Guidelines

Digging Up Bones Guidelines

Time to get out the shovel and start exhuming those old stories

Updated regularly to include the new LIST topic for the next issue and/or SPECIAL EDITIONS.

Digging Up Bones has been around since November 2023, and still going strong, thanks to all of you contributing, reading, clapping, highlighting, responding, and sharing the stories with others.

I’m a huge advocate of reduce, reuse, recycle, REJUVENATE, and REPURPOSE. I hate seeing good items go in to the landfill, I hate seeing food going into the garbage, and I hate seeing good stories getting lost.

With that in mind, I am working to bring back some great stories that we’ve worked so hard on because they hit the ‘Old-Story Graveyard’ too soon.

I am committed to this!

I would love to put out one issue a week, if possible. Only you all can determine that by sending stories, stories, stories!

I’ve named my publication “Digging Up Bones (I got the idea for the title from Randy Travis’ song, Diggin’ Up Bones), and will put something in the title or subtitle to differentiate each issue, so you will always be able to find where your story appeared.

You may send stories/lists through comments in any current issue, newsletter, or in comments below.

Opportunity to Fix/Edit

This is a great opportunity to go back and re-edit before new eyes see them, that’s what I’m doing with mine! Remember, you can open any of your stories, choose ‘edit’ from the drop down (three dots), make your changes, then save.

Regular Issues

Each week or so I will send out a regular issue of ‘Digging Up Bones’ which will highlight OLD, GOOD stories to be reread. The topic is your choice, as long as it falls within the guidelines (see info below).

We are adding “List” feature at the bottom of the issue, with a specific topic for just that edition.

If you have 2 or 3 stories of that topic, put them in a list and send the URL.

If you only have 1 in that topic, send it anyway, I’ll still include it in the List section as a single (no need to add it to a list). YES, THIS IS A CHANGE!

Single stories on any topic are still being highlighted in our regular issues, as long as they adhere to the guidelines.

*******************************************************

THE LIST FEATURE (not mandatory)

Each LIST must include:

• Two or three stories (no more, no less) in LIST form.
• Stories must be in the chosen topic for the next issue, which I will publish in both the newsletter and current issue.
• Title must include topic and your name: (Weird Stuff — VM Landi).
• Must follow guidelines (see info below) unless otherwise stated for that topic (I may bend the rules for specific topics, like if I ask for a Fiction list, etc.)

Keep in mind, sending a LIST is a faster way to get more stories out there to be read.

CHANGE: If you have a single story that fits into the topic for that issue, that’s fine, send it and I’ll include it — no need to send it as a list.

Topics for Lists/stories:

Please note: If you wish to have your story highlighted in a specific Topic section, it must be sent BEFORE the next issue is released. If they come in afterward, they’ll still be highlighted but not in the Topics section.

ISSUE #16 —Topic — Encounters with Animals in the Wild (not pets or insects). Coming in June.

Have you ever had a bear jump out in front of you, or a family of geese cross the road — you know, an unexpected encounter? I’d love to hear about it. The funnier, scarier, more ridiculous — the better.

ISSUE #17 — Topic — Hilarious Kids

This should be an easy one. Most of us raised kids or know kids, whether it be one of your own, a grandchild, or someone else’s kid — do send us a story you wrote about the hilarious actions of a kid. The funnier, more embarrassing, ridiculous, the better.

***********************************************

NEW (update 4.23.24)— SPECIAL EDITION for MAY 2024

Bloopers and Embarrassing Moments Special Edition

I’ll run as many issues during the month of May as I need to based on the amount of stories that come in. STORIES BEING ACCEPTED NOW.

What I WANT: A true story that happened to you or someone you know. But is has to be an embarrassing story or moment, a glitch you wished you could forget, a mistake you wished you hadn’t made, a blooper of some sort.

It could be funny or just plain outrageously embarrassing. Make us laugh, or even cry, or say, “Oh, I’m glad that didn’t happen to me!”

Life’s full of them

I’m sure you’ve written at least one of those types of stories. Please send the URL in the comments below and I’ll highlight it in one of the May issues —

We’re bending the rules a bit for these special issues, but please read the general guidelines below for the rest of the rules:

• Shorter stories accepted 2 to 7 minutes.
• At least 3 (three) months old.
• Anything embarrassing that happened ANYWHERE with ANYBODY (not sure, send it and let me be the judge).
• TAKING STORIES NOW FOR THE MAY ISSUES of this special edition.

***********************************************

GENERAL GUIDELINES

(exceptions may be made for Special topics or Special editions above).

What I DO want:

• Stories that are at LEAST FOUR months old (unless otherwise stated) — Good ones worth reading again.
• Stories already published on MEDIUM only. No need to move them, just send me the URL in comments section below or any edition.
• Personal essays, memoirs — true stories — It happened to me stories — Good, wholesome stories.
• BETWEEN 3 to 7 minutes (unless otherwise specified). If you have a good longer story and wish to send it, shave some time off it, please. I’ve done this before, it’s okay to say a little less.
• Please double check your story for grammar and spelling errors, and edit before you send it.
• Humorous stories or stories written with humor in otherwise not humorous circumstances, are always my favorite.
• Ghost stories are fine, too, as long as they’re true and not gory.
• If you need help with this, I’ll be more than glad to offer suggestions.
• LET’S KEEP IT FUN AND POSITIVE!

What I DO NOT want:

• Your feelings/stories about controversial stuff — That means NO stories pushing your views on religion, politics, war, current events, Trump, etc., keep it light and general.
• Affiliate Links — I wish to highlight stories, not sell stuff.
• NO BOOK REVIEWS or reviews of any kind — stories only, please.
• Nothing with Satanic rituals, Satan stuff, occult-ish, or anything along those lines.
• Nothing DRUG related — or addiction-related, keep it light, funny, and safe for all readers.
• NO Fiction, Poetry, AI, Sci-Fi, fantasy, etc. TRUE stories only.
• NO Erotica — that should go without saying!
• NO Lists (Listicles are okay as long as they’re not about “10 ways to annoy your neighbor” or something like that.)
• NO stories in parts, segments, series, whatever you call them.
• NO Horrible/Sad/Vengeful/Mean/Spiteful Marriage/Relationship Stories — we all have those, let’s send them somewhere else.
• NO Hate or prejudice of any kind to any group — including Ageism!
• NO rants, raves, complaining — again, Let’s Keep It Light and Positive.
• NO Blog-type stuff about how your day went, what you had for breakfast, etc. Repeat: Send memoirs, essays, true stuff, ‘it happened to me’ stories.
• NO LGBTQ stories — there are plenty of pubs for those (I personally don’t care if you fall into this category. That’s your own business).
• NO Technical, scientific, medical, or stuff that’s written so flowery that the average person needs a dictionary — I don’t want to think that hard — light! positive! fun! easy read! please.
• NO, NO, NO CURSING of any kind — you can get your point across without the “f” word!!!!! I know you can, it won’t hurt your story to say “heck” or something along those lines. Maybe it’s a generational thing — I was not even allowed to say damn or heck growing up, so indulge me on this.
• NO satire — Good, clean, true humor, silly, embarrassing stuff, is what I crave.

Please ONLY ONE CTA at the end to a story you’ve already written on Medium which also stays within the guidelines, and again NO AFFILIATE LINKS. Please don’t view this as an opportunity to sell something, thanks.

AND Please, please, please, NO TAGGING OF OTHERS. If it’s already in your published story, they’ve received it when you published it, you can remove them, and please do. thanks.

I hate turning down stories — please check them before you send.

A Quick Review of Basic Editing Tips — for those interested

1. Titles — Keep in mind that the title is the “first impression” of a story. Like walking into a room and being seen for the first time. If you don’t grab the reader with your title (or first impression), they probably won’t open your story.
2. Subtitles — Your second chance to pique their interest. It must describe or give a little tease to what your story is about.
3. First Paragraph — Okay, this is your last chance. You have their attention, they opened your story, they read your subtitle, and they’re still hanging on — now you must entice them to continue reading by letting them know what to expect in the story with just enough information so your story can unfold and keep them reading to the end.
4. Conclusion/Last Paragraph — think of the First and Last Paragraphs as if they were bookends. The first paragraph has to be strong enough to hold up the first end, and the conclusion has to be just as strong to hold up the opposite end. Your conclusion has to tie up loose ends and close the story that your first paragraph promised.
5. Let me add one more thing. Use shorter paragraphs. A story reads so much better when there isn’t a block of sentences in one spot. Easy fix, just separate them so no paragraph has more than three or four sentences. One-sentence paragraphs are fine, too.

A test for yourself: Re-read the first and last paragraphs of your story back to back. You may be surprised to find they sound as if they’re from two different stories.

Well, you got your reader this far, and you hope your story is memorable for them — but not for the wrong reasons…

Be sure to run your story through a spell and grammar checker. There’s nothing harder to read than a story full of errors!

Small errors:

I cannot fix any errors in your story, only you can. But if I find a few little ones here and there I will probably mention them in a private note, then it’s your choice of whether or not to correct them. I’m just giving you the chance to make your story the very best it can be.

If you have a story you think would work but needs a little TLC, I will be more than glad to offer suggestions, just let me know.

HOW TO SEND A STORY

Open the story you wish to send, copy the URL at the top of the page, then paste it directly into the response at the bottom of these guidelines, my publication, or any one of my “Digging” issues or current newsletter, this way I could find it quickly.

HOW TO SEND A LIST

Again, optional. Open the story you wish to add to your list. You’ll see a few icons over to the right. Click the one that says SAVE. A list will appear with ‘Reading List’ already highlighted — where it says Create New List, click on it and call it “Topic (whatever that is for that issue) — Your name.” No description is needed. When you chose your next story (2nd one), just highlight click to the left of that list to add it. You may want to unclick “Reading list.”

Thanks for reading and keep em’ coming, everyone!

Never miss an issue or story:

EMAIL: To receive an EMAIL whenever I write ANYTHING, click here.

OR

Save a LIST

• To save my ‘Digging Up Bones’ List: Click here, then ‘save list.’
• To save my ‘Women Who Use Tools’ series, Click Here, then ‘save list.’
• To save my ‘Dancing Through My Life’ series, Click Here, then ‘save list.’