If only

Place the word "only" anywhere in this sentence:

She told him that she loved him.

More of a plaything than a writing prompt. But if you're so inspired, did one of them stir up characters, scenarios and idea for a story? Or you could write a micro fiction (100 word story, 1000 word story, 14 word story or whatever constraints you wish) for each. Can you come up with other sentences you can drop a word into anywhere?

Telescopic text

Oops! Should be one EYED cat.

Go to Telescopic Text. Click on Write.

Start with a simple sentence. Expand it, word by word, phrase by phrase to something gloriously twistedly complex.

See if you can create a story that grows from a simple sentence. Or keep changing the meaning of the sentence by adding words to what you have. Or just play to see where it takes you. :-)

To see a demo, you can play with Joe Davis's "I made tea."

There's a page with some Ideas to get you started and another on How to use the writing tools.

You'll need an account to save any Telescopic Texts you create. The feature to add your texts to the gallery seems not to be working. (The site hasn't been updated since 2011 so that's unlikely to be fixed. But creating a text still works fine.)

Cattell's 16 Personality Factors for writers

If you've checked into schemes that categorize personalities, most sort them into good and bad extremes. It takes some imagination to add depth and nuances.

Raymond Cattell sorted personality words into more or less of a factor. Which, even if personality researchers ultimately reject it, is much easier to work with for writers!

Play around with the 16 factors until you find something you like. Look for connections, contrasts and conflicts. A cold empath? Enthusiastically absorbed by ideas? Uninhibited, self absorbed and careless of social rules?

Edit: I made a few changes in the order and added a few words. Now if you read across the top 4 in each category, it's a spectrum with 2 negative extremes on either end and 2 positive though opposite traits in the middle.

Randomize the 16 Personality Factors

WARMTH	EMOTIONAL STABILITY	DOMINANCE	LIVELINESS
RULE CONSCIOUSNESS	SOCIAL BOLDNESS	SENSITIVITY	VIGILANCE
ABSTRACTEDNESS	PRIVATENESS	APPREHENSION	OPENNESS TO CHANGE
SELF-RELIANCE	PERFECTIONISM	TENSION	REASONING

The 16 Personality Factors

(Based on Cattell's 16 Personality Factors)

Way too little	Less	More	Way too much
WARMTH
anti-social	connected to self	connected to others	intrusive
unkind	reserved	warm	smothering
cold	impersonal	outgoing	nosy
uninvolved	distant	attentive to others
	cool	kindly
	detached	easy going
	formal	participating
	aloof	likes people
	self-centered	sociable
	ungenerous	friendly
	socially inhibited	compassionate
		helpful
		nurturing
EMOTIONAL STABILITY
obsessive	excitable	calm	unresponsive
frenzied	emotionally reactive	emotionally stable	emotionally shut down
hysterical	affected by feelings	mature
fickle	emotionally less stable	faces reality
histrionic (dramatic)	changeable moods	adaptive
	easily upset	unsentimental
	high strung	impartial
DOMINANCE
passive	cooperative	assertive	domineering
drone	deferential	forceful	dictatorial
	avoids conflict	dominant	antagonistic
	submissive	aggressive	vindictive
	humble	competitive	vengeful
	obedient	stubborn	unforgiving
	easily led	bossy	hostile
	docile	willful
	accommodating
	subdued
	compliant
	agreeableness
LIVELINESS
apathetic	prudent	sparkly	extravagant
humorless	restrained	lively	undependable
	serious	animated	whirlwind
	taciturn	spontaneous
	introspective	enthusiastic
	silent	happy go lucky
	dour	cheerful
		expressive
		energetic
		passionate
		indulgent
RULE CONSCIOUSNESS
lawless	impulsive	dependable	rule bound
nihilist	nonconforming	rule-conscious	moralistic
anarchist	disregards rules	conscientious	judgmental
dishonest	self indulgent	conforming	critical
manipulative	disobedient	staid
	unrestrained	self-controlled
	expedient	dutiful
		responsible
SOCIAL BOLDNESS
inhibited	modest	uninhibited	attention seeker
reclusive	threat-sensitive	socially bold	blind to social cues
agoraphobic	timid	venturesome	self-aggrandizement
	hesitant	thick skinned
	easily intimidated	can take stress
	shy
SENSITIVITY
insensitive	objective	sensitive	hypersensitive
	utilitarian	aesthetic	manic
	unsentimental	sentimental
	tough minded	tender minded (tender hearted)
	self-reliant	intuitive
	no-nonsense	refined
	rough	empathetic
	resolute	receptive
	determined	histrionic
	open-minded
VIGILANCE
gullible	trusting	skeptical	prejudiced
naive	unsuspecting	vigilant	cynical
	accepting	suspicious	biased
	unconditional	distrustful
	easy	oppositional
		uncooperative
ABSTRACTEDNESS
unimaginative	practical	imaginative	out of touch with reality
	grounded	abstracted
	prosaic	absent minded
	solution oriented	impractical
	steady	absorbed in ideas
	straightforward	idealistic
PRIVATENESS
gossip	forthright	discreet	secretive
blabbermouth	indiscreet	private
	artless	non-disclosing
	open	shrewd
	guileless	polished
	unpretentious	worldly
	involved	astute
	genuine	diplomatic
APPREHENSION
arrogant	confident	concerned	fear-bound
	unworried	apprehensive
	complacent	self doubting
	secure	worrying
	free of guilt	guilt prone
	self-assured	insecure
	self satisfied	self blaming
	self confident	nervous
OPENNESS TO CHANGE
close minded	traditional	free thinking	novelty seeker
fear of the unknown	attached to familiar	experimenting	sensation seeker
dogmatic	conservative	liberal
	respecting traditional ideas	analytical
	consistent	critical (evaluating not censorious)
	cautious	open to change
	conventional	flexible
	pessimistic	optimistic
	predictable	inventive
	seeker of answers	asker of questions
		unpredictable
		surprising
		curious
		self-transcendent (seeing self as an integral part of the universe)
		adventurous
SELF-RELIANCE
leech	group-oriented	self-reliant	tightfisted
self-sacrificing	affiliative	solitary	loner
people pleasing	a joiner and follower	resourceful	selfish
narcissistic	dependent	individualistic	greedy
	extrovert (gets recharged being with others)	self sufficient	rude
	accommodating	introvert (needs alone time to recharge)
	selfless	independent
	generous	self-interested
	self-monitoring	self-focused
	other-focused
	altruistic
	humble (modest)
	considerate
	tolerant
PERFECTIONISM
oblivious	flexible	perfectionist	obsessive
chaotic	big picture oriented	organized	hoarder
	tolerates disorder	compulsive	workaholic
	undisciplined	self-disciplined	hyper-focused on flaws
	lax	socially precise
	self-conflict	exacting will power
	careless of social rules	controlled
	uncontrolled	self-sentimental
	seeker of 'good enough'	careful
	focused on what's working	deliberation
	unexacting	persistence
		simplicity
		thorough
		seeker of 'the best'
		goal oriented
		success oriented
		efficient
		focused on what's not working
TENSION
apathetic	relaxed	tense	overwrought
indolent	Type B	Type A
listless	placid	high energy
torpid	tranquil	impatient
	patient	driven
	composed	frustrated
	low drive	high drive
	easy going	time driven
	low anxiety	high anxiety
	relaxed	tense
	imperturbable	perturbable
	well-adjusted
REASONING
	concrete thinking	abstract-thinking
	lower mental capacity	more intelligent
	less intelligent	bright
	slow learner	higher mental capacity
		fast learner

---

I made some changes to Cattell's list. I suspect some words have shifted meanings since Cattell listed them, such as, critical meant evaluating but is now commonly used to mean condemning. So, I added a few words, removed a couple, and moved one. I listed his "5 Global Factors" under the categories where they seemed to best fit with the 16. (They're global because Cattell felt they fit several categories.)

The "way too" words in the columns to left and right I added. These aren't traits people are born with. Environment or life events warped the person in these directions. These are also where characters have the potential for the most (story) growth.

HISTORY: Back in the 1930s Gordon Allport collected 17,953 personality words -- by scanning through the dictionary! He whittled them down to 4505. Cattell whittled them further to 171 then categorized them.

Story Sculptor

This is what has gotten me behind on everything.

No, not the gargoyle! Or even the picture of the gargoyle. (Look at that constipated face being so cute as he tries to squeeze out a story.)

It's what he links to that has kept me busy ...

Story Sculptor

It's sort of a MadLibs-type spreadsheet for your novel's overview. Sort of.

Fill in your main character, his or her goals, adversary and several other tidbits into the spreadsheet. From those it assembles loglines (story summaries). By reading through them you get to see if your ideas flow and play nicely together. Like:

The naive, impetuous farm boy battles to stop the Empire against the ruthless, technology-loving Empire supporter who wants to crush the rebels.

And,

On the verge of another season of moisture farming in the middle of nowhere the naive, impetuous farm boy enters the conflict between the Empire and the rebels; but when the Death Star is finally revealed, he must answer 'Is faith or technology stronger?' before Obi-Wan is killed.

Plus many more. Once you've tweaked your ideas, you can read through a breakdown of a novel with your elements inserted like this overview of Act 1:

Meet Luke from Tatooine, a planet beyond the edge of the Empire being his naive, impetuous self.

Luke's life is stalled facing another season of moisture farming in the middle of nowhere. It may even be a good life but he, in essence, is dying since he's stopped growing. Luke either doesn't recognize that he has a problem or is confused why technology and what he has accomplished so far leaves him discontent. His values have gotten him what he wanted so far. (But can't get him what he really needs.) Luke's life may feel like armor protecting him or a comfortable rut. (Explore at home, work or play.)

And a bajillion more that lay out your whole story right up to the final dramatic finish.

Story Sculptor might be helpful when planning a novel to keep you focused on the elements a good story needs. I've definitely found it useful for editing finished novels. The spreadsheet highlighted where the novel's weak areas were, let me know the person I thought was the villain really wasn't, and generally helped me pull wild ideas into line so it didn't read like a mashup of five different stories.

Give it a try. There's more explanation at the website. It's free for now. (Maybe free forever, with donations gratefully and graciously accepted :-) (And do encourage updates and expansions.)  It can look overwhelming at first, though I think the first page of the spreadsheet does a good job of directing you.

(It's for Numbers '09 (Mac and iPad) and Excel 2007 (and later) (PC and Mac).)

Let me know if you find it helpful. Also problems and improvements. All constructive feedback is welcome. :-)

---

The original idea came from  Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need by Blake Snyder. (Even he didn't believe it was the last since he wrote two sequels ;-)

What's wonderful about his book is the detailed breakdown of great stories (not just screenplays) he explores. As I read through his structure using "hero" and "villain" I really wanted a way to fill those in with a story's characters. Which gave me the idea for a spreadsheet. Then I stumbled across My Story Can Beat Up Your Story by Jeffrey Alan Schechter and The Anatomy of Story by John Truby which added more ways of viewing story structure. (The first two are very easy reads.)

Then I went kind of crazy adding more ideas in. And it seemed a shame not to share it. :-)

Mix and Match

Get in the habit of finding, gathering and generating story ideas. Write them down in a notebook. (Or a couple of notebooks kept in places where you often get ideas. Or your smart phone.) Save them for when you need them.

Go to Mix-and-Match Game. Click on Generate Character. Make that character the best at this, the ultimate expression: the most charming, the most faithful, most mysterious, the most whatever. Set a timer for 5 minutes and crank out a story idea. (Dr. Wicked's Write or Die, in the blog's sidebar, can come in handy for this.)

Do this 2 more times.

This is one of the exercises from My Story Can Beat Up Your Story! by Jeffrey Alan Schechter. He walks you through ten steps to ramp up your ideas into compelling story telling.

Every story has a central question that, when answered definitively yes or no, signals the story is over. Each question has 3 parts, a physical part that many people care about (kill Dracula), an emotional part that characters closest to the hero care about (win the love of the most recently turned vampire wife) and a spiritual part that the hero cares about (regain his self-respect).

What three goals could your most confused wedding planner or most frantic princess want more than anything? Goals that, if not achieved, would doom him or the world to actual or virtual death?

A Writer's Journey to Save the Cat in the Twilight Zone

Twilight Zone episodes are story telling masterpieces that unfold in just 24 minutes making them painless ways to analyze many examples of what makes a great story.

To make it even easier, both Blake Snyder (Save The Cat!) and Christopher Vogler (The Writers Journey) were inspired by Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces to adapt his myth structure for movies and novels. I've created a cheat sheet of the important points that I could use while watching Twilight Zone on Netflix. (At this moment, they're available on DVD and subscription streaming services. Check TV.COM for current availability.)

The 15 points from Save the Cat are in red. The 12 points from The Writer's Journey are in blue. They overlap quite a bit since they're both based on Campbell's work. The Writer's Journey points are simpler. The Save the Cat are richer and more detailed (though I've pared the descriptions down since a 24 minute episode can't pack in all the points of a movie.)

I'll be revising this as I watch Twilight Zones, to make it more useful.

Act 1

3. Set Up — WJ #1 The Ordinary World

• This is a glimpse of how the hero’s life is likely to continue.
• This is the world the hero understands. It’s where he has played out how he believes he must act to get what he wants in life.

1. Opening Image

A glimpse of the story world. The author hands you the blocks he wants you to begin building from.

Look for:

• Tone: The tone the author wants you to pick up. How does he create it? What images, sound, music, lighting?
• Rules and expectations: What building blocks for the story’s rules does the author give you:
• Familiar world? Do you already know the rules and expectations? Like a western setting, domestic situation? (Caution! The author may exploit your expectations and subvert them with a twist.)
• New world? Fantasy, sci fi or surreal? Look for recognizable elements the author brings in.
• (At the end of the story is there a corresponding “after” image?)

Hero

Look for:

• Hero snapshot: The immediate impression the author wants you to have of the hero. (Young, old, profession, male, female?)
• Lacking: What and how does the author show what’s missing from the hero’s life? What does the hero want?
• Flaw: How is the hero getting in the way of his own happiness? How does the author show this?
• What choices is she making that prevents her from getting what she lacks? Why is she making those choices?
• What weaknesses, blind spots, flaws does he have in his belief system?
• What changes must she make in herself to win/have a better life?

Other characters: What is their relationship with the hero? How does the author show this?

Look for: What vital part in the hero coming to a new understanding does each play?

Look for these archetypes (some characters may play multiple roles).

(NOTE: There are other archetypes (e.g., “The Mom”, “The Queen”, “The Fool,”) that may or may not be present, but the following are essential roles in the structure of a story.)

• HERALDS -- Look for: Announces important events. Brings the challenge (before Act 2) which begins the hero on his story journey. May be messenger or the message or an event.
• MENTORS -- Look for: aiding, training, wiser one. May test the hero. Gives a gift to the hero.
• THRESHOLD GUARDIANS -- Look for: Challenge before hero crosses a threshold to a new “arena”: e.g., before entering the “special” world (of Act 2), before facing the antagonist, before the entrance to any new challenge the hero must face.
• SHAPESHIFTERS -- Look for: change in role, personality, appearance, uncertainty about loyalty. “All is not as it seems.” Can be a catalyst whose change causes change in hero.
• SHADOWS -- Look for: Negative figure, opposite of the hero and opposes him, his shadow self, his dark side. Usually the antagonist, though there can be more than one shadow.
• TRICKSTERS -- Look for: clown, a mischief maker, provides comedic relief. Represents cunning. Pitted against opponents who are stronger. Also adds uncertainty.
• ALLIES -- Look for: Supports the hero.

2. Theme Stated

Look for: A statement of what the story is about. (Rod Serling’s intro is probably the theme.) Otherwise, a character may make a statement or ask a question of the hero.

“A screenplay is an argument by the writer, the pros and cons of living a particular life, or pursuing a particular goal. Is a behavior, dream or goal worth it? Or is it false? What is more important, wealth or happiness? …. The rest of the screenplay is the argument laid out, either proving or disproving this statement, and looking at it, pro and con, from every angle.”

4. Catalyst — WJ #2 Call To Adventure

Look for:

• The event that gives the hero a reason to change his current course. (The call is outside the hero’s control. Something happens to the hero.)
• Does a HERALD bring the news? Or does the event announce itself?

5. Debate — WJ #3 Refusal of the Call

Look for:

• How does the author show the hero has doubts? And convey the hero won’t find this easy?
• Is the challenge she’s debating to avoid something? Or to get something?

WJ #4 Meeting with the Mentor

Look for:

• How does the hero overcome his doubts?
• A MENTOR may give the hero advice. The mentor may give the hero a gift in addition to advice.

6. Break Into Act 2 — WJ #5 Crossing the first threshold

The hero makes a decisive decision to step into the Special world.

Look for:

• Does he need a nudge at the last minute (to show how really difficult the hero feels this is)?
• There may be a THRESHOLD GUARDIAN, one who challenges the hero before he crosses.

Act 2, first half

The hero turns off the path he’d been on. He enters the Special world.

7. B Story & 8. “Fun And Games” — WJ #6 Tests, Allies, and Enemies

• The A story is the hero’s tangible goal, what she wants.
• The B story is the hero’s spiritual goal, what he needs, what truth he must accept. The B story helps the hero learn the lesson he needs to learn.
• (Since Twilight Zones are short stories, A&B probably aren’t separate.)
• “Fun and Games” is the hero trying his old ways against new challenges and being forced to accept her outlook and approach are wrong.

Look for:

• The hero failing challenges as he goes after what he wants.
• She keeps relying on her beliefs, “right” understanding, approach to life, skills, mental and physical abilities. Her life (the author actually ;-) keeps trying to get her to admit she’s wrong or inadequate and must change.

WJ #7 Approach To The In-Most Cave

• The hero and newfound allies enter the Antagonist’s home territory. (Though may not face the Antagonist right away.)
• There may be another THRESHOLD GUARDIAN.

9. Midpoint

Look for:

• A big success or big failure. It’s where he thinks he has it all figured out, or thinks he can’t ever figure it out. (But he’s wrong!) He’s modified his old beliefs with new beliefs but hasn’t let go of the core that isn’t working.
• A party, or public declaration.
• The Antagonist recognizes the hero as a real threat.

Act 2, second half

The hero commits herself to this path (though may not want to.)

10. The Bad Guys close in

• Hero reacts to attacks from bad guys rather than being proactive.
• It’s the final assault on his old beliefs.

11. All Is Lost — WJ #8 The Ordeal

• The hero enters a central space in the Special World and confronts death or faces his or her greatest fear. Out of the moment of death comes a new life. This is death of the phoenix so she can be reborn, caterpillar entering its cocoon.
• Event happens to the hero — counterpart to the Catalyst in Act 1 — but more devastating.
• MENTOR may die here.

12. Dark Night of the Soul

• The phoenix spirit wallows in its ashes. The caterpillar holes up in its cocoon.
• This is a counterpoint to the Debate in Act 1. It’s hesitation. It’s “Now what?”

13. Break into Act 3 — WJ #9 The Reward

• The hero takes possession of the treasure — magic sword, knowledge — won by facing death.
• There may be celebration, but there is also danger of losing the treasure again.
• The hero is “reborn,” like a phoenix. The hero emerges as a butterfly from its cocoon.
• A eureka moment. The hero knows what he must do.
• The hero decides to act. It’s a counterpart to #6 Break into Act 2.

Act 3

• The old world and new world combine.
• The hero is re-energized, confident.
• It’s the “Final Exam” of all he’s learned, the ultimate test.

14. Finale

“Storming the Castle.” Five parts. Look for:

1. Team is regathered.
2. Plan is executed. **
3. The hero reaches the “high tower” but is halted by a set back. The princess isn’t there. What he needed isn’t there. Traitors are exposed. (The clock keeps ticking.) ***
4. Dig Down Deep, for that last bit of strength or insight.
5. The new plan is executed. And it works. Or doesn’t.

** WJ #10 The Road Back

The hero is driven to complete the adventure, leaving the Special World to be sure the treasure is brought home. Often a chase scene signals the urgency and danger of the mission.

*** WJ #11 The Resurrection

At the climax, the hero is severely tested once more on the threshold of home. He or she is purified by a last sacrifice, another moment of death and rebirth, but on a higher and more complete level. By the hero’s action, the polarities that were in conflict at the beginning are finally resolved.

15. Final Image — WJ #12 Return With the Elixir

• Image corresponding to the Opening “before” Image to emphasize the change that has taken place.

• The hero returns home or continues the journey, bearing some element of the treasure that has the power to transform the world as the hero has been transformed.

A plethora of randomness

Here are a few random generators I stumbled across recently and a sampling from each. Perfect for NaNoWriMo or anytime you get stuck for inspiration throughout the year.

Plot scenario generator from Archetypewriting

• The story starts when your protagonist is forced to accept a job. Another character is a soldier who always loses his/her temper.
• The story starts when your protagonist receives a strange object in the mail. Another character is a clone who is your protagonist's favorite author.
• The story starts when your protagonist recognizes someone who doesn't want to be recognized. Another character is an anesthesist who has engineered a deadly disease.
• The story starts when your protagonist takes up a new hobby. Another character is an alien entity who has a secret power.
• The story starts when your protagonist goes to a party. Another character is a pharmacist who is playing a joke that's gone wrong.

And from Chaotic Shiny. This is just a teeny sample of what's available there. Need a religion? Motto? Tavern? Futuristic spare part? Tarot card? Fancy drink? Apocalypse? Country song? (And still just a teeny sample! The choices are all conveniently listed down the left side at their site.)

Setting mashup

• Iron Age Japan and game shows
• 30th century Central Africa and archaeologists
• Bronze Age Mongolia and demonic possession
• Primeval Italy and war in the heavens
• 9th century Alexandria, monks and space travel

Adventure generator

• The heroes must keep watch over the wasteland before the vampire is silenced or the thief will be displeased.
• The heroes must carry out the plans of the idealistic herald or the psychic can destroy them all.
• The heroes must master the powers of the asylum without exposing their own ignorance or the lovers will never be reunited.
• The heroes must find the unholy arrow without the paladin learning of their plans or the pirate will be able to summon the forces of darkness.
• The heroes must retrieve the golden skull from the spire without violating their sworn oath.

Mashup Masher

• Storm pirates and assassins in Bronze Age England. Some things you might run into: a scorned lover, an illness, a breakdown and an inept guard.
• Angel thieves, magical war, rock stars and blood sports in Renaissance Translyvania. Some things to look out for are giant rats and bioengineered plagues. Some things you might run into: a discovery, a reunion, a love triangle and a journey. Don't forget about the quill, island, vampire, necklace and a parting of ways.
• Vengenance arcanists, nightmare mercenaries, and lynx knights in primeval Far East. Valient heroes battle religious cults and fanatics. Some things you might run into: a case of mistaken identity and a heroic deed.
• Death zealots of suffering, omniclerics of compassion, star pirates of memory in primeval Middle East. Recent problems include wild magic and world domination attempts gone wrong. Some things you might run into: eternal loneliness and a powerful friendship.
• Lightning sorcerers, electroassassins, ghosts and hovercars in ancient China. Some things you might run into: a reversal of fortune, a klutzy sidekick and a fight. Don't forget about the ruby, courier and pilgrimage site.

Prophecies (the generator also lets you scramble them if you haven't had a headache in a while)

• A journey shall not happen with the lucky bat at the beginning.
• A legal problem will not happen in a courtyard.
• The cynical devil will not seed and the hungry page will finally sneer at the coming of dissent.
• The drunken mage shall conclude with the melancholy raven.
• The fearless duelist will iron in a tomb at noon before the coming of music.

Motive generator -- I really liked these perhaps because I'm reading The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller by John Truby. He basically walks you through the process of building your story around your character's weakness. And this is quite the collection of weaknesses!

• This character is motivated by overwhelming compassion, perverse duty and artificial paranoia. They are unaware of at least one of these.
• This character is motivated by twisted integrity, envy and zealotry. They are up-front about at least one of these reasons.
• This character is motivated by stubbornness, overwhelming honor and feigned loathing. They are trying to overcome at least one of these.
• This character is motivated by mischief, confused impatience and pride.
• This character is motivated by idealism, feigned insanity and wanderlust.
• This character is motivated by overwhelming compassion, unlikely fear, stubbornness and desire for knowledge.
• This character is motivated by idealism, paranoia, deep-seated resentment and twisted lust. They are very self-aware about all of this.

Flash fiction and Plot generators

Whether you're gearing up for NaNo or want to try your hand at flash fiction, NaNo liaisons have passed on Plot Generator for the beginning of your story and Plot Twists.

Flash fiction are stories less than a 1000 words and come in many varieties with sometimes very specific rules. Some other names are: short-short stories, sudden, postcard, minute, furious, fast, quick, and skinny fiction. Many have websites where you can share the torture of confining your writing by word count:

365 Tomorrows posts a new flash fiction everyday. You may submit your (science fiction based) stories for consideration.

Camille Renshaw provides a good overview of the craft in The Essentials of Micro-Fiction.

Here are a few types of flash fiction with specific limitations:

• pinhead stories (50 words or fewer)
• nanofiction (less than 50)
• 55 word (55 or fewer but must include a setting, character or characters, conflict, resolution, so it's not, for example, a slice of life piece.) You can read the 2008 winners of the 55-word contest run by New Times magazine for inspiration.
• 69er, 88er, 99er
• microfiction (under 100)
• drabble (100 exactly and its spinoffs: dribble - exactly 50 words, droubble - exactly 200 words) The Drabble Project has some examples from drabble's beginnings.
• ficleys (64-1024 words but you can continue someone else's story).

Encyclopedia Baracktannica

From Slate Magazine:

The Encyclopedia Baracktannica

Now with more words and definitions!

By Chris Wilson

It's hard to imagine that Barack Obama would be as big of a phenomenon if his name were, say, Tom Smith. As numerous fans, detractors, reporters, and bloggers have demonstrated, it's a name that lends itself to neologisms—everything from Barackstar to Obamania to Omentum.

We present the unabridged Encyclopedia Baracktannica, a list of words that have been Obamafied by Slate. This is a widget, so you're welcome to add it to your site. To do so, click the "Get & Share" link below and choose a service.

Autocrit

Creative writing often generates flabby writing. That's okay! You *should* be sending your editor on vacation while the creativity flows. Getting out the ideas is way more important than proper grammar.

Ah, but afterward, when it comes time to edit, how do you get out the flab? Check out Autocrit.

Paste in up to 800 words and click Analyze. Autocrit returns with a check list of weak words. If you click on the check box it highlights the words in the text you pasted. Here's a list of weak words it identifies:

could
feel/feeling/felt
generic descriptions
had
have
hear/heard
initial conjunction
initial ing
it/there
just/then
knew/know
look
ly adverbs
maybe
see/saw
smell/taste
that
was/were
watch/notice/observe

Fixing them is another story, of course! But just knowing they're there can help with your editing. (Initial ing, Initial conjunction, it/there, just/then ;-)

(They also offer a subscription with more critique and some free courses and writing articles.)

More plot ninjas

Seventh Sanctum has a wealth of information for writers and oodles of generators of all sorts. Need a less cliche vampire character? A sword of power? A god or goddess? Legend? Name for a gadet or dark ritual or disease or corporation? They've got them and lots lots more.

One is the Writing Challenge Generator. These ideas can be used to drive a story or you can pull out pieces as plot ninjas for a story or your NaNoWriMo project. You can generate 1-10 challenges at a time, with a complexity of 1-5 elements in each (or a random amount). Here are 10 randomly generated writing challenges:

• The story must have a jackal at the beginning. The story must involve an idol in it. A character is optomistic throughout most of the story. During the story, a character is attacked.
  
  
• The story must have a drum appear in the middle. A character becomes joyous during the story.
  
  
• The story is set during a funeral. The story takes place ten years in the past. The story must involve some musical pipes at the end. A character is lustful throughout most of the story.
  
  
• The story ends during a war. During the story, there is a need to ask directions. A character will read someone's diary.
  
  
• The story starts during a riot.
  
  
• The story must have a chipmunk at the end. The story must involve a bracelet in it.
  
  
• A character will eat a meal, but the action goes terribly wrong. A character becomes enraged during the story. The story must have a barracuda at the end. The story must involve a magical grimoire in it. The story takes place in the late evening.
  
  
• A character attacks someone. A character is negative throughout most of the story. During the story, a character becomes pregnant.
  
  
• The story ends in a sunken ship. During the story, there is an explosion. A character opens a door, and they aren't happy with it. During the story, a character finds a pleasant surprise.
  
  
• The story ends during a holiday ceremony. The story takes place in the winter. The story must have an elephant at the end. The story must involve a formal outfit in it.
  

Squeak quakes

"All the life's wisdom can be found in anagrams. Anagrams never lie." -- Anu Garg

Well I hope the lived/devil anagrams are lying but the Weekly World News keeps reminding us that Elvis indeed lives.

Anu Garg sends out A Word A Day newsletter through Wordsmith.org. He also has the Internet Anagram Server there.

The best anagrams come from phrases and names, like:

Sopranos ends = Snoops snared
Gas prices highest = These piggish cars
Claude Monet, Self Portrait = Coloured paints flatter me
William Shakespeare, The Bard of Avon = He, of silken phrase, at a live drama. Bow.

(There are more at the Anagram Server above and, well, all over the internet!)

But here are some (mostly) one word anagrams. Use each pair in a sentence.

squeak - quakes
ashman - shaman
heroes - reshoe
froth - forth
lived - devil
listen - silent
funeral - real fun
regal - glare
heart - earth
cold - clod
kiss - skis
dog - god
wrong - grown
mashed - shamed
ganged - nagged
mating - taming
wolves - vowels
paging - gaping
thorn - north
Elvis - lives

Myth brainstorming machine

At Scholastic is a Myth brainstorming machine.

(If you're on dialup it may take a while to load. Unfortunately it doesn't look like it's loading, just sitting there with a yellow and purple screen, so you'll need to be patient!)

There are several settings, gods/goddesses and monsters to choose from, and some special effects to change the time and mood. At the end you have a picture and a word version of the picture (names, mood, personality, ...) (Note, you can click on "Effect" on both the Idea Drawing and Idea Outline.)

Pretty nifty!

To expand on that, in the Writing with Writers section, there are Myth making ideas from Jane Yolen:

A myth is a made-up story that explains the existence of a natural phenomenon — such as where thunder comes from or why snow falls from the sky. Myths — which often include gods and goddesses and other supernatural characters who have the power to make extraordinary things happen — are popular even when people know the actual reasons for natural phenomena.

There is a myth of her own there, plus "Brainstorming", "Write Your Myth" and "Publish Online".

At Scholastic there are several Writing with Writers series:

• Biography Writing
  
• Descriptive Writing
  
• Folktale Writing
  
• Mystery Writing
  
• Myth Writing
  
• News Writing
  
• Poetry Writing
  
• Speech Writing
  
• Writing a Book Review

The Genuine Haiku Generator

The Genuine Haiku Generator

Genuine? It's not about nature. Haiku? It does have the structure of a surprising observation at the end. Generator? It does generate some pretty nifty dark fantasy images of 5-7-5 syllables that have peculiar haiku rhythm and feel :-)

Here are some examples:

rainstorms juggle, hard
demoness descends, owl jumps
apprentice shines, fierce

  . .. ... .... ... .. .

happily entranced
determined deaf chimera
rises evilly

  . .. ... .... ... .. .

careless river rusts
hatefully, rainmakers lurk
mirthfully, flesh snarls

  . .. ... .... ... .. .

plowshares replenish
coolly, reflection murmurs
careworn lizards choke

  . .. ... .... ... .. .

boasting moodily
wife softens, unaided sad
mournful devils break

Goth-O-Matic Poetry Generator

Like your goth tongue in cheek? Check out Dead Lounge where resides the Goth-O-Matic Poetry Generator

From the website:

Interested in birthing your own bastard of diabolically morose proportion? There's nothing simpler. Choose one of the classic topics of Darkly Gothic poetry below, then you'll be taken to the Goth-O-MaticTM Poetry Generator. Construct the opus by making the selections that best fit your tormented desires, and choose an appropriate image to loom ominously over your creation. Tap the "Create Your Poem" button, and you'll be able to cut and paste your new expression of pain and angst into your own Web page!

Care to create a Darkly Gothic poem? The Goth-O-MaticTM awaits the touch of your agonized mind:

• Create the The Supernatural Violence & Horror Darkly Gothic Poem
  
• Create the The Feeling Very Sorry for Yourself Darkly Gothic Poem
  
• Create the The Fear of Religious Persecution Darkly Gothic Poem
  
• Create the The Eternal Love of Vampires Darkly Gothic Poem
  
• Create the The Black Abyss of Righteous Hatred Darkly Gothic Poem

Here's the one I made from "The Eternal Love of Vampires":

It is a night of ethereal pain, a song of dark desire,
wolves vent their loneliness. The thirsting one
wakens.

Curling, icy wisps of death shrouds her gaunt form,
an everlasting desire.

Her midnight hair cascades over
translucent ivory shoulders, and her
full really very deeply crimson lips part slightly, to taste the
red tears streaming from the
pale flesh beneath her.

Now a night of ecstasy,
I hunger.

Tips, also from Dead Lounge, if you'd like to try writing your own Darkly Gothic Poetry without the generator:

You're probably wondering how such tormented and artistic individuals pen such magnificently dark epics, where they got their expressive names, and how you can crank out the same self-pitying drivel, uh, create your own shadowed and unearthly opus. Read this list of handy tips for the proper creation of Darkly Gothic Poems. Then choose an appropriate subject from the page of poems, and the Goth-O-MaticTM will help you express your inner angst!

Darkly Gothic Tip 1: DarkRaven's probably already taken

Choose an appropriate gothic moniker by which you wish to be addressed. Feel free to throw a couple of appropriately dark and wicked words together to form something mysterious with which to impress your nonpoetic friends. Adding a color to a predatory bird is still reasonably popular, as is naming yourself after one or two of the notable entities in Hell.

Darkly Gothic Tip 2: Choose an appropriate subject

Things such as darkness, loss, pain, grief, madness, death, night, and the bloodthirsty undead make good topics for darkly gothic poems. You cannot create a darkly gothic emotional abyss about how hard your Spanish class is, or how Mom gives you grief for wearing black eye liner.

Darkly Gothic Tip 3: Read Edgar Allan Poe

If you don't know Poe...

Darkly Gothic Tip 4: Feel free to hurt!

Go ahead and let that emotional turmoil draw you into depression. It makes you create better. You can always pull out of it, right? You don't want to commit suicide, but you want to make everyone think you do. Oh, and don't be that person that goes to schools and starts gunning down innocents; those people have some sort of weird revenge or God complex, and they never write good poetry.

Darkly Gothic Tip 5: Don't try to create a darkly gothic poem at 2:15 on a sunny Friday afternoon in a hip artsy coffee house drinking a decaf mocha espresso

Enough said.

Darkly Gothic Tip 6: Go ahead and chop it up

Don't worry about how short the lines of your darkly gothic poem are. Feel free to devote every line to a scant few words or even a single word. Remember, solitude makes something stand out by itself, um, well, by definition. Consider the following:

'Falling ever darkly into
the ebon abyss of feral eyes,
screaming against
the groping fingers of your
black obsessive passion,
torment.'

...Wow! Did you feel that torment at the end? We know we did. Hey, entire outpourings of tormented souls have been contained within a couple of fingerspans on the left. The best poems will make you scroll down a Web page after only twenty words or so.

Darkly Gothic Tip 7: Yeah, yeah, dark, blood, heard that one before

Grab that thesaurus and rape it. The more methods you have of saying the same word over again will vastly increase your wordsmithing. Using little-known words like 'eidolon,' 'inexorable,' 'vitae' or 'etiolated' will give you a depth which not-so-darkly gothic poets will envy.

Darkly Gothic Tip 8: Blow it way out of proportion

Go off about that personal angst. Rant in a depressingly deep way about the heartless one who left you alone and barren in the world because you were too depressingly deep. Describe the vision of the ethereal path you have chosen; make sure there's dark fog wisping through it. Display your broken and tattered soul for all to see. Occasionally stopping and reaching your arms out in the stigmata position helps stretch those creative muscles. Take minor everyday objects (a clock) and make them looming and malicious (a stark, cruel reminder of inevitable mortality, blank and accusing, every second drawing inexorably closer to oblivion).

Darkly Gothic Tip 9: Use those bleak images!

If you're building a poetry Web page, or any goth page for that matter, it is imperative that you include any picture of an angel statue or gravemarker you can find. Those weeping Mary ones, or angels with heads bowed, make your poetry that much more painful to read. Ah, I mean convey your pain all the more. If you can combine it with images of dead roses and a few spinning-ankh bars, so much the better.

Darkly Gothic Tip 10: Get inspired!

Of course, one can't always be at one's utmost ghoulish. Sometimes, even the undead can get that pesky writer's block (let alone the occasional artery block). Be creative! Go out to a local cemetery and read the tombstones. Find a large flat one and lie down upon it, reveling in your closeness to the dead. Lock yourself in a darkened room and read H.P. Lovecraft stories to yourself until you sob with horror. Got that feeling that needs creative writer's block healing? The brave even move toward ancient Celtic, or even Runic manuscripts for that special surge of dark energy. Feel free to go to European cathedrals and sit through those Latin choir hymnals with a tape recorder. Practice saying everything in Vincent Price's voice.

Darkly Gothic Tip 11: Get classy with some regional interest

For a special esoteric flavour that leaves the reader aching, er, moved to their centre, go ahead and spell using the Queen's English. Go check out that great medieval literature, the ever-popular Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Use names like Ethelred, Morgoth and Vincegatorix for darkly powerful supernatural beings. Check out a medieval book from the library and write a poem about the torment of translating Middle English while blinking from the blood dripping into your eyes. Let your imbalanced humours bleakly shine!

Darkly Gothic Tip 12: Don't be (that) afraid of sunlight

Every Darkly Gothic Poem need not be written about distant fogs rolling through twilight graveyards (but boy, do those poems taste good). Let the sun bring to light in your poetry your horrible guilt, your significant other's hypocrisy, and your self-absorbed pity, I mean, your hidden meekness. Let that eye-searing daystar expose your naked insignificance, burning you to your angst-ridden soul.

Darkly Gothic Tip 13: Have fun with it!

Wait... no, forget that, I'm sorry. Don't have fun with it. This isn't about fun.

To get you inspired to write your own, here is some non-automatically generated original Gothic Poetry.

When you're done there, check out the Random Gothic Lyric Generator.

Here's an example:

by Suspiria Malaisia

Devils shroud red glossolalia
Serpents feign mocking treachery
My solitude whispers blasphemous innocents
Blazing pinions run amuck through embittered effervescence

Hunger scoffs at crucified abattoir
Wolves recoil from dying sepulchre
Lonliness entangles sanguine soul
Serpents lock up trembling disillusionment

Evil kisses celestial fragments
Fire consumes severed poison
Vengeful cripples feign spectral torment
My Master howls hollow brilliance

Wolves hide under baleful fragments
Wolves languish luscious clutches
The stench unleashes mocking innocents
Terror whispers dark caresses