Comments on: Giving Testimony http://www.storytellersunplugged.com/giving-testimony Where Words Meet Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:26:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Janet Berliner http://www.storytellersunplugged.com/giving-testimony#comment-8467 Janet Berliner Sat, 26 Jan 2008 19:18:31 +0000 http://www.storytellersunplugged.com/?p=934#comment-8467 Thank you, Tems. I'm with Dave on themed anthologies. MAN ON THE CEILING is fantastic. --Janet Thank you, Tems. I’m with Dave on themed anthologies.

MAN ON THE CEILING is fantastic.

–Janet

]]> By: Dave Wilson http://www.storytellersunplugged.com/giving-testimony#comment-8466 Dave Wilson Sat, 26 Jan 2008 14:27:02 +0000 http://www.storytellersunplugged.com/?p=934#comment-8466 Steve, Melanie, thanks for that. It was an interesting way to write an essay, and one thing I definitely came away from it with is a desire to read TMOTC. I have my own "method" on themed anthologies. I've written about it before, but you made me think about it again. My thought is that themes are meant to be stretched. A book filled with stories obviously trying hard to fit the theme is crippled. The main "thing" about the story is already known, and that removes one of your most powerful weapons. I like to take the theme and let it sit in my mind for a few days. I did an experiment a while back - loosely themed anthology called "Cockroach Suckers" where the stories were supposed to be inspired by the notion of cockroaches, and vampires. They didn't have to HAVE both of these things...just be inspired by reading the theme. My own entry (which was published recently in my collection "Defining Moments,") was TITLED Cockroach Suckers...but in my story there were no vampires...and the cockroach suckers were people who would stop along Highway 17 in NC to see the world's largest cockroach... I guess what I'm saying is, the thing I enjoy is taking all the threads of stories in my head and seeing if any of them can be tied to the theme, even peripherally, and then taking my chances with the editor. Over the years, it's worked out better for me than writing "to" the theme. DNW Steve, Melanie, thanks for that. It was an interesting way to write an essay, and one thing I definitely came away from it with is a desire to read TMOTC.

I have my own “method” on themed anthologies. I’ve written about it before, but you made me think about it again. My thought is that themes are meant to be stretched. A book filled with stories obviously trying hard to fit the theme is crippled. The main “thing” about the story is already known, and that removes one of your most powerful weapons.

I like to take the theme and let it sit in my mind for a few days. I did an experiment a while back - loosely themed anthology called “Cockroach Suckers” where the stories were supposed to be inspired by the notion of cockroaches, and vampires. They didn’t have to HAVE both of these things…just be inspired by reading the theme. My own entry (which was published recently in my collection “Defining Moments,”) was TITLED Cockroach Suckers…but in my story there were no vampires…and the cockroach suckers were people who would stop along Highway 17 in NC to see the world’s largest cockroach…

I guess what I’m saying is, the thing I enjoy is taking all the threads of stories in my head and seeing if any of them can be tied to the theme, even peripherally, and then taking my chances with the editor. Over the years, it’s worked out better for me than writing “to” the theme.

DNW

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