How to Find the Perfect Short Story

As veteran EBC'ers know, in December we don't read a book. Instead, each member finds a short story they want to contribute and we make short story folders to read and discuss at our holiday party. Finding the perfect short story can be tough. In past years, some have been funny, some have had a seasonal flair, some have been dark, some have been classic, some have been, well... odd. This is your mission if you choose to accept it.

The deadline for story submissions is before Thanksgiving. I need one copy from you so I can make lots of copies and put them in folders for our Nov. 29th meeting. Email it, snail mail it, or come by my home or office. The more stories we have the more fun we have! The December meeting date is TBA - you should receive an invitation soon.

Note: remember to NOT put your name on the copy ou send me. It's lots of fun guessing which person submitted what story. Also, make sure you include a copy of the copyright info! A good librarian is bound by God to give credit where credit is due.

Here are some tips for finding a short story, essay, or exerpt if you get stuck. If you know of more resources, feel free to leave a comment!

THE LIBRARY
The AVL, or Albama Virtual Library has a link on our public library's website. See it on the left? Click on it and scroll down to the databases. Click on LitFinder and search a wonderful array of stories, essays, or speeches. Print out a copy that moves you and get it to me.
You can also find a great selection of story anthologies in the collection in Huntsville or any branch mear you. They even have their own call number, SC for story collection, and are probably found somewhere near the fiction sections.

YOUR FAVORITE AUTHOR
Many authors write stories or essays for periodicals, and some have their own ss books.
Another option is taking a chapter from your favorite book. Some of my favorites are Tom Franklin, Alice Munro, Dave Eggers, and Dave Sedaris.

GO ONLINE
Classic Short Stories
Biblomania
More classics
ReadPrint online library
Scary Stuff
Funny Stories
These are just a few suggestions, there is a vast online collection out there!