We talked recently about the importance of ridding a story of whatever isn’t absolutely necessary and/or doesn’t advance the story. This “excess” can be anything from losing a line of description to cutting out a character. Or a scene. In the case of novels, entire chapters. But once we’ve reduced a story to its bare … Continue reading Open the Doors. Walk Right In!
Fiction
A Little Fiction: All Fall Down
Shelly and Hank had planned this camping trip as an attempt at getting back together. It wasn’t working. He was late picking her up, the drive took five hours instead of their usual three, and when they finally found a space to camp, they argued over where to set up the tent. She dropped the … Continue reading A Little Fiction: All Fall Down
Story Surgery
A week or so ago, I re-read one of my short stories I hadn’t looked at in a while. I have to confess I’d felt a little smug about this one. (I almost never feel confident about what I write.) It's unlike anything else I’ve written—a little edgy, playing around with POV and dialogue. Tight. … Continue reading Story Surgery
Gerry Wilson 