Freak Thoughts

In my Comm 255 course, my prof. told us a story about a convicted bank robber/ slash murder she did a story on (she is a reporter). Shortly after the story broke of his escape, his mother called the paper to submit an obituary for the paper about the escaped convict. My prof. happened to be the person who answered the phone, and she recognized the man’s name. He had been murdered in Mexico and Mexican authorities were sending his body back. The Feds were still looking for him, and wanted to examine his body to be sure it was really the escapee. My prof. was the only person the mother of the deceased would speak to, so her editor forced her to do a press conference and be interviewed by other media who were interested in the story. Another twist is that my prof. was 6 months pregnant, and her family didn’t know. She didn’t want the interview to expose her.

I thought this may be an interesting short story written from the reporter’s point of view.

For our 407 collab story, I want to write the story of the girl whose fiance dies. I’m considering making her pregnant. Is that too much?
I think I will use the mines as the catalyst for this tragedy. I’m planning on having them communicate through dreams and strange occurances. He is trying to tell her something. What point of view would work best?
I want to be in her head, but I don’t if it would be easiest to stay there, or if it would be better to be omniscent. I kind of wanted her family to be rich, and disapproving of her choice of mate; Kind of a “Pretty in Pink” scenario but backwards, with some twists, death, and a much more bizarre ending.
Any suggestions?

I’m currently working on a story about a little girl who is molested and abused at the hands of the babysitters. I’m at the point of the molestation, and am unsure where to go. I don’t know if I should give details, or skim over the event. Similarly, I don’t know if I should just stop it at the point just before the molestation, or continue on and let the girl tell and the molester recieve his punnishment. Here’s  the paragraph I can’t seem to get past:

I asked him if the other girls were going to play, and he said, “No, of course not! They’ll never play with you. You’re naughty. This isn’t a fun game. This is punishment”. And he undid his robe. Usually, he would pull the thing our through his pants hole, but this time he was totally naked. His old wrinkly body still makes me cringe. I can see his body, but no face. Perhaps it was too scary to look at.

Any suggestions???

I read and have noticed that some students are having issues with grammar and punctuation. I also have difficulty remembering all of teh little rules, so I have compiled a list of sites that may be helpful.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/607/02/

www.grammarbook.com/english_rules.asp

www.yourdictionary.com/grammar-rules/index.html

www.grammarbook.com/english_rules.asp

I have found more resources for our 407 collabrative story. Here’s a link to a site with a bunch of stories from Appalachian people who worked in coal mines. I found it very helpful

http://www.appalachianfolk.com/category/coal-mining-stories/

I found when I tried to start my story with our common setting of the the mines that I needed a better picture of what life is like or would have been like in a place like that. Just incase anyone else is in need of a little inspiration, I found links to pictures, stories, background, the health problems working or living around one can cause, environmental reprocussions, and a Youtube tribute to dead miners.

background:

http://www.bing.com/reference/semhtml/Coal_mining?fwd=1&src=mtoc&qpvt=coal+mines&q=coal+mines

Pictures:
mines-

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=coal+mines&qpvt=coal+mines&FORM=Z7FD2#

miners-

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Coal+Miners&FORM=IGRE#

YouTube Video:

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/coal-miners/6986F120E90FD35CB2836986F120E90FD35CB283

Health:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1638110/

Health/Environment:

http://occmed.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/54/5/283.pdf

I also wondered if the stories about using canaries to test for deadly gasses was true. I found many articles that said it was a method used when mining first began. Here’s what the most interesting one had to say:
“Life for an actual canary in a coal mine could be described in three words – short but meaningful. Early coal mines did not feature ventilation systems, so miners would routinely bring a caged canary into new coal seams. Canaries are especially sensitive to methane and carbon monoxide, which made them ideal for detecting any dangerous gas build-ups. As long as the canary in a coal mine kept singing, the miners knew their air supply was safe. A dead canary in a coal mine signalled an immediate evacuation”. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-canary-in-a-coal-mine.htm

I was driving down the road the other night, and I heard an older Foo Fighter’s song. It is a very sweet song which I think offered some inspiration for the story I’m considering. I wrote a little on it previously, but I think I’m going to write the story about the dead fiance talking to his lover through her dreams and strange occurances. This song talks about how he is with her in many ways, though he isn’t physically “here” anymore.
Here’s a link to the acousic version and video:

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/foo-fighters-times-like-these-acousti/66A82FFD3E064158D6E266A82FFD3E064158D6E2

Foo Fighters Times Like These Lyrics

I am a one way motorway
I’m the one that drives away
Then follows you back home
I am a street light shining
I’m a wild light blinding bright
Burning off alone

It’s times like these you learn to live again
It’s times like these you give and give again
It’s times like these you learn to love again
It’s times like these time and time again

I am a new day rising
I’m a brand new sky
To hang the stars upon tonight
I am a little divided
Do I stay or run away
And leave it all behind?

It’s times like these you learn to live again
It’s times like these you give and give again
It’s times like these you learn to love again
It’s times like these time and time again

I have found numerous sites with quotes from famous writers about the writing process, tips, and developing a story. Some of them are very helpful!!

literaryculture.suite101.com

www.logicalcreativity.com/jon/quotes.html

There are also quite a few that give tips and reccomendations for writing short stories

jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/creative/shortstory/

www.homepages.dsu.edu/JANKEJ/writing/tips.htm

www.fictionfactor.com/

Renee Martin

I ahve another idea for a story about a girl who loses her fiance in a freak accident, but their love is so deep that they are able to communicate through dreams and symbols. I have read a few Sylvia Browne books that discuss this phenomena. Also, the book which was later turned into a movie entitled “Of What Dreams May Come” (Great Movie !!!) also touches on this idea.

Renee Martin

http://www.ehow.com/how_2308648_talk-dead-people-dreams.html

http://dreamstudies.org/2009/10/29/visitation-dreams-when-the-veil-between-worlds-is-thin/

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/What-Dreams-May-Come/Richard-Matheson/e/9780765308702

I am considering writing a story of an abused child through his or her eyes, then writing another piece through the eyes of the parent of that child. I have some personal experience with this issue and have found some interesting info on topic:

Upon further thought, it would probably be very interesting to write the same story from the molester’s perspective as well. I’m sure there are all kinds of struggles with religious affiliations, guilt, shame, etc. I bet the urge and the feelings of defeat are similar to that of a drug addict who relapses.

Thanks for your helpful suggestions