Story Starter

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Story Starter
Write a piece that takes place in a one of the following places:

A fishing pier in the Florida Keys
A Public Library
A Bus station
A Shopping Mall

Keep this in mind:
1. The piece may take place partly in one of the above places and partly in another.
2. Don’t just describe these places make something happen there.
3. Pair your piece with something unusual for the setting like characters of a book coming to life in a public Library when their book is read. This will make for an interesting story.

Rory C. Keel

GO FOR THE OUTRAGEOUS

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GO FOR THE OUTRAGEOUS

By Natalie Bright

Hilary Sares, freelance editor and ghostwriter, spoke at the recent Frontiers in Writing Conference this summer and encouraged us to go for intensity and outrageousness in all of our writing. “Stories can take on a life of their own and don’t be afraid to spin your story into something new without loosing sight of the craft,” Sares told us. The example she gave is a self-pub runaway bestseller by John Locke called SAVING RACHEL, the story of what happens when killers force a man to choose between his wife and his mistress…and the one he rejects must die. It’s different, it’s a new premise and readers loved it. She reminded us that structure must include magic and plot. “Write from your soul, write from your heart, and write your life experience,” Hilary said. If the topic means something to you, you will reach people in a direct way. The trick is to put yourself into it and leave yourself out of it. One of the biggests problems she sees with newbie writers is the intrusion of clever asides. The author must be invisible. In today’s market we see larger story arcs where individual characters can be spun off into their own series. “The writing is tight, fast moving and stripped down,” Hilary said. “You are a pro. Be willing to change and edit.” She encouraged us to work our contacts, be shameless in promoting ourselves, and always keep the magic in mind.

Natalie Bright

www.nataliebright.com

Movie Madness

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

Movie Madness

I stand in the dark warehouse next to my new friend and soon to be partner. He has definite ideas about running a night club, I have definite ideas about location and design. However we are from two different time periods and wonder if we will agree on anything.

He points to one corner and begins to describe a bandstand and a female trio singing in harmony. He says he sees dancers in period costumes from the 1940’s and the music is the big band era style.

I stop paying attention to his vision when I see my own vision come to life on the other side of the room. A modern heavy rock band plays and the audience dances in their disco outfits. The music pounds and the bodies gyrate and excitement fills the air like electricity.

As my friend and I watch our own personal visions of the blossoming nightclub, a strange thing begins to happen. The two bandstands and the two crowds of singers and dancers move toward the middle of the room. They notice each other and their music starts to merge and harmonize together. The dancers from the 1940’s are now dancing openly with the dancers from my own time period. They end with a grand stand bang and blow my friend and me across the room with excitement.

If you have nothing else to write about, describe your favorite scene from one of your favorite movies. Write as if you are the main character and you are experiencing the scene. Do not be afraid of detail, sounds, feelings, taste, sights, and smells. And above all else, enjoy!

Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.

Nandy Ekle

GAN

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GAN

by Sharon Stevens

“Gan-A contraction of began, or rather the original simple word.”

1890 Webster’s Dictionary

I BEGAN Tuesday morning with the news of the murder of a man in Lubbock with the involvement of a local doctor here in Amarillo. I ended the day with a news interview on Pro News 7 about Dr. Warner at Pioneer Town at the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum. In between I checked my facebook account, and clicked on the picture of my daughter, Andrea Keller and her friend and colleague Elaine Plybon, both teachers, on their way to a conference in Wichita Kansas for Podstock.

Whew! What a ride!

In words taken from the musical drama TEXAS. “Take good news where you are going, say to the waiting dead that your brothers intend good things.”

The whole day I celebrated good news. Not news of puppies, bunnies and rainbows by any means. I rejoiced in the fact that each of these stories were shared and could be shared on every level and all mediums. As a writer I can write, or share, or click to my heart’s content. Any one of us can read Shakespeare or Edgar Allen Poe, or Harry Potter. Not only that, we could read anything at any hour of the day and night. And just think of it, I only have my husband to tell me to turn out the light and go to bed.

I can sing, even though there are those who wished I wouldn’t. But I can hum and rejoice and worship to any Almighty Power that leads my soul. No one can force me, coerce me, drag me, or guilt me into believing against my beliefs. On the other hand, they can guide me and lead me and stand beside me wherever I go.

To me it is so important for each of us as writers to take a moment every once in a while to give thanks for the Freedom TO write. I believe there is no greater gift we cherish than to be able to put words to paper or into cyberspace with only the worry of rejection to guide us. How rich are we in our society that we don’t face retaliation against all we hold most dear. Not only can we write, but we can read whatever anyone else writes about such things as vampires or murder or ugliness, as well as whatever sugary sweet confection that appeals to some palates, mine included.

Each and every morning as I BEGIN my day I remember the very basic and simple privilege given to me by those who protect that freedom. Celebrating the ability to write means the world. With this good news I am given the universe, all because I write.

Sharon Stevens

Risk It

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Outtakes 51

Risk It

Sometimes I think I’m pretty complacent regarding my writing. I write women’s fiction. My characters are strong women facing new challenges in their lives. They must confront their problems in order to grow in to even stronger women. They encounter good men who help them in their journeys, but the men do not overwhelm the heroines. I believe my stories are exciting and full of emotion and conflict. But can I do more? Am I destined to write only women’s fiction?  I hope not. I know I am capable of producing much more; therefore I’m writing a contemporary cowboy short story.

Big deal, you say? It is a big deal. I am a city girl. I like windjamming, books, puzzles, restaurants, plays, and movies. I’m not thrilled with the lone prairie, snakes, rodents, and extreme heat. What do I know about cattle, ranching, or the day-to-day operations of a big spread? I know absolutely nothing about all that. But I do know about the cowboy mystique, the allure of the old west, and I have contacts. It all boils down to needing to challenge myself.

It is much easier to write what I know, but at some point I’m concerned my work will get stale, routine, and boring.  By taking on this challenge, I will force myself to research the wildfires that devastated the Texas Panhandle in 2006, and build a story around the survival of ranchers in the face of overwhelming odds. I will learn the lingo and dialect associate with ranching. I will build my characters around the cowboy heritage. The story will be written. My critique partners will guide me in making the work the best it can be. I will submit the story.

What if it is not accepted? I will be disappointed, but I will learn from the experience. Am I struggling with writing Wild Fire? Yes, but isn’t that the point? Why shouldn’t I experiment with new genres? How will I, or for that matter, how will any writer know how far we can go unless we try? Truth is we only fail when we fail to stretch our talents. I’m enjoying this experience and the opportunity move beyond the comfortable. Who knows, I might try a children’s story next.

Cait Collins

Fast Track to Being a Writer

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Fast Track to Being a Writer

Does the sound of being a writer intrigue you? Have you ever expressed the desire to write, only to be told, “You can’t write.”

Perhaps deep down inside you have a gnawing interest, an unquenchable desire, but you keep telling yourself, “I could never be a writer.”

The first definition of a writer is “n. One who writes,” American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

The way to be a writer is to write. Start by writing about yourself or describe an object on your desk. What senses such as taste, touch, sight and sounds describe your perfect vacation getaway destination?

When you write, you become a writer. What are you waiting for? Grab a pen and sheet of paper or start typing on the computer keyboard. Be a WRITER!

Rory C. Keel

SHADE

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SHADE

by Sharon Stevens

I had a horrific nightmare the other night. The bad guys were after me and I was running and running, slower and slower. Terrified doesn’t begin to describe the feelings gripping my heart and soul. The cracks in the sidewalk disturbed by the roots of ancient trees kept coming up to trip me and slow me down. At first I looked for a place to hide, but nothing provided enough cover to make me invisible. In my dreams I finally gave up and just began looking simply for a place of shade. Maybe if f I could duck under the rustling leaves of a cottonwood, the awning of a small business, or the cool recesses of a front porch, I just might be able to make it for just another moment. And if there happened to be a field of wildflowers I knew I could be home free.

I love to take pictures of flowers, and not just of your manicured garden variety, but any weed will do. My camera will focus at any hour of the day, but what I love the most is to photograph from the backside as the sun’s rays filter through the petals. Time and again I witness as I download the photos is that most of the bugs cling to the underside, taking advantage of the shade. Who would have ever thought that insects needed moments out of the sun? They are only bugs after all.

So many times we face shadow and shade, darkness and peace in not only our lives but our writing. We keep running and running with the bad guys on our tales, petrified that if we don’t finish our story as we outlined it our whole being will be annihilated.

In all actuality all we needed was to find a place of shade. What would it hurt to take a moment to look up and glance at our family pictures sitting on the mantel, or the touches around our writing sanctuary that we chose to give our lives color and warmth? No matter how dark our story, what would we be missing if we dragged ourselves away to center our strength once again, to remind us of those who love us, outside the walls of our dungeons? And where do we live that we can’t take a few heartbeats to go outside and feel the breeze across our face under the shade of a few colorful clouds. And don’t forget about music. Just a few drops of our favorite songs can replenish the spring when our well runs dry.

You get the picture. As writers we so need our moments of shade. We don’t need to be afraid that we can’t get back into the mindset where our story dwells, or petrified that those interludes will lead our fabrication in another direction. We can return to anger, hurt, and decay without worry that the entire message turned to light and joy while we were away. Our original feelings will still be intact. We harbor the center of the story within our center after all. And if we are the writers we have worked so hard to be, taking a few moments of shade will not alter our ego at all.

Now back to the bugs languishing underneath the petals of the flower? Maybe they feel that the sun shining through filters the nightmares away from the hot blistering fire. Also it could be that its just cooler back there.

But maybe, just maybe the nectar is sweeter in the shade.

Sharon Stevens


Why It Failed

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Outtakes 50 Release

Why It Failed

I listen to writers complain about not getting an agent or editor; no one appreciates their style; the big houses are not interested in new writers. The answer may be the writer didn’t do his homework. That’s right. The writer did not take the time to investigate the genre, the agent or editor, or have his work reviewed by another writer or a professional editor. He relied on his gut and his baby sister to provide feedback.

A young writer approached me regarding her children’s picture book. “Please read my story. I spent a lot of time doing the illustrations and writing the story, but my lazy agent couldn’t seem to sell it. I had to self-publish the book.”

“How are your sales?” I asked.

“Well, I’m still working here, aren’t I?”

I learned quite a bit from this exchange. Her expectations were not reasonable; the failure was someone else’s fault; and she was too good to be working a menial job. Oh, well, I could read the story and give her an honest opinion.

The book had a number of problems.  The title had nothing to do with the story. The antagonist was addicted to drugs. She sold drugs to pay for her habit. She abuses her little dog. Not something I would want to read to a four or five year-old. The story did not flow from beginning to middle to end. The illustrations were not professional.

Were there any good points? Of course, there were. The elderly family member was perfectly portrayed and she loved the puppy. The journey home had good descriptions. Take out the drugs and animal abuse, tighten the structure, find a professional illustrator, and the story had potential. The writer refused to listen. This was her story and she was sticking with it.

Here’s my advice.

  1. Make sure your themes are appropriate for your genre. Search the web for criteria and the guidelines and stick with them. At some point you will be able to break the rules, but you have to know and understand the rules before you can break them.
  2. Find a good critique group and listen to the comments. You don’t have to accept everything, but valid criticism can help you avoid costly mistakes.
  3. Write. Rewrite. And rewrite again. Once through is not enough. I do at least a rough draft in longhand and a rewrite as I enter the story into the computer. Finally, I take the critiques and do a final edit. Then I proof read the entire work. Other writers have different methods, but I don’t know one successful author that stops with a single version of the story.
  4. If you don’t want honest, constructive opinions, don’t ask someone to read the work.
  5. Yes, it’s your story, but a little help from friends could make all the difference.
  6. Don’t blame others for your lack of success. Agents and editors don’t survive if they don’t sell or acquire. Make sure you, the author, have done everything in your power to provide the best product possible.
  7. Market your product. You may find you have to do the advertising and marketing for your book. You don’t have to spend a ton of money, but you do need a website, social media account, and maybe a blog. Post cards, book marks, and business cards are good too.
  8. Remember, you have the final say in the story. Make sure your voice is heard in a positive manner.
  9. Readers remember. If your work is sloppy, they probably won’t buy the next book.

Cait Collins

BATTLING THE BEAST

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BATTLING THE BEAST

I gaze into the eyes of the beast searching to find its soul. I am caught in the childhood game of “the first one who blinks looses,” yet he shows no emotion, no rising of brow, no blinking or shedding of tears, just a long menacing stare.

The creature’s leering eye grows brighter with every passing moment, seemingly intent on seeing the space of my existence. My vision is full of his sight, yet I see nothing.

I study his unrelenting look, my mind searching the far corners and deep recesses, constantly swirling, struggling to find some strategy, or weapon or even one simple word that might defeat my enemy and win this mind-numbing battle.

The desire to close my eyes tugs at the lids. The moisture surrounding my orbs in their sockets has become dry and I struggle against the urge to rub them. The creature shows no signs of weakening and continues to counter every glance.

Without my consent, sudden darkness is all I see. I blink. I am immediately torn between two emotions. First, relief. Moist droplets flood my eyes like waters of the sea crashing onto the shore. The fetters that once restrained the rubbing of my eyelids have now been unfastened.

And second, In the darkness of my blink, dread fills my mind as I wait for the wrath of my opponent to be unleashed. Or perhaps he has already struck with such a swift penalty that I didn’t feel the pain. In the deafening silence I dare to open my eyes. To my surprise I find that it was not I who blinked first, but the computer screen upon which I placed these words.

Rory C. Keel

The Zone

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

The Zone

 One of my favorite places to go for lunch every day is The Zone. I take my lunch and my computer and I sit listening to words without any distraction.

The Zone is not a quiet place; in fact, there’s a lot of commotion and conversation going on. There’s so much happening that sometimes I have to struggle to get it all down before it’s over. Emotions and feelings float around the room as well as thoughts and ideas. It’s a place I love dearly and always feel a little surprised when I get to go there.

The Zone is inside my head and it’s a place where the real world ceases to exist. I can listen to what my characters have to say and why they say it. I can watch what they do and why they do it. And I hear their thoughts and why they think it. When The Zone happens I feel as though I’m watching a movie in my mind and simply taking dictation. And usually, this is when I do my best writing.

I wish I could give you directions to get to The Zone. I will give you some, but it’s the kind of place that hides in shadows, like an island covered with mist. Sometimes your ship lands there with no problems, sometimes the island jumps around hiding from you. But there are some steps you can take that will help you find it.

First, take advantage of the time of day you are the most creative. Mine happens to be during the lunch hour. Sometimes I really don’t feel like writing anything until I boot up that computer and open up the word processor. Occasionally this is all it takes to get to The Zone.

Next, write a sentence. I’m not being contrite or snotty. Writing a sentence, not even necessarily a good one, but any sentence can be one of the hardest parts of starting a new story. You know the story, or at least you know some of it, but that first few words can be so intimidating. So show them who’s boss by writing them. If they aren’t the right ones, fix them later.

After you get a sentence written, close your eyes and listen to the character your story is about. If he/she is talking, the rest will fall into place.

Before you know it, you will discover that you only have thirty seconds left to clock back in to work. You’ll feel as if you just woke from a dream, only there will be pages and pages of words on your computer screen. That’s when you’ll know you’ve had lunch at The Zone.

Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.

Nandy Ekle