Well, we had a bit of a lull yesterday. Can’t have that!
The contest has drawn over sixty wonderful stories, and we’ve had new authors as well as stories from some of BC’s most beloved. But some of you haven’t jumped in yet. :(
Perhaps you have read the entries to date and thought, “Wow! I can’t top that!” I know I have. Well, first, don’t sell yourself short. And second, this isn’t all about the [truly amazing, awesome, outstanding!] prizes. It’s about puzzling out the endless possibilities the theme provides, as part of a community of really wonderful authors. Think of the end result as a jigsaw puzzle — it won’t be complete without your piece. :)
Or pieces. Because remember, you can submit more than one, and they can be wildly different. Only one of your stories is eligible for prizes, but each is a separate entry. Several authors have done this already. One author — amazingly productive— has submitted six stories! I just posted a second contest-inspired (but obviously disqualified) story today, because this theme really is compelling.
So dive in, or dive in again. We can’t wait to read your stories!
- Emma
Comments
Pausing...
... for breath?
Even I will concede. . .
. . . that you’ve earned a breather!
Okay, good. That was refreshing, wasn’t it?
Back to work now! :)
Emma
Breather
1,900 words into the new one
I was kidding!
You knew that, right?
No?
Umm.
.
.
Sorry? :)
Emma
a book
At this rate you'll have a full book of resolution stories. Just need a longer piece like a novella to anchor it.
New story
'Working Break' is now up. I don't actually have the 'I made a new year resolution' explicitly in the story, but it is implicit in the final sentence.
Sending love
Steph, in response to my blog last fall asking authors to “pick a favorite child” among their short stories, you wrote, “I write novels in the main, because my stuff is character driven, and those folk need room to dance.” My dear friend Rachel Moore has also, and often, said that short stories are not her thing. But in this contest, you have both outdone yourselves with multiple quality offerings. You are both giving surprisingly believable performances as short story writers!
Thank you for giving so much to this contest.
Emma
This reminds me of
the rivalry between Tommy and Dick Smothers... but with two or more stories arguing...
"Mom always liked YOU best!"
Love, Andrea Lena
Book
In reply to Greybeard, I am already rewriting some of them to expand those that demand it. My last book of shorter works, 'Exit Wounds', hung on the novella 'Hummingbird', which grew in the writing. I don't know if that is possible for the rest of the tales for New Year, but at the moment I have around 36K words for another book, so it is definitely on the cards.
“Symphony for a New Year”
Just spitballing titles for you. :)
Emma
Joanne...
Even if a story is disqualified, see above, it doesn't mean the comments are. Keep reading Jo. haha :DD.TAF
DeeDee
Hey, Dee
I won't disqualify any comments other than those made by the three of us!
In Case of Fire Break Glass
Emma, Jo and I have been kicking around an additional award to create more contest buzz.
Emma will be announcing this additional contest within the contest in the near future.
Until then, please comment on the current entries, Jo is waiting.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Well
Perhaps this as a Consolation Prize?
Love, Andrea Lena
Your Humor Is Never Flagon
The pellet with the poison's in the flagon with the dragon! The vessel with the pestle has the brew that is true!
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
In the Pipeline
I have four written, but my IRL partner is also my proofreader and she's been busy.
Fingers crossed for my next entry being able to post later today!
And then the others in the queue every other day (I hope).
So glad
So glad you got bitten by the bug, Marissa!
Emma
Slowly Working on Another Story
I've got 2600 words written for a second story. I should finish well before the deadline.
Like your latest story, I'm using a first person perspective. I've read a lot of urban fantasy stories in first person and decided it fits my story well. We shall see.
- Terry
Yay!!!
So excited to get another Terry story!
I mostly write in the first person; it's just easier for me. Don't know why. I've done some stories in third person, too, but that's mostly to challenge myself as a writer!
Emma
Nothing Wrong with First Person
First-person allows for better internal dialogue.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
First person
I almost always write in first person, partly because so much of my stuff is linked, and I like to take multiple viewpoints of the same event. Different folks see different things, and FP allows that to be brought out. It works particularly well, as Jill says, via internal dialogue, in developing a character.
For example, some of the most harrowing passages to write in my 'Ride On' were both the nightmares that Annie Price has been prey to and her attempts at explaining them to her friends. The dialogue between her and Eric would have been far less effective if written in third person.
Can we get a list……
Of the contest entries? I have many, many more to read - and I don’t want to miss even one of them.
To paraphrase the hit song by Miquel Brown in 1983, “So many stories, so little time.”
For those who care to follow the reference…….
https://youtu.be/ccEWujCnV1Y?si=HQwa9OVtYkDmw0qp
D. Eden
Dum Vivimus, Vivamus
if you click on
Click on the reference to the contest in any story or blog and it takes you to an updated list of stories. The ones you've read should be in black. :DD TAF
DeeDee
Contest tag
If you click on the contest tag -- like the one at the top of this blog post, where it identifies the contest, it will take you to a listing of all postings that reference the contest. There are a few blog posts in there, and a couple of stories (by me, Jill and Joanne) that are disqualified, but you will also see all of the stories that have been tagged for the contest.
Or, you could get to the same page by clicking here (thanks, Teek, for showing me how to do that!).
Emma
I pretty much broke my brain
getting 2,500 words for ONE story.
I don't think I have 2 words left in me on the subject !
I've got another almost
I've got another almost written, but honestly, I've decided not to post it as a contest entry. It is a Christian allegory, and I didn't want to "force" its read so to speak.
Hugs!
Rosemary