romance novels in their literary offerings. They also have a wide variety of imprints, from medical romances, romantic suspense, otherworld fantasy, african-american, and Carina Press - an erotica publisher.
Expanding your horizons to a new genre or twisting an old write into something contemporary could give new life to your writing and perhaps become publishable. Explore new ideas and check out some of the leading publishers to see what market they're trying to fill. 94 members have listed books in the Authors In Print page. You'll find it in the Shop category in your left side navigation panel. If you haven't listed your published novel there, do so! If you haven't published yet, start submitting!
This month's question: What type of story combinations intrigue you?
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Excerpt: She was downtown Rio de Janeiro and about to cross the street when she noticed the yellow flyer glued to a street pole. It was the picture of this sweetest little girl ever. Another missing girl. She came closer to the girl’s picture. She read the information about her mysterious disappearance. Her name was Ana Castelo Branco. She stared at Ana's face. She felt a sudden rush. Her heart beat faster. Margot couldn’t keep her eyes away from that little girl's face.
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Excerpt: The thing picked up its pace, heavy footsteps echoing the pounding of Wendy’s heart. Why isn’t he answering me? The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, causing a chill to run through her body. The creature lifted its head to stare at Wendy, its round eyes reflecting in her headlights like an animal’s. She gasped. Whatever it was, it wasn't human. What is that thing?
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Excerpt: Trembling, she glanced back over her shoulder. Her soldier sat lifeless, egg cracked open, engines powered down, waiting for its operator. Her. A host of precautions--thumbprint, retinal scans, genetic tests, voice comparisons--made it impossible for anyone else in the universe to operate the weapon.
Excerpt: “Delicious,” the old man cooed, “simply delicious.” His hand caressed the mop of hair on the boys head. Giving it a quick ruffle.
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When your guardian angel is your lover, prayers get answered in the most romantic way.
#1685947 by BeElleGee  |
Excerpt: But hey, didn’t I have ‘friends in high places’? Hadn’t God sent my guardian angel, Pershabael to me--in the flesh, to save my bitter and hateful soul a few years back? My angel had not only shown me the error of my ways, he‘d shown me what true love was. As it happened, we‘d fallen madly in love with each other, and now he returned to me as often as he could--in the flesh, to express that love and indulge our passion for each other.
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Excerpt: Fat pillar candles burned on the center island. The rich aroma of carnations and jasmine perfumed the air. Soft light from the range hood illuminated the young woman who sat motionless at her kitchen table. Meghan’s slim fingers tangled in the lace tablecloth. Her small body tensed. She heard sleet dance against the cottage, yet the wind remained still. Meghan sensed something vast and dark tap against the fabric of time itself. Fear rose in her throat as she fought to deny reality.
Excerpt: The side effects from my 2003 brain tumor surgery didn’t show up immediately. At first I thought the strange feelings were simply from the loss of a portion of my brain. You see, Mum had always scolded me and told me to use my brain whenever I did something dumb, which was quite often. I honestly think trying to obey her for years caused the brain tumor, but don’t quote me on that.
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Excerpt: How do you explain Before, to someone who has only known After? It is not something I’ve ever faced. Yet here I am, with The Child, unsure if she even hears me as I try to describe the world before The Rains. Even now they pursue us. We are unsafe here. Unsafe anywhere, truth be told, but I won’t tell her that. I just tell her that we must keep moving; that we have somewhere to go.
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This month's question: What type of story combinations intrigue you?
Last month's question: Do you like using free-writing as an inspiration tool?
mystic_dreams replied: I use free writing all the time, but usually not towards a specific prompt. With prompts, I use free thinking. I wander around with the prompt in the fishing hole of my mind. Occasionally, I get a nibble, but I don't set the hook until I feel a big one strike. Then the interplay is out of my hands.
Jaeff | KBtW of the Free Folk  answered: Great advice, Leger! Some of my most successful contest entries (and my favorite stories) were written in an attempt to put the biggest spin on a prompt I could possibly think of. I don't free write specifically, but I definitely spend a lot of time thinking about a contest entry before I start writing, considering the obvious direction for the story, then exploring in the opposite direction. 
JACE - House Targaryen  responded: Great newsletter, Leger. Absolutely! I look for the memorable aspect to prompts, though I tend to use more free-thinking, than writing. I suspect folks won't look at that loveable smiley face on that stress ball the same way after they find out it's a delivery system for a mind-control chemical. 
I always enjoy your NLs.
🌕 HuntersMoon  said: No!  I use free-writing as my only tool. I write to entertain and going with the obvious is not fun for the reader or the writer. If you don't enjoy the story you're writing, then it will not be memorable to you or the reader. Look for the hidden twist and you'll always be successful - even if you don't win the contest LOL.
A.J. Barretts submits: The best stories I have ever written have come from the free style type writing. I usually have multiple stories to write then. One of my favorite contests for this was 15 for 15 that gave a picture prompt and had you write for 15 minutes. There were millions of story ideas in just those few pictures.
bertiebrite hoping for peace comments: I don't get the chance to do free-writing very often. If a photo or word prompt inspires me, I just begin to write the story I see in my mind and that's that. I am blessed; gifted with the ability to do that. I am not bragging. But, I would like to know if there are others that can perform like this.
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Short Stories: October 26, 2011 Issue [#4686]
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