Make a Good Story Better

I am part of a website where writers can post their work. It's a site where the level of writing runs from basic beginner to polished professional. Readers can leave comments and a tally is kept of how many hits each posting receives. I read as many of the stories as I have time for, and I  post one now and then, too.

Recently, I read two stories that might be classified as memoir, but they were worlds apart for one simple reason. Story number one told about a move made by the author's family when she was around twelve. It was interesting because she was able to bring out the way of life at that time, the kind of houses and that they'd lived near the railroad tracks. She told about her mother's reaction to the house, the bare light bulb in the middle of the ceiling in every room, and the lack of plumbing.

Story number two was a simple slice of life about ice cream that delved into the author's boyhood and then into the period he had small children and up to today when he shares the treat with grandchildren. Again, it held my interest.

But the two stories were worlds apart in one particular way. The first one lacked sensory details. The writer reported what happened. If she'd used sensory details, she'd have brought us tumbling back through the years to experience the whole episode with her. Living near the railroad tracks allowed for using the sense of sound. Think of those long, low train whistles, or the clack of wheels on the tracks. Then, there's the special smell of the old trains. The house she describes could have been brought to life by illustrating the sense of touch--perhaps the worn smooth doorknob, or the rough, warped front door.

The second writer filled his story with sensory detail. He had me licking my lips as he described eating the ice cream. And I don't even like ice cream! Because of the extra element of using the senses in his writing, his story came alive. It allowed the reader to live it with him.

Pay close attention to sensory detail in your writing. It can make a good story better.

Storytellers from Guatemala to Kansas

The picture above is of my husband, Ken, me and our houseguests of last week. Nury and Arnaldo de Milian live in Guatemala. Arnaldo is an engineer and Nury is a tour guide, but both have an interest in and support a group called the Children's Christian Concern Society. The CCCS supports Christian Education in 21 countries around the world, but it began 42 years ago in Guatemala, thanks to a lay-missionary couple from Kansas. Learn more about the group at http://cccskids.org/

Nury was invited to be the keynote speaker at the annual CCCS dinner last Friday evening in Topeka, KS. Ken and I hosted them in our home for a couple of days prior to that. What a delightful couple they are. We never seemed to run out of things to discuss while comparing our families, our towns, our lives. Nury worked on her speech in-between our other activities. 

At the dinner on Friday evening, she told the story of the CCCS in Guatemala and showed pictures of the many children helped by this non-profit group. In her lilting, slightly accented English, she touched the hearts of the nearly 300 people in attendance. Nury is a storyteller just like me, but she does it live, while mine are on the printed page. 

Both of us have a goal of reaching out to others in the best way we can. I feel blessed to have spent time with another person who shared my goal. 

One Final Story in Life

A few years ago, a couple we know were taking a lifelong dream trip. They were going to spend two weeks touring Egypt. Before they left, Rosie wrote her obitiuary and one for her husband. Then she called her adult son and told him where he would find them should anything happen while they were overseas.

"Mom, that's absolutely ghoulish!" David retorted. Rosie assured him it wasn't like that at all. "Things happen," she said, "and if something did happen, you'd be very happy to have the obitiuaries written." It turned out they got stranded because of a New York City blizzard, so they couldn't get their connection and never made it to Egypt. But a few years later, when Rosie passed away after a valiant fight against lung cancer, her obituary was ready and waiting. I remembered the story she'd told me about writing it.

This morning, we are attending the funeral of a man we've known and called Friend for many years. Reading his obituary in last evening's paper made me aware of all he had done and all the lives he'd touched along the way. It reminded me why we had been friends with him for so long.

Writing your own obituary is not at all 'ghoulish' as my friend's son thought. It's a kindness you can do for your family. And who knows better what should go into it than you? Some people want every organization they've been in and every recognition they've earned included. Others want only the basic information. I've seen obituaries that go on so long you wonder if anyone ever finishes reading them. Others are so short, you wonder if the person led a totally boring life. Hit the happy medium, write tight and let people know who you really are.

Movie Remakes

I read in this morning's paper that the Coen brothers are remaking "True Grit." John Wayne starred in the original  movie which has become a classic. It's a compelling story of an old gunfighter who is dying of cancer. He returns to spend his final days in a boarding house of a woman he'd known earlier. A young girl approaches him for help. She can't go searching out the bad guys on her own, and Rooster Cogburn is the man she knows can help in her quest. Of course, Rooster doesn't want to take on a new job, but he does and it all makes for a great film with a star who is still remembered fondly by his many fans.

Now, Jeff Bridges is going to play Rooster Cogburn. I have nothing against Jeff Bridges. He's a fine actor and will probably do the role justice, but he isn't John Wayne. And my take on this is why try to make a really good movie over again? Why not let the original stand alone? But apparently, the producer/director brothers think they can do it better. I know one thing--it will probably be more violent as movies about the old West tend to be today.

It made me think about the idea of a remake. There are lots of remakes on movies, but I don't ever remember someone trying to remake a book. Copyright privilege comes into play there, I'm sure. Plus who would want to try and rewrite some classic novel? It would never work as the same, that's just plain plagarizing, and to write it differently doesn't make sense. It's not the same story any longer.

On the other hand, look at how many times someone has taken the classic poem "The Night Before Christmas" and rewritten it about Thanksgiivng or Halloween or some other far-fetched subject while keeping the idea and rhythm of the original intact. But that's a poem, not a novel.

I vote for leaving the original "True Grit" alone. Maybe the Coen brothers have run out of ideas of their own. Too bad, as they're a talented pair. I'd much rather they found a brand new script for Jeff Bridges.

A Day When You Shouldn't Write

Without boring you with the details, I'm having a lousy day. Make that a lousy week. Plans made and almost complete for today have been changed last minute,  then longtime friends planning an overnight visit had to cancel, and this morning came word of the death of a good friend. Add a few other upsetting things and it's not a pretty picture right now.

It's a bad day, and one thing that I know is that I shouldn't try to write a story or essay on days like this. Why? Because it's not the real me writing. It's not my usual outlook on life coming through. Normally, I'm a pretty positive person, but when all kinds of things go wrong, I get cranky and/or sad just like any other person. And when that happens, my writing is not anything that would inspire a reader, not something that would touch the heart of a reader, not something I would feel proud of.

So, the best thing to do is to get through these next few days of changes and upsets in my life. I can then take a deep breath and step back into the shoes of the person I usually am and I can write with a better outlook.

Artists's paintings often show their mood. When going through difficult times, they might paint in dark, dreary colors or depressing subjects. Maybe it's a good release, but it's not all that pleasing to those who are appreciators of art. For writers, I doubt they'd sell a whole lot of work that comes with a dark cloud hanging over it. Better to wait until the sun breaks through.

Color Me Puzzled

In the writing world, we write, we submit to an editor, and then we wait. Sometimes, we wait a very long time. Sometimes, we never stop waiting as there is no response at all. If we're ready to face rejection, we know that the editor didn't like, want, or need our story.

Sunday, I ran across a market new to me--a children's ezine that looked interesting. It's a paid subscription ezine and the sample issue ran about 59 pages, so they use quite a bit of material each month. I read the writers guidelines and was surprised to see that they paid 20 cents a word. A good rate for an online magazine. I flipped through my children's stories mentally, then went to the files and read through one that I thought would work for this publication.

I sent the story to the editor about 5 p.m.. After dinner, I came in to do some work in the office and there was a message from the editor. I figured it was one of those "thank you for submitting" standard messages, but instead it was an acceptance for the story sent only two hours earlier.

Well, sort of an acceptance. The whole thing is a bit perplexing. The editor began the message with "I love your story, and I want to use it in January, February or March." Happy Nancy at this point. Next she said she's promised a lot of others to do the same and so she isn't sure if she can fit it in. Sad Nancy. She next wrote that if at all possible, she'd fit the story in one of those months. Happy Nancy again. She finished by saying to go ahead and send it to other magazines. Bewildered Nancy by now.

I thought about the so-called acceptance all day yesterday. What I finally concluded is that this is an editor who is new to the game and she wants to please everyone. In the writing world, we know that's a veritable impossibility. I'm not going to bank on "Angels In The Snow" landing in the ezine. If it does, it will be a nice surprise. If it doesn't, I know I've been forewarned. At this point, color me puzzled.

Anthologies Are Good Markets

I had good news Friday. My story "The Right Prayer" will be in the newest Guideposts anthology book in the Incredible Prayers series. I'd received a notice from them several weeks ago saying they needed more stories for this latest book, so I sent in a story I'd written for our Kansas Authors state contest. It received a second place in the Inspirational category in the contest and will now soon be published. Made for a very nice Friday afternoon.

Anthologies are good markets for those who write creative nonfiction, although there are anthologies that publish fiction, as well. Most, however, compile dozens of true stories which are about life and all if offers us. They're stories the readers can empathize with or sympathize or just plain nod their head in agreement. They can relate!

Chicken Soup for the Soul is one of the best known anthology markets, but there are many others. Thin Threads, Patchwork, and Guideposts are only a few others. Google keywords like anthologies seeking submissions or anthologies accepting submissions to find a list. Use other keywords of your own choosing and see what you come up with.

Go through your files and see which stories fit a particular anthology. Most important of all, read the writers guidelines and read them again. Follow the guidelines carefully, just as you would contest rules. One misstep and your masterpiece hits the cyber wastebasket.