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Short, short story problem..!
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Galadrielle
 13 Jan 2012, 22:14 #139572 Reply To Post
Somebody on this site, may have noticed that I don't have much uploaded, despite having over 40 short stories on my hard-drive.
I have a slight problem with my short story writing.
Having spent the last twenty or so years 'pruning' my stories within an inch of their lives (cut, cut then cut again..) in order to keep them within magazine parameters, I now tend to automatically produce max 1450 - 1700 words per story - too short for YWO!.

I'm no longer sure I CAN add in!

Other than becoming a news reporter, any suggestions?
Hugs
Galadrielle
x
This post was last edited by Galadrielle, 13 Jan 2012, 22:15
safiaadam
 14 Jan 2012, 05:08 #139577 Reply To Post
If you really, really, can't stretch the story by adding more text, you could post 2 stories as one posting to get over the minimum word count rule. Just put a note to reviewers at the top, explaining they are getting 2 for the price of one, and if they want to review only 1 of them, then that's fine.

Other people on here have reached the word limit by filling up the blank space at the end of the story with a load of asterisks or blah, blah, blah, or whatever, but I think that's a lazy option.

Sounds like you are a very experienced short story writer, so good luck with your time here.
Follow your bliss
dancingsue
 14 Jan 2012, 10:54 #139587 Reply To Post
Hi Galadrielle. I would never, ever advocate stretching a story to fit a word count. You obviously understand that if you took words out without detriment to the story, you didn't need them in the first place! As Safia says, you can upload two at a time but mark them clearly as separate pieces.
the long and the short of it

PERRY
 14 Jan 2012, 11:07 #139589 Reply To Post
I'm in the same position and now feel like a complete fool for not thinking of that obvious remedy. Excuse me while I butt the wall for a while.
safiaadam
 14 Jan 2012, 13:33 #139597 Reply To Post
Duly excused.
Follow your bliss
Galadrielle
 14 Jan 2012, 14:20 #139599 Reply To Post
Oh my! What illuminati I am amongst!
I shall join you in the wall-head-butt, if I may.....

Thank you so much for your 'obvious' (clearly, not to me..!:lol but brilliant solution Safia!

I shall go and prepare my scribblings forthwith!
Hugs
Galadrielle
x
Galadrielle
 14 Jan 2012, 14:23 #139600 Reply To Post
...oh, and BTW...when I say I have written to magazine parameters, I have, but never been published as the one I did send off was declined but then re-appeared in the same mag some good few months later, very slightly altered.
Didn't send any more, so I'm not that experienced in that respect - I just love scribbling!
Hugs
Galadrielle
x
willowtree
 14 Jan 2012, 17:26 #139608 Reply To Post
I had the same problem and uploaded two short stories together in order to meet the minimum word requirement. None of my reviewers seemed to mind. I clearly defined where one story began and ended and where the next one began and ended. Personally, as a reviewer, I'd have no problem reading two different short stories by the same author. Just a thought. Good luck with them!
Sigmund Freud: "The Irish are one race of people for whom psychoanalysis is of no benefit whatsoever."
willowtree
 14 Jan 2012, 17:27 #139609 Reply To Post
Oops! Didn't see this had already been suggested!
Sigmund Freud: "The Irish are one race of people for whom psychoanalysis is of no benefit whatsoever."
notleyab
 14 Jan 2012, 21:54 #139618 Reply To Post
Why not just paste the same story in twice? - and explain why you've done it.
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