Tag Archives: Short Stories

It’s Just Not Working

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This whole story board malarkey lol. Perhaps it just doesn’t really work with a short story. Anyway, here is my 2000 word short story, split down into scenes of a story board.

Eating Out

Not much of a plot exactly is it? *snigger* 😉

After a really unproductive day, I had a really productive evening. I managed to extend “Eating Out” into a 1100 story and even used Autocrit to check it over, which was very interesting LMAO…… I’m now hooked, paid for an annual subscription, and will be using it a lot 🙂

So I guess the Mslexia competition is out the window…..I’ll just have to find one that’s up to 1200/1500 so that I can use this story. Will spend today doing some more editing before taking it to The Write Place tonight.

Yesterday’s prompt was eating out, and developed into the story I’ve been using today. A couple in a restaurant, and I’m not saying anymore 😉 Today’s prompt is living as he did…. so I haven’t got a clue where to start with that one.

I finished note book number 9 yesterday. It’s sad finishing a notebook, but soooo exciting starting a new one. I’m now using a lovely purple one 🙂

Story Boards

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Yesterday I tried my hand at using a story board to plan a story. I have a 300 word piece of flash fiction that I need to turn into a 2000 word short story.

The story board template I’m using (which I found on a Google image search) splits the story into 6 scenes. The 300 words I already have is basically 1 scene (but i can split it into 2) so I have to come up with another 4 lol. The problem is, what I have written so far puts my character into a particular situation, so now I have to come up with a reason as to why she’s there in the first place…..

…..and I’m struggling…… Perhaps this isn’t the right story to extend?

I’m trying to kill multiple birds again (not literally, obviously!) as my next part of the course is to use a method for plotting that I don’t usually use (the story board) and The Write Place homework is a short story to enter in a competition.

So, is it really the story, or the method that’s letting me down? Lol.

Yesterday’s prompt about bad blood ended up being a 1st person POV about a serial killer *snigger* and today’s prompt is eating out and as I do a lot of that I should find it pretty easy shouldn’t I 😉

Such A Shame

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A friend on Face Book posted a link to this Guardian article Friday. Sooooo sad….but there’s a story there if ever I saw one 🙂

If I see an interesting article in a newspaper or magazine I either tear it out and stick it in my notebook, or, if it’s online like this one, I write down notes about it, and list it in my notebook as a story idea 🙂

Then yesterday, this e mail hit my inbox…….and I totally agree. I will never, ever be completely ‘book-less’ 😉

I managed yesterday’s prompt, even with images of Edward Cullen floating round in my head lol. I did a short piece about a woman getting ready for her wedding.

The Write Place homework this week (the session I missed) was to find a current short story competition and start writing the short story. I’ve decided to go for the Mslexia one and use my prompt story from the 2nd January. I wrote a piece of flash fiction that centred around David Bowies Ashes to Ashes song. It’s gunna need a heavy re-write to extend it to the 2000 words required in the comp, but, I’m up for it 😉

Tomorrows prompt is someone is reading a poem which shouldn’t be too hard. At least I haven’t got any visuals influencing me 😉

Today looks like its going to be a good writing day…..there won’t be much else to do lol

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Research

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I went to Baggins today and managed to, ahem, buy a couple of books lol

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5 books, to be precise…..about local history and local ghosts. Creeping myself out a little bit reading all this ghost stuff lol

I managed to finish the summer garden prompt. The start of a short story about a young girls discovery in her absent fathers shed (don’t ask me what she finds, I haven’t got that far lol). The word unspoken ended up being an argument between a married couple, the word unspoken was the word gay. Yesterdays prompt, the longest day is proving difficult, I’ve gone completely blank, and, as I want to stick to my goal of writing every day, I did 2 character sketches instead 😉

Watched Mud Men this evening. A new TV show all about searching for artefacts in the mud of the Thames. Some great ideas for stories 🙂

Before that I watched Crimewatch as I haven’t watched it for years. Another couple of ideas for stories 😉

It amazes me that it doesn’t matter what you watch on TV, you can always get a story idea from a programme…..great fun 🙂

Today’s prompt is write about a shade tree and, as I’m going to a Writing Group meet this morning, I’m hoping to get there early, to get some writing done before everyone arrives 🙂

Titles

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I spent most of yesterday writing and typing up a short story for my OCA exercise re, marrying 2 notebook ideas together. I’m not gunna publish it on my blog as I think it might be good enough to send somewhere for a short story comp. it’s really annoying that these competitions request that your story cannot have appeared anywhere else *pout* 😦

Anyway, so I have a completed short story….now, a title lol.

I never start with a title, I always write the story and then when it’s finished I think about what to call it. Most of the stories I’ve written don’t ever have titles (do you think they mind? Lol), but I like to ‘name’ those that get typed up 🙂

I have pages and pages of title ideas in my notebooks. I tend to find them everywhere. Something that I overheard someone say, the chapter heading in a book (non fiction), the title of a piece of art, 2 or 3 words from a poem or quote…..I have hundreds lol. So when it comes to naming a piece, I go back through my lists and pick something appropriate. Unfortunately, sometimes I come unstuck lol…. My last Nano novel was/is called Deliberate Act which I thought suited it perfectly. But then hubby pointed out to me that there is a film called that……oh dear, will need to rethink that one then 😦

Yesterday’s prompt, the one about nearing midnight inspired the story of a woman waiting for a phone call. Her son is on a life support machine, but, how should she feel about that when he’s a rapist and murderer? Lol….. I really will write something happy one day, I promise 😉

Today’s prompt is write about a summer garden

I’m really proud of myself that I’ve kept to my ‘goal’ of writing everyday 🙂

Tonight I’m going to see Lesley Pearse give a talk. I’ve never read anything of hers, but I’m always interested to hear what an author has to say 🙂

Playing Catch Up

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Ok, so I’ve caught up with both my prompts. The first one about describing something unfamiliar, I went for a gun…..because I went along the lines of thinking that if you put your hand into a bag and couldn’t see what you were touching, surely, most people would know the feel of a gun. Now, I have no way of testing that theory, so if anyone has, don’t hesitate to let me know 😉

Yesterday’s prompt, a place where wings unfurl, I came up with the idea of an old lady sitting in a tree, and all the people who walk by, not noticing her. Don’t ask me who she is, or how she got there, but I liked the image of it 🙂

Today’s prompt is what is seen through open windows

I’m liking that 🙂 and I already have some thoughts…..will tackle it later though, as first things first…..editing my assignment *groan* 😦

I hate editing! When I’m rich and famous cant I pay someone to do that for me?

And talking about being rich and famous lol, I’ve decided…..I’m going to finish my OCA course and then rather than enrol on anything else I’m going to concentrate on competitions and submissions. At the moment I feel that I’m writing what I’ve been told to write, instead of what I want to write 😉 I’m not sure I really am a potential ‘novelist’ I think I’m probably a potential ‘short story writer’ 🙂

Got sent this link through another Blog I subscribe to. It gives me hope that it not too late 🙂

Running Behind

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Ok, so yes, I ended up doing 2 of the daily prompts yesterday lol….. The first one, which was actually Fridays was when she looked up. I wrote a 1 page piece (better than nothing) describing a woman walking through a village when a plane crashes nearby. Yesterday’s prompt (the one inspired by Turgenev) was totally uninspiring lol….I ended up with a description of a woman entering a room full of books, taking one down from the shelf and finding a handwritten note. I don’t know why she’s in the room, who she is, or what the note says…..yet 😉

I finally completed my Write Place homework. I decided to use one of my stories that I did for the prompt, and just adapted it. I promise I will post it here after Wednesday when I read it out in class *gulp*

I know as an aspiring writer, one of the best things I can do to ‘hone’ my craft is read. But at the moment, I’m in a reading slump. My current read has been sitting next to me bed for 3 weeks lol. I read more blogs and short stories on line at the moment than actual books (is it that time thing again?). So today, I’m determined to read at least a couple of chapters lol.

Don’t get me wrong…..I’m enjoying finding things on line to read, web sites like this are a complete time suck, but sooooo interesting 🙂

So other than reading, the plan for today is to have another fiddle with my assignment, and do today’s prompt, which is write about an unfamiliar object. I’m feeling much better about the daily prompts now I’ve taken the pressure off myself to actually complete a short story every day…..but, saying that, I did have a lightbulb moment recently, and I now realise, thanks to Liz @ Libro that if I’m not enjoying what I’m writing about I struggle big time 😦 To quote Liz……. “it’s vitally important to choose a topic you’re interested in and can commit to….”

Yes, ok, I know it’s obvious!!!! Lol….. Reminds me of Iain McEwan and that I read recently that in a lot of his books it comes across that he doesn’t really like his characters (was definitely the case in Saturday which I read recently). So how does he do that? Lol

The Write Place Homework

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Just quickly……I have to show you this……Kelly Rae Roberts desk *squeals*……how gorgeous is that? *looks around the house to see if there are any spare cupboards*

Yesterday’s prompt, in the distance, went well. I wrote a short piece about a girl getting lost in the woods and stumbling across an old cottage…..a huge cliche I know, but I just fancied writing something a bit creepy 😉

At The Write Place class we were discussing openings, the beginnings of short stories, and how they have to grab the reader. As I said yesterday I failed miserably in the actual class lol, but I’m hoping I’ll be better at the actual homework, because I’m not feeling so pressured. Although, I know I will have to read it out next Wednesday *gulp*

So the prompt is…… ‘Sara! I never thought you could do such a thing.’

I sat there yesterday evening, trying to come up with something (it needs to be about 300 words) that resembles a story. On my 3rd attempt I got further than the first 20 words lol….so I’m hoping today I’ll be able to turn it into something readable. Might have to practice reading it out loud to the hubby a few times though lol

Plan for today…..try to get my assignment sorted, or rather typed up and finish the homework, oh, and of course, there’s today’s prompt……when she looked up

Looks like its going to be a busy day 😉

Is That It Then?

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Is it over now? All that Christmas and New Year malarkey ;o) Can I take the tree down?

So today, a return to normality? I do hope so 🙂

I managed quite well with my first writing prompt yesterday. I want to use them to inspire short stories. Yesterday’s one ended up being about a woman waiting for her son to come home from a New Years Eve party. Only, he’ll never return……no matter how many News Years Eve’s she waits for him. A bit sad and morbid I know, but what can I say…..it’s what came to me 😉

Today’s prompt is write about ashes

No ideas springing to me immediately, so I guess I’ll just start writing and see what comes up.

I haven’t done any work on my course these last couple of days, so I really should try to get some done….I’m just not feeling very motivated at the moment. Oh well, perhaps that’s to do with the holidays 😦

I made my first entry in my Mslexia Diary yesterday and had a quick flick through all the competitions, see which ones I want to enter…. There are loads so I better pull my finger out lol

I made my first post to the FaceBook Group Status Stories yesterday….You have to write a short story of less than 100 words. I’m determined to upload one every week 😉

And just quickly before I go…. A great quote I read yesterday regarding the New Year and resolutions…… “all manner of wondrous things are possible” Victoria Moran….2012 is gunna be a good year…. I’m excited 😉

Where Do The Hours Go?

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Last Christmas hubby bought me a book…….this book >>>>>>>>

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I have an enormous Amazon wish list and every year he picks some off the list and buys them for me 🙂 Soooo, last Christmas I had this one (amongst many others lol). At the time I just kinda flicked through it. Picked it up again in the summer, and had another flick……Fast forward to October and I came across it again, only this time, I made a diary entry on my phone instructing my future self to start this book on January 1st 2012

Judy Reeves has a great web site. So much stuff to read and I’m really excited about working with the book next year 🙂 I’m just so gutted I don’t live in San Diego *pouts*

So yes, thanks for that Judy……your web site is a complete time suck lol 😉 I should have been working on my 3000 word short story, I should have been writing my “action” piece for my course. But instead, all I’ve done is read Judy’s web site.

No, tell a lie…..i did make some notes on basic plots. The common ones that crop up all the time. You know, like Quest, Rags To Riches, Voyage, Rebirth, Revenge, etc etc. I’ve managed to compile a list of 25……I wonder if I could write a short story for each one? Hmmmmm…….