Archive for August, 2006

A list of blog lists

1 Comment »19th August, 2006; Category: Blogging, Blogs

The Group Writing Project being conducted by Darren Rowse on ProBlogger has finished. A record 301 entries have been submitted.

Bloggers were asked to submit a list on a topic of their choice. I haven’t had a chance to read many of them yet but the few I have looked at are very interesting and well worth investigating. Over coming days I might even get enough time to feature here on this blog a few of those that impress me.

My submission is called Sixteen Scintillating Short Story Starters.

The full list of 301 submissions can be found here.

Haiku #13 Rainbow

No Comments »19th August, 2006; Category: Haiku

Raindrops and sunshine

Cause colours to go sliding

Across the grey clouds.

All rights reserved.

Copyright 2006 Trevor W. Hampel.

If you would like to read more of my poetry click here.

Poem #6 Train

No Comments »18th August, 2006; Category: Poetry

Train

The furious monster

Dashes relentlessly

Into the tunnel.

It bellows

As it is swallowed

By the mouth of the earth,

Slipping into

The depths –

The bowels –

The hell –

Where it belongs.

Writing Hint #4 Don’t waffle

No Comments »17th August, 2006; Category: Writing Hints

I know I have a problem when I write and when I speak in public.

I have a bad habit of waffling, of going on and on, of rambling and not really getting to the point.

I recently read this wonderful quote:

“Be more or less specific.”

Get to the point.

Keep it concise and precise.

Keep it simple and easy to read.

Drat – there I go again, rabbiting on and on.

Related articles:

Writing Hint 1

Writing Hint 2

Writing Hint 3

Sixteen Scintillating Short Story Starters

27 Comments »16th August, 2006; Category: General, Short Stories, Writer's block, Writing Hints

Darren Rowse over at ProBlogger has a group writing project on again this week. He has asked for submissions of lists.

Here is a short list of sixteen super, scintillating, stunning and simply sensational short story starters for writers. Try them. Let me know how they go – and if you get anything published – good luck.

And if you should be blessed enough to get a royalty cheque or two, you can send me a commision for the idea!

Sixteen Scintillating Short Story Starters:

“It was a dark and stormy…” oops – that’s been used before.

Let’s start again…

Harry was puzzled when the door didn’t open.
The headlights were coming straight towards Peter and he couldn’t move.
Only the flimsy wall of my tent separated me from the low rumbling growl.
I was not expecting what was waiting for me just as I rounded the corner.
Rosalie stifled her scream and cowered under the blanket.
Those last few steps seemed the most difficult I had ever made in my life.
As I read the contents of the letter, I was aware of the smile on my face.
It happened so quickly I had no time to think, only react.
Jenny finally became agitated by the monotonous ticking of the ornate clock on the mantlepiece.
John stared open-mouthed as the ball soared majestically over the fence.
Wendy didn’t see the danger ahead.
Paul couldn’t resist shouting out his joy.
The eagle swooped low over the trees.
I didn’t know until that moment that Nell was so afraid of spiders.
Greg closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and jumped.
It was not the birthday gift I was expecting.

Just to show how generous I can be, here is a bonus idea:

Suddenly, nothing happened – but it happened suddenly.

Happy writing.

Check out my own short fiction here.

More writing hints can be found here.

Related articles:

Seven short story starters – ideas for writing
Seven more short story starters – more ideas for writing
Another seven short story starters – still more ideas

Check out my other blogs:

Trevor’s Birding

Trevor’s Travels

Update: for a complete list of my short story starters click here.