As Raymond Carver once wrote:
It’s August.
My life is about to change.
I can feel it.
Of course, Carver’s character is fooling himself and the reader knows it. I’m saying it, too, but not ironically. What change are you making today?
Over the weekend I edited two more short stories for contest submission. These are old stories reworked so I’m really feeling them now:
Past, Present, Over & Out is about a has-been actor whose wife leaves him to raise two young kids at home. He struggles mightily and learns how to deal with the loss. Then she wants to come back. What will he do?
Sidewalkers is about a social worker for the homeless in Toronto. She thinks she’s really good at her job. Then she meets a crazy woman who holds a mirror up to the social worker’s character. She’s actually a sick voyeur who records other people’s misery for fun and profit. Then she has to decide if she’s willing to change. If she does change, what will she be next?
Both stories are about daring to make changes in our lives and how scary that is. The difference between the original versions and the edited stories are two-fold. The old stories were just clever. Now they have emotional impact.
The second change to the stories that makes them so much better? That’s what the next blog post is about.
Meanwhile, are you looking for more on making empowering changes in your life (TODAY! TODAY! TODAY!) Follow this link to a Huffington Post story on self-empowerment.
Filed under: Writers, writing contests, editing, short stories
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