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Thursday, December 5, 2019

Horror Author Deborah Sheldon: How to Generate Short Story Ideas + giveaway

How to Generate Short Story Ideas


It’s the most common question asked of writers: Where do you get your ideas? The answer is typically: Everywhere! And while this sounds like a brush-off, it’s actually true. Finding ideas for stories is a matter of paying attention to things, both within yourself and in the external environment.

The easiest way to get started on idea-generation is to choose a format: drabble (100 words), flash (less than 1000 words) or short story (1000 to 7,499 words). That gives you an estimate of how much “meat” your story idea requires. Clearly, a drabble needs only a morsel, while a story that’s almost a novelette must have at least a thigh and drumstick!

Then, pay attention. Start with yourself. For example, what did you dream about last night? Did an image stay with you? Or think back over the course of your life and hunt for little details that stick out. Perhaps there are a few memories that won’t leave you alone. In your day-to-day life, an event may occur that triggers a strong emotion, which could be another starting point.

Look for ideas from the world around you. Read extensively. People-watch. Get yourself lost down one of the billions of rabbit-holes on the Internet. Follow your interests, passions and hobbies. And take notice of whatever rings your bell. That “a-ha” feeling is a starting point.

Once you’ve chosen something to focus on, try thinking about it just before going to sleep or upon waking to develop the bare bones of a plot or main character. A drowsy brain is very creative. So is a daydreaming brain. What activities encourage you to daydream? For me, it’s washing my hair. I can’t tell you how many story ideas in Figments and Fragments: Dark Stories crystallised in the shower! Allow your mind to wander. A mind that’s regularly let off its leash will become more creative over time.

Above all, be curious. Keep asking yourself “What if?” A curious brain that pays attention can’t help but generate story ideas.

Figments and Fragments: Dark Stories 
by Deborah Sheldon
November 18, 2019
Genre: Dark Horror, Crime Stories
Publisher: IFWG Publishing International
Brutal. Compelling. Sinister.

From wheat farms, roadhouses, caravan parks and beaches to quiet suburban streets and inner-city apartments, award-winning author Deborah Sheldon tells distinctly Australian stories about violence, loss, betrayal and revenge.

Figments and Fragments includes three new stories written especially for the collection.




About the Author:
I'm an award-winning author from Melbourne, Australia. I write short stories, novellas and novels across the darker spectrum.
My latest releases, through several publishing houses, include the horror novels "Body Farm Z", "Contrition", and "Devil Dragon"; the horror novella "Thylacines"; the crime-noir novellas "Dark Waters" and "Ronnie and Rita"; and the dark fantasy and horror collection "Perfect Little Stitches and Other Stories" (winner of the Australian Shadows Best Collected Work 2017).

My short fiction has appeared in many well-respected magazines such as Quadrant, Island, Aurealis, SQ Mag, and Midnight Echo. My fiction has been shortlisted for numerous Australian Shadows Awards and Aurealis Awards, long-listed for a Bram Stoker Award, and included in various "best of" anthologies. I'm also guest editor of this year's edition of Midnight Echo.

Other credits include TV scripts such as Neighbours and Australia's Most Wanted, feature articles for national magazines, non-fiction books published by Reed Books and Random House, and award-winning medical writing.

Publisher: Severed Press Facebook: @SeveredPress Twitter: @severedpress 

GIVEAWAY
$20 Amazon, ebook of the Horror collection Perfect Little Stitches and Other Stories by Deborah Sheldon – 1 winner each 


Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway! 

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4 comments:

  1. if it was on shelf near me i would pu and read it i like the color and they way you put it toghter

    ReplyDelete
  2. The cover captures the essence of the title of the book.

    ReplyDelete