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My uncle's tall tales from the farm became my first writing inspiration

When I was a kid, my uncle would tell us wild stories about his farm adventures every Sunday. Now, I look back and use those memories to write short stories. It makes me think about how family chats have moved from the porch to text messages. That could be a cool prompt: write a story based on a family myth you heard growing up. It's funny how those old tales feel more real than some things that happen today.
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rileym93
rileym931mo ago
Totally feel you on family myths being writing fuel. My grandma's stories about our town were wild, I've turned like three of them into weird little flash fiction pieces. Those old tales just hit different.
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gibson.sean
The idea of using family myths as writing fuel is so true. I tried to spin my dad's fishing story into a thriller, but my writing was so flat it put people to sleep. @rileym93, your grandma's stories sound way cooler than my material. My dad swore he caught a fish so big it bent his rod into a circle. In my story, I had the fish talk, which might have been a step too far. Now I just stick to listening to my aunt's ghost stories about the attic.
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claireg81
claireg811mo ago
You said those old tales feel more real, and I get that. It's like they have a weight that regular stories don't. @gibson.sean, do you think trying to write it as a thriller messed with that real feeling your dad's story had?
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