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Short Stories on a Poetry Site - Joe Flach's Blog

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I WAS ME

First I was me,

Selfish as can be,

Wanting everything from A to Z

And wanting it all for me.

Then I became we,

A part of an us.

I learned to share, give and take

I learned how to trust.

Next I was you,

Believe me it's true.

I would rather give than receive,

It was you I wanted to please.

Now I am them,

A family man.

Giving my children,

All that I can.

If you look real close,

It is easy to see,

I am older and wiser,

And no longer a me.

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Short Stories on a Poetry Site

Blog Posted:11/6/2012 10:26:00 AM

I know this is a poetry site. And, I have posted over 800 poems here; but, sometimes I also like to write short stories. I have posted a couple of those here throughout the years – the real short ones that fit within the character constraints – under the “narrative” form.

I just recently posted a Short Story titled, “Straight to Hell – A Short Story”.

One of my friends challenged me to put it into rhyme and make it a poem, but I don’ think I want to do that. I like writing poems, and many of my poems do tell a story, but, somehow, I think fitting a story into rhyme makes it less genuine; less real; less personal; less natural. It’s like you force the story into a form and the form becomes more important than the story itself. I don’t know – what do you think?

Besides, I like variety and doing nothing but poems, I think, gets kind of boring – although I do write a lot of poems.

And, being that this is a poetry site, I suppose most of you don’t come here to read short stories, but, I put it here anyway for a few of you to stumble upon. Thank you to those of you who have and left a comment behind.

So … are there other short story writers here, as well. Which do you like to do more?

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Joann
Grisetti

Date: 11/6/2012 5:41:00 PM

I also have written short stories, about a dozen, but they are not so good.

Sharon
Smith

Date: 11/6/2012 2:48:00 PM

I recently posted a series of poems here, which go together to form a short story. Within it I used different kinds of poetry, free verse to represent the "real life" parts of the story, and various different forms to describe the various visions my lead character has. I found that using the different poetic forms in this way helped to show the different points of view within the story. I have written other short stories, but none hat I would call poems. If anything, I found that the structure of the poem really helped me to keep focused and not to digress from he main storyline.

Joe Flach
Date: 11/6/2012 3:44:00 PM

Thanks for sharing, Sharon. I like the idea of mixing forms, especially as a character development tool. I may just have to steal that idea from you some time soon.

Andrea
Dietrich

Date: 11/6/2012 2:19:00 PM

joe, I used to love story books. I read countless novels growing up. then the video age came to us, and I started watching more movies than ever. I got more involved with my job, with poetry, with Soup. So now I have no time for novels and not even for short stories. When I see an especially long poem , I feel like cringing. But usually I can tell right away reading it, if it is one I will really want to finish. That said, if I happen on your short story, I will give it a read. Time is just such a luxury these days. I think if it were not for this "new age" of DVR, internet, etc. I'd still be reading a few novels a year!!

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 11/6/2012 11:13:00 PM

you are better than me, Joe. That's really cool what you did!!!

Joe Flach
Date: 11/6/2012 3:42:00 PM

I hear you , Andrea - and I think it is a little bit sad that that is the direction our culture is going. I too, have found it difficult to dedicate time to a novel or, even, short stories - but when I force myself to sit down and read I am so happy that I did. To help motivate and pressure me into reading more books, I even started a Book Club in my area. We read one book a month and I find the pressure to be prepared for each meeting forces me to dig in and get it done. I am soooooo glad. We have been at it for 10 months now andI have read at least 8 terrific books I would not have otherwise picked up - 2, I could have missed without missing. ;-)

Cyndi
Macmillan

Date: 11/6/2012 11:27:00 AM

I am a published short story writer, Joe. And I love fiction. It allows me to stretch, so to speak. Now, that being said, fiction is forced, too. What's that, you say? What I mean is that fiction requires its own fine tuning. We've all read things that lack grit or are too slow paced. Perhaps, the dialogue stumbles along. There should be a balance between narrative and action. Sentence lengths should vary for good flow and reader interest. I always ask myself, did I develope my character in this scene? Did the plot move forward? Then, of course, there are genre considerations... enough red herrings, for example, in a mystery. Now, I also love poetry. It is a quick write. There is closure after its completion. There is a sense that I have created something that is often personal, a type of creative non-fiction. Fiction requires me to hold on to the characters, carry them around for as long as it takes to write the story (often over 3,000 words). I have to move the plot and characters forward. Right now, with the time I have, it is very hard for me to organize my fiction (sketches, plotline) I plan to finish Segments of Orange (soon!) a work in progress that I've been dragging my heels on due to research and questions. I want Orange to go back to school. Apparently, Vietnam vets really didn't pursue many careers after their service. And (d'oh!) I thought that vets in received some kind of education fund if they'd been injured in the line of duty. No??? I can use my imagination, it is fiction, but I always like to try to stay realistic, where I can. So, I am not quite sure how to write myself out of a corner... ooops...Wow. I am going on. Looking forward to reading your short story! Hugs, Cyndi, lol, the windbag...

Cyndi Macmillan
Date: 11/6/2012 7:38:00 PM

JOANN, WILL SOUP MAIL YOU. YOU MAY HAVE SAVED MY STORY. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING THIS REPEATEDLY WITH NO AVAIL. HUUUUUUGS!

Joann Grisetti
Date: 11/6/2012 5:40:00 PM

Education after service - GI bil passed after WWII to help vets get a degree and a better job.

Charles Henderson
Date: 11/6/2012 11:52:00 AM

Cindy, all other things being equal, what is a good range of length for a short story to be. In order to get a good scenario across, satisfy the reader, and yet not be at all intrusive timewise as is sometimes a long novel. In the same vein, are the acceptable lengths variable for different age groups, not including school age up to k-12.

Joe Flach
Date: 11/6/2012 11:48:00 AM

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this Cyndi. I love your perspective and thought process. Good luck with Segments of Orange and your other writings. You have inspired me to try more things with my writing.

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My Recent Poems

Date Posted	PoemTitle	Form	Categories
2/11/2024	Don't Lead Me On	Lyric	song,
2/9/2024	I Didn't Know Beauty	Rhyme	love,
2/7/2024	By My Side	Rhyme	death,love,
1/14/2024	Peacefully Dead - Saga of a Mad Poet	Rhyme	introspection,poetry,writ
7/18/2023	His Old Man's Advice	Rhyme	12th grade,father,son,
5/7/2023	Our Tandem Life Calliope	Rhyme	age,love,
3/25/2023	Songs That Make You Love Me	Rhyme	inspirational love,love,s
6/15/2022	College Days	Rhyme	nostalgia,
1/29/2018	I May Never Have Met You	Lyric	love,song,
5/20/2016	Pandemics of Hatred	Rhyme	history,political,
5/12/2016	Hike Your Own Hike	Rhyme	life,
5/11/2016	A Poet's Quest	Rhyme	poetry,writing,
5/4/2016	No Father In This World Is Luckier	Rhyme	family,
5/4/2016	The Casa - Court Appointed Special Advocate	Rhyme	children,
5/3/2016	Even the Angels Wept	Rhyme	angel,,Lullaby,
5/2/2016	Unconnected Dots	Rhyme	life,
4/29/2016	Her Beautifully Awful Singing	Rhyme	love,sad,song,
2/5/2016	My Parting Gifts	Rhyme	life,
2/5/2016	Love Tears	Rhyme	love,
1/26/2016	While Waiting	Free verse	life,
1/26/2016	Forevermore	Narrative	death,life,
1/24/2016	Forty	Rhyme	age,
1/23/2016	A Congregation of Deadly Sins	Rhyme	sin,
1/23/2016	I Want To Write a New Poem	Rhyme	life,
1/12/2016	The Man In the Irony Mask	Free verse	life,mystery,
1/12/2016	Cafes of Berlin	Free verse	life,
1/7/2016	I Refuse To Be Invisible	Rhyme	introspection,life,
1/5/2016	A Christmas Tale	Rhyme	christmas,giving,
1/5/2016	Bored In Manhattan	Rhyme	america,city,,western,
1/5/2016	A Life of Sunshine	Rhyme	poetry,writing,
6/4/2015	Pepsi Jingle	Lyric	song,
6/3/2015	The Girl In My Dreams	Rhyme	dream,
1/15/2015	Stand By Me	Rhyme	friendship,life,
12/17/2014	Whispers of Your Soul	Rhyme	life,
12/3/2014	True Detective	Rhyme	mystery,
11/2/2014	The Porch Light	Rhyme	inspirational,
10/29/2014	An Unfortunate Circumstance	Rhyme	love hurts,
10/28/2014	The Best Times of My Life - Born In the 50's	Rhyme	friend,history,life,
10/27/2014	Mocking Reminders	Rhyme	sad,
10/12/2014	A Conversation With My Father	Rhyme	father,
10/10/2014	I Would Like To Fall In Love Again	Rhyme	life,
10/9/2014	Blinded By the Speed of Life	Lyric	father,song,
10/7/2014	My Cell Phone Keeps Vibrate'N	Lyric	lost love,song,
10/1/2014	Tooth and Letter	Dramatic Verse	sad,
9/30/2014	The White Room	Rhyme	death,life,
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9/25/2014	Walk-In Closets	Rhyme	break up,life,lost love,
9/19/2014	A Man With Rhyme To Reason	Ballad	life,
9/17/2014	The Ballad of Goodie-Two-Shoes	Ballad	life,
9/16/2014	My Life of Quicksand	Rhyme	allegory,life,
8/12/2014	She Is Love	Lyric	love,
8/11/2014	Purely Paradise	Lyric	love,lust,
8/10/2014	I Am Here	Rhyme	desire,
8/4/2014	A Six Pack Love Affair	Rhyme	funny,life,
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7/23/2014	A Father's Tears	Rhyme	sad,
7/22/2014	Any Time You Need a Friend	Rhyme	friendship,love,
7/15/2014	Her Last Poem	Rhyme	death,sad,
7/6/2014	Slave To a Woman's Tears	Rhyme	life,
7/4/2014	Emptied Bottles	Rhyme	life,sad,
6/24/2014	Poets Who Write Love Poems	Free verse	poetry,
6/22/2014	The Summer of 1974	Rhyme	memory,
6/19/2014	We Both Get Passionate	Rhyme	love,lust,
6/18/2014	A One of a Kind Woman	Rhyme	girl,
6/17/2014	My Inability To Let My Inabilities Stop Me	Rhyme	inspiration,life,
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6/12/2014	So, Now What	Narrative	introspection,
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6/2/2014	Soup Song Sing-A-Long	Lyric	song,
5/29/2014	The Caged Bird Is Set Free	Elegy	angel,eulogy,poets,
5/27/2014	Tears On the Wind	Rhyme	spiritual,
5/21/2014	How Can Heaven Ever Be Heaven	Rhyme	love,song,
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5/20/2014	The Unemployed Musician	Lyric	life,
5/19/2014	A Rose, a Tear and a Prayer	Rhyme	loss,love,
5/16/2014	Lost In Pursuit	Free verse	philosophy,
5/15/2014	There I Stood	Free verse	life,
5/15/2014	My Salvation	Free verse	introspection,life,
5/12/2014	The Artist	Rhyme	art,life,philosophy,
5/10/2014	First Shovel of Dirt	Rhyme	abuse,
5/7/2014	The Lonely Grave	Rhyme	life,
5/5/2014	The Last Thing That I Did Right	Rhyme	life,lust,
5/2/2014	Can You Still Love Someone	Monorhyme	lost love,
5/1/2014	Remember Me To Linda-Marie	Rhyme	dedication,
4/30/2014	A Daydream	Rhyme	art,dream,
4/30/2014	Helpless	Kyrielle	death,sad,
4/30/2014	An Easy Man	Burlesque	funny,sexy,
4/29/2014	A Cause To Rejoice	Sonnet	marriage,political,
4/28/2014	Portals To My Youth	Free verse	nostalgia,
4/24/2014	I Suck At Being Me	Rhyme	humorous,introspection,
4/22/2014	When First I Held Her Hand In Mine - Quatern	Quatern	daughter,
4/22/2014	Embers of Time	Rhyme	inspiration,life,
4/21/2014	Life	Rhyme	introspection,life,
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4/16/2014	The Red, Flashing 1 On My Answering Machine	Rhyme	life,
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