Amanda LaPera

Have you ever had the opportunity to be a guest character in a short story, or to choose the topic of a short story?

 If not, here's your chance! If you'd like yourself or someone you know to be featured as a character in a short story, this contest is for you. It's free to enter this contest and honestly, how many people can brag tha...

Background information is a challenge to give to your reader without boring them. When writing short stories, this isn't too much of a problem, because you don't really have the word count or need for it.

When writing a book, you always need some type of backstory. The question isn't just a matter of where to put it, b...

I've managed to injure myself and won't be able to post a new chapter for my short story of the month. If you, or someone you know, has a great short story they'd like to share, please email me at writermrsamanda (at) yahoo (dot) com and I will select one to spotlight for February. Short stories must be original work, fewer than 750 words, and submitted by the author who will retain all rights. The publication will not be paid, but hey, exposure is nice. Please send submissions...

Especially with these difficult financial times, it's important to put life in perspective. In light of this, as well as the upcoming holiday season, I've chosen "A Gift for Misty" as the short story of the month for December. This fictional piece was partly inspired by my own experiences growing up. I'm sure far too many people can relate to Misty's situation.

Ultimately, it's import...

"Near and dear to my heart" means something or someone who is or was close to you on an emotional level and that you value more than most things in this world. As such, I have chosen some nonfiction prose to be displayed as November's Story of the Month. This piece holds special meaning for me and is perhaps my favorite. I've selected "The Old Man" this month in honor of my father. It was thirt...

"The End" is a frightening time for anyone. This is even more true if you are in a same-sex partnership and find  your rights are unequal to that of others.

Selected as the Story of the Month for October, "The End" brings to light this tragedy.

All humans should have equal rights; it's a part of being human.

If it weren't for some unsettling parallels to real life, "Not My Nicky" could be viewed as purely entertainment. Rather, it includes a bit of underlying social commentary on today's reality. Instead of judging, it might be better to first understand, and then to intervene before tragedy strikes.

After resolving some technical problems, the short story for September has been posted.

I often browse the blogs and websites of other writers, agents, and editors. This week, I came across advice so awesome that I had to share.

Nathan Bransford, writer and literary agent, has graciously imparted sage wisdom for fellow writers. Not only does he give an accurate and helpful overview of the novel writing process, but his blog entry is embedded with links to many of his previous articles containing additional help on other components of writi...

I was recently asked how I go about choosing names for my characters. That's when I realized that although picking character names is important, there really isn't too much advice out there on how to do it. Here's my take on it:

How do I name characters?

Well, that depends. Here's my long answer...If it's a short story and I'm trying to make some type of point, I may use a cheesy name like Dr. Kindheart. Other methods I more commonly use are:...

I've posted a new short story for the month of August titled "Waking Nightmares."

Enjoy.