Quote: Originally Posted by
sky dancer 
Mostly ones that are fictionalized versions of something that happened to me, could have happened or did happen to someone I know.
Sometimes changing details allows the truer story to come through.
I get alot of ideas from stories in our local paper and particularly from the Sheriff's report. I also see many of our county residents in all kinds of different ways, so I often know or suspect a bit more going on.
Someone asked about writing ideas. I thought I'd help out and we could support each others efforts.
Actually, we could also talk about what writers we read and why we like their writing. Right now I'm on a Richard Price roll. I'm reading everything I get my hands on of his. He writes inner city stories like Freedomland, which was made into a movie. His characters are rich, his stories textured and his dialogue funny and superb. He completely captures why people don't leave the places that are born in.
I left mine ASAP, but the people who remain behind trapped fascinate me.
When I was in junior high school, high school, I used write tons of short stories. I used to have fun using the real people I knew and putting them into compromising situations. So instead of reading romance novels, I used to write them.
I thought I would be a writer, almost majored in English Literature, but strangely ended up with a degree in economics.
I loved all the classics, and lately my reading have turned more toward non-fiction and history books. The last book I read was by Joan Didion and it was a memoir. Although I didn't like her book, The Year of Magical Thinking all that much, I liked her style and hope to pick up another one of her books, this time a fictional one.
My last writing assignment was collaborating on a Halloween story in the style of Stephen King. It was only 500 words, but I had a blast writing it.
I wish I had more time to write because that is when I am happiest.
Do you share your short stories with anyone?
Thanks for starting this thread. It is of great interest to me.