  Short Stories
This week: Can You Name That Tune? 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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Name That Tune!
Whether the song is old or new, soft or hard, sung or screamed, I often find myself dwelling on lyrics and winding a story idea around them. Sometimes a song creates an image in my mind and I'm inspired to weave a story that includes that image. Other times, songs remind me of something in the past, a person or place and I start from there. Surprising? Probably not. Many musicians generate lyrics from something emotional or personal, so why wouldn't they evoke the same feelings in a listener? Just like a reader would create an image of a character in their mind that might not be exactly what you as a writer imagined, interpreting music can be the same.
Try listening to some new music. Not a big country music fan? Not all country music is about pickup trucks, guitars and yellow dogs. Perhaps Christian or gospel music could inspire a new character. Remember disco's polyester suits and wide lapels? A good way to dress a retro character. A friend and I started singing along with the canned music in an elevator, only to emerge in the lobby and find out the elevator is on camera for security. 
Certainly listening to indigenous music could help you imagine a setting in a remote location. Even if you don't understand the language, the emotion in the music could be inspiring. You might catch yourself dancing to the beat and getting a little exercise in the process! So give music a try, play it while you're writing, or in the car, and let it inspire new characters and settings. Write on!
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| |  | Black Veil (E)
A man applies to become a pianist in a church but falls for a girl, who wants to be a nun.
#1832089 by diadem  |
Excerpt: "You see, son. This orchestra started with members that were never interested in music, either they were forced or were just playing around. I was one of them. Mom bought me a violin and I don't want it to go to waste so I joined this orchestra when I was a bit confident of myself. But our very first conductor, and founder of this orchestra gave each of us a month before finally playing in the orchestra, to search what music is really to us."
| |  | Invalid Item
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#1840688 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: The sounds of the crescendo were still falling from the walls like broken glass when the conductor announced the rehearsal was over. Musicians gently wiped their children and put them to bed. Cases for woodwinds, brass and strings could be heard closing staccato. Some continued to play, but most would not. It had been a long, demanding practice. Chairs gave up their burdens grunting relief. Feet scuffled out of step. What was an orchestra was now a crowd.
Excerpt: When people stopped believing, the boats stopped journeying forth. But if you go a few yards left of the rainbow, just a tad to the right of the bent palm tree, you'll see the boats, gently swaying. If you're lucky, you'll hear the music.
Excerpt: In the misty recesses of fantasy and history, there was once worshiped a god of the fiery sun, Apollo. And in this world so long ago, there was a golden-crowned muse known as Calliope, renowned for her wisdom and strong will, venerated as the muse of history. The two were lovers, for a time, and their child was born shortly. He was a fair and grave in face, with long dark hair falling about his shoulders. His name, Orpheus.
| | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1774768 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: Lenora Andersen dropped her pen and examined the final copy of her composition. It looked fine, now that she had finished the last touch-ups. She hoped it would sound as good as it looked.
| | | The Guitarist (13+)
A story about the human need to be loved, and the consequences when this need is not met.
#1777236 by Grace |
Excerpt: He picked up his instrument, always ready for the condolences it readily offered him. He plucked out the beginning notes to a melody, forgetting already the disconcerting news and the strange feeling it brought to him. The sweet notes flowed into the cool morning air, playing a tribute to the sun.
| | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1275728 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: She stopped humming and tried to scream, but the sight seemed to have choked her voice. She found herself moving closer to the keyboard, mesmerized by its presence. Her room began to shrink, and so did everything in the room. The keyboard had miniaturized to the size of a notebook now, and it appeared as if the entire room would soon collapse into nothingness. She thought of running out but felt a strong attractive force preventing her from walking away, as if she was on the edge of a contracting universe. Had the world outside shrunk so much?
| | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1762726 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: Forty miles outside Abilene on interstate 20, a man is walking along the side of the highway. He's thirty-eight and dead broke save a twenty he's saving to spend on his girlfriend. If he ever gets there. He lost his car to the recession. It was carried away on a rollback in the middle of the night. Semis roar by with a vengeance. He had hoped for a ride but most of them say, "No Passengers!" Smaller trucks and cars don't even let up on the pedal as they bullet by. No one wants to pick up a hitcher anymore. It's too dangerous. You never know what's in a person's mind these days.
Excerpt: The drum of rock music shook my soul. Memories danced in cadence to the remorseless beat, memories to torment my spirit.
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This month's question: Has music inspired something in your writing?
Last month's question: If you are published, what advice would you give to someone trying to publish their stories?
StephBee - GOT Survivor  replies: Research the places you want to submit to and follow th submission guidelines. Publishers really do take that into account, if you can follow their directions. Also, have a "nice" online presence. That goes a long way, especially since you can't deal with people face-to-face.
faithjourney answered: You hit the nail on the head. Getting published and marketing your work is definitely harder than writing it, and you absolutely must educate yourself in the publication process if you hope to succeed!
LJPC - the tortoise sent: Hi Leger! Thanks for the great newsletter!  You made a thoughtful checklist for writers to pursue during the coming year, and you are so right about promotion. It IS harder than writing, more time-consuming, and infinitely duller. But it has to be done... ~ Laura
Jennifer 's response to December's issue: Can you explain to me the term "New Years"? How many new years are you talking about? Is there a missing apostrophe? If you are talking about several beginnings of a new year, shouldn't the verb be plural? "New years are right around the corner" I find it difficult to accept that someone dispensing advice on good writing uses what is, perhaps, at best an incorrect idiom. You are not alone. This is heard frequently, uttered by people who should know better, but that does not make it correct grammar, especially in this context. Ann Forrester"
Thank you for your newsletter response pointing out my failings in grammar and holding me to the highest of your standards. I bet your reviews are detailed and fabulous too! I hope you can find a morsel of sound advice or at least have a good laugh at my expense. The hours I spend on newsletters each week for the last seven years hopefully improved something, especially my tolerance. Thanks for being a faithful reader! 
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Short Stories: January 18, 2012 Issue [#4832]
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