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About Samantha Prust
(Top Expert on this page)

Expertise
I have a BA in English and an MFA in creative writing. I have worked in various publishing companies and for various literary magazines. I work as an editorial and production assistant for a book publishing company. I also have my own publishing consulting business.

Experience
I grew up on the Sisseton/Wahpeton Sioux Tribe Indian Reservation in Sisseton, South Dakota. After high school I attended college at Minnesota State University in Fargo/Moorhead. After receiving my B.A. in English, I stayed in Fargo/Moorhead for two years, working as a proofreader, a librarian assistant, a cocktail waitress, and in customer service. I then moved to Colorado to attend Colorado State University, where I worked as Associate Editor for The Colorado Review while pursuing my Master's degree. After I graduated, I was able to stay in Colorado when I got a job as an editor and writer for Cottonwood Press, a small publisher specializing in supplemental books for teachers of English and language arts.
   

You are here:  Experts > Arts/Humanities > Writing > Writing Short Stories

Questions Answered By Expert  Samantha Prust 
In Category  Writing Short Stories

SubjectDate Asked

Short stories on a diet7/27/2008
  Q: I've just finished writing a series of stories (‘Hey world here I come!’) and read somewhere that ...
  A: Marcy, Wow--I didn't know there was a specific word count for short stories! That's a new one on ...
Original ideas7/4/2008
  Q: My question is how do writers come up with original ideas? It seems that every topic under the sun ...
  A: That's a good question--how DO writers come up with original ideas? You're right that every topic ...
the creative process...7/4/2008
  Q: I feel at best I'm at it's will. Without it life seems almost dull and boring and the moments when ...
  A: Wow, this is quite a question! How do you spur the creative process? I think keeping an open mind ...
inquiry: How to sell articles to magazines5/29/2008
  Q: Good day! I need information on the following questions. 1) What is the correct format in writing ...
  A: Amram! I will try my best to answer all of your questions. (By the way, one thing you may want to ...
question please5/18/2008
  Q: 1- when I writing stories , how can I get a reference for my work to evaluate my work ? 2- whats ...
  A: 1- Are you asking how you get someone to evaluate your work? If so, then then the answer is that you ...
Taking the next step.5/2/2008
  Q: Considering your background, I thought this may be of interest to you... In a perfect world, ...
  A: To submit your work to journals or magazines, find those that will publish the type of writing ...
Short story collections5/1/2008
  Q: I have a book I have written, which is basically collection of short stories with a common theme ...
  A: Find an agent that represents short fiction. You could also skip the agent and go straight to ...
No degree3/29/2008
  Q: How serious can I expect to be taken as a writer with a great ability to tell stories, but no ...
  A: If you are a writer with great ability, you don't need a degree to be taken seriously. You can ...
short story- script3/23/2008
  Q: how to write a script.
  A: You've asked a question that requires a very long and involved answer. Unfortunately, I don't have ...
raymond carver short stories3/13/2008
  Q: i love short stories and i am thinking of writing my own one i was just inspired with short cuts and ...
  A: Nafisa, Sorry it took me so long to respond, but a friend of mine needed help, and I've been down ...
length1/2/2008
  Q: What is the standard acceptable length for a short story?
  A: I'm sorry that my answer was not satisfactory. Samantha
new writers12/27/2007
  Q: I just finished a story and am frankly unsure what to do next.never written before.
  A: Well, the answer to your question depends on your goal. I'm assuming you mean that you want to ...
short piece of writing11/23/2007
  Q: "I am writing a short piece of writing that is similar to a passage in Moby Dick of Herman Melville. ...
  A: You are obviously a practiced writer. The only advice I would give is that you are too writerly at ...
Short stories/books7/13/2007
  Q: If you take the little paragraphs I wrote, which I came up with myself, sometimes they press ENTER ...
  A: So, your question is this: "Is the reader supposed to take a quick breather before reading the next ...
Short stories/books7/9/2007
  Q: If you take the little paragraphs I wrote, which I came up with myself, sometimes they press ENTER ...
  A: I can't make heads or tails of what you're asking......"The little paragraphs" you wrote are not ...
Degree in Creative Writing4/28/2007
  Q: Samantha- I am an adult learner currently working towards a B.A. in Creative Writing. I have also ...
  A: First I recommend consulting an advisor if the college provides them to students. They can help you ...
style or candidness11/20/2006
  Q: Very beautiful. it however raised certain questions, answers to which I need. In choosing a style ...
  A: I'm not sure writers "choose" a style. I think a writer develops a style and voice as they write, ...
style or candidness11/11/2006
  Q: I would love to know if in writing a short story one should be most concerned with style or ...
  A: I think style is the most important aspect. Style can be elaborate or plain: it depends upon the ...
need to ask10/23/2006
  Q: i have some features make me feel that i can be a writer or have the talent but i didnt want to lie ...
  A: It sounds like you have the qualities of a good writer, but your writing itself needs some work. You ...
Question about grammar in MS Word10/18/2006
  Q: What the hell does 'Fragment (consider revising)' in Microsoft Word mean? Thanks, Glenn Houston.
  A: "Fragment" refers to a sentence fragment. A sentence fragment is simply an incomplete sentence. I ...
Re: Your thoughtful reply8/23/2006
  Q: Samantha, I was thrille to recieve your reply and to hear about your life. I must admit tht, ...
  A: Well, it is clear you must have a natural talent with words because your piece was moving. Just a ...
Word Count and Layout8/21/2006
  Q: Samantha, I am a story teller and Poet and, in spite of how many times I hear, "You should be ...
  A: Well, I am not a published writer in terms of my fiction, but I am sending some things out--probably ...
novel - writing workshops3/20/2006
  Q: I am very curious about the writing industry and would of course love to be amongst those who can ...
  A: I think before you shell out the money to attend the workshop, it might be better to find a local ...
Short Story Crit3/2/2006
  Q: Here is my short story called 'The Trial' Thank you so much for agreeing to take a look. I am ...
  A: Well, you are obviously a good writer, and your story moves along at a good pace. The ending is also ...
Sex and blogs and rock n roll2/21/2006
  Q: Sam. I hope you're having a funday. I have a headache. London is grey and miserable.if I've got ONE ...
  A: What are you doing in London? Anyway, about the agent....I don't know much about that....I would ...
question9/3/2005
  Q: I am translator and want translate short short story. please help me find short short story on ...
  A: We are having some difficulty communicating, and I apologize for not understanding your request. If ...
question9/2/2005
  Q: My mean is short short story. I will wait samantha Best
  A: You write short short stories and want to know where to publish them? I would try a book called ...
Writing a movie...8/10/2005
  Q: Hey I was wanting to make a somewhat short movie for the fun and accomplishment of it, I wanted ...
  A: Well, I'm not an expert on writing movie scripts, but I can give you some honest feedback on your ...
copyrights on short stories3/30/2005
  Q: Does anybody buy short stories or how would I get someone to publish one?can you copywrite short ...
  A: You asked, "does anybody buy short stories?" Do you mean will a publisher pay you for a short story? ...
short story writing2/25/2005
  Q: I have two questions. The first concerns the treatment of time in short stories...Do you have ...
  A: I'm not sure what you mean by treatment of time. Are you talking point of view, tense, flashbacks? I ...
writing conversation into the story12/16/2004
  Q: I am an aspiring author working on short stories. I have a difficult time crafting conversations in ...
  A: I would be happy to answer your question, but first I have a question for you: When you say you have ...
need honest feedback12/5/2004
  Q: So very nice of you! Here it is. /Sergei Montreal is white. Just a few days ago the city looked ...
  A: Wow! You ARE a writer. You have a strong voice, style, and flow. I honestly think you should keep on ...
Short stories11/7/2004
  Q: My name is Sara and I was just wondering if you were able to help me go about publishing my short ...
  A: The first thing you should do is get a book called Writers' Market. This book lists all of the ...
Short 1-3 page double spaced stories9/26/2004
  Q: I write some black, some humor on varied subjects short 1-3 pages double spaced. Of course I think ...
  A: First, let me start off by saying you have a good writing voice. I think in general terms, you have ...
Looking for a Short Story9/9/2004
  Q: Apologies. I phrased the question poorly. The collection book was different authors and one was ...
  A: Sorry, I have not heard of it. However, because the short story you're looking for sounds like ...
Looking for a Short Story9/9/2004
  Q: I had read a short story collection book in JHS ~ 12-15 years ago with Guy De Maupassant's The ...
  A: Someone wrote to me with this information regarding yourIt is called Examination Day by Henry ...
feedback9/3/2004
  Q: I read somewhere that a writer should never pay for feedback on his/her work. But where can a writer ...
  A: I don't know that you should "never" pay for feedback. I don't know much about "critique services," ...
Fees?7/23/2004
  Q: Prust: I have just graduated with a BA Writing degree, and find I am embarrassingly ignorant about ...
  A: That's a great question. And you sort of answered it for yourself regarding literary journals, ...
Research6/30/2004
  Q: I'm writing a story set in California, but I'd like to know how you would research this area ...
  A: My first instinct is to say, "write what you know." If you have never visited the area you're ...
Plagiarism6/8/2004
  Q: recently my friend and I have been accused of plagiarism despite the fact that we included a work ...
  A: Though I don't know all the details of your story, it sounds to me like a case of bad citing. ...
writing short stories3/23/2004
  Q: What if your writing style is similar to Jackie Collins (graphic, blunt, realistic, and you don't ...
  A: I'm not sure I'm the best person to give you advice about breaking into the short story world with a ...
Mistakes12/2/2003
  Q: I am a young aspiring writer. I've been told I write well. I like to write short stories and ...
  A: Congratulations on having your commentary published! You should be proud of that. To answer your ...
what info to put in letter to an editor10/25/2003
  Q: i hope this is a suitable question , your listed experience made you the best person to ask. i ...
  A: , The letter you're asking about is called a "query letter." Query letters are used to get an ...

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