Where Themes Come from

Image Courtesy: Google

Practicing the craft of writing every day is as important as reading books to engage the imaginative and artistic faculty on a daily basis. Daily writing tones and prunes the skills of a writer to perfection. The internet has no shortage in the number of ‘How-to’ pages. They will tell you how to write a story, a book, a love letter, or even a computer code. Perhaps, there is a ‘How-to’ page on how to find themes for your stories, or articles, or poems as well. I am not concerned about those sites, here. However, what I do feel concerned about is a website that might tell you where to find your themes.

The Weather-talk

Image Courtesy: Google

Meet your neighbor in the bus stop, or a relative, an old colleague, or acquaintance at a party, the most convenient and approachable topic of our conversation—the no-fire zone of our lives—is weather talk.

“What a weather! Hadn’t felt anything like this in years!” It could also be ‘rain-talk’, or even ‘snow-talk’, and vary in accordance with the environmental peculiarities of the place one inhabits. Here, in Cannanore, Kerala, the Southern side of India, it is mostly ‘rain’. Sometimes, ‘heat’ becomes a topic too.

What does this have to do with a writer?

Take your Pen, Pull the Trigger

What is the ‘trigger’ in storytelling?

Image Courtesy: Google

Trigger in a short story is the point at which the individual reader’s emotional levels start fluctuating corresponding to a specific action in a story or according to the changes in the lives of characters.

This is “meeting the reader’s mind”.

In a short story, this moment is very important due to the limitations of its size. Unlike a novel, the writer should be especially careful in order to bring the reader’s mind to care for the main character’s agony, joy, or temper within a limited period of time and limited number of words.

UPDATE: Name Change + Magazine

Hey Bookit! Blog readers!
   Those of you who are following our Facebook, you probably know that we've recently been going through a lot of changes - not the least of which being the name of our store. Bates Books is now Chapter One or CH1 for short. In addition to this change there's been some major movement in Chapter One's efforts to print a magazine.

As many of you may remember from our previous post - when Chapter One owners, Sean and Erika, announced that they were starting up with a bi-weekly magazine - this project was initially intended to hit the press in early July. However, with a lot of thought and planning, Book-it!'s magazine debut has been pushed back to the 1st of September, and, instead of being bi-weekly, is transitioning into a monthly tabloid-style publication.

For it's pilot publication, it's going to stick close to home, mostly distributing to Utah County. But, if all goes well, they'll rapidly expand throughout the state and even into Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming and Nevada with plans to go national. But don't be alarmed! If you don't live in Utah and are interested in getting a hold of a copy, you can always purchase a subscription (or single copy if you like) online here or (if you're really interested in supporting their cause) you can donate in exchange for goodies at their Indie Go-Go project funder.

Cover art for the first issue is done by the wonderful Jess Smart Smiley. And the content - though still secretive at this point - includes a number of authors and comic artists that range anywhere from the magazine's home state of Utah, to international talent.

"For those of you who know a little bit and have been hearing rumors, we will be selecting the top two blog entries from the month of July to  receive rewards for just being awesome! This is based on viewing statistics (which thanks to Google Analytics we have) and also on a vote between myself, our developer Sean, and our head blogger Jamey based on skill, interest, and frequency. The top blogger for July will receive a $50 reward, as well as the runner up getting $25 rewards. Now, mind you, due to our slim number of bloggers, one blogger may end up with more than one reward... for me, this is a sign that we just need to get more bloggers on board! So, if you're looking to blog on writing, creativity, or you have some awesome reviews to write, this is the place to do it."

-Erika B
CEO Chapter One

In addition to this competitive blogging, the magazine is anticipated to have a creature creation competition to see which artist can create the best creature or character. Further details will be provided in the first publication of the magazine.

At the moment, we have a goal to be published by the beginning of September, but are hoping to get it to the presses as soon as mid August. For further updates, be sure to follow us on Facebook, as well as on our Indie Go-Go account where we are seeking sponsors and subscriptions!

The Tripod of Short Stories

Courtesy: Google

Brevity makes a “short” story. But a short story is not just about length. As a genre, the short story is complex. Many other aspects, along with length decide the genome of a short story. Some of these elements are still unidentified. In fact, it is apt to say that those elements that are identified crucial elements of a short story are few in number. Short is just a metaphor, short stories are actually tall.

W. H Hudson and many other scholars, suggest that length is the crucial aspect and a story that you can read in single sitting is short story. If we take this as our measure, we cannot hail Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach or The Old Man and the Sea by Earnest Hemingway or The Buddha and the Terrorist by Satish Kumar, a short story. The Old Man and the Sea might be a bit longer, but consider Jonathan Livingston Seagull; with all the photographs, that adorn the pages, it is just about fifty pages long. Many of the short stories in Stephen King’s collection, Full Dark, No Stars are longer in length, in fact longer than Jonathan Livingston Seagull, usually called a novel.  

What is, then, the magic potion that delivers its spell in the making of a short story?

Let us remind ourselves, once again, that there are only “major” elements to discuss. The minor elements, still evade our attention, as they are all part of the subjectivity of the author and the wiring of creativity inside our brains.

Creative writing classes and ‘How-to’ guides often suggest many systematic steps in producing literature. The problem with such a systematic, limited academic method is its side effects—all the crap you write and all the crap you evaluate ‘wonderfully artistic and deep’. Once you are into the struggle to create stories with flesh and blood, stories that earn, you will know that the first thing you need to do should be to unload the garbage, you accumulated as a student. Practical experience makes you wiser and stronger. From my experience as a writer, I have learnt my lessons and here are a few for your consideration—the three cornerstones of short stories.  

Voice

Terrain

and

Trigger

With this minimum number of components, you can create a short story. As we have already seen, the rest of the magic comes from within you, the writer. It is an alchemy, much like how Sodium and Chlorine combines to give a product, very different in quality and use from the two parent components—Sodium chloride; salt.

Next: What is Voice?

Anu Lal is the author of the up-coming collection of short stories Wall of Colors and Other Stories. He lives in Kerala, South India. He blogs at The Indian Commentator 

You can catch up with him in Facebook too.