tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015329098122035196.post2003856980586566163..comments2023-09-30T10:31:07.390-04:00Comments on Short Fiction. Write it. Sell it. : Appearing in issue #20, May 19, 2014 Jody E. Lebelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08777207515123248962noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015329098122035196.post-64929423860153280682014-05-18T09:08:36.968-04:002014-05-18T09:08:36.968-04:00@ Chris
I don't think many of the authors even...@ Chris<br />I don't think many of the authors even know about this blog. <br /><br />I don't think I remember the college kids story. Might have been before I started all this. So now we have 3 versions of the same story. That's pretty sad really. I can see with all the stories they read, and with all the issues they have published, one editor might forget. But these stories get the stamp of approval from yet an even higher editor than Johnene. I'm sure that editor doesn't have to read the amount of submissions that the lower editors/readers do, and yet even she is letting these through. It's puzzling.Jody E. Lebelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08777207515123248962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015329098122035196.post-4413153046310002852014-05-18T02:55:58.744-04:002014-05-18T02:55:58.744-04:00I had the same feeling of 'this isn't new&...I had the same feeling of 'this isn't new' when I read this one, but it put me in mind of TWO old stories, not only the boys watching the game but also the kids in college and a missing trophy (I think). That one had a list of names that had to be matched up to the clue in the story. Maybe pick and mix is the way to go if you want to get an acceptance. <br /><br />That aside, I thought the writer wrote a reasonable story here; it flowed well and the clues were all there, but it did feel like a rip-off. If that's not the case and the idea was original, then I wish they'd drop by and put us all right.Chrisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015329098122035196.post-50947187372641051342014-05-17T19:23:32.575-04:002014-05-17T19:23:32.575-04:00Right, Jody, I was kicking myself. All I needed wa...Right, Jody, I was kicking myself. All I needed was a sentence of dialogue from one of the detectives, and I realized my error as soon as I dropped it in the mail. If she'd overlooked it and sent me a contract, I was going to add it to my emailed copy, but she caught it (she doesn't always; remember, we've questioned some of them with no clues). You'll see what I mean when you read the one coming up; it's a remake with a different flower. Tamaranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015329098122035196.post-30723162917401152082014-05-17T18:05:26.388-04:002014-05-17T18:05:26.388-04:00@ Mary Jo
Pinata, huh? I like it. Let the kids t...@ Mary Jo<br /><br />Pinata, huh? I like it. Let the kids take it home. No one would suspect the little darlings are part of a heist. This is getting better and better. :)Jody E. Lebelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08777207515123248962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015329098122035196.post-29817647256884004152014-05-17T18:03:45.425-04:002014-05-17T18:03:45.425-04:00@ Tamara
Okay, leaving out the clue is really a n...@ Tamara<br /><br />Okay, leaving out the clue is really a no-no. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $500. Jody E. Lebelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08777207515123248962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015329098122035196.post-47987709883542225722014-05-17T16:05:57.514-04:002014-05-17T16:05:57.514-04:00By the way, the best thing about this story was th...By the way, the best thing about this story was the title. Flight of the Sparrows. Very evocative. <br /><br />Okay, I am going to give serious thought to a Mexican Fiesta. Tamales, chili rellenos and cheese enchiladas with refried beans and spicy rice. Maybe I will put my diamond ring in the pinata. Ole!Mary Jonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015329098122035196.post-85467465325398336522014-05-17T14:29:12.667-04:002014-05-17T14:29:12.667-04:00I'm doing a flower in my upcoming story. I hav...I'm doing a flower in my upcoming story. I have another version (that was rejected because I left out the clue) if you'd like that one better. I hope your lead gets bent, Jody.Tamaranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015329098122035196.post-43009753849541140592014-05-17T14:01:20.507-04:002014-05-17T14:01:20.507-04:00@ Mary Jo
That's why we better get working on...@ Mary Jo<br /><br />That's why we better get working on our versions. I have dibs on Chinese food and Bedazzler. You could do Mexican food and a diamond ring. He could stick the ring in the guacamole. Jody E. Lebelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08777207515123248962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015329098122035196.post-45846272654179195082014-05-17T13:55:41.249-04:002014-05-17T13:55:41.249-04:00Jody, what if this plot turns out to be a favorite...Jody, what if this plot turns out to be a favorite with the editors and we see it over and over again?Mary Jonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015329098122035196.post-12334735480759502192014-05-17T13:34:09.676-04:002014-05-17T13:34:09.676-04:00@ Tamara
Maybe we should just write one long solut...@ Tamara<br />Maybe we should just write one long solution and to heck with the story. <br /><br />I've got my red pencil all sharpened up for you. Bwah-ha-ha.Jody E. Lebelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08777207515123248962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015329098122035196.post-76913340825061335962014-05-17T10:36:21.104-04:002014-05-17T10:36:21.104-04:00I'm laughing my head off at your comments, Jod...I'm laughing my head off at your comments, Jody. I thought I had picked up an old copy of WW when I read this story. I thought, "Didn't I just read this a couple weeks ago?" How that happened, when they are inundated with submissions, is beyond me. Then I thought I was reading a brand new story when I viewed the solution. There's another one coming up that does the same thing. Mine will appear soon...I'm braced. I also had a romance selected to come out in a few weeks. I'm feeling lucky. Tamaranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015329098122035196.post-65057293477326378552014-05-17T08:30:17.651-04:002014-05-17T08:30:17.651-04:00@ Joyce. It is possible that the author never saw...@ Joyce. It is possible that the author never saw the original story -- but not probable. It's too similar. She did change up the end to add a partner in the crime, but she did it so clumsily that she had to have a 130-word solution to explain it all. Very poor job IMO. <br /><br />I have 'copied' an author's idea that I thought was killer. We all do to some extent. But I changed it up to create an original story, I didn't just change the names and the type of item that was stolen. This story is a rip-off of the original one, right down to leaving the pizza man alone in the kitchen while she went to collect money. That WW allowed it is puzzling. Jody E. Lebelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08777207515123248962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015329098122035196.post-24907241519214832662014-05-17T08:21:50.225-04:002014-05-17T08:21:50.225-04:00@ Mary Jo
I think the elements of a mini-mystery,...@ Mary Jo<br /><br />I think the elements of a mini-mystery, the red herrings, the pattern of 3, the amateur sleuth, and the dysfunctional family are typical patterns that are often used and used successfully. Much like in the romance genre you have the pattern of boy meets girl, boy gets girl, trouble arrives, HEA. You could write a thousand stories with the same pattern, yet the stories are different. In this case, not only is the pattern the same, but the story line is almost a match to another published story. How that happened? Only the author knows that. Why WW chose it when they have a couple thousand fresh stories passing their desks every week...that's the real mystery. Jody E. Lebelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08777207515123248962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015329098122035196.post-39137402530249896512014-05-17T07:56:45.302-04:002014-05-17T07:56:45.302-04:00I haven't read this story, but I remember the ...I haven't read this story, but I remember the similar one that involved a pizza delivery man and a Rolex watch.<br />It is possible the author of this story did not read the other one, but I would think the editor would remember it.<br />My story that I nave not heard back from involves a pair of detectives (male and female), 3 suspects, and a dysfunctional family. I thought those are the elements WW wants! Actually, you can take those 3 elements and write stories that are very different.Joyce Ackleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16628063943686030106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015329098122035196.post-30019827188125125512014-05-16T23:04:42.061-04:002014-05-16T23:04:42.061-04:00I am going to give the author a pass on this one. ...I am going to give the author a pass on this one. With six months between these two very similar stories, it is entirely possible she never saw the previous one. You know how long it has been taking to get any response from the editor. It just may be that synchronicity strikes again. HOWEVER, the editorial staff certainly was familiar with this plot, so how would you explain the decision to publish it again? Dementia?<br /><br />On the other hand, when you take a look at this whole little mystery genre, there is a striking similarity in the majority of the stories that make it to print. The detective and his/her partner, the three suspects, the dysfunctional family, etc.Mary Jonoreply@blogger.com