Justin’s Comments (group member since Mar 13, 2016)

Justin’s comments from the Science Fiction Microstory Contest group.

Heather wrote: "but if we do we can just modify one of the examples given at that link "e.g., Any resemblance to people living or dead is purely coincidental ... Especially you, Jenny Beckman ... Bitch." Yes?"

I'm sensing a story in there Heather! LOL!

Richard wrote: "I am very troubled by the concept of having a real person in an alternative history, because the moment one acts elsewhere one changes oneself. Adolf Hitler would not be recognizable as the evil he..."

Hi Richard,

I thought I was keeping it fairly simple and straightforward. Here are some examples I hope illustrate what I'm looking for:

1) JFK bends over in the limousine to pick up Jackie's handkerchief, thereby avoiding Oswald's bullet. He lives and reduces the US involvement in Vietnam, changing US history forever.

2) President Lincoln's bodyguard foils Booth's assassination attempt. Or perhaps Mrs. Lincoln had a headache and they did not go to Ford's theatre. Lincoln's policy of forgiveness and reconciliation brings the South softly back into the Union.

3) General Custer decides to bring the Gatling guns he originally left behind and survives Little Big Horn. He goes on to become a larger than life figure and is elected president. His egomania drives him to build a wall with Mexico and make them pay for it...oh wait...

I know these are all U.S. centered events, so my apologies to all of the non-U.S. members. Your history is just as critical, I just don't know it!

I hope this helps!

Richard wrote: "Great idea Heather- You might be so good as to sell my books as well, I can't. The alternative history of book marketing begins, um- began."

I'm happy to read anyone's published work and post a review. Just send me the title and I'll pick it up.

Andy wrote: "Justin, I am Sonny in my story."

Andy, not to get too personal, but did you come down with polio, or was that the change in your timeline? I'm glad the accident was fictitious because that just hurt my heart!

Richard wrote: "Remember to write crap Justin, if you can- would not be advantageous to win your own book."

LOL! No, I already have copies on my phone. :)

Andy wrote: "Congratulations Justin, a great read!"

Thanks Andy!

Richard wrote: "Well done Justin.
I think the overall standard is well reflected by the fact that I got no votes, for a story that wasn't that bad- and I don't make a habit of praising myself. My story was far fr..."

Thank you Richard, much appreciated. It was certainly hard to choose this month. I'm thinking that will be the case every month with the caliber of writing I'm seeing here.

Dorthe wrote: "Congrats, Justin, on a fine story - it would have had my vote, if I had managed to stay in the loop (where did that dunce hat from last round go?).
The 'It's slimming.' remark makes me giggle every..."

Thank you Dorthe! I will confess I remembered that line from a Saturday Night Live skit with Christopher Walken and thought it was perfect here.

Okay Andy, I have to plead ignorance. I have no idea who the characters are. Sonny? Norma (a young Marilyn Monroe?) Very sad though and poignantly written.

Hi Paula,

Yes, the person can be peripheral, or never mentioned at all. It does not have to be a famous person, just a real one who existed at some point in Earth history. Does that help?

Then perhaps you change Sir. A. C. D's history and Sherlock Holmes never exists! Or maybe he's the villain and Moriarty becomes the hero because of some change in Doyle's timeline.

Thank you! I just thought it would be fun to offer something up to the next winner. I also want to respect the group and not commercialize it or use it heavily for self-promotion. Lots of great writing here and I'm just happy to be a small part of it.

Hi Paula, thank you so much! Now I'm worried I've set my personal bar too high. (gulp)

I would like, real, actual, flesh and blood people. Sherlock Holmes would not qualify since he did not exist, but Vlad the Impaler would. Does that help?

Thank you Heather. Since I'm new to the group, I hope it isn't a rehash for everyone. I have to admit when I saw I was in the first round finals, my mind started chewing on what I might do if I won. Still, it was hard. I think tropes ended up being easier!

Comment thread created as well for June.

Addition for June's competition:

With the group's permission, I would like to gift a copy of my sci-fi novellas (part I and part II) to the winner. If you are in the U.S., I can gift it to you through Amazon. Otherwise I can send PDF's to those abroad.

Science Fiction Microstory Contest (June 2016)
** COMMENTS ONLY**
The theme for the month follows this note from the competition's Creator/Director, Jot Russell:

To help polish our skills and present a flavour of our art to other members in the group, I am continuing this friendly contest for those who would like to participate. There is no money involved, but there is also no telling what a little recognition and respect might generate. The rules are simple:

1) The story needs to be your own work and should be posted on the Good Reads Discussion board, which is a public group. You maintain responsibility and ownership of your work to do with as you please. You may withdraw your story at any time.

2) The stories must be 750 words or less.

3) The stories have to be science fiction, follow a specific theme and potentially include reference to items as requested by the prior month's contest winner. The theme for this month is posted below.

4) You have until midnight EST on the 22nd day of the month to post your story to the Good Reads Science Fiction Microstory Contest discussion. One story per author per month.

5) After, anyone from the LI Sci-Fi group or the GR Science Fiction Microstory Discussion group has until midnight EST of the 25th day of the month to cast a single private vote to Jot Russell () for a story other than their own. This vote will be made public once voting is closed. Voting is required. If you do not vote, your story will be disqualified from the contest. You don't need a qualifying story to cast a vote, but must offer the reason for your vote if you don’t have an entry.

6) To win, a story needs at least half of the votes, or be the only one left after excluding those with the fewest votes. Runoffs will be run each day until a winner is declared. Stories with vote totals that add up to at least half, discarding those with the fewest votes, will be carried forward to the next runoff election. Prior votes will be carried forward to support runoff stories. If you voted for a story that did not make it into the runoff, you need to vote again before midnight EST of that day. Only people who voted in the initial round may vote in the runoffs.

7) Please have all posts abide by the rules of Good Reads and the LI Sci-Fi group.

8) Professional comments and constructive criticisms are appreciated by any member in either group and should be posted to the separate thread that will be posted at the end of the month and all voting is complete to avoid any influence on the voting. Feel free to describe elements that you do and don't like, as these help us gain a better perspective of our potential readers. Remarks deemed inflammatory or derogatory will be flagged and/ or removed by the moderator.

9) The winner has THREE days after the start of the new month to make a copy of these rules and post a new contest thread using the theme/items of their choosing. Otherwise, the originator of the contest, Jot Russell, will post a new contest thread.
______________________________

*Theme for the June 2016 contest:

Theme: Alternate history (From any time period you prefer on Earth, excluding time machines, time travel or alien intervention)

Required Elements: A discrete historical figure (Abraham Lincoln, Cleopatra, Frank Sinatra, whomever – but it must be a real person), a thunderstorm (literal or figurative), and terror/panic

Not yet. Was trying to figure out how to get June to pop to the top of the list. But I'll go ahead and do that now.

All,

I have posted the June theme and elements, but the conversation thread does not appear at the top of the group's main comment area where the other month's links are. You have to search for it in the whole list of conversations.

Jot, do I need to do something differently?

Since this is the first time I've put these out there, if I've done it incorrectly, please let me know.

Thanks, and good luck!

Addition for June's competition:

With the group's permission, I would like to gift a copy of my sci-fi novellas (part I and part II) to the winner. If you are in the U.S., I can gift it to you through Amazon. Otherwise I can send PDF's to those abroad.