Revelations: Twisted 50

What do you think when you hear the word ‘Publisher’?

For me, it’s less of a thought and more of a feeling. Fear. The slap of a teacher’s hand on your wrist. Strict. Unforgiving. 

Even Harry Potter was turned down by twelve publishers before it was finally accepted. Twelve! I bet they’re all shaking their heads now. 

This brings into question the validity of a publisher. How harsh they are. The idea that you can identify whether a story is good or not just from the first page. Even the first sentence. Maybe the first few words. 

(I know what you’re thinking: That’s stupid. And I agree. You can’t judge a TV show off of its pilot! Stories need time to simmer and bubble, established worlds need time to flex and change. It’s a disservice to judge a story based solely off of its opening step.)

So, in the face of this cut-throat industry, self-publication has become more popularized. 

Boom! Leave it to the market. The people will decide. Publishers have a villainous streak, and let’s be honest: They are no longer necessary.

Right?

Having spent the past three weeks reading all 150 short stories for Twisted 50, something has changed. 

I might… understand publishers now. 

Don’t hold it against me. 

Of course, each story is varied. Each writing style is different. Each character, genre, and setting is distinct… 

And after a while, none of them are really that unique. The same, mind-melting collection of 26 letters, torture, and death. 

This is Twisted 50, though. 

The stories submitted were all incredible. Creative ideas, palpable passion. This is what matters. 

But, if you want your writing to fit the eye of a general audience, I’ve developed a bit of a fourth sense for what works. I can tell if a story is what I’m looking for, just from the first page. The first sentence, even. 

You either die the hero or live long enough to become the villain, right?

So, how do you keep a publisher engaged? How do you keep an audience from leaving after the first page?

Drop me in the action. Please. 

I love describing the weather as much as the next guy. However, if I don’t immediately have some sort of opinion, I’m no longer engaged. And while I will read through the entire story, not everybody will. Especially if it’s an entire book, rather than just a short story.

How does this world function? What is most urgent and most noticeable? Who is our character and what are they doing? Come in late, leave too early. Leave me wanting more, always.

An example of this comes from a story submitted this year. The body of it was wonderful. Descriptive, juicy sentences. Fascinating concepts. But it started too early, with an irrelevant action. Not only was this action not relevant to the world, but then it needed to transition to the meat of the story. 

The time it took for the introduction and the transition was too long. 

While I rated the story a 9, another reader rated it a 4. Neither of these are correct, of course, they are only opinions. However, I know why it got a 4. By the time the story had reached its peak, it had lost its audience.

Patience is a rare accommodation. Especially these days. You can’t expect your audience to just ‘stick with it’. You need to take them by the throat and keep them up in the air, kicking. 

Of course, this is all subjective. But so is all writing and reading. If there’s anything you take away from this, let it be for your story to come in late and leave early. 

Congratulations to everyone who contributed to Twisted 50. You have something that matters: Initiative. Until then…

Keep writing!