  Short Stories
This week: Making a List, Checking It Twice Edited by: Shannon  
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Welcome to the Short Stories Newsletter. I am Shannon and I'm your editor this week.
Read on for your chance to win a 10k awardicon and merit badge of your choice! |
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Lists are great tools every writer can use to kindle creativity. Ray Bradbury said, "So all of this is in your mind as a fabulous mulch and you have to bring it out. How do you do that? I did it by making lists of nouns and then asking, What does each noun mean? You can go and make up your own list right now and it would be different than mine. The night. The crickets. The train whistle. The basement. The attic. The tennis shoes. The fireworks. All these things are very personal. Then, when you get the list down, you begin to word-associate around it. You ask, Why did I put this word down? What does it mean to me? Why did I put this noun down and not some other word? Do this and you’re on your way to being a good writer."
A few years ago I was walking through Barnes & Noble and happened upon a book of spells and charms. It had a bright, colorful cover that appealed to me, so I picked it up, flipped it over, and started reading the jacket. My mind instantly started racing with ideas and words: divination, tarot, runes, witch, cauldron, curse, cat. I whipped out my phone and jotted down the words in my Notes app. That chance encounter with the spell book, the resultant list of words, and the photo prompt used by the contest I wrote the story for became "Willow, the Green Witch of Gloucester" [13+].
As I sit here writing about lists, my mind is formulating another list in the background based on my current surroundings: the heat, the lawnmower, the children, the sprinklers, the air conditioning, the dump-truck, the construction workers, the humming, the barking, the traffic, the bees, the dryer, the shadows, the alley, the hammer, the sirens. Not only do the words themselves generate ideas, but the order in which you write them down plays a role in what ideas spring to mind.
The next time you go out to dinner or to a concert or on vacation, make a list. When you get back home (or to your hotel room), pick one word that stands out (or use the list in its entirety) and start writing. You may just surprise yourself with the results.
Now for this month's short story challenge. Your story must be:
 Based on the word list above (the heat, the lawnmower, the children, the sprinklers, the air conditioning, the dump-truck, the construction workers, the humming, the barking, the traffic, the bees, the dryer, the shadows, the alley, the hammer, the sirens). You don't have to use all the words listed, but a minimum of three is required.
Newly-written for this contest.
Rated 18+ or below.
1,000 words or fewer. Word count must be provided at the bottom of the item.
Received by me no later than 11:59 p.m. WDC time on July 31, 2013. Create your entry as a Static Item and keep it in your portfolio. Email me the item ID number in bitem format and write "Contest Entry" in the email's subject line. For help using the bitem format, please refer to "Newbie Hyperlinking 101 - Bitem Format" [E].
Edited only until the deadline.
Any entry not following these rules will be disqualified.
Only one entry per person, please.
The winning entry will receive a 10k awardicon and a merit badge of the author's choice. It will also be featured in the August 14, 2013 newsletter.
Good luck, and thank you for reading.
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I hope you enjoy this week's featured selections. Please do the authors the courtesy of reviewing the ones you read. Thank you, and have a great week!
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The following is in response to "Short Stories Newsletter (June 19, 2013)" :
pinkbarbie says, "Thank you for this wonderful newsletter Shannon. For the type of phobias, I would like to add a few common ones such as ophidophobia (fear of snakes); ailurophobia (fear of cats), gynophobia (fear of dogs) and mysophobia (fear of dirt/germs). I have met people who have these phobias." YES! There are literally hundreds of phobias to choose from when writing your characters, and some have become famous (e.g. Monk). 
blue jellybaby  says, "What a great newsletter! It's given me a lot of food for thoughts for some interesting characters I could create! Thank you!" You're welcome! Thank YOU for reading and commenting. 
Prosperous Snow celebrating  says, "A superstition my Grandmother always mentioned: 'If your nose itches someone is coming with a hole in his britches.'" Hahaha! I've never heard that one. It's great! 
Christine Cassello says, "That is something I have not considered but it will certainly bring more life into a character. Thank you for sharing that." Thank YOU! I'm glad you found the newsletter helpful. 
The following is in response to "Short Stories Newsletter (April 24, 2013)" :
AngelFire says, "This article was very informative and had valid points that I agree with. thanks for sharing!" Thank you! I'm glad you liked it. 
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Short Stories: July 17, 2013 Issue [#5776]
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