@libby
Active 3 days, 21 hours ago-
Athelstone posted an update 5 years, 11 months ago
“I don’t care where you’ve been, You ain’t been nowhere till you’ve been in – the Things that go Bump writing challenge.”
Find the group. Join. Enjoy.
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JaneShuff posted an update 5 years, 11 months ago
Just wondering how you are all dealing with the Covid pandemic within your writing. I’m in the planning stages of a new novel and can’t decide. Do I set my novel pre-pandemic? Which feels like a bit of a cop-out. Do I ignore it completely? Same comment. Or do I try to set it in the current situation with the problems and concerns of the pandemic…[Read more]
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I think it depends how optimistic or pessimistic you are about the pandemic. Considering how long it takes between drafting a novel and seeing it in print (if it gets that far), if you take the optimistic view the whole thing will be over by then, it’ll no longer be a part of contemporary life, and nobody will worry much whether you’ve included it…[Read more]
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Not answering your question, exactly, but I’ve read a number of short stories which include reference to Covid and in general I find them offputting, a bit bandwagon, which might be because we’re in the middle of it. I think if your novel is set at the time, a passing reference to its restrictions might be enough. But the same (to include or…[Read more]
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Personally, I’d leave it out. So many people now must be writing pandemic stories, that the mention of it alone might put readers on guard. Also, optimistically speaking, by the time your novel comes out, life may have returned to normal and your story would be dated.
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Interesting. I wasn’t planning on writing a story about the pandemic but was thinking about whether the story I had planned to write should acknowledge the pandemic. For example there is quite a lot of travel in it and it feels weird to have someone just hop on a plane given what’s going on. Have to think a bit more.
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Best of luck!
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Yes, best of luck, Jane. FWIW, I don’t think ignoring the pandemic is anything of a cop-out. I’m choosing to ignore it in my next one for similar reasons to some remarks above, that a) it risks becoming band-wagon and, if it does (hopefully) pass, Covid might age the novel by the time it comes to print. Mostly b) that books are commonly escapism,…[Read more]
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I agree there’s a risk of bandwagon. I think it can be hard, too, to think of something interesting to say about a situation when we’re still in it. Hard for me, anyway.
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Yeah, its a tricky one isn’t it? To ignore it completely, or assume that a book based two years from now can still ignore it completely seems a bit unbelievable to me. This is a world changing event, ignoring it for present/near-future settings would be odd imo. BUT I have absolutely zero interest in novels *about* it. I do think the shifting,…[Read more]
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Thanks @raine. You expressed my quandary much better than I could. Still not sure which way to go!!
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I’m veering towards thinking that a contemporary book which ignores covid is going to date far faster than one which has it/its aftershocks in the background.
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I think I agree and, in any case, Iโm finding hard to impossible to plan without the realities of Covid19 informing the action. It is the current reality.
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Now there’s a coincidence. Neither am I.
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Nor me! Although I am not good with those pictures!
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I sometimes think a robot would be better at identifying the traffic lights than I am. Hang on, maybe that’s the point…
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Those blasted traffic lights. I’m always relieved to get the fire hydrants. I think I’m becoming a fire hydrant fan.
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Good to mix things up with the occasional bit of fire hydrant. But where’s the other street furniture? Why can’t we identify some litter bins for a change, or bike stands or something?
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Dogs. I want to identify all the dalmatians in a field full of friesan cows.
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I once saw a dalmatian in a field full of daisies.
Re street furniture, it could be the tables and chairs a coffee shop blocks the pavement with in a town near me.
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John S Alty replied to the topic Monthy Comp – September 2020 in the forum Monthly Competition 5 years, 12 months ago
Excuse the bizarre formatting, this had indents when I wrote it.
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John S Alty replied to the topic Monthy Comp – September 2020 in the forum Monthly Competition 5 years, 12 months ago
Sunset
The sun melted into the horizon like a knob of butter in a frying pan and behind it the sky was on fire, itโs flames dancing on the restless sea. Soon, for this was the tropics where sunset and darkness are never far apart, a million stars would come out to play. Frank and his sister, Sarah, sat shoulder to shoulder, their feet half b…[Read more] -
Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly comp: July 2020 in the forum Monthly Competition 5 years, 12 months ago
Congratulations to all (of us), especially @Janette ๐
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Athelstone posted an update 6 years ago
A bump never hurt anyone – well, unless it did. Anyway, BUMP. Don’t forget the short story writing challenge! If that means little, hurry over to the group “Things that go bump!” and be enlightened (You’ll have to join to read the forum). Preferably make a choice and take part.
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JaneShuff replied to the topic Susie in the forum Blogs 6 years ago
Lovely story, Richard. Funny how some people stay with you over the years while others disappear from your memories.
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JaneShuff replied to the topic Choices in the forum
Things that go bump 6 years agoHome believer spoon
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Daedalus replied to the topic Chit Chat in the forum
Things that go bump 6 years agoPerhaps ghosts are rewriting our stories…
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Athelstone replied to the topic Chit Chat in the forum
Things that go bump 6 years agoIt certainly was memorable. A superb short story with two perfectly-flawed protagonists. The first challenge on the new site – started on the Cloud and rebooted here.
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Daedalus replied to the topic Chit Chat in the forum
Things that go bump 6 years ago…Although I’ve just remembered my ‘Room with a View’ story wasn’t supernatural. You know, the one where I came top? Memorable, clearly
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Daedalus replied to the topic Chit Chat in the forum
Things that go bump 6 years agoAs do I, although I just have this feeling that the fact I’ve essentially written ghost stories, broadly defined, for the last four challenges straight is not going to help me in the slightest
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Athelstone replied to the topic Chit Chat in the forum
Things that go bump 6 years agoHah! Completely unintentional but the choices are taking on something of the evangelical hymn titles I remember from my Methodist upbringing.
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Daedalus replied to the topic Susie in the forum Blogs 6 years ago
Wow Richard, what a story. I really wasn’t expecting that ending. It’s funny when you meet people who just have this sort of energy about them, who you know in your bones are remarkable. Lovely bit of real life at a deep emotional level, beautifully told
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Daedalus replied to the topic Choices in the forum
Things that go bump 6 years agoAway, believer, ring
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Athelstone replied to the topic Choices in the forum
Things that go bump 6 years agoMy selections, chosen for me by our wonderful administrator, Jules, are:
Away, Believer, Watch
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