How-to write short stories (list) by Leanne Dyck

photo by ldyck

I have dyslexia. Learning to read was a challenge. But my parents were avid readers. Before I could read they read to me and it was like they were opening a locked door and offering me glimpses of amazing worlds. When I learned to read I felt like I'd been given the key to that door. I write short stories so everyone regardless of ability can enter the worlds I've created.

On this blog, by my some what  careful calculations, I've written and published approximately 100 short stories.

15 of my short stories have been published in magazines, anthologies and online (other than on this blog). I've also self-published one short story collection. For more information, please read my Publishing History page.

The following links will take you to some interesting places. Have fun.

Video:  Stephen King on the Craft of Short Story Writing

Articles: Why write short stories by Leanne Dyck

How to Write a Short Story That Captivates Your Reader by Jerry Jenkins

Writers, how do you end your story? by Leanne Dyck

What do editors do and why you should care? by Leanne Dyck

Why edit? by the Editor's Association of Canada

No MFA? Submit to these literary magazines by Leanne Dyck

Guest Post:  Room Magazine

Guest Post:  Submitting Manuscripts--an interview with Jami Macarty

Sending manuscripts to publishers--a workshop by Jami Macarty

Guest Post: Oak Tree Press' Acquisition Editor Sunny Frazier

Video:  How to Make Money Writing Short Fiction with Douglas Smith

And stuff to dream about...

Bryan Washington wins the 
Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize 
for his debut short story collection, Lot

Calgary writer Brenda Damen wins 
2020 CBC Short Story Prize

Read Short Stories...

72 Canadian Short Stories available free online

Your Favourites:  a  free short story collection by Leanne Dyck

Free Short Story Collection:  the stories of my life by Leanne Dyck

The shortest short story

For sale:  Baby shoes, never worn --Ernest Hemingway

My attempts...

One sunny day a worm went for a wiggle. He met a robin.

Or

Lonely, she visited twitter; he commented

They meet face-to-face

Now he never leaves her

Or

He stepped off the curb.

Thinking quickly, she avoided hitting him.

Months later, they married.

Or 

He was born in the dark. He came to the light. He dwelled among the living. He died forgotten.

Or 

Starving, she searched the cupboards. All she found was an ax. So she chopped off her toe and ate it. She didn't stop until she was full--gone.

Next Sunday evening...

May 24th

short story

Discovery

inspired by cvoid 19

because sometimes in order to deal with a situation

 I have to write about it.

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New Releases by Mayne Island authors...

Everyone on Mayne Island heard the pens clicking and computer keyboards tapping and we thought, maybe, hopefully... 

Valuing my words by Leanne Dyck

"dogwood--I think" photo by ldyck

I finished writing my first book (Novelty Yarn) and thought...

I'm brilliant; it's brilliant.

I re-read it...

It's not bad.

I re-read it again...

Well... Hmm

Again...

This needs work and this and this.

Again...

I can't write. I don't have any talent? I'm a joke. This is a joke.

Listening to this negative self-talk paralyzed me, preventing me from submitting my work to any publisher. I didn't elect to self-publish Novelty Yarn. I hide in self-publishing.

But then came the reviews...

'Novelty Yarn contains a collection of small, tasty morsels that will continue surprise you right up until the last bite... Ranging from childhood memories about 4-H knitting and lessons from Grandma to night dreams about wild women knitting in the forest, each segment evokes a different mood. Many of the stories made me laugh out loud, while others made me pause...to mediate for a few minutes. The stories are separated by brief interludes of acoustic guitar music... The guitar intervals are just long enough to let your mind rest between the stories. The sensation is like cleansing your palate after sampling each vintage at a wine tasting. The total experience was delicious.' Donna Druchunas (Ethnic Knitting Discovery)

This review--and others like it--slowly began to transform me.

Today I submitted a manuscript to a publishing house. Will this publisher validate me? Will they accept my manuscript? Maybe, maybe not. That's not the point. The point is, by submitting my work, I'm validating myself.

*Revised from some a piece written in April 2007.

"blue sky" photo by ldyck

Next post:  Blue Skies (short story) about coping with anxiety and depression. Published on Sunday, May 6th at (approximately) 5 PM PST

"dog and wood--I know" photo by ldyck

Sharing my author journey...


This April I...

Writing advice to my younger self by Leanne Dyck

Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons in 1992

The Artist's Way:  A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron is a twelve-week program that will inspire and inform your creative journey. It inspired me to write...

Dear younger Leanne,

You know those stories that you’re working on. Well, you might think that you can just throw them out—unfinished. You may think that because they belong to you, you can do whatever you want with them. Well, you’re wrong. You can’t. You can’t because they belong to me—older Leanne—not you. So, instead of tossing them away, you better file them away for safekeeping. You better or else…

Oh, yeah, and another thing, you might think that by writing all those stories you’re just having fun. WRONG! You’re doing important work. However, you’re only doing half the job. You also need to get someone who can spell and knows grammar to edit them. Ask Mom, she’ll help you. Then you need to send them to literary journals or short stories contests. 

Oh, yeah, and don’t just do it once and think you’re done. 

Don’t just say, “Oh, well, I submitted it. I didn’t win. I don’t have to do that again.” 

Don’t think, I tried, failed and now I’m done. The only way you failed is by being done. 

Simply by continuing to submit your stories you’re proving that you are a winner.

 If you don’t continue working until the job is done, well then you’ll leave all that work for me. And trust me, I won’t be pleased.

Oh, yeah, and the most important thing, you may not think you’re smart, but I do. I know how talented you are. And you’re doing a grave disservice by not sharing your talent. So do it. Do it now!

Love,

Leanne

If you've enjoyed reading The Artist's Way, you may also like...

Big Magic:  Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert is a book of essays in celebration of the creative life. 

Published by Riverhead Books:  

an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC in 2015

Note to Self:  A Seven-Step Path to Gratitude and Growth by Laurie Buchanan is a personal exploration to guide you in developing a healthier you. 

Published by She Writes Press:

a division of SparkPoint Studio, LLC in 2016

Next post:  Book review:  Are You Seeing Me? by Darren Groth
Published on Sunday, June 25 at approximately 5 PM PT.
If you enjoyed reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon, you enjoy Are You Seeing Me?

Guest Post: Submitting Manuscripts by Jami Macarty

Jami Macarty's workshop Get It Out:  A Writer's Guide to the Submissions of Literary Works for Publication was information-rich and generated more questions for me. So I asked Jami to answer them on this blog and she kindly accepted my invitation. 

How many submissions should you send to a publisher per month?

Jami Macarty: Every writer has her own rhythms, preferences, timing, and goals; because of that, there’s no one submission prescription or quota. What I suggest is that a writer figure out if her goal is to publish her work or not. If it is, then I encourage her to take seriously and commit herself to this aspect of her writing life. That’s step one. The second is to set up a submission schedule that suits her writing rhythms, preferences, timing, and goals. The writer might ask herself: what’s realistic and doable? For some writers, what’s realistic may be to submit once per month; for others, it may be one submission per week. The pace and mode of submissions should flow from, rather than dictate, the work. This approach encourages reflexive engagement and a deepening relationship with writing practices, processes, products, and priorities. Love alliteration!

The rule of thumb is that you should send submissions to more than one publisher. Yet some publishers request that you tell them if you are sending simultaneous submissions. Do you think those publishers view simultaneous submissions in a negative light?

Jami Macarty: First, let me speak to the notion that there’s a “rule of thumb” to simultaneously submit your work. The fact is, some publishers accept simultaneous submissions and some do not. It is the responsibility of the writer to understand the difference and to follow the guidelines of each publisher to the letter. Publishers work hard to bring our art to eyes and ears. They deserve respect for simple requests. If a publisher requests that a writer say whether or not the submission is simultaneously submitted, then give that information to the publisher. The fact that publishers make the space for simultaneous submissions is an indication that they are on the side of the writer. Let writers also be on the side of publishers by providing the information requested. Publishers are likely making this request with intentions to bring more and better work to their readers, not to dampen submissions. If they love a short story or poem and have the knowledge that it’s simultaneously submitted, they’re likely to act more quickly to secure the writing. They may also be collecting information about the practices of writers who submit to them in order to access the importance of simultaneous submissions to the submission process. It may be useful to acknowledge that in many fields simultaneous submissions are strictly forbidden.

If a book is out of print should I still mention it in my publishing history? What if it is my only traditionally published book?

Jami Macarty: Yes to both questions. A publication is a publication—and most are hard won over a protracted period of time. Who’s to say when or if something previously published is no longer valid?

A magazine I was published in is no longer circulating should I still mention it in my publishing history?

Jami Macarty: That depends. If you have other magazines/journals to mention, I’d forgo mentioning one that’s no longer circulating. If the magazine/journal is well-known or recently defunct, my inclination is to include it. To me, it’s all about presenting and re-presenting who you are as a writer, artist, professional, etc. Why exclude any tools for doing so?

Should I include credit for nonfiction in my fiction submission?

Jami Macarty: Yes, absolutely. The idea here is for a writer to support herself as a writer and an artist. To think holistically, to be inclusive of herself, and to share the whole of herself and her artistic accomplishments with a would-be publisher. Let a writer’s biography include all that she writes—whether fiction, nonfiction, poetry, reviews, a blog, etc., as well as other artistic pursuits, e.g. photography, illustration, painting, musical and expressive arts endeavors, etc. All human gems have numerous facets and we cannot know which will sparkle at a given moment.

Thank you for visiting, Jami. Your answers added clarity to my submission plans. I wish you continued success.

Photo by Vincent Wong

Jami Macarty teaches contemporary poetry and creative writing at Simon Fraser University, serves as a Poetry Ambassador for Vancouver's Poet Laureate, edits the online poetry journal The Maynard, and writes Peerings & Hearings--Occasional Musings on Arts in the City of Glass, a blog series for Drunken Boat. Her poems appear, or will, in 2016 issues of Blood Orange Review, The Fiddlehead, Grain, Minola Review, Prism international, Rabbit Catastrophe Review, and Vallum. Also, this good Year of the Monkey, she's been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, won the Real Good Poem Prize, and Landscape of The Wait, her poetry chapbook, has been published with Finishing Line Press.

Why I keep writing by Leanne Dyck

The following was inspired by Alex Cavanaugh's article (link). 
Especially, '[T]hat time won't come if we think it's the end and we give up.'
and Vaughn Roycroft's article (link). 
Especially, 'One truth I have found to be unfailing is that I am inspired and heartened by my fellow writers.'

photo by Leanne Dyck

An author friend recently told me that she'd given up submitting to publishers because she'd realized having her work published was an unattainable goal. She said, "It's like a one-in-a-million chance. Why bother?"

That made me consider my own chances. Where they, slim to none and slim has just left town? If she couldn't make it, what made me think that I could? 

I'm no more talented than she is, I told myself. And the way she spoke, it sounded like she was a lot smarter.

The writing game felt like a big joke. I felt like a big joke. 

After all, I've been working hard for almost five years. I've sent out over 100 submissions. If something was going to happen it would have happened by now. 

The universe is trying to tell me to give up,  I told myself. Maybe I should listen.

I wallowed in self-pity for a while. I thought about jumping off this ride...

But... I... Didn't.

Why didn't I?

Well... I realized, writing is like breathing. Even if that big hand doesn't drop out of the sky and pick me up, I am still going to write. I have to.

Other people have faith that I will succeeded. Some people are even counting on my success. 

They can't all be wrong, I told myself. I can't let them down.

And so, I have to continue.

Writing fulfills me, like nothing else can. 

When I dream of my favourite place, I think of myself at my computer keyboard or on my balcony reading (and studying) a good book.

I. Am. A. Writer.

And so I move forward.

Instead of dwelling on rejection I will focus on the journey. 

That publisher read my writing and it wasn't for them. Where can I send my writing to next? What new publishing house can I find? 

There is a thrill to combing through the Internet in search of a publisher. It's amazing what you can learn; what interesting people you can meet.

Other authors may obtain success before me. When that happens I will celebrate their success. We are all in the same game. We live in abundance. There is more than enough for everyone.

When that happens I will learn from their journey. How did they obtain success? What lessons can I learn from them?

Write. Submit. Revise. 

There's nothing better.

More...
The Rainbow Connection as sung by muppet, Kermit the Frog
'

Next Monday: Book review:  Sing A Worried Song by Canadian mystery author William Deverell

Sharing my author journey...

Be careful what you say to an author because you may just inspire them.
For example...

Geist Magazine's writers' workshop notes by Leanne Dyck

This adventure began when I received an email from Geist Magazine...

Last Saturday I attended two workshops—back to back—in Vancouver. Yes, this little island gal went to the big city. Culture shock, anyone?

Vancouver is a pretty city. Being of size, it could be encased in concrete. It could be but it isn’t. City planners have made room for green spaces—trees, flowers, grass. My eyes danced merrily through the autumn colours. Add to this the backdrop of majestic mountains and picturesque ocean views. Now you know why I call Vancouver pretty.

Simon Fraser University’s Harbour Centre was the venue. Thankfully my volunteer driver was not only equipped to manoeuvre through the traffic but also could easily navigated through the city. We found it.

My next challenge was finding room 400. Room 400 must be on the fourth floor, I reasoned. So I took the escalator upstairs. I looked around and couldn’t see any room numbers, at all--none. The first workshop starts at 9 am. It’s 9:10 now. I need to find help and fast. I looked down at the first floor and spotted the Information booth. I’d walked right past it.

Escalators aren’t my thing. I have a reoccurring nightmare of stepping on and plummeting to my death. Admittedly it’s an illogical fear. But aren’t most fears? Time was ticking away and I had no choose, so I stepped on. Once again fate spared me.

Like a chicken with her head cut off, I flew to the booth. “I’m so late. Please you have to help me locate my room.”

The young man in uniform spoke slowly and calmly. “I’m happy to help you. What room are you looking for?”

“400. I’m here for the writers’ workshop.” Please…please…please…please…we…have…to…hurry…I’m…so…l

“Well, you’re not late. In fact, you’re the first one here.”

Why has it been cancelled? That’s just my luck I came all this way and…

“The workshop starts at 10 am. But I’ll show you to your room.”

True to his word, he took me all the way there.

Flash forward in time to the workshop…

Getting It Into Print 

 Billeh Nickerson

This workshop was information-rich. Here’s what I gathered…

Why submit to literary journals?

To fulfill a Canada Council grant requirement.

(Your stories must be published in four literary journals.)

(Or you must have written a book that was later released by a professional publishing house.)

Gets your name in front of editors/publishers

Why not to submit?

It’s not a good source of income.

Long response time—due to the number of hands your story must be passed to.

Advice

-Writers write so write—and then submit.

-Do your homework. Know what type of stories the literary journal is seeking. Know the name of the editor you’re submitting to.

-Don’t send simultaneous submissions to literary journals. Editors are pressed for time. They may plan an entire issue around your story. So when you phone them and say, “Ooops, someone else printed that story.” They won’t be pleased. What you could do instead is offer them the story exclusively for a short period (four months).

-Use the stamp of the country you’re sending to…

(USA stamp to USA) (Canadian stamp to Canada)

-Hire an artist accountant to do your taxes

-Practice writing your bio (around 3 sentences)

-If you write to the literary journal’s theme you will probably have more success at becoming published.

Things to mention in your cover letter

-Where you live (i.e. what province)

-Every literary journal in which your stories have been published

-If you’ve received a personal note from them (the literary journal you’re submitting to) regarding an earlier submission, mention it

The Art of the Sentence 

 Stephen Osborne

Occasionally you’ll encounter a writers’ workshop that rocks you to your very core. The Art of the Sentence did this for me. I heard Mr. Osborne’s warning.

I heard him say, “Get out of your own way. Write simply. Write a 5 Ws sentence.”

I heard him but I wanted to wow all. So I didn’t listen.

A 5 Ws has the following elements: who did what, when, where and why

Now that I have a refreshed mind and a peaceful atmosphere, I offer…

The movie star swooned on her bed after the leading man kissed her.

Who:  the movie star

What:  swooned

When:  after

Where:  on her bed

Why:  the leading man kissed her

Sometimes it’s more important to listen than it is to wow. Lesson learned—I hope.


Oh, yes and among the eager attendees where the newly published...