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Therapy in Danse Macabre

Lou_SytsmaLou_Sytsma
edited August 2005 in Short Stories
Each month, Hellnotes runs a short fiction contest where writers respond to one of three story prompts with a 500-1000 word tale. Winner gets published online and $30. Losers end up with a 500-1000 word story to market elsewhere.



I've decided to try to write a story each month. I find writing to this length helps me look critically at each word and improves my editing skills. If a story is accepted, great! If not, I'll publish it here. (I use that word advisedly. By posting a story on a web page, I am exercising my first world publication rights.



The first story, from July, is available here.
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Comments

  • Lou_SytsmaLou_Sytsma
    Thanks for sharing Bev. Quite enjoyed it.
  • BevVincentBevVincent
    Thanks! The prompt was to write a story about a killer being released from prison on a holiday. I should add that to the page.
  • SpamQueenSpamQueen
    I enjoyed it too Bev! Perfect size story to read during a wee break in typing. :P... nicely done! :)



    Lin
  • Lou_SytsmaLou_Sytsma
    during a wee break in typing
    is that like a potty break? :P :P
  • Rache4173Rache4173
    Very cool story, Bev! ;D I really enjoyed reading it...
  • SpamQueenSpamQueen
    Lou_Sytsma wrote:

    is that like a potty break? :P :P


    :P :D... Yes, it could very well be, but as yet, I don't have a computer in the "potty"... ::) Of course I have a laptop at home now... let me get back to you. 8)



    Lin
  • DTUKDTUK
    Bev, really liked the story and your writing style is really improving. Sometimes the words flow in and out, but the images are really easy to grasp and you take the reader there.



    Quite a gift :)
  • BevVincentBevVincent
    Thank you! I feel that my writing has improved this summer, and I give credit in part to hearing David Morrell speak at the Stoker weekend talking about what imagery to concentrate on and what parts the reader can create for him/herself.



    I'm working on the next story for Wee Small Hours. It's tentatively called Starting Small and the prompt I chose is: Start a story with a punch to the face.
  • DTUKDTUK
    Bev_Vincent wrote: Thank you! I feel that my writing has improved this summer, and I give credit in part to hearing David Morrell speak at the Stoker weekend talking about what imagery to concentrate on and what parts the reader can create for him/herself.



    I'm working on the next story for Wee Small Hours. It's tentatively called Starting Small and the prompt I chose is: Start a story with a punch to the face.


    Will look forward to hearing about this when it's completed.
  • BevVincentBevVincent
    Starting Small is now online
  • DTUKDTUK
    Bev_Vincent wrote: Starting Small is now online


    I'll check this out at the weekend, Bev when I have abit more time - working all week is keeping me kinda busy ::)
  • Lou_SytsmaLou_Sytsma
    Ha! Very clever - great ending!



    BTW are these stories considered reprints if submitted and accepted elsewhere?
  • BevVincentBevVincent
    Thanks! I came up with the ending first and then worked my way backwards from there.



    These stories would be considered reprints in some markets if I tried to submit them since I have effectively exercised my first publication rights by posting them in a public forum.
  • DTUKDTUK
    Excellent mid-way twist, Bev...the paranoia really worked well here and liked the ending. Good job!
  • TayroTayro
    Oh, I had to add this link to my favourites.



    It appears they've decided to post the prompts every other month now.



    I'm going to have to give this a shot.  I loves me a challenge!  [smiley=laugh.gif]



    Thanks Bev!
  • BevVincentBevVincent
    Yes, I think the pay for the winner went up $10 but they moved it to every other month. They got far more entries than they expected, I think, and judging it was proving to be a challenge for the editors.



    I missed the last deadline, mostly because the prompts didn't do anything for me. I may miss the next one, too, unless I get this NaNoWriMo novel out of the way early.
  • BevVincentBevVincent
    The Illusion is now online
  • BevVincentBevVincent
    I just noticed that I had a stray extra paragraph from the previous story at the beginning of the document. It's gone now--the story should make more sense without it!
  • BevVincentBevVincent
    My short story "Therapy" won the final Wee Small Hours contest! It will appear online on April 15th.
  • Lou_SytsmaLou_Sytsma
    Congrats Bev! Look forward to reading it.
  • BevVincentBevVincent
    Therapy is now online.
  • BevVincentBevVincent
    "...a very grim, very moving, tale" -- Mike Arnzen, originator of the story prompts.
  • BevVincentBevVincent
    Therapy will be published in an upcoming issue of Dark Wisdom magazine. No issue specified next, but it will be in one of the next four, I'm told. Because it is short, it might get slated in sooner rather than later, depending upon available space.



    My first acceptance letter of 2007!
  • Lou_SytsmaLou_Sytsma
    Hey you wasted a whole day! ;)



    Seriously though, congratulations! 8-)
  • BevVincentBevVincent
    The previously announced publication of "Therapy" didn't pan out -- the market dried up and blew away. However, all is not lost -- Nancy Kilpatrick just accepted it for her next anthology, Danse Macabre: Close Encounters with the Reaper. Among the other contributors: Tanith Lee, Brian Lumleym Tom Piccirilli, Nancy Holder, Brian Hodge and Lucy Taylor.
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