K. A. PATTERSON ~ Writer/Editor/Publisher

Being mindful of space is key in writing short fiction.  One must craft an entertaining tale, featuring a likable character in crisis, convey action, dialogue, tension, drama, and offer a satisfying ending in a limited amount of words.  Often in as little as 200 words!

Some argue that it can't be done.  They say a good story can't be told so precisely.  Others have done, just that.  They've written wonderfully worded tales in this new meduim, call Flash Fiction.

At AlienSkin Magazine, we confine flash fiction to the parameters of 500 words minimum and 1,000 words maximum.  While this may seem a daunting task to those of you who are used writing longer fiction, stories can be told using less words.  We receive a large volume of flash fiction on a regular basis. Enough so, that we are converting to an All Flash Magazine.  Our readership and online stats show that our Flash Fiction and Micro Fiction sections receive the most reads each and every issue. 

People love surfing the net.  They love to pop into a site, read and item or two ~ items that quickly catch their eye ~ and then they pop out again on to the next site.

Readers enjoy good stories.  They seek them out in print, online and as podcasts.  They devour flash fiction during their lunch hour, between classes, during their ride home from school or work on their PDA.  They savor more tales after super on their home PC, on their multifucion cell phones, and again, their PDAs.

Flash Fiction Sells.  More and more markets seek very short stories.

But how can you, as a writer, be so precise and utilize such limited space to craft a well-rounded tale?  How can you cram characters, conflict, action, and dialogue into such a short piece?  Is there a formula for writing flash fiction that differs from writing short stories?

It can be done ~ it has been done.  And the formula for writing such a short story differs only slightly from writing fiction that generally falls within the 2,000-5,000 word range.

Flash Fiction Facts

In Flash Fiction:

• Only 1 or 2 characters are active. Name them.
  Readers identify with realistic characters.
• One Point of View prevails throughout the story.
• Scenes are limited to 1 or 2; 3 on rare ocassions.
• Dialogue is clipped for dramatic effect. Nothing is
  wasted on polite, etiquette speech.
• Conflict may involve internal turmoil or external stressors.
• Action must be concisely described and appropriate
  for the story.
• Description of setting and characters are minimal, yet vivid
  and concise.
• The first sentence must hook the reader.
• The story problem must be conveyed quickly, generally in
  the first 3 to 5 sentences.
• A resolution to the story problem must occur by the before
  the tale is complete. 

Why Some Flash Fiction Fail

The primary reason a writer fails to create a marketable piece of flash fiction is in the exclusion of one of the basic foundations on short story writing.

The tale typically lacks:

1.  A realistic, defined character that the reader identifies
    with and cares about.
2.  A life-changing problem that is within the central
    character’s ability to solve or one that is indeed
    solved by the central character.
3.  Appropriate dialogue. Often such tales contain
    dialogue that is lame, melodramatic, or unrealistic
    given the story’s circumstances.
4. Proper Point of View. Omnipresent point of view may
    distance the reader from the story. And first can’t be
    used if you end up killing off the viewpoint character.
5. A satisfying ending. The ending does not have to be
    a happy one, but it has to make sense and the main
    character has to be affected or changed by it.

Other times, a Flash Fiction story fails because it:

1. Relies on a gimmick or twist ending that most often
    seems tacked on.
2. Contains a cliché or overused plot. It is true that most
    storylines and themes have been used repeatedly in
    fiction, stories convey them in a different and unique way.
3. Utilizes generalities in describing action, character, and
    setting instead of specifics and vivid imagery.
4. Raises more questions than it answers once the story
    has ended.  Loose ends within the story have not been
    neatly tied up. They remain unraveled, causing the story
    to lack clarity.

Still not sure if Flash Fiction is for you?  Not certain a satisfying tale can be written in so few words?

Read the Flash Fiction section in AlienSkin Magazine.  We publish at least a dozen of them in each issue! 

Posted by K. A. Patterson at 06:19 PM | Permalink

options

Lately, many of the rejection notices we given to writers are the result of dull story telling.

Within the few lines of personal comment I include with such rejections I try to indicate what caused us to pass on the story. Most often, the phrase I use for dull story telling reads, "we feel the telling of the tale still needs work, mainly to tighten the prose and to heighten the heighten the drama within the piece".

Perhaps such a comment is too vague for some writers.  Maybe I should simply same, 'Punch up your Prose'?

But even then, some may not get the point.

Perhaps an example would indicate what we mean ~ that is, assuming writers who've received such rejection notices from us even bothers to read my blog.

Ever the optimist, I’ll do just that ~ I'll offer an example. 

When an editor rejects your story and you’re lucky enough to get a note or two of comment in the rejection, you can do one of two things:

1. You can totally ignore the comment and immediately submit your story to another market, hoping that market will think differently.

2. Or you can consider the comment and take a moment to read your story aloud to hear if indeed the story seems to ramble on or drag. After you do that, you can take another minute or two to visually scan over your story to see if you've used enough dramatic verbs within the story than passive, weak verbs.

If you decide to consider the editor’s comment, but are unsure what the phrases ‘tighten the prose and heighten the drama within the piece' or 'punch up yor prose', then consider the following example.

Here is a basic 65 word snippet of a story opening.

Moriah jumped from her perch upon her soiled cot and grabbed the meat. Famished, she bit a hunk off and devoured it. The meat was raw, but Moriah didn’t care. She ate whatever her keepers slid through the door-slot of her cell. Locked away in the dungeon like this for disagreeing with the Countessa, she never knew when or if her next meal would come.

Interesting enough. It establishes the essentials of Who the main character is, Where she is, What is happening, When ~ as far as a time period the story is taking place, and it provides a few Whys ~ why she is eating and why she is in a dungeon. It even evokes a sense of empathy within the reader for the character.

What the opening Doesn’t Do is indicate to the reader that this story will be different in some way than other tales of a someone’s plight in a dungeon. The scene doesn’t stand out. The verbiage accurately describes what is going on, but it does so passively.

Now let’s Punch Up the Prose and Heighten the Drama within the Piece:

Moriah leaped from the filthy cot and snatched up the scrap of raw meat that was tossed through the open door-slot of her cell. Her nose wrinkled at that rancid smell of it, yet she tore off a chunk with her teeth, and chewed. She devoured her meal in two bites. Damn Countessa Ferno! That spiteful cow! Moriah vowed she’d get even with the woman...

Can you tell the difference? Can you feel the power in the second example ~ sense the drama? Of course you can.

The second examples is more immediate, more dramatic and vivid. It's not weighted down with dull words, even though both exampes contain the same amount of words. The second opening is more powerful. I might’ve blurred the When requirement, but the 5 essential ‘W’s are still there.

It doesn’t mean you have to rewriting every story you write in order to punch up your tales with more vivid prose. It’s a whole lot easier to just make it a habit of consciously considering not only your word choices, but what information you want to impart to the reader in order to make the story interesting.

How you tell your story is as equally important to the success of your story as having an interesting plot and interesting characters.

If you opt to ignore an editor’s comment or a fellow writer’s critique of your story, you may indeed still have a marketable story. The next editor you approach may accept your story outright, without further edits. And that’s all fine, wonderful in fact. Writers should stand by their work and not bow to each and every whim an editor might have, laboring to rewrite a story on the basis of a single rejection letter.

But if that same story receives more than one rejection, and even if only one editor bothers to offer you a hint of a reason as to why your story wasn’t selected for publication, you should reread your story aloud. Give yourself a listen with an objective ear if you can; if you can’t tell where or if the story falters, then read it to a friend or family member--unfortunately, they may not be as objective and honest as an editor.

Posted by K. A. Patterson at 07:59 PM | Permalink

options

During the years that I’ve been writing ~ well before I forged and donned the crown as Queen Mother to AlienSkin Magazine, I’ve often wondered if it was really worth my time as a writer to enter writing contests.  Prize money a side, does the acclaim of being a contest winner, runner up, or one worthy enough for an honorable mention truly make a difference to editors ~ primarily editors of fiction magazines?  Would such a notation, included among my other publication credits, really impress anyone in the writing world beyond the contest coordinators themselves?

As a writer who has only entered 3 contests in 20 years of writing short fiction, and having only been a 3rd place winner in one of them, I can only honestly tell you I don’t know.

But was an editor of two online magazines AlienSkin and Nocturnal Ooze ~ I tell you no.

Having a writer list such among their publication credits might cause me to raise an eyebrow now and then, depending on how prestigious the contest is ~ especially it the contest you’ve won or received an honorable mention in was the L Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest. Most editors, including me, let the stories sell themselves.  If the tale entertains me, follows standard writing formats and story structure, and it contains the basic components of storytelling, we’ll generally publish it.

However, the downside to listing such award credits in your cover letter, is that I am now expecting to be wowed by your story, more than I would any other story that flows into my virtual in-bin.  It would also make me wonder why you were slumming it with only the pocket change we can offer you when you’re obviously marketable to the pro magazine.

Most of us editors only look to see if you’ve made a sale or two before.  Many of us tend to be a little more sympathetic to fledgling writers, offering a word or two of writing advice on a rejection letter in the event we have to write one.  We also have to keep tallies of how many ‘new writers’ we publish in a year for the questionnaire Writer’s Digest sends to all markets listed in their Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market book.

Do I poo-poo contests?  Heck no.  They can nab you some prestige among fellow writers and snag you some cash or an nifty award too.  So enter away.  Me, I have hard time waiting 3 months for a reply to a submission let alone 6-8 months.

Just don’t get sucked into entering contest after contest, spending more of your money on entry fees than you are bringing in with fiction sales!

By the way, AlienSkin is featuring a Horror in Science Fiction Contest this month!

No Entry Fee.  Prize is a Pro-Rate of $50.00 and an AlienSkin T-shirt to a single winner.  Stories are to be 500-1,000 words in length and they must blend horror with science fiction.  See our Contest Page for details.

Posted by K. A. Patterson at 11:27 AM | Permalink

options

In my 5+ years as senior editor of AlienSkin Magazine and Nocturnal Ooze, I’ve received and read thousands of stories from writers from all around the world. The majority of the writers who send us stories, approach us in a professional manner, and that includes not only pro writers, but fledgling writers as well.

We get the typical 20% ‘Reject Them Right Off The Bat’ submissions from writers who just can’t seem to follow simple directions listed in guidelines, such as, word count or attachment formats. But since we strive to be ‘Writer Friendly’ we just slap their hands with a cordial little reminder email, asking them to either reduce their word count to fit our guidelines, to resend their story using 1 or the 3 formats we accept, or to withdrawal the story. Yes, we allow for 3 different ways to send us stories. Not one or two, but THREE. Unfortunately, there are those who still think they can pick a fourth format of their choice.  Sheesh!

But there are consistently a few submitting writers who just make us editors want to scream. These are typically writers who somehow think they are so special that they make their own rules, dismissing all others regardless the market they are approaching. Some of the writers in this 10% category profess they are merely trying to be witty or artsy, using Cutesy Large Fonts, Pretty Colors, etc., thinking such might impress ups and make them stand out.

Let me tell you ~ from an editor's point of view ~ if your do this, all we editors think or want to tell you is: GET A CLUE!

We have to print these submissions out folks ~ all your cover letters and attached stories. Ink and paper ain’t cheap when you think of the 5,000+ stories we alone at AlienSkin receive in a year. Most markets, like us work out-of-pocket. Big ain’t better. You only makes us wonder if you’re trying to offset the fact that your writing is weak and lacking substance by hiding it under BIG BOLD TITLES. Personally, it makes me wonder if the old axioms about the guy using a shiny new sports car to compensate for his short comings; or the woman who gets a boob job to boost her self-esteem, apply in the case of these writers. Not a good thing for me to be wondering right before I’m to read your story!

Another offender fitting this 10% category of ‘Submitters Who Really Piss Us Editors Off’, are those writers who truly believe they are above submission rules ~ so much so, that when you attempt to gently slap their hands and tell them so, they have the nerve to email you back and tell you,

"If I followed that rule, I’d publish half as many stories I do now because I’d be waiting too long for a reply".

Yeah, right! Tell that to a Pro-paying market or book publisher and you’ll likely to get yourself black-balled! The context of that offender was that the writer consciously believed he was above our guideline rule of ‘We Don’t Accept Simultaneous Submissions", and had submitted the same story to four other markets.

Another response from a rule breaker AlienSkin Magazine received on this rule was,

"If I followed that rule with markets, I be waiting half a year for responses. I find it best to submit to more than one market. That’s what works for me."

How nice.

Oh, and here’s another run-in I had with one of these ‘Special Privileged Writers’. This actually happened this month. I received a submission and the title immediately caught my eye, it seemed familiar. So I read the first paragraph.  I remembered the story ~ in fact, I remembered it so well, that I knew we had published the tale. When I couldn't remember the when and where, and did a little digging, I found we had indeed published the tale in Nocturnal Ooze last Summer. The new submission had been made to AlienSkin Magazine. When I emailed the writer, telling him we were a bit confused by his submission to AlienSkin, reminding him that we had published the tale is our sister magazine the year before. He said he wasn’t aware that we were associated with Nocturnal Ooze.

Okay, I realize many of you are probably thinking, ‘hey the guy just made an honest mistake. How can he be expected to remember each and every editor he does business with in a year.’

Wrong! Wrong! WRONG! 

A good writer ~ especially a writers who is being published on a fairly regular basis ~ keeps records.

But that was the real breach of etiquette here.   Those of you familiar with our magazines should have caught the blatant error.

It was Guidelines!  Plain and simple.  All he had to do was read our guidelines.  It's a must for every market you approach.  It will save you and an editor time.

This guy clearly tried to ignore or rule of: We Don’t Accept Reprints!

While this guy might not remember me (the one who sent him the acceptance letter and signed the check he received), and wile he may not have bothered to read the portion of our Home Page which states,

‘With all that said, sit back now, and read the latest issues of AlienSkin Magazine & Nocturnal Ooze,’

he should’ve read our submission guidelines, which clearly state We Do Not Accept Reprints.

So by now you should be asking yourselves, Do Editors Hold Grudges or Black Ball Writers who tick them off like that?

The answer is this: It’s hard not to.

Most of us understand and overlook the occasional faux pas. A few of us will send out the courtesy slap on the hand, offering you a chance to redeem yourself by resubmitting properly. Such errors and oversights can be made by fledgling writers and pros a like. We’ve all been harried and scatterbrained when were trying to get a story out. Such errors can happen.

But those Flagrant, In Your Face, Eat Your Rules, I’ll Do What I Want writers. You bet your ass we do.

That chick who told me she makes it a habit to simultaneously submit to markets, regardless of what their guideline rules state, her email addresses (yeah both of them) are listed in my message rules #121--set for Auto-Deletion.

The message here, the lesson to be learned from those fools above, is again, Read Submission Guidelines, Play Nice, and Be Nice.  And we editors will treat you and your writing with respect.

The bonus is, You’ll make an editor smile as they pick up your story and begin to read.

Posted by K. A. Patterson at 12:08 PM | Permalink

options

~ A Simple Test ~

You’ve just finished writing a story. You’re excited. Thrilled. But now what? Do you review the markets and send the story out?

As an editor, I hope you answered no to that second question. At least your answer should be no until you can answer Yes to the following 10 questions:

1.  Does your story start at a point that will draw the reader into the tale?

2.  Does your main character face a difficult challenge?

3.  Have you provided a good balance of action and introspection?

4.  Are all of your character’s actions, reactions, and dialogue believable given the circumstances the character faces?

5.  Have you removed dialogue, narration, or description that does not move the story forward or that is not important to the story?

6.  Does your story have a satisfying resolution, tying up all loose ends?

7.  Did you break up long descriptive passage?

8.  Does you story really have something to say to readers?

9.  Does you story offer anything new versus other stories with a similar plot?

10.  Did you run Spell Checker on the story when you finished it?

If you’ve ensured all of the above is true, your story has merit.

You've also just raised the odds of your story being marketable. Whether or not it's publishable ultimately depends on how well you convey your thoughts with words and how well the story fits the needs of the market you approach.

Posted by K. A. Patterson at 07:28 PM | Permalink

options

Some of the tales we reject are simply those where the writer didn’t really have a story to tell. One of the foundations of the story was just too weak to support the story.  It lacked plot, characterization, conflict, etc.  Perhaps these writers never heard of, or forgot, the old writing adage that,

‘Not every story idea in your head will prove to be a marketable story on paper’.

But for those of us, who truly believe we have a cool story to tell, it increases our odds of getting our story published if we take the time to ensure our tale contains the basic story elements which will support the story from finish to end.  It also helps if we structure our story for dramatic effect, to capture and maintain reader interest.

There’s nothing wrong with writing the first draft of a story when your creative urge compels you to write, but you must remember the story ‘writing’ does end there. You need to review your story to see if it contains an interesting beginning ~ one that hooks the reader and reels them in.  One that raises a desire within them to read on. From start to finish, the action within the story must proceed in a logical manner, building and maintaining tension, until the climatic moment where the main character reaches that do or die moment just before the story ends.  And when the story does end, the resolution must tie everything together.  The main character must have been changed by the outcome of that single climatic moment.

So What is the Basic Foundation of Every Story? ~

Some writers would say there are three basic foundations to every story, short story or otherwise.  These basic foundations are:

1. The Beginning: The Opener

The opening scene of your short story must captivate your reader, drawing the reader in and making them want to read more.

An easy formula to use to remember what you want to accomplish in your beginning scene is H₅W.

Hook:  Start your story in the middle of things. With action or dialogue. Avoid static openings, such as a paragraph full of description or one that attempts to ‘set the scene’.

Who:  Establish who the main/focal character is within the story.

What:  Hint at or show what is upsetting your main character’s world.

Where:  Weave in a sense of where the character is or where this story is taking place.

When:  Almost the same as ‘where’, but establish a sense of the time of day, season, or era the story is takes place. This is especially important if your story is taking place in the near or distant future or if it is taking place in a fantasy realm.

Why:  Establish ‘why’ the ‘what’ is happening to the main character and ‘why’ it unbalances his/her world.

2. The Middle: The MASS of the Story

Mud:  Let the mud ensnaring your main grow thicker and deeper.  The problem facing your character should trouble and test him/her more and more in these middle scenes.

Adversity:  A person’s true character shines through in the face of adversity.  Use adversity to ‘show’ the reader who your main character really is.

Show:  Show the strengths and weakness of your main character during this period of tribulation.

Setup:  Set your main character and the reader up for the big finale.

3. The Ending:  The Story Resolution ~ The Closer ~ The End Cap

In the final scene of your story you MUST resolve the opening dilemma your main character faced. Good or bad, the outcome must be a Wow the reader some how.  This is where your main character and the dilemma he/she faces clash.  And at the end of your story, as a result of this clash, your main character MUST change in some way.  And that change, MUST be made apparent to the reader.

Another important element that is part of the Blueprints for Building a Solid Short Story are Joists.

What are Joists? How are They Used to Construct a Story?

Joists support the foundation of your story. They help carry the tale from one level to the next. They are also the basic components that strengthen a scene.  There are 4 important joists that support a story's foundation.

These 4 Important Joists are:

Conflict:  Throughout your story your main character must be challenged in some major way.

Action:  The main character must act. Avoid lengthy introspection.

Dialogue:  Use external and internal dialogue to convey information about your characters.

Imagery:  Use descriptive words that invoke powerful images in the minds of your reader. Avoid passive and vague words.

Posted by K. A. Patterson at 09:46 PM | Permalink

options

Save yourself the time and trouble of sending as a tale that possesses one of these weak plotlines.  We've already published out fill of these and would only consider publishing another if it were truly unique.

1. Humans or the main character becomes part of an Alien zoo exhibit.
   
2. Earth and/or humans are slotted for destruction for the benefit of other beings within the universe.
   
3. Psycho-killers on the rampage.
   
4. Disgruntled family member or ex-lover turning cannibal and serving up the person who spurned, angered or abused them.
   
5. Talking woodland, farm or domestic animals as main characters; or were the twist at the end of the story is that the main character is revealed to be a pet or animal.
   
6. A character uses time travel to right a wrong or to save a loved one only to discover they’ve created an worse problem when they return to the present.
   
7. The twist at the end of the tale is that the time travel journey produced a loop effect and the character must endure this fate over and over.
   
8. The main character is a werewolf or vampire on the prowl.
   
9. 9. The main character attempts but fails to effect things in their life only to find, by the story’s end , that they are a ghost.
   
10. The first-person narrator dies at the end of the tale, leaving us to wonder who is doing the telling.
    

So what do you do if one of your own stories contains such a plotline?  You rework the tale, giving it a unique twist.  You submit it to a critique group for suggestions.  But you best not send it to us!

Posted by K. A. Patterson at 07:51 PM | Permalink

options

The story: 

1. Has guidelines issues:  It has a word count above or below our stated word count maximum or minimum; or,  It doesn’t fit the genres we publish.
   
2. Doesn’t contain a speculative element.
   
3. Contains stereotypical characters or too much generic detail.
   
4. Has a plotline is an overused one, offering nothing new to other such tales. (such as, werewolves on the prowl, psycho killers, humans become part of an alien zoo, etc.)
   
5. Contains a character, plot or science that does not come across as credible/believable.
   
6. Contains lame dialogue, weak central character, or story revolves around a week plot twist a the end.
   
7. Conatins little drama, or the main character is so unlikable, we lose interest.
   
8. Is all ‘tell’ and no ‘show’, thus, it is told to us verbatim by the narrator and we never become privy to the thoughts of the story characters.
   
9. Contains too many technical errors; such, as improper Point of View/POV or tense switches.
   
10. Is a sluggish read. Prose is too wordy an needs tightened or there is too much extraneous narration or description. Story takes too long to get to anything significant. The narration rambles on.

Posted by K. A. Patterson at 10:15 AM | Permalink

options

We’ve all heard the saying, Think Outside the Box, but as a writer have you ever received this phrase in an email from an editor as part of a rejection to a story you’ve submitted? I doubt it.

Most editors are too busy trying to maintain control over the mountainous pile of submissions on their desks and over-flowing their in and out bins to contemplate offering more than just a generic “the story didn’t appeal to us” form rejection letter to writers. They often have to reject hundreds of stories, each submission having been a contender vying for one of the limited fiction slots the editor had to offer in the magazine they publish. So brevity in their reply is key. After all they do have a magazine to prep and rush to the print or to post online.

We as writers would welcome a more concise reason as to why our submission didn’t make the cut, and win the coveted slot in an upcoming issue. We urge the editor to offer any comments they wish to make. But again and again those form rejections do arrive and we’re left to wonder on our own if our story does need tweaking or if it is indeed good enough to email it out, as is, to another market.

But let’s say one editor did bother to offer you one sentence more than the generic form letter you’ve come to expect. Suppose that sentence was, ‘Think outside the box.’

Would that sentence offend you? Or would it challenge you?

Without being bold enough to appeal to the harried editor, asking him to clarify his remark, how would you interpret such a reply? Would it really make a difference to you, make you change how you approach a story idea?

As an editor, one who does take the time to offer a sentence or two of comment on each rejection our magazine sends out on a daily basis, offering anything more than a generic “the story didn’t appeal to us” is a difficult task. It’s a two-edge sword that must be wielded with a responsible hand.

The wrong words can stab into the heart of a novice writer, slice apart their confidence, causing a wound that may or may not heal. It can thwart fledgling talent by severing someone’s passion for writing.

The right words, might shine a light on an area of a writer’s work that needs mere polishing, such as, dialogue, characterization, or plot development. To the dedicated writer, such an insightful comment, takes the sting out of receiving a rejection. It can be the ticket needed to snag that next fiction sale.

Judging by the volume of rejections I unfortunately have to send out, and considering the reasons I generally have to give for the majority of the rejections I write, I believe a writer needs to know when they should ‘Think Outside the Box.’

The majority of stories that fail to make the initial cut, out of the 250+ submissions we receive and read per month, are stories that lack depth in either character or plot. They’re rehashes of stories that have been told again and again, with the very submission we hold our hands offering nothing new to the tired old plot they’ve used about rampaging zombies, an alien threat stalking miners on an ore-rich asteroid, or the time traveler wishing to save a love one or to meet a famous rockstar.

To those writers, submitting such tales, I would love to write Think Outside The Box in big bold letters in comment on the rejection email I’d send them. But instead, I tell them ‘we’ve published such tales before’, thinking any other comment would be too harsh.

Am I doing them a disservice? Do they need to be challenged?

What about you?

Do you Think Outside The Box with your own writing? Do you truly strive to stretch those boundaries of the genre your write? Are you comfortable, writing stories that gain you more than the occasional acceptance letter, often surprised when you ‘make that sale’? Do you ever compare the stories you’ve sold with the stories that failed to secure a slot in an issue or anthology you were striving for?

I’ve done such a comparison with my own writing, and I have to admit, the stories that sold were indeed the ones where I thought outside the box, when I let my imagination take me in a direction I hadn’t expected with a particular plotline or with my main character.

You think such a revelation would make writing the next story easier, would give me the edge to make an easy sale. But it doesn’t. There’s always those wild card rejections letters from editors read, “Nicely done, but we just couldn’t fit it in this time”, or ”...just didn’t gain enough votes to make an upcoming issue”.

We can live with those type of rejections. We always try again. We can wait for another anthology to open that possesses a theme our story fits.

But the challenge of the Box remains.

Tape it to your monitor. Adopt it as your mantra.

Think Outside The Box

Redefine the genre you write. Tailor your story to flow beyond the cardboard confines of the box your plotline may resemble. Ensure your characters push through the flaps of the box that might hamper them from becoming the larger than life characters they need to be. Don’t let your story be labeled before you ship it off to an editor via email or mail. Give it the Box test.

Do that, and your submission will find its way to the top of the slush pile. It’ll catch an editor’s eye without need of fancy packaging. It’s content will be enough to wow, even if you writing style might need a bit of fine tuning. You won’t gain just another rejection letter.

You just might gain that acceptance letter you were hoping for.

So don’t box yourself in with one dimentional thinking. Your fiction writing will suffer for it.

As editor I challenge you: THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX!

Posted by K. A. Patterson at 04:40 PM | Permalink

options

Jason Sizemore, editor in chief of Apex Science Fiction & Horror Digest invited me to participate as a Guest Blogger on his site.  How could I say no to such a neat offer?

Of, course I accepted.  After two weeks of stewing and brewing up an idea, I decided to do an short piece called, Think Outside the Box.  I based it on the large volume of submissions we receive at AlienSkin Magazine that are rejected because the stories are so predictable and lacking in depth.

It's good advice and often, as writers, we get so caught up in getting our story down as fast as we can, we forget to allot time to brainstorm the idea completely.  Without brainstorming an idea may be under-developed, and the resulting story can end up being one-dimentional.  The same can be true with our characters, if we do not take the time to really delve into 'who they ae' and not 'who we want them to be'.

By Thinking Outside the Box, and by brainstorming our ideas and characters, we as writers will produce more exciting, and believable stories.

Posted by K. A. Patterson at 06:40 PM | Permalink

options