NECROCITY TIMES - Issue #1 - HALLOWEEN SPECIAL

Interview with @_ShortStory_ !

We had the distinct pleasure of sitting down with _ShortStory_ , the official one-stop shop for quick reads on Wattpad! 

So, what is _ShortStory_ ? What would a user gain out of following the _ShortStory_profile? :)

Whether you're sat in the dentist waiting room and need to take your mind off the needles and drill for five minutes, want to break the monotony of an hour long bus or train ride, or, like us at ShortStory, love the fast pace and simplicity of the genre, we have something for you. We love to showcase how diverse the genre is by providing an array of themed reading lists and anthologies.

Themed anthologies - At the time of writing, we have three anthologies of hand picked stories submitted by Wattpad's talented authors.

Five Minute Reads - Guaranteed complete, satisfying stories that you can read in five minutes or less.

Once Upon - Fairytale themed stories with a Happily Ever After feel.

Myth & Legend - Jam packed fantastical worlds of folklore, creatures of myth, gods, and the occasional legendary hero grace the pages of this collection.

Would you like to have your work showcased with ShortStory? We are accepting submissions for both our anthologies and reading lists. Please follow the submission criteria set out on the profile, or each respective anthology, to ensure it reaches the right department in the team.

Got five minutes to spare? Come on over and check us out! You won't be disappointed.  

It sounds like you're a great place for people to find something quick to read in a fast-paced world! Constructing a complete story in so few words must be hard though. Do you have any advice on writing short stories for the writers out there who would like to contribute to your lists?

Short stories are, by definition, works containing a single plot incident involving only a few characters and can be read in one sitting. There are so many styles, it's difficult to give advice on something that covers such a broad spectrum. We plan on creating a definition story at some in the near future that will perhaps give a better insight on their origins and tips for writing many of them. Broadly speaking, though a short story will not deviate from it's plot or have twists, mini plots incorporated or span long periods of time. I think of them as recounts of incidents. 

So, for example, if you wanted a paranormal themed story you could be recounting the tale of a ghost sighting. You would build where it happened, how it happened, and what the characters did on seeing this ghost into the story. It would involve only that period of time and that scene. More often than not, there are parts left to the reader's imagination.

I'll give you an example:

For sale: baby shoes, never worn - by Ernest Hemingway

This six word story - vignette - is, without doubt, the most famous short story in the literary world. It certainly raises more questions than it answers, but, it is a snippet of life with a plot.  

That's such great advice, thank you! I'm sure our readers will find it helpful when writing their reports for us in the Paranormal Prompts book.

And Hemmingway's vignette...so poignant but so effective.

Do you have contests for people to enter so they can test and show off their cool stories? Do you have any current contests running, or plans for any soon?

We like to host at least two prompt driven challenges a month where the subject is completely random, but last month JustWriteIt asked us to help with September's challenge which was scheduled to last for the entire month. Our next challenge will be posted on the first Friday of October.   

We've no idea what the prompt will be yet. It'll be a surprise for all of us!  

That sounds so exciting! I can't wait~!

Be sure to let us all know so we can update this and inform the Collective. Thank you so much for your time!

Do you have any final words or thoughts to share about yourselves for our readers?

The first part is to be released on halloween night.

Thank you for the interview! It's been lovely chatting with you.