Magellan's Log: Ten Words: Introduction

With this issue, Magellan's Log begins a new series of short stories, called "Ten Words."

The series came about like this:

The staff has not been happy with the type of short fiction we've done (much of it rather strange, admittedly). Given the range of in house talent that we have, we felt we should create some kind of structure in which to showcase our own writers.

Result: Ten Words.

The gimmick is this. One of our writers goes to an Internet site which will generate any number of random words. The writer requests 10 random words. The site produces those words. The writer then writes a short story, the only requirement for which is that it incorporate ALL TEN WORDS in a MEANINGFUL, SEAMLESS way.

The writer is allowed a little tweaking room. A singular noun can be made plural or vice-versa, the tense of a verb can be changed.

Part of the fun for the reader is to look at the words for a given story, see how the writer starts, and then try to figure out how the initial premise is going to allow the writer to use all the words--because, I assure you, some of the random juxtapositions that turn up in the lists are pretty weird.

For example, take a look at No. 10. Angus Verspeeten was faced with a list of random words going from "dishwashing" to "Kant" to "spaceships." The story begins and Mr. Verspeeten has put us in a Porsche waiting to do a speed test on a dragstrip. Very well. He develops a story line and begins using the random words one at a time. But as you read, you can't help but wonder: How is he ever going to get "Kant" and "spaceships" into a story about drag racing a Porsche.

That's it. Initial staff enthusiasm is high. We'll see if it keeps up.
--Doc Cuddy, Editor

Go to 10 Words No. 1 > >
How I Inadvertently Redecorated
the Church of St. Stephen in Montenegro,
by Sawyer Brown

Go to 10 Words No. 2 > >
The Initiator,
by Pedkop Bambera

Go to 10 Words No. 3 > >
One Hundred Square Inches of Blue Sky,
by Michelle Furr

Go to 10 Words No. 4 > >
Petrov the Good,
by Ceci Lumley