Okay folks, this is how I write a short story.

THE THEME~

The theme for my first four stories is ‘Death and cheating  death’.

Why did I choose that theme? Because some of my favorite  stories deal with death.

Here’s an example:
http://www.flashfictiononline.com/f20090201-golden-pepper-jay-lake.html

When I think of death, I think of how hard it can be to say  goodbye, and how everyone meets death in the end, regardless  of how high and mighty their station might’ve been in life.  While some people welcome death, most people fear it. Near  death, many people wonder if (and how) they’ll be  remembered. When people kill, they’re doing something that  they know absolutely nothing about to someone else.

Besides inevitability, dying represents the unknown and has  fascinated cultures for thousands of years. Most societies  agree that death should be feared, some even going as far as  to never mention the names of the deceased again. But other  cultures have dared to ask the questions, “Should death  really be feared?” and “Why can’t it be celebrated?”.

No matter what society, almost everyone reserves a fear for  death. After all, it’s the ultimate unknown.

Do the stars and space have something to do with death and  birth? There are so many concepts involving infinite cycles  and the afterlife, but how many unexplored possibilities  remain?

And what if death was a living being? Had feelings? What if  Death is/was? a nice person? If he/she?/it? could speak to  us, what would he have to say for himself? What if he’s  bound to take souls to the afterlife, even in situations  where he doesn’t want to? Can death really be cheated? Is  Death immortal, a demi-god, or is being ‘Death’ merely a  curse placed upon unsuspecting souls?

So I chose this subject because no one will ever mine all  the narrative possibilities. Until death is completely  cured, this subject will always be relevant to our world.

AN IDEA WORTH WRITING~

When I generate story ideas, I try to make them play nice  with the following…:

1. I prefer to have a definite beginning, middle, and end.

2. I prefer endings that are either inevitable, profound,  emotional, or create some kind of infinite loop. Or all of  the above, if possible.

3. At least one character must change, for better or worse,  over the course of the story.

4. If I can make it work in a fantasy setting, all the  better.

…because they are characteristics typical in the short  stories I enjoy reading the most.

THE CONCEPT~ Read the rest of this entry »