As summer approaches and I have my MG out on query, I’ve decided to try my hand at short stories.
I’m a plotter, my analytical brain won’t allow for anything else and so I am on the lookout for a craft of writing book that is dedicated to the short story form.
I own the book CREATING SHORT FICTION, by Damon Knight and it gives great writing advice, but it’s not giving me the short story advice I want.
So I ask my blogging friends, if you have read a good book on creating the short story can you please let me know? Thanks!

Ray Bradbury is my ultimate favorite short story teller. All Summer in a Day continues to be my favorite short story of all time, followed closely by The Veldt. I read these stories in elementary school and they still haunt me. I love rereading them. And when I grow up I want to write shorts like Ray.
Stephen King is also a master at creating short stories that stick with you. The Body is one of my favorites, made into the great movie, The Stand. Ah, River Phoenix, sigh.
And who hasn’t read Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery? Hunger Games was surely inspired by that great short story!
So tell us, what is your favorite short story, who is it written by and have you ever tried your hand at emulating a great short work?

So I have returned from the New England Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators conference. #nescbwi11

And I have the blues.

I can’t really put my finger on why. The conference itself was great. Wonderfully run. I got to volunteer this year which was an awesome. I listened to speeches by Tomie DePaola and Jane Yolen and SCBWI founders Lin Oliver and Steve Mooser.

Does anyone else suffer from post conference blues? What’s your remedy… besides copious amounts of chocolate?

I have a fascination with all things High Concept. I enjoy reading it and I absolutely love the elusive hunt for it as a writer.

The best way I think to find your own unique high concept is to really review who you are as a writer. What makes you tick.

1. What are the themes in your writing?

We all choose what we enjoy writing about and I don’t mean gernre. Things like family issues, family relationships, friendships, external issues, etc.

2. Next what do you focus on in your genre?

MG/YA, genre fiction have huge ranges of romance, fantasy, science fiction (hard or soft). Where do you sit inside your genre?

Now try something different. Focus on YOU as a person. Sit down with a lined pad or open up Excel or Word and create a numbered list.

3. Write down every movie, book, tv show and song that has ever moved you emotionally either because it’s super fun or caused emotional upheaval.

After each title place a dash and add the WHY. Why did it move you? What did you LOVE about this experience?

Take another step deeper. List all your personal experiences that had an impact on you? White water rafting, Exchange programs, vacations…

Now be open. This is your list and yours alone. You have every right to absolutely LOVE the Backyardigans for their use of opera in a kids show. Or claim undying love for the nerdy guy on Glee.

This is the list of things that get your blood moving. This is what you should write about. Now take a spoon and stir it up. Mix all of that culture, lit, media and pop together and let it stew for you.

This list, this hodgepodge that makes up your experiences is vitally important to your writing because NO ONE ELSE can write about them like you can. THIS is where your high concept idea is going to come from.

High Concept is not a magic potion that someone created. It’s YOUR magic. It’s the boiled down essence of you as a person on paper for your readers to see.

So what’s on your list??