Grab your graphics for StoryFest 2015 now.
Right-click and save to your computer, or right-click, copy the image address and link to it from here.
500 x 334 px
300 x 200 px
250 x 167
200 x 134 px
150 x 100 px
100 x 67 px
2015 Partipant Badges Are Here
Taking part in StoryADay May 2015? Let everyone know (and hold you accountable) by pasting one of these badges in your blog’s side bar, or using one of the square images as your social media profile photo.
Right click to download the files. Save on your computer, then upload to where ever you want to use them.
Twibbon
Easily add a StoryADay logo to your FB or Twitter profile pic.
Sidebar Buttons
[500 x 230 px]
[300 x 138 px]
[250 x 115 px]
[150x 69 px]
[100 x 46 px]
Social Media Profile Pics
[Twitter Profile 400 x 400 px]
Facebook Profile pic [180 x 180 px]
Google Profile pic [250 x 250 px]
Instagram Profile Pic [161 x 161 px]
LinkedIn [100 x 100 px]
Pinterest Profile pic [ 600 x 600 px]
Inline Illustrations
Best size for in-Twitter images [440px wide]
Customizable Square Profile Pic
If you want to add a headshot of yourself to any of these, here’s a background with a ‘hole’ for your headshot. Download and modify in your favourite graphics program.
[500 x 500 px]
Here’s an example:
The eBook Is Here for 2015
Dial-A-Story for Short Story Month
This is an awesome (and quirky) opportunity for you to have you story published during May. I spoke to organizer, Meriwether O’Connor by phone earlier this month and she told me she’s bringing back an old idea that worked really well when she was publicizing earlier novels. In the age of podcasts and on-demand radio, the idea of calling a telephone number to have someone read you a story has something of a charming, olde-time aire, doesn’t it? Submit now!!
Appalachia North invites you to celebrate National Short Story Month with us by submitting a short, short story to appear on Dial–A–Story. Stories can be any length or genre but those with a reading time of not more than three minutes will have a definite advantage. Even if yours isn’t selected to be featured, you can still participate. How?!
One of the highlights of the project is breaking down the wall between performer and listener. With that in mind, callers are invited to respond with a spontaneous or written storyor tale of their own after listening to the featured piece. This way, the author or performer steps down to become the listener while the audience themselves steps forward to become creative and active as the performer or yarnspinner. You are also welcome to read your favorite short story out of a book in response if you prefer.
Our featured book of short stories for May will be Joe Potato’s Real Life Recipes: Tall Tales and Short Stories by Meriwether O’Connor. Nominated for a Weatherford and chosen Editors’ Pick by Story Circle Review, Joe Potato is a darkly humorous grit lit work with both an Appalachian and Texas flair. Bestselling author Carolyn Chute (The Beans of Egypt, Maine and Treat Us Like Dogs And We Will Become Wolves) said, “A strong writing voice like (O’Connor’s) is rare”. Submitted stories are not required to be in a similar genre as the featured book.
Please send your story or tall tale to appalachianorth@hotmail.com by midnight E.S.T.Friday April 24, 2015. If you snail mail, it needs to arrive by the same day at PO Box 57 East Dixfield, Maine 04227. Check back here later for the phone number to call during May, National Short Story Month, to hear or respond to the stories and tales presented on Dial–A–Story. Hope to hear from you.
As I understand it, there’s no payment for this venture, but it does sound kind of a fun way to celebration Short Story Month! – JD
StoryADay May Flyer 2015
If you’re a member of a Real World writers’ group and would like to spread the word about StoryADay May, here’s a spiffy flyer that you can print out and take with you.
Likewise, if you frequent a literary salon, coffee shop or grungy cafe full of secret writers, as long as it has a noticeboard, why not take one along with you and spread the word?
Remember, Peer Pressure Is Good, kids!
It’s A Story, Not Just A List of Stuff That Happens
[South Park’s Trey Parker and Matt Stone] revealed that although they brainstorm and develop individual funny scenes, the key to turning those scenes into an actual story is in making sure that each scene causes the next scene to occur.
…[they] developed a very simple litmus test for determining whether they had achieved the desired causation between scenes, by seeing whether one of two words could be inserted between each scene:
“Therefore” or “but”
via Writer Unboxed » Story Lessons from South Park.
This seems like a wonderful lesson for short story writers.
We don’t tend to think in scenes (especially in a first draft), but applying this test to your story revisions, will make the difference between it being ‘a bunch of stuff that happens’ and ‘an actual story that pulls readers from the first word to the last and leaves them daydreaming about your characters later’.
Key point: as you revise (or draft) your short story, think about everything that happens and whether each is linked by a ‘therefore’ or a ‘but’.
Read the source article for four more lessons on storytelling from South Park.