A to Z: Short Beginnings I

2016 THEME: Short Stories - at least the beginnings thereof.

YOUR PART: Throw out names, themes, random words or situations using the letter of the day and I'll pick some of them to include in the opening paragraphs of a short story.
WHY: I'm most inspired when there's a challenge involved. Usually that means an opening line or a theme. This month: your words.

My creative blender awaits your I word suggestions in the comments section. Stop by tomorrow's post to read the story you inspired.

Looking for more great blogs? Check out the massive list of A to Z Challenge participants.

H story...

Alexandra stared at the broken black ceramic heifer on the tile floor, tears welling in her eyes. Her muscles tensed as Grandmother shuffled into the room, drawn by the sound. Her cane tap tapped over the floor while the hard soles of her shoes scraped along with each step, muffled slightly by the thick layers of her long dark skirts.

Spittle flew from her thin lips and the glare of those eyes carved deeply into her wrinkled face turned Alexandra hollow inside. "Girl, what have you done?"

Honesty would only gain her a beating. Lying would get her more of the same. The switch in the corner haunted her nightmares.

She took one last look at the shattered heirloom and bolted for the door. With her own skirts in hand, her bare feet sped over the worn grass outside the cottage, scattering the chickens. She passed through the field and had just reached the edge of the wood when her heel struck a rock. Alexandra fell to her knees, cradling her wounded foot, barely budded chest heaving as she gulped for air.    

Blood dripped through her fingers. Crows squawked from the nearby branches and a cold wind stirred the tall grasses around her. Her harrowing escape from Grandmother's switch was only the beginning. She'd glimpsed the yellowed paper inside the broken figurine and that writing hadn't been ink. Helpless, the heavy weight of a curse settled upon her shoulders.

A to Z: Short Beginnings H

2016 THEME: Short Stories - at least the beginnings thereof.

YOUR PART: Throw out names, themes, random words or situations using the letter of the day and I'll pick some of them to include in the opening paragraphs of a short story.
WHY: I'm most inspired when there's a challenge involved. Usually that means an opening line or a theme. This month: your words.

My creative blender awaits your H word suggestions in the comments section. Stop by tomorrow's post to read the story you inspired.

Looking for more great blogs? Check out the massive list of A to Z Challenge participants.

G story:

Looking for guidance, Grace turned to her best friend and gave her the most pathetic boo boo lip she could muster. "If I can't convince Gary to play the game, I'll never pass the summoning test."

Gladice rolled her eyes, immune to the lip. "Goodness Gracious, Grace, pick someone else! He's not the only boy around. All you need is a guy to kiss you so you can open the gate." She flopped down on the bed next to Grace. "And you could get any guy around to kiss you with that lip."

"But Greg isn't any guy. He's all hot and smooth like gravy."

Laughter rolled out of Gladice until hiccups took over. "Gravy? Your mother must make it different that mine, lumpy and with this scary sheen of coagulated greasy bits on top."

Grace sighed and rolled over to face the ceiling of the dorm room they shared. "You're not helping."

A to Z: Short Beginnings G

2016 THEME: Short Stories - at least the beginnings thereof.

YOUR PART: Throw out names, themes, random words or situations using the letter of the day and I'll pick some of them to include in the opening paragraphs of a short story.
WHY: I'm most inspired when there's a challenge involved. Usually that means an opening line or a theme. This month: your words.

My creative blender awaits your G word suggestions in the comments section. Stop by tomorrow's post to read the story you inspired.

Looking for more great blogs? Check out the massive list of A to Z Challenge participants.

F story:

The loud smack of flesh hitting the fender made Greg slam on the brakes. He prayed for all he was worth that whatever it was hadn't dented his father's car. He'd never be allowed to drive it again, and it would be a solid year of working at Franks-N-Steins before he'd afford his own. At least one that Shelly wouldn't mind being seen in.  

The night air was cold as he got out of the car. He was glad for the coat his mother had insisted that he wore over the dress shirt and tie. His father's tie. He just hoped he didn't look as stupid as he felt wearing it once he picked up Shelly and they got to the dance.

As he rounded the front of the car and hesitantly approached the passenger side, a chill ran up his spine. Yes, there was certainly a dent there, but that wasn't the most frightening thing. Frankly, the thing sprawled on the ground with long gnashing teeth, glowing red eyes, and one leg pinned under his tire won top prize in that category.

A to Z: Short Beginnings F

2016 THEME: Short Stories - at least the beginnings thereof.

YOUR PART: Throw out names, themes, random words or situations using the letter of the day and I'll pick some of them to include in the opening paragraphs of a short story.
WHY: I'm most inspired when there's a challenge involved. Usually that means an opening line or a theme. This month: your words.

My creative blender awaits your F word suggestions in the comments section. Stop by tomorrow's post to read the story you inspired.

Looking for more great blogs? Check out the massive list of A to Z Challenge participants.

E Story:

The echoing emptiness of no suggestions left the writer at a loss for words. 

IWSG and A to Z: Short Beginnings E

2016 THEME: Short Stories - at least the beginnings thereof.

YOUR PART: Throw out names, themes, random words or situations using the letter of the day and I'll pick some of them to include in the opening paragraphs of a short story.
WHY: I'm most inspired when there's a challenge involved. Usually that means an opening line or a theme. This month: your words.

My creative blender awaits your E word suggestions in the comments section. Stop by tomorrow's post to read the story you inspired.

Looking for more great blogs? Check out the massive list of A to Z Challenge participants.

D story:

Darcy sipped her dandelion tea and fought to keep a straight face as Nathan continued his rant.

"What if I wanted to marry Dukes?"

Tea nearly shot from her nose. Darcy coughed until she had things set back to rights and set her tea aside before it happened again. "Look, I understand you have tastes that most might call odd, but really, Nathan, your dog?"

"I'm not saying I do want to, but if I did, I'd have to move to a different state. The damn churches control the entire government around here and they smile and call it democracy. They claim that everything they do is for our own good, that they're taking care of us. I want choices."

"So disestablishmentarianism?"

"Exactly, I knew you'd understand."

"And you plan to find that where? Because I doubt anyone is going to allow you to marry your dog."

Wow, another month has passed. It's been a productive month at least. I managed to wrap up the first draft of Bound In Blue in time to have a couple days before April to play with edits on Sipper, a sci-fi short story

Which brings me to the conundrum of the month. I ran Sipper though my usual critique process and got good feedback. Edits were made and the story was sent out into submissions. The editorial feedback I've received along the way indicated issues with the flippant and snarky main character. So I tamed her down a little and sent the story back out.

Then comes the feedback that pointed out at major logic hole. It was a severe headdesk moment on my part. How had not only I missed this, bit the whole critique gang had also overlooked it? No idea.

A third of the way into a major rewrite, I read through the feedback again and realized a major issue that negated all the work I'd just done. Yes, there was a detail that desperately needed to be fixed, but the whole reveal at the end hadn't worked for this particular person. As in, they totally missed it, and the majority of the rest of the feedback beyond the logic problem was worthless because it was all answered in the reveal. The reveal had worked for everyone else.

Ah feedback, it can be frustrating and confounding. And this is why we all need many sets of eyes so that when one misses something, hopefully another will catch it, or go about reading it differently so that issues come to light before it burns through half my usual submission list. But even the best of systems occasionally fails and then, well, after recovering from the headdesk forehead bruises, we have to take a deep breath, edit yet again, and send that sucker back out there until it finds a home.