novellas

Mending Fences

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

My novella, Mending Fences, is now on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback formats. 

 I previously published this novella in a collection alongside three other authors. It is now available as a stand alone novella with special pricing.

After the death of his beloved grandfather, Mason finds himself torn between the needs of Rose, the aging grandmother who raised him, and the demands of Lee Ann, the mother who abandoned him as a baby.

Mason’s relationship with Lee Ann is turbulent and complicated. After marrying the wealthy Rex LeMasters, Lee Ann charged back into Mason’s life, reclaiming him and his older sister, Glory, and moving them from the family ranch in Boise, Idaho to Green River, Washington when Mason was fifteen. His mother has not spoken to Mason’s grandparents since that time.

 When Gram takes a fall, Lee Ann at last returns to see her mother—a visit which dredges up memories of a secret buried since Lee Ann’s childhood. 

Will learning the truth about what caused the rift between them so many years ago help them move forward toward reconciliation? Will Lee Ann’s new perspective on the past serve as a catalyst to restore her relationship with her own children?

This novella will inspire you to face your own difficult circumstances, let go of bitterness resulting from past hurts and disappointments and offer forgiveness to the significant people in your life. 

An “Untested” Idea

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

A couple of years ago, I joined a small group of author-friends to publish a collection of novellas.

I approached them this week with the idea of keeping the collection, BUT ALSO BREAKING THEM APART, so we each could publish ours separately.

It would mean a little bit of work and the cost of a new cover for each of us, but the novellas might sell well in a different format.

In a few weeks, I will report on whether this idea worked out well for us or explain the obstacles we encountered.

If you have information about doing something like this—especially if you have done it yourself—would you please share what you’ve learned?

Flash Fiction

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

 

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There are many different types of creative writing. 

Let’s look at a relatively new idea called Flash Fiction.  As its name implies, it refers to a very short story ranging in length from 300 words to 1,000 words.

Even though extremely brief, Flash fiction still offers character and plot development. Requirements? It must have a beginning, middle, and an end. (We’ll take a look at this in my next blog and determine how difficult the actual writing of Flash Fiction might be…)

 

Sometimes referred to as the minisaga, microfiction, sudden fiction, the nanotale, micro-story, and the postcard, flash fiction has its roots in fables and parables.

In France, they are called novellas; in China, they are referred to as pocket-size stories, minute-long stories, and the smoke-long story (just long enough to read while smoking a cigarette).

Examples of early Flash Fiction are Aeosop’s Fables in the west and Jataka tales in India. You may be familiar with short stories of the 1930’s, collected in anthologiies, such as The American Short Short Story.

Access to the Internet has enhanced an awareness of flash fiction, with online journals being devoted entirely to the style. Examples are the SmokeLong Quarterly, Wigleaf, Flash Fiction Online and Flash Fiction Magazine.

Social media has enabled a rapid spread of this genre. Such publishers as The Anonymous Writer and The Third Word Press use flash fiction to create stories online.

Learn how to write Flash Fiction in my next blog.