The November Flash Fiction Contest

It's funny, in the past, most of my entries had to be trimmed down to get under the 1000 word/two page mark, but the last two, I've felt like I had to pad to get close to the limit.
 
Hey Rich,
Well your last entry said everything it needed to. Short and Sweet. The challenge for me is to boil the story down so that it is clear and still complete - no fat. It sure is a challenge. My intial effort is usually way overloaded with what my wife calls weird inverted sentences, trying too hard to be clever. Then I hack the Hell out of it. The first cut is always the hardest.
DD
 
DailyRich said:
It's funny, in the past, most of my entries had to be trimmed down to get under the 1000 word/two page mark, but the last two, I've felt like I had to pad to get close to the limit.
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Hey Damn Fool Idealist - does that mean you're getting better? It's already edited in your head even before you get it down on paper? Or is it just that your style of writing is changing over time?

I'm with Daddy Darth. I write WAY too much and then have to pare down. DD - be thankful your wife reads it! My husband abandoned me long ago. (Reading my stuff, I mean :o ).

:)
 
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tmso said:
Hey Damn Fool Idealist - does that mean you're getting better? It's already edited in your head even before you get it down on paper? Or is it just that your style of writing is changing over time?

I'm with Daddy Darth. I write WAY too much and then have to pare down. DD - be thankful your wife reads it! My husband abandoned me long ago. (Reading my stuff, I mean :o ).

:)
Click to expand...

I don't think i have ever cut down a story for this contest. I usually make it up as I go. My usual method is write about 1/3 of the length with no clue whatsoever where i am going and when i see the light at the end of the tunnel i write the end. Then I just write everything in the middle to adjust to the required word length. It is very rare for me to think all the story before i begin writing. It has happened but very few times.

There is a local common frase here taken from the Book "Martín Fierro" that says:

"Caminante no hay camino. Se hace camino al andar."
a rought translation would be:
"Traveler, there is no road. You make the road as you walk."


I know, not the most recomended method, but it works for me.

However, in my current WIP (that is somewhat abandoned momentarily) i just write regardless of the wordcount.

as for my wife. She doesn't read what i write. long story. I think she would be somewhat scared of some of the things that come out of my head, for example my entry for this month that came out.... what's the word i am looking for..... "different" will have to do.
 
My wife is an angel - I dont know what she thinks of my interest in writing sparking up again. I get funny smiles that say "Oh you silly geek," but then she reads any way. She is tuff on me too.
 
SuperFede said:
I don't think i have ever cut down a story for this contest. I usually make it up as I go. My usual method is write about 1/3 of the length with no clue whatsoever where i am going and when i see the light at the end of the tunnel i write the end. Then I just write everything in the middle to adjust to the required word length. It is very rare for me to think all the story before i begin writing. It has happened but very few times.

There is a local common frase here taken from the Book "Martín Fierro" that says:

"Caminante no hay camino. Se hace camino al andar."
a rought translation would be:
"Traveler, there is no road. You make the road as you walk."


I know, not the most recomended method, but it works for me.
Click to expand...

That's my general writing style too. I've tried to structure it, but I just ended up spending a couple weeks writing an outline that I've mostly ignored in my WIP. Could have spent that time on the novel. :D

My hubby doesn't read my stuff either. I don't ask and neither does he. But at least he's not telling me to give it up anymore. :)
 
I have tried making an outline but get frustrated. I know the general story in my head, usually a few surprises along the way though, and just write. It is much more fun and rewarding to put pen to paper and spin the tale.
 
tmso said:
Hey Damn Fool Idealist - does that mean you're getting better? It's already edited in your head even before you get it down on paper? Or is it just that your style of writing is changing over time?
Click to expand...

I think it was more that my last two stories were the least "elaborate" ones I've done. There wasn't some clever conceit or premise to have to explain while telling the story.
 
Well, I am happy to hear that I wasn't the only one struggling with the theme. It is evil, DailyRich! I found it really difficult to come up with anything in the beginning, and I'm not pleased with what I have... I don't want to always write something dark and gloomy :(! I'm currently trying to put my other ideas on paper, but... :/ I think they're worse :D
The next theme should be something REALLY NICE like Beauty or Happiness... or Chocolate Spread - though I'm sure some of you will manage to make a horror story including chocolate spread..
 
Scorpion said:
Well, I am happy to hear that I wasn't the only one struggling with the theme. It is evil, DailyRich! I found it really difficult to come up with anything in the beginning, and I'm not pleased with what I have... I don't want to always write something dark and gloomy :(! I'm currently trying to put my other ideas on paper, but... :/ I think they're worse :D
The next theme should be something REALLY NICE like Beauty or Happiness... or Chocolate Spread - though I'm sure some of you will manage to make a horror story including chocolate spread..
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I agree. we all are darker with the theme hunger than the theme darkness. How about that???? maybe it's the time of the year....

I think we could even come with a horror or really violent story with beauty in it. Or happyness by the way..... who is to deny that a killer isn't happy with his work? :rolleyes:

the only way to revert this could be if the next winner chooses one of the rules to be "the story must be a comedy".

Otherwise we are a very imaginative bunch of people.... :):cool:
 
Did somebody mention Chocolate?!?! I'm there, baby, just say the magic word, Chocolate, and I'm there!

Whew! Glad we got next month's theme decided on. ;)

Hunger is kind of a dark subject...I mean, who likes to be hungry?

So...I'm thinking of putting in a different story than the one I have currently up...well, actually, the two that I have currently up...argh, somebody stop me... :(
 
tmso said:
Did somebody mention Chocolate?!?! I'm there, baby, just say the magic word, Chocolate, and I'm there!

Whew! Glad we got next month's theme decided on. ;)

Hunger is kind of a dark subject...I mean, who likes to be hungry?

So...I'm thinking of putting in a different story than the one I have currently up...well, actually, the two that I have currently up...argh, somebody stop me... :(
Click to expand...

STOP!


mmmmmm chocolate....... :D

but i believe you have to win to chose this theme..... :p

anyway, you don't have to be hungry to eat a chocolate, or do you?
 
hughhowey said:
I don't know what you guys are talking about -- my story was quite uplifting.
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have you read the others yet??? I just read the first 6 and they are all pretty dark. And i know for sure that mine also is, so it's a tendency.... :)


I will get through the next in the weekend or next week....
 
SuperFede said:
have you read the others yet??? I just read the first 6 and they are all pretty dark. And i know for sure that mine also is, so it's a tendency.... :)


I will get through the next in the weekend or next week....
Click to expand...

Sorry about that. I was being sarcastic without the appropriate facial expression. ;)
 
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