July Numbers:
Free Subscribers: 3337
Paid Subscribers: 132
Total Cash Payout: $430.00
Total Stories Submitted: 393
Writing isn’t always just about writing, so I thought I would share a little tip that has saved me thousands of potentially lost words. Most of us are not computer programmers, so here is a visual way to find a lost Word document in case of a computer crash or loss of power. Save this for when the unthinkable happens to your work in progress!
Step 1: Type “File Explorer” in the search field in the lower-left corner of your screen. Alternatively, it may already be pinned on your Home Bar at the bottom of your screen and you may click that as well.
Step 2: Your screen will look like this. Click “This PC” on the left highlighted below.
Step 3: Once you click “This PC”, you should see a screen that looks similar to the one shown. On the right side, there is a small search bar. Type “.asd” and push the blue arrow button. You need to include the period that comes before the “a” in “asd”!
Step 4: All you have to do is wait. It will likely take between 15 and 45 minutes to complete the search.
Step 5: Once your computer finds the file, double-click to enter the Word document.
Step 6: Click the “Save As” option and you can go back to work!
I genuinely hope you never have to use this, but knowing has saved me dozens if not hundreds of hours.
-Mike
Appendix
Short Story Substack Winners
Ten Seconds - The Devil only wants ten seconds of your life. Do you take the deal?
Bear - Simple and beautiful love between a father, his daughter, and a stuffed bear.
Mr. Harold’s Gift - Not all gifts that are given are well received.
The Mummer’s Parade - Love that is real and true is often messy.
The Garden Club - The power of rumor to destroy. A story that is both fictional and educational.
Depression Séance - Magic is real in the eyes of a child.
Abrama’s Endgame - Sci-Fi look at artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, and the struggle to survive.
Do-Over - What happens when you get to re-do your life? What does that answer say about the life that was lived?
Goodbye, Debbie Sue - Freedom on your own terms.
Tools
Webster's 1913 Dictionary - Inspirational dictionary that appreciates the art and beauty of words.
Hemingway App - Online tool that will tighten your writing.
One Look Thesaurus - Wide-ranging thesaurus that goes beyond simple synonyms.
Free Online Short Stories
How To Tell A True War Story - Tale of violence and what it means to know the truth.
Good Old Neon - A look at life and death from a different perspective.
Hills Like White Elephants - One of the best uses of subtext ever.
The Egg - Mind-bending sci-fi look at the reason for humanity.
I Have No Mouth But I Must Scream - Sci-Fi horror about a malevolent AI.
Flowers For Algernon - Looking at the limits of intelligence and love.
To Build A Fire - Tale of survival in the bitter cold.
The Cask of Amontillado - Revenge.
The Garden Of Forking Paths - Spy thriller set in WW2.
Rikki Tikki Tavi - On courage in the face of danger.
I save everything to Google drive and two flash drives. Every time. I don't lose documents because I can always retrieve them from one of my backups.