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(This, for all you aspiring writers, is a "one-hundred word or less bio".)
Ricky Ginsburg is one of those writers who sees a flock of birds heading south for the winter and wonders what they talk about on their journey. His portfolio consists of over 200 short stories, nearly fifty of which have found their way into various magazines, both paper and electronic, and four novels, as yet unpublished. While much of his writing has elements of magical realism and humor, he also has a serious side, but keeps it in a small plexiglass box under his desk.

Kurt Vonnegut's 8 precepts for writing a good short story:

  1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.
  2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.
  3. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.
  4. Every sentence must do one of two things -- reveal character or advance the action.
  5. Start as close to the end as possible.
  6. Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them -- in order that the reader may see what they are made of.
  7. Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.
  8. Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To heck with suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages.

Looking for a superb on-line writer's workshop? Try Zoetrope.com.

Currently, I have two novels and two collections of my short stories available; 24 page turners in each one! Click on the links below to purchase them and help make me famous.


For the Kindle
For the Nook
Print at Lulu.com
For the Kindle
For the Nook
For the traveler
For the cruiser
"Christmas Day" - What if Santa quit?
Click here to read.
"Ketchup on a Hot Dog" - Be strong and admit it - you've eaten one as well.
Click here to read.
"An Interview With Doc" - Did you ever wonder what became of the seven dwarfs?
Click here to read.