What Moves Me

While reading submissions the other evening, I lamented that I was reading well-written stories but few were truly moving me. @KateCollings asked a great question about what kind of story does move me so I thought I would attempt an answer in a roundabout sort of way.

I don’t have a type. I never have. A retrospective of my dating life would reveal a bizarre cross section of humanity with only one thing in common–the ability to sustain my interest. Ultimately that’s also what I’m looking for when I read.

That said, I thought I might show rather than tell what kind of writing moves me.

–Deeply personal writing that makes me uncomfortable.

— Gritty or dirty realism and stories that cut deep into human flaws.

–Stories that look traditional on the surface but experiment in really subtle ways.

–Fabulist stories that walk that fine line between what we know and what we will allow ourselves to believe.

–Anything that traffics in pop culture in smart ways will instantly win my heart.

–Hell, pretty much everything they put out moves me.

–Even though I like hardcore writing, I also like poignant work.

–Loss is a hard thing to write about but I really appreciate when I read a story filled with sorrow that defies the expected.

–When high concept work is perfectly executed, I give mad props.

–I could go on and on and on and on and on and on and oh hell, ON.

To celebrate all the moving writing in the world, a giveaway: Kim Parko’s Cure All from Caketrain, a book that is sure to move you. Leave the title of a piece of writing that moves you, from anywhere, and we’ll draw a winner at random at 5 pm.

ETA: The winner is Troy Urquhart. Congrats, Troy!