Story Anatomy: A collection of short stories.

By Steven Hammon

High Concept Short Stories in the vein of Philip K. Dick. Various genres but all with a thread of action and tension about them. Each one is short enough to enjoy as if you were watching a film as it happens.

This book also has extra information about what it takes to make a great story. It delves into the Hero's Journey, character creation, and the general way in which a story evolves from idea to finished product.

A sample: "Suddenly the goo starts eating her hands away as she screams watching her fingers dropping off into her lap. She turns and tries to claw her way towards the door with her stumps. The liquid metal starts working its way around her waist. She coughs. She then throws up grey goo which starts eating her mouth away as she gargles. She drops to the ground dead as her nerves twitch. In her temple, her skin crawls as if maggots are under her skin, before the grey goo breaks through. Out of her tear duct, a drop of silver runs down like a tear."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Steven Hammon
• Release date: Jul 21, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310434594

Steven Hammon

Writing since 1980. Poetry, Music, then story and screenwriting. Professional Screenwriter with multiple paid writing assignments. Action is a core element. Blockbuster style is ingrained.

Book preview

Story Anatomy

A collection of short stories

By Steven Hammon

Copyright 2010 Steven Hammon

Introduction

Overview

Grey Goo

The Octopuses Garden

Deleted

A Killer Nanny

Prince Disgusting

It’s Raining Men

Love Shock

Forgive Me Father

Come And Get It

Mer

Howdy Partner

Mixing Business With Pleasure

The Boom Box

Once Was Lost Now Found

Black Out

The God Mother

The Cop’s Heat

The Butler Did It

Brotherly Love

The God Son

Conclusion

INTRODUCTION

Inspired by a dedicated teacher, this book has been based in a core idea to deliver highly interesting, high concept short stories in a variety of genres. The result is a little different.

Although the stories are fundamentally different genres, my writing style has dominated the way these genres are written. Some have been omitted.

My light hearted comedy for some reason doesn’t portray well, but dark comedy wise, I managed to keep the main story intact enough to have the comedy fit in well.

I omitted the light comedy story.

The other omitted story was the children’s story. Although it has been raved about as a great story, it needs illustrations and it’s way too short for this book.

I omitted the children’s story.

On the other hand, I couldn’t help myself in one regard. There are two Sci—Fi short stories which I love. I have a strong Sci—Fi foundation coupled with a thirst for heart pumping action and heart stopping suspense. And with the vast screenwriting knowledge, these two stories demanded to be written. Both have been given highly positive feedback from my peers.

The structure of this book is about what makes a short story. What is the process? Most people have no understanding of what it takes. I offer this insight as a bonus, and to help you appreciate the vast work that is involved in writing.

Typing words on a screen. Some people think if you can type, you can write. Let me give you the basics.

Summary: A high concept is something simple, fresh, and succinct. This must be marketable. Then comes the structure. Three acts, where various parts of what makes a story feel complete must be strong and fresh. Scenes need a beginning, middle, and an end, but start late and end early. Twists, setups, reveals, character arcs, McGuffins, etc. It’s a work of art.

Contents

OVERVIEW

To start, you need concepts. I brainstormed about 40. Both Unwilling and Willing protagonists. I picked the best 16. Later I realized some of these had some major issues due to strong similarities. More on that later.

Other concepts just failed to gain a high level of quality. I took the core of those and rewrote them into the new concepts which are now in this book

The next step was to create an outline. This needed to have an element of the Hero’s Journey.

What is the Hero’s Journey? Fundamentally, it’s the core structure elements that are used throughout mythological stories which have survived for thousands of years. This is coupled with the insights of Sigmund Freud, into the commonalities between dream and the human psyche.

There is a benchmark of the old life, before an event incites the story into action. There is a debate on if the hero will venture into this new world and there are always people who fear change. The new world is a place where this hero has never been and they have to learn how to handle this new world. A teacher guides them through this process. But soon after, things get serious and there is no more time for learning. It’s time to put this new knowledge into practice. They need to get something to help them through this journey and they set out to get it. Once getting this thing, they need to get out and back to where they want to be. But when they get back, the change in the hero is evident. They are no longer who they used to be. The experience is life changing. The wound and ego that stopped them from breaking through before is gone. They have become one with the old self and the new self.

That’s the basics. There are variations.

My outlines are about one page and since these are short stories, I didn’t go extensively into all the components.

In my outlines, I roughly wrote down the basics of each scene. Sometimes crucial dialog but only about 1—4 succinct sentences. To start the book, I chose a Sci—Fi Action story: Grey Goo.

Concept: A lead scientist struggles to start a nuclear reactor melt down, to stop malfunctioning, self—replicating, microscopic robots, from devouring the planet.

Contents

GREY GOO

A claw made up of spheres, rapidly tears other spheres off the surface, and slots them together like a jigsaw puzzle. It speeds up as another claw helps. The claws are attached to a crab like robot, as it constructs an identical machine.

Suddenly more of these crab—like robots clasp at the surface, as the fully constructed robot jolts into action and assists in the building of more robotic units. There are millions of these robots and they are tearing into what appears to be a shiny red surface. They form a grey tint on the surface on an apple, which is inside a small experiment container.

Peering through the glass, a slightly grey haired handsome man with a look of anticipatory awe, stares at the grey tinge growing in front of him.

He stands up straight and his security pass shows through the glass container. It reads: Thomas Schakowsky, Chief scientist.

He turns and looks at a younger, beautiful brown haired woman, with elegantly framed spectacles. She is focusing on the computer screen. Tom glances back at the apple which is now appearing to cave in due to the mercury like fluid forming over it. He looks back at the woman. Claire. Status!

The parameters are holding Tom. It’s working!

A grin forms from ear to ear. She is ecstatic.

Tom looks across to a model like young blonde. Emily, quickly get Chip in here.

She smiles. Yes sir.

She slides her pass through the slot next to the door which proceeds to slide open. She darts through and down the corridor.

Claire stands with clenched fists. Yes!

She runs over to Tom and embraces him kissing him passionately.

After a few seconds, he pushes her away. Distress fills his eyes. I can’t do this anymore. It’s not fair on Chip.

That’s not funny Tom.

No, funny would be saying we should have a threesome.

She pauses with disappointment. I’m serious Tom; this isn’t the time for your jokes.

He relents his facade. I’m sorry. This is just hard for me.

So this is the end then?

Claire you are awesome but Chip is my friend. I don’t want him to be hurt.

But what about me, and what about the promotion?

After this, you can get any job anywhere. And Chip will have all the time in the world to spend with you.

He doesn’t care about me. He only cares about his work.

You’re wrong. He cares about you more than you ever know. Why do you think he works so hard?

She looks down semi—pissed off with a hint of shame.

Tom empathically tilts his head.

He wants you to have the best hardware to work with so you can succeed. Don’t throw that away.

She looks up at him out of the corner of her eye with a sneaky seductive grin.

You are going to miss all that pleasure.

Stop it.

Licking your body from head to —

I said stop it.

You know you want it.

Yeah I do. I want it bad, but I want my friend to be happy and I want a clear conscience more.

So this is it then?

I’m sorry Claire.

As Tom speaks, a noise sounds behind him.

She looks up to see Chip walking towards them and Emily following. Chip speaks up. Sorry about what?

Tom spins around slightly befuddled. I’m sorry that I ever doubted her ability.

Chip curiously asks, What do you mean?

Check it out Chip.

Tom points at the glass chamber and half grins.

Chip looks suspicious as if they are playing a trick on him. What?

Claire smiles. Go take a look honey.

Chip approaches the container curiously. He steps up to the plate glass and peers in. His eyes light up in awe as he murmurs the words. No way.

Claire smiles. Yes way.

Chip continues to glare in. I can’t believe it. It works.

Tom smiles at Claire and then looks at Chip. You did it buddy. You’re the first man to the perfect the Bose—Einstein condensate implosions to excite Biometric transistors. You suppressed the quantum data loss man. The chips work perfectly.

Chip starts looking curious. So what steel are you using as the building materials?

Tom’s smile fades into confusion. What are you talking about?

The steel plate underneath the nanobots.

Tom and Claire start worrying as they sprint towards the chamber.

They peer in to see the grey goo is now flat and the size of a saucer, growing a millimeter bigger ever second.

As Chips continues to smile ecstatically, Tom orders, Claire, diagnostics, now. Emily starts the shut down process!

Chip’s smile fades quick smart. He turns to face Tom with seriousness in his eyes. What the hell is wrong?

Tom points to the grey goo. Does that look like an apple to you?

Chip looks as fear grips him. Shut it down now!!

Emily looks up at Tom and Chip with worry. Negative response.

Tom storms over with Chip following. Override it!

Emily starts typing frantically as Chip and Tom stare at her screen. I’ve already tried that Sir. They aren’t responding.

As she hits enter, a message flashes up on the screen. Command failure.

Tom grabs her chair and throws her out of the way. You’re friggin’ useless!

She falls onto the floor with torment in her eyes. She starts to stand and move out of the way.

Tom frantically types on the keyboard. Claire, talk to me!

Claire reads her screen. The matter identification parameters are corrupt, but I can’t overwrite them.

Tom slams the keyboard. He then grabs the mouse and click a few times. He looks up to the big overhead plasma screen and the grey goo image flashes up into view. He points at the screen and calls out. Don’t let that breach the seals!

He storms over towards Claire and glares at her screen. He shakes his head slightly. Reboot them.

Chip is shocked. You can’t do that! If you shut down the field matrix while they are running —

Tom aggressively butts in. Well what he hell are we gonna do?

Chip is speechless.

Tom sternly continues. If we let them get out of the containment area, then the survival of the world is at stake. Do you want that on your conscience?

Chip replies. If you shut down the parameters while they are running and can’t reload the new parameters, they’ll be wild. Let them go and they’ll burn themselves out at the containment field.

And if they don’t?

They will.

I can’t risk it. Claire, reboot them.

Chip pleads with her. Don’t do it baby. Trust me.

Trust you? He looks hard at Claire. Do it now!

Claire looks at Chip with pitiful eyes. She then starts typing away furiously. Chip races over. NO!!!

Suddenly the power drops from the area leaving the room pitch black. With a winding up hum, the lights and equipment power back up.

Tom looks at the screen. Status.

Chip looks on with despair.

Emily shyly stands to the side.

Claire types away and grabs the mouse. It’s working.

Tom sighs with relief.

The screen flicks with static. Claire looks up at the screen. Let’s see the damage.

Suddenly the image flashes triumphantly onto the screen. The grey goo is dinner plate size and stagnant.

Everyone cheers.

Emily sits down at her station. She types until she says, Excuse me sir.

Tom is too jubilant to answer. She raises her voice. Sir!

Still no answer. Tom, shut up and listen.

Tom, stunned, turns to face her.

She points at the screen. What the hell is this?

Tom looks at the screen which reads, Auto recovery protocols loading.

He looks on with curiosity. Claire, get over here.

Her smile starts to fade as she moves over to the screen. She looks as the process bar nearly reaches the end. Oh no. I didn’t think.

She looks up at the screen as the others follow her gaze. The process bar reaches the end.

Beeps come from the computer as the screen reads, Boot protocols restored.

Suddenly like a tap turned on, the grey goo starts flowing like water toward the edges.

Panic strikes fear into everyone’s eyes.

As the nanobots hit the glass wall, it builds up. Suddenly cracks form in the glass. That instant shock startles them as a booming sound of the alarm fills the room.

Tom yells, Everybody out now!

Chip steps toward the container. No we have to restart the containment field.

Grey goo starts seeping out of the glass and dropping onto the platform. Tom grabs his arm. It’s too dangerous! Get out of here now!

Tom pushes Chip towards the door.

Emily watches the nanobots. Tom sees Emily as she watches. Emily let’s go!

He struggles with Chip, pushing him out the door. Tom then looks back at Emily who now has a cold emotionless look on her face.

Tom’s face shows dread. No. Emily, don’t do it!!!

Anger builds in her eyes as she races toward the platform where the grey goo is flowing towards the edge. She grabs the large, manual override, power switch, pulling it down as the grey goo starts slightly hanging down off the edge about to touch the floor. Come on you bastard, move!

Suddenly the switch flicks down as the grey goo touches the floor. Sparks jump to the grey goo and burn it as it flows. Soon more starts flowing down and it burns like a bright blue sparkler all around the rim of the platform where the grey goo is now flowing down. From the other side of the glass door, Tom and Chip watch the grey goo climbing onto the chamber cables as she turns around to face them and smiles. I did it!

Suddenly the grey goo eats through a cable and the cable swings down like a Tarzan swing. The drop of nanobots on the end swings with it and drips off at the end of the swing. It wobbles through the air and lands on her foot.

She slowly looks down as the grey goo eats through her shoe. She freaks out and grabs her shoe pulling it off as quickly as she can and throws it onto the platform. She looks at her foot as the smallest silver spot starts growing on her skin.

She screams as the pain forms from the grey goo eating into her flesh like acid. Soon it starts rapidly eating her foot away as she limps toward Tom, Chip and Claire watching.

Her limp gets worse as the grey goo footprints become larger with every step. Her toes drop off and are left behind to be dissolved by the grey goo. Suddenly as her ankle is eaten away, she collapses. She reaches her arm out towards Chip only a few meters away as Chip struggles to get free from Tom’s grip to help her. She pulls her half eaten leg around as she continues to scream. The goo works its way up her leg as she tries to brush it off with her hands.

Suddenly the goo starts eating her hands away as she screams watching her fingers dropping off into her lap. She turns and tries to claw her way towards the door with her stumps. The liquid metal starts working its way around her waist. She coughs. She then throws up grey goo which starts eating her mouth away as she gargles. She drops to the ground dead as her nerves twitch. In her temple, her skin crawls as if maggots are under her skin, before the grey goo breaks through. Out of her tear duct, a drop of silver runs down like a tear.

Chip holds Claire. She is distressed and tormented. In shock, her bottom lip trembles as she gazes at corpse slowly being dissolved. Chip shakes his head with the grief struggling to show through his expression.

Tom, anxious in thought, looks at the mess. Soon the nanobots form a silver mound where the body was and then the goo starts advancing towards Tom. Seriousness forms in his eyes. Think we will win the Nobel Prize?

Claire fires up, breaks free from Chip’s grasp, and punches him in the shoulder. You callous bastard!

Tom steps back, hands defensive, stunned expression. Don’t bloody hit me. I wasn’t the one who screwed up the programming.

Tears well up in her eyes with a gaze of hatred.

Tom’s expression softens into compassion. Look I’m sorry Claire, but you know me.

Chip is looking worried. We’re screwed.

Claire softens her anger. You can’t keep running away from your emotions by cracking jokes. You’ve got to face them.

Chip starts getting nervous. It’s Armageddon. We killed everything.

Tom sighs with determination. You’re right. I’ve got to take charge.

Chip grabs Tom’s arms and pulls him around to look him in the eyes. You don’t get it Tom, he pushes Tom and points to the nanobots nearly at the door, we’re all gonna die.

Claire looks. Oh God, what have we done.

Tom gets panicky. We have to get out of here.

He takes a few steps and Claire is still looking at the nanobots, stunned.

Tom stops and looks back at her. Claire! Now!

She turns and they all start running as the nanobots eat through the bottom seal of the door.

Under the room in the maintenance area, a steel pipe running along the roof hums with the flow of water. Suddenly a drop of silver forms in the roof above it. It builds in size until it drips onto the pipe. As the drop on the pipe grows, a burst of water momentarily sprays out the side of the pipe until the grey goo covers it over. Drops of nanobots dislodge into the water and jet through the pipe.

Tom and the others run through the corridor towards the exit. Many other scientists are scampering around. Screams, yelling, and voices echo throughout the area. They make it to the exit elevator but there are many people in front of them waiting to get to the surface.

Tom yells Come on! Move it!

Claire looks over Tom’s shoulder and says to him, We will never get through there in time.

Chip adds, There’s nothing we can do.

Tom turns to face Claire and Chip. There’s one thing we can do. We go down to engineering and head out through the ventilation shaft to service elevator.

Chip has a look of despair. I’m not going down there. We will never make it. The nanobots will go down faster than they go up.

Claire looks sternly into his eyes. Well I suppose you do have a choice. Good luck.

Claire grabs Tom’s arm and starts pushing him away from the crowd. Tom tries looking at Chip with sympathy.

In the elevator shaft, the water pipe crosses the next to a cable as the elevator passes it. The elevator descends revealing the pipe has sprung a leak, spraying water over the inside of the shaft, as well as the cable.

The elevator stops one floor down. Bellow it, the nanobots eat through a gas pipe which drops slightly into the shaft bellow the elevator. Gas starts filling the area.

People pile into the elevator. As they stand there, Tom sees the walls in the elevator turn a silver color. Oh God.

He stops and turns back to face the crowd. He yells. Get out of the elevator! The panicked people ignore him. If you don’t get out of there, you’re going to die!

Chip looks at the crowd and sighs. Oh God help us.

He turns and runs toward Tom and Claire.

A tall strong janitor pushes his way past, Chip. Don’t listen to him! He wants the elevator to himself!

The janitor grabs a small man from the elevator and pulls him out so that he can get on.

He turns and faces Tom as he says Bye bye buddy!

As the doors start to close, Tom watches them jam open only enough to see the janitor’s smiling face when suddenly a clunk drops the elevator slightly.

As Chip catches up to them in the next room, he turns to see the janitor with a look of worry. SNAP! The cable breaks and the elevator drops with the janitor inside.

Screams echo through the elevator shaft as it falls.

The elevator slams the emergency brakes on and sparks sparkle from the brake pads. It soon drops into the plume of gas.

Tom watches in shock. The crowd stands there dead silent. A crack sounds followed by a roar. The shaft glows orange as Tom watches with fear.

BOOM! Flames burst out the door catching a few people on fire. They scream as flames spread into the room. Tom, Claire and Chip, stumble backwards further away from the elevator room.

The flames lick the fire sprinklers on the roof, triggering the sensors. The burst of water showers down onto the burning people. A man slaps at the flames on his legs trying to put them out as the water sprays down putting the flames out. He sighs with relief and smiles as he looks up into the rain. Thank God.

A drop splashes into his eye. Ow, God damn it.

He squints and then opens his eye. A silver glaze covers his eyeball. Suddenly screams fill the room as silver spots start growing all over the room.

Tom sees the people struggling in pain slapping the nanobots which begin eating the crowd alive. Oh God no. We have to get out of here now.

He starts running as Chip and Claire stand still, stunned.

Tom stops and looks back. Now!

The burst of sound snaps them out of their trance as they start moving away with Tom.

In the engineering level, steel rules. Machinery, steam, and pipes run around the internal workings of the science facility. Above the doors to the maintenance corridor, drops of nanobots start seeping through the pipes. A drop of silver forms.

Suddenly the doors burst open. Tom, Claire, and Chip dart through as the drop above them falls like a bomb. It splashes on the floor just in front of Tom’s foot and he stops in an instant. Claire and Chip run into him. He stumbles and just manages to step of the grey goo. Suddenly another drop splashes down. He looks up as hundreds of silver dots cover the roof. Run!

They sprint down some stairs as drops start raining down around them. Tom dodges drops as he scampers along the floor. He spots a fuel oil tank next to him as they head towards the boilers. Keep going!

Tom slides across the floor up to the tanks, grabs the handle of the valve, and turns it. Fuel oil slightly trickles out onto the floor. Oh Christ.

A silver drop forms above him as he looks for something. The drops get bigger. He reaches down to grab a huge wrench which is leaning up against a steel pylon. He look at it and then at the oil tank tap. The drop above him starts hanging down slightly. He lifts the wrench and slams it down onto the tap. CHING! The sound echoes throughout the area. Chip stops and looks back to see Tom swinging again. CHING!

Tom lifts the wrench the third time. Snap you bitch!

The drop above him lets go. It falls slowly down towards his shoulder as he swings hard. The wrench slams into the tap smashing it off. Oil gushes out as he grins with success. Then the drop lands on his white coat. He grins and turns around to see Chip standing there with a look of sheer fear.

Tom is confused as Chip grabs the collar of Tom’s coat and tears it off.

Tom staggers before gaining his footing. Chip throws the coat down on the floor. Tom watches Chip. What the hell are you doing?

Saving your life.

Tom looks down at the coat as grey goo starts seeping through the fibers. Then the oil flow starts seeping into the cloth.

Chip is looking up as he grabs Tom and pulls him forward. Another silver drop splashes down where Tom was standing. Tom, can we go now?

They run towards the boilers. Tom leads the way. We’ll be safe in here.

Chip butts in. Safe? There isn’t a safe place on the planet. How can you say we’ll —

It’s solid concrete above us so it’s safer than out there.

He points toward the grey goo flowing towards them in the open area of the engineering sector. Other silver drops are raining down from the level above. The fuel oil is flooding the area on the other side. It’s time to finish this.

Tom slams an oil pipe on a small water heater, and oil splashes down onto the floor into a drain which runs across the entire boiler room. He grabs a portable LPG gas torch from a tool trolley, turns the gas on, and sparks a flame on the end of the torch. He then reaches down and ignites the drain and a fire wall roars up in between the boiler room and the grey goo.

He then throws the torch over the liquid metal where it lands in the oil slick on the other side of the grey goo. Flames roar up in a huge fire ball which starts encircling the nanobots. Hopefully this will burn the entire facility down and stop them all.

They watch as the grey goo reaches the fire wall. As it gets too hot, it burns into a crusty shell. The flames behind burn the nanobots as it moves in to consume them.

Tom smiles. It’s working. Look. Claire and Chip move closer to watch the grey goo.

Claire notices a little wave circle form in the nanobots as if something dropped into it. She looks up but the concrete roof has no nanobots there. She looks back down and another ring forms in the fluid. She watches. Suddenly a minute drop