Winning Short Story: Marionette by Melissa R Mendelson

Performed by actor Hugh Ritchie

Get to know the writer:

What is your short story about?

Have you ever had that moment, where you felt small, vulnerable, misunderstood and it didn’t matter if you were the villain or hero because nobody wanted to hear about it, and all you want to do is disappear? But what if you could make it disappear? What if you could make it all go away, so it doesn’t come back again? That is what Marionette is about.

What genres would you say this short story is in?

Horror; Mystery/Suspense

How would you describe this story in two words?

Been Bullied?

What movie have you seen the most in your life?

I have seen way too many movies in my life, but right now, I’m loving The Purge: Anarchy.

How long have you been working on this story?

I’m a member of this artistic, collaborative website called, HitRecord, and last June, I stumbled across this simple drawing by shanaynaynaomi. It’s just a drawing of a little girl, who is holding a pair of scissors in one hand and the strings of a marionette in the other hand. The drawing is actually called, Marionette, which inspired me to write this story.

Do you have an all-time favorite novel?

Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer. This was one of the books that my grandmother, may she rest in peace, bought for me, and sadly I had given it away. Recently, I bought it off Amazon and hope to use it as my character’s favorite book in my new novella/novel.

What motivated you to write this story?

Please, see number 5.

If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be?

Kevin Smith

Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

Movies and TV Shows

What influenced you to enter your short story to get performed?

I have been an avid submitter of WildSound for awhile now because they deliver on not only their performances of your writing but on exposure as well.

Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?

Last year, I went on a self-publishing spree and spent a lot of money on book giveaways through Goodreads, and I definitely increased my exposure. But I think my biggest mistake with this was not having those stories professionally edited, and with my next novella/novel, I plan on having it thoroughly edited before it’s published/self-published.

*****

Director/Producer: Matthew Toffolo

Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne

Editor: John Johnson

By writingfest

Monthly Festival showcasing the best of new novels from around the world. Novel transcripts get performed by professional actors. OR, we also turn novels into movies and seen by 1000s online and at various film festivals.

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