[Write On Wednesday] Childhood Trips

This prompt was inspired by Kristen Iskandrian’s short story Good With Boys, which I reviewed in the Reading Room.

The Prompt

Write a story based on a trip you took in childhood

Tips

[Reading Room] Good With Boys by Kristen Iskandrian

This story captures the intensity of pre-teen life in all its aching glory and vibrating physicality. If you’re looking for a story that’s an example of how to create a strong voice for your first-person character, read this one!

The Opening

125 – Goals vs. Reality

Setting writing goals is one thing. Living with them, quite another.

This month’s theme at StoryADay is Goals Vs. Reality.

LINKS:

~~Your invitation to the March Hangout: This event has passed~~

Breaking Writers’ Block ebook: https://amzn.to/2Xq13My

The YouTube version of this podcast: https://youtu.be/QNfeGG6hsPA

It’s another new episode of the StoryADay Podcast

SWAGr for March 2019

Post your goals for this month and let us know how you got on with last month’s goals.

Leave a comment below telling us how you got on last month, and what you plan to do next month, then check back in on the first of each month, to see how everyone’s doing.

[Write On Wednesday] Alchemists

We’re all alchemists, here, turning an abundant resource (ideas) into something much more valuable (stories) and today i want you to include some alchemy in your story

The Prompt

Write a flash fiction story in which a character transforms something seemingly worthless into something valuable

Tips

What I Know About Flash Fiction

Since February is all about Flash Fiction around here, I’ve put together these resources for you, on the joyful thing that is Flash Fiction.

Oh, and if you haven’t read the Rose Metal Press Field Guide To Flash Fiction, you should.

Flash Fiction is fabulous way to:

Tighten up your writing in longer projects
Practice writing quick stories, for StoryADay May
Rediscover the joy of finishing stories

Here are some Flash Fiction Essentials to get you started writing in this demanding, but fun form.

[Write On Wednesday] Time’s Up

This month’s focus is on Flash Fiction. Flash isn’t just short, it is urgent. And so is today’s prompt

The Prompt

Time’s Up

Tips

124 – Being A Writer

What kind of writer are you? What kind of culture do you want to create? What kind of writing life are you aiming for?

In this episode I ponder these questions and talk a little about this month’s theme of Flash Fiction.

And I invite you to share what inspires you, right now: https://stada.me/124

:LINKS:

Seth Godin’s The Big Sort https://stada.me/g-bigsort

Chuck Wending’s blog post about writers and day jobs https://stada.me/w-dayjob

Story Review: Joan of Arc Sits Naked In Her Dorm Room https://stada.me/rr-joan

[Write on Wednesday]Anachrony

This week’s prompt was inspired by the flash fiction story Joan of Arc Sits Naked In Her Dorm Room by Rachel Engelman

20130705 statue of liberty (3) — Photo by: schizoform cc by 2.0

The Prompt

Write a 750 word story featuring a character from history or mythology, but place them in a different era

Tips

[Reading Room] Joan of Arc Sits Naked In Her Dorm Room by Rachel Engelman

This story won the 2018 2018 Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize and was performed as part of the Selected Shorts series at Symphony Space in NYC. (Be still my heart. Can you imagine?!)

I love stories like this. It’s an excellent example of what short stories can do.

There is no need to explain how Joan of Arc (and it does seem like it is the Joan of Arc) is somehow inhabiting a modern American university or college. In a short story, you can trust your readers to come along for the ride, no matter how surreal, as long as everything makes sense within the story world you create.

And in this story, it does.