Writing short stories for anthologies is one of my favorite escapades. Especially themed anthologies. I mean, it’s like someone hands you a launch pad, and all you have to do is take that idea and fly.

OK, maybe it’s not quite that easy. Let’s talk about how to get inspired by a specific theme and how to turn that into a submitted, and hopefully accepted, short story.

Take the theme for this year’s RMFW Anthology…True Stories. I know. I know. We are fiction writers but the guidelines for this 2026 anthology encouraged us to take a true story, something that happened somewhere in our mountain region, and fiction it up.

So, how to start. First thing is to read the guidelines. Know what the editors/publishers are looking for. Once you understand what the theme is truly all about, ideate! (Great word, right?)

I let my Colorado memories ramble. One of my favorite editors/writers, Michael Bracken, preaches “Throw the first idea out.” There goes the story about my first ski trip, coming home on the bus with a cast on my leg. Hmmm. Maybe my second idea should be tossed, too. (Driving my car into the A&W sign post the first day I received my driver’s license.)

Perhaps I should expand my scope. Think bigger.

Growing up in Colorado, one of my most vivid memories was the Big Thompson Flood of 1976. In order to generate ideas for this topic, I quickly brainstormed, free thoughts, and made a list. Like this:

Water, river, mud, flood, catastrophe
Rain, storm, lightning, deluge
Loss of homes, roads, bridges
Unexpected, surprised, who would have thought a flash flood could happen there?
One hundred and forty-four deaths in just a few hours.
Eight hundred people rescued, over several days.
Some still missing. How does that affect loved ones?
First responders. Highway patrol. Search and rescue. Helicopters.
“Here Comes the Water” song by my friend, Chuck Pyle, honoring Officer Purdy.
Fear and shock. All of Colorado in mourning.
Fifty years ago. Who still remembers?

From this list, I started to create a story. What would it have been like to be in the Big Thompson Canyon that night? After fifty years, what would it be like to return to the same spot where you almost drowned? What if someone made it out of the canyon that night, but didn’t want to be found? What if the history of that night crashes into the present? How does the flood experience live on?

You can use this technique to generate ideas for short stories, flash fiction, or full-length novels. Don’t limit your original list. Keep moving forward. Some items might not work for the specific theme but might be perfect for the next one. Set it aside. If you are an organized person, you’ll have a handy file to put those in. Or if you are like me, you’ll have several sticky notes plastered to the walls.

I am honored my story “In Deep Water” is in the RMFW’s newest anthology, True Story: Tales from Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. Pick up a copy. You’ll find twenty fabulous stories, all with a touch of truth, creatively mixed with imagination from RMFW members.

If you’d like to buy a copy and meet some of those authors (including me!), join us for the book launch for True Story: Tales from Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers at Two22 Brew , 4550 S. Reservoir Rd, Centennial, CO 80015, on Saturday, September 26, from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm.
 
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Chris Dreith has written several short stories, including “Old Soles” in the Bouchercon 2020 anthology, “Unknown Male and Parts of Two Others” in Cemetery Plots 2021, and “The Road To Limerick” in Mystery Most International 2022. More quirky short stories are being added to her arsenal while she is working on her first thriller novel. Recently retired, Chris is the Vice President of Capitol Crimes, Sacramento California Chapter of Sisters in Crime and a member of NorCal Sisters in Crime, Sisters in Crime Colorado, Sisters in Crime LA, and the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers.