| This is a Weekly Coffee Share Essay. I’m part of a small group of bloggers who stay in touch and chat about blogging, writing, or just about anything else that might be of interest. |
| Link to This week’s full list |
| Link to my Story Blog: Table of Contents. |
Whew, what a past 24 hours. . .
Writing, and surprise work and taking some time to do some relaxed shopping with my wife to prep for a special dinner we’re going to have with family then more work and finally back to writing. I need a long weekend and am so lucky to have one in hand as Monday is a holiday here in the US.
Let’s see, I doubt you want to hear about my work, which is good.
Our shopping trip was nice enough but the best part was just being out with people around again. We’re still mask-ulating ourselves here, but the point is that there are people out there and they’re all in friendly moods.
But writing, you might be interested in that so let’s fill our cups and catch up.
There’s a gal out there who does a challenge that involves her posting a brand new story by authors she likes and her readers review and comment and discuss the piece. The whole idea appeals except for 2 things.
- She insists on brand new stories and I’m always anxious to share my work, so I have a new one, but am holding it back until she decides if it meets her guidelines and needs. Almost like a publisher – hmm. I’m not too worried because if she doesn’t like it, I get to release it when I please.
- She has a limit of 1000 words. This makes sense given the amount of work she does on her end, but try as I might, it almost kills me to squeeze my stories into so tight a space. The first draft came across the finish line at 1500+ words, so I sat back to decide if I wanted to cut 1/3 or just create a new shorter story. Cutting won, but man. that’s hard work. I felt like many fun, character building paragraphs were shredded down to much flatter passive detail dumps, which I then had to go back and add more character voices to kill the passive tone.
Anyway. The deed is done. I like the result and I hope to qualify to be one of her featured authors.
Finally: I’m still promoting my story blog as a site to visit and enjoy some free reading fun and adventures. I’ve laid out my site navigation to make it easy. Here’s how you can view:
. . . a general collection overview by clicking HERE.
. . . a page with short tours by clicking HERE.
. . . my favorite sample DOT story by clicking HERE.
. . . my favorite piece of fiction by clicking HERE.
. . . my longest (60 min) piece of fiction by clicking HERE.
I’m still very pleased with my new short story Sci-Fi story and invite your to check it out.
Click right here ===> In a Foreign Forest Found
I hope some of you who have not tried some of my 10 minute stories will give them a try. It’s been a busy day here so it will be tomorrow before I can visit you share, but look forward to doing so.
Gary A Wilson Stories 
I am sure that you nailed the story even though it was a 1000 word count. The challenge sounds like a great way to get feedback. Will you be sharing the link so we can check it out?
Thanks for the virtual coffee Gary.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Shari.
Of course! I so enjoy sharing my stuff that as soon as she’s done with my creation, I’ll be posting and sharing it. In the mean time, I’m finishing up a longer Sci-Fi story that could one day be part of a larger novel and hope to post it soon.
I do wish my brain worked more like Trent’s as he is capable of cranking out so many words with such high quality and variation that I envy being so productive.
But one way or the other you’ll soon see my just < 1000 worded story. Thanks 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
I will be watching for both pieces! Can’t wait.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cutting short the favourite scenes/dialogues/descriptions just to adhere to the maximum word limit is the biggest reason of heartache for authors. I can feel your pain, Gary.
But editing is as important as writing. And this gives you a good learning experience. You learn to say a lot with a few words, you get an idea about the points that even if absent won’t impact your story.
In short, your stories improve 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hoping she thinks you meet the criteria! Can’t wait to hear an update.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Kirstin. Me too. I think a lot also depends on how many other writers she has queued up ahead of me. In the meantime, there are other stories that require my attention so I’ll stay busy. Thanks for the visit and kind support.
Blessings.
LikeLike
shaving off a third of story sounds like an extreme, will await to see what you created hahaha by the way what is today’s public holiday… I think we are all out for public holidays until August when we have Heroes Day then after that Christmas lol
~B
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hey Beaton,
Today is our memorial day which is when we try to recall our service men and women, especially those who gave it all for us. It’s a strange holiday for me in a way I’m not proud of. In late 1972, I was in my final year of high school, nearly clueless about the world and politics but aware enough that the US was wrapped up in an ugly war in Vietnam. Our draft was a real thing and normal guys like me were being forced into service, short training and being sent over where they didn’t want to be, fought and many, way too many died in a war that the soldiers were not even allowed to fight to win. When they came back, our news media stirred up the masses who took out their anger on the soldiers. It was very bad and men who were just doing what they were told by politicians either died or were hated when they returned.
In early 1973, the annual draft lottery was done one night on TV, and those of us who were the right age (as I was) got our draft #s (the order in which we would be called to serve) by our birth dates. Mine came out – 43. This meant I was almost certain to be called and I could not imagine holding up a gun to take someones life. Most of our sense of patriotism had been scrubbed away by the media. China was not so quietly backing our enemy, so our politicians refused to fight to win – but only to push back. Even today, I’m not sure what would have been the right thing to do, but as US citizens, we’d had enough of this nonsense and just wanted out.
My parents, on the quiet, were working some deal with someone I never knew to send me to Canada to hide from being drafted.
From here, the short end of the story is that our leaders folded and tried to find a way to pull out without too much loss of lives and even at this they failed.
But for me, at the last minute, they cancelled the draft and my low 43 suddenly meant nothing to me, but death and misery to all who were part of the months running up to and then our withdrawal from Vietnam.
On memorial day, I stand to recall and thank those who did not have the good fortune I had to simply miss being called, where my life story could have / would have been so different than it was.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for sharing Gary it helps put some perspective to things on media they make it seem like homage to some glorious and heroic deeds but like you express here seems like one of those FUBAR situations and you make peace with the past and remember the fallen.
and here you are today, thank you and have an awesome new month
~B
LikeLike
Thanks Beaton. I decided to turn this response into a post because I never knew quite how to say what troubled me about Memorial Day, but the muse somehow worked today so I prettied it up and produced this.
Thanks for being my inspiration today.
I – am – so – incredibly – blessed !
https://garyawilsonstories.wordpress.com/2021/05/31/memorial-day-2021/
LikeLike
This is funny to read a post about myself – I’m assuming it’s about me. And here you are our July author. I’m going to link this post to your name in the June Summary attendance list. I adore it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Marsha. Well, I wasn’t going to out you without permission by since you’ve stepped into the light on your own, Yes, I’m quite proud to have gotten my new story this far. You will note, there is a fresh Word copy in your inbox, or it will be shortly. I’m looking forward to the fun.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Let the fun begin! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person