Behind the curtain on the substack short story challenge, we each had an opportunity to submit two prompt ideas, then all ten rank choice voted on their top two, and it was narrowed down to one which was more of a concept (multiple POV) than a story, so we rank choice voted again, and the final selected prompt was revealed last night. So, as it turns out, I do have a couple more days to write my part! But it’s kind of up to me, maybe I want to wait until Wednesday to start which would give me the same week restriction as everyone else. But! I can’t not be brainstorming now that I know the prompt. As the first to go for a multiple POV story, im hoping to write a scene that can be followed by writing about either what happens before or what happens after or just going deeper into what happens in the scene I make. So, avoiding introducing conflict like a backyard volcano; embracing conflict like liars and back biters.
Lol. At one point, I had planned to be low stakes in my bit so those following me would have room to escalate. But now it’s a multi-POV story. And we want to hook all our readers!
If I know one thing about writing fiction it's this: you don't have time to dick around and wait for the story to get good. It needs to be good on page one, paragraph one. Treat it like a movie with a huge opening action set piece. The people who follow can figure out what comes next.. :-)
As a Meg, not Meghan and a lover of love stories, I'm on board. ❤️🔥 Are you seriously going to make us wait a month for almost kissing, though? That's mean. 😟
One of the myths I use to tell about myself is that having a name spelled with one “L” - Wil, not Will, not William, not Wilfred, etc... I was always having to correct teachers and scout leaders and coaches and youth pastors and well, basically, any award givers of any organization because they all added an L. So, my myth? I would say that at a very early age I learned to question authority.
I wish that's what I learned! Being called Meghan (and feeling like I couldn't correct them) and having every person on earth butcher the pronunciation of my 12-letter maiden name just made me wish I was someone else. On the plus side... I'm definitely questioning authority now. 🙃🧨Clearly, our parents' attempts to make us special worked. Damn them.
Also. My last name never fit on any standardized test forms. Had to leave the last letter off. And misspelled routinely on awards and certificates. Fun to spell over the phone when ordering pizza, too. Remember when you did that over the phone?!
Yikes! I had a friend, Bo - who said whenever he met another Bo, there was instant sizing up, because the name was so much to live up to, you wanted to make sure no one else was wrecking it for you. He named his son, Rocco.
The "voice" of the intro conveys authenticity and authority. Well done. Probably why "they" tell people to "write what they know."
Re: Substack story challenge, do you get more prep time since you're kicking off? Or do you get a prompt a week before?
Intrigued to follow along.
Behind the curtain on the substack short story challenge, we each had an opportunity to submit two prompt ideas, then all ten rank choice voted on their top two, and it was narrowed down to one which was more of a concept (multiple POV) than a story, so we rank choice voted again, and the final selected prompt was revealed last night. So, as it turns out, I do have a couple more days to write my part! But it’s kind of up to me, maybe I want to wait until Wednesday to start which would give me the same week restriction as everyone else. But! I can’t not be brainstorming now that I know the prompt. As the first to go for a multiple POV story, im hoping to write a scene that can be followed by writing about either what happens before or what happens after or just going deeper into what happens in the scene I make. So, avoiding introducing conflict like a backyard volcano; embracing conflict like liars and back biters.
Interesting! My suggestion: don't go easy on anyone. You got first draw. Set the tone in a big way!
Lol. At one point, I had planned to be low stakes in my bit so those following me would have room to escalate. But now it’s a multi-POV story. And we want to hook all our readers!
If I know one thing about writing fiction it's this: you don't have time to dick around and wait for the story to get good. It needs to be good on page one, paragraph one. Treat it like a movie with a huge opening action set piece. The people who follow can figure out what comes next.. :-)
💯
I concur.
Quiet, non-participater!! This doesn't concern you! 😂🤪😉
Just start writing, Wil. With the blessing of number 7 in your back pocket. 😉
As a Meg, not Meghan and a lover of love stories, I'm on board. ❤️🔥 Are you seriously going to make us wait a month for almost kissing, though? That's mean. 😟
Also. The guy I was madly hung up on in highschool was named Will, not William. But I was the Walt Darling in that relationship. 💔
One of the myths I use to tell about myself is that having a name spelled with one “L” - Wil, not Will, not William, not Wilfred, etc... I was always having to correct teachers and scout leaders and coaches and youth pastors and well, basically, any award givers of any organization because they all added an L. So, my myth? I would say that at a very early age I learned to question authority.
I wish that's what I learned! Being called Meghan (and feeling like I couldn't correct them) and having every person on earth butcher the pronunciation of my 12-letter maiden name just made me wish I was someone else. On the plus side... I'm definitely questioning authority now. 🙃🧨Clearly, our parents' attempts to make us special worked. Damn them.
Also. My last name never fit on any standardized test forms. Had to leave the last letter off. And misspelled routinely on awards and certificates. Fun to spell over the phone when ordering pizza, too. Remember when you did that over the phone?!
Anyhow, that sounds incredibly frustrating.
Yikes! I had a friend, Bo - who said whenever he met another Bo, there was instant sizing up, because the name was so much to live up to, you wanted to make sure no one else was wrecking it for you. He named his son, Rocco.
My wife, Jessica was called Jennifer, Janessa, etc grown up