Science Fiction Microstory Contest discussion
*APRIL 2016 MICRO STORY CONTEST - COMMENTS ONLY
Justin wrote: "John wrote: "Justin wrote: "Hi all,I'm new to posting stories in the monthly competition, but I've watched from the sidelines and finally decided to jump in. What a great challenge to write an in..."
I love the variety of ideas. It´s so stimulating. :-)
John write: "Justin wrote: "John wrote: "Justin wrote: ... "Hi all,lol lol ha ha lol lol de da
I love the 'whatever it's called' - almost like 'an innocence ... of perspective?' - that you two bring to this group. It's refreshing. :-) ... and quite mesmerizing, almost musical, when you say it: "Justin wrote: "John wrote: "Justin wrote: ... "Hi all,
Paula wrote: "Thank you, Justin.And I agree with Heather's characterization, here, of the group as a wide and variegated beach and pool, all open to you to explore and try and learn in from the rest.
Also, qui..."
Heather and Paula,
I agree completely. I entered this month just for the challenge of writing a short story with the designated themes. I really like the sci-fi compendiums of Clarke and Asimov and want to build up a collection of my own to create something similar. I love the golden age of sci-fi from the 40's and 50's where computers were all giant mainframes called MULTIVAC and everything revolved around nuclear power. (A huge generalization I know) Their stories are futuristic without bogging down in the technical details of how things work and let characters drive the story. What impresses me about everyone's work in this set is that they all feel very esoteric/stream-of-consciousness in their construction. And I mean that as a compliment to everyone because it is such a very different style than I am used to.
Justin,It's always nice to have more stories to read! Every month, this group turns out some of the best and I look forward to reading yours. Its definitely load of fun! Welcome to the club!
Chris wrote: "Justin,It's always nice to have more stories to read! Every month, this group turns out some of the best and I look forward to reading yours. Its definitely load of fun! Welcome to the club!"
Thanks Chris! Much appreciated!
If anyone is interested: the story I wrote for this month that was too long has been published in Futura Magazine here:https://medium.com/short-sci-fi-stori...
Thanks for sharing, Jack. I'm glad to have found this group again; I've missed it. Thanks to all who participated. My story's up, BTW.
Tom wrote: "Thanks for sharing, Jack. I'm glad to have found this group again; I've missed it. Thanks to all who participated. My story's up, BTW."I´ll have to check out your story then.
nice choice, Andy ... and nice combination of a couple of dimensions of storytelling: written and sung.
Actually, I didn't realize that he and Salman Rushdie had had a falling out over remarks Cat Stevens (in his Yusuf Islam guise) made about the fatwah on Rushdie. Very sad for two great story tellers - or two tellers of great stories, at least - to come to that ... even though the following words from them prove that they can both express themselves beautifully, to say essentially the same (beautiful) thing:"In the experience of art, time seems not to exist." - Salman Rushdie
"Everything emptying into white." - Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam
Andy wrote: "Story posted now.Some background music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga8yo..."
Andy! I love how you combined religion and sci-fi! Great story!
In case anyone missed it on the anthology logistics thread, please note--the deadline for sending your 2015 contest story/ies (up to 3 plus any of yours that won one of the monthly contests) IS EXTENDED to April 30. See Sharon's posts on the Anthology Logistics thread for the details.
Thanks, Justin!And thanks Heather!
Now to read the stories from everyone - looking forward to that, especially after the recommendations I've seen in the comments above.
I haven't read any of the last 70 posts- on anthology- I don't get notifications- and I haven't got a spare day to catch up. Base line- what is the word limit? What is the rule on previous/intended publishing? How many stories does each author actually get published?
Baseline--words max is 750/story; 3 stories/author, all from the 2015 monthly contests (can have slight changes, but the 750 words max is firm. I bet you can look through the 2 or 3 pages of postings in the Anthology and Anthology [some word] ONLY threads and find the two posts (only), both by Sharon, that give the specifics of formatting, deadlines, etc., a hell of a lot faster than I can go back and find them for you, and then cut and paste them here for you, Richard---and others who may be worried about finding those posts. They're longer than most other posts on the thread and they're separated by only one or two post/s between them, and they're by Sharon. I bet you'll find them swiftly!
Good luck. Remember, you have 10 days still--to April 30--to get them in. You have some good stories there and we want them in so we can read them!!!
Richard - it seems the way notifications work is to let you know about the next post after you visit the discussion, but not the next next one (etc) until you visit the discussion again.And there's a couple of tick boxes under the comment box that seem to need ticking.
And if you hover over the little bell top right of the page, that lists recent updates on threads you've visited etc.
That 'some word' was (Anthology)
Logistics
, Paula and Richard and is at this linkhttps://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...Most of the info you want Richard is in message 3 there - posted by Sharon where she gives the formatting requirements etc.
And most of that thread stayed pretty much on track till the last few posts there, so the information is not too hard to find.
You asked about prior and intended publishing requirements. I asked that ages ago - on the Anthology thread I think it was ... and (without going back to find it now) from memory, Sharon said "the story for submission for inclusion in the 2015 Anthology mustn't have already have been published" or words to that affect (except on the contest GR or LI pages of course ... I think.)
And I think Sharon said that re intention to publish it elsewhere later "best to wait till we see the actual contract as its 'complicated.'" (or words to that effect) I specifically wanted to know that too.
But Sharon also says on the first one or two messages of the that Anthology Logistics thread that you can email her if unsure of anything and her email address is there in those first couple of messages on that thread.
And the number of stories you can post is "up to 3" - I think. Maybe that has changed if there aren't enough people submitting stories. I don't know. (I think the winners of monthly contests can submit extra stories.) But that should also be somewhere in the top few posts of that thread linkhttps://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Thanks Heather- I won't be submitting any stories then- because I don't understand the logic of winners having extra stories- that associates 'best of' with their work, which on a vote of 25 people is hopelessly meaningless. Best to all who take part, and as always I'll do what I can to help with sales. And my reason isn't because I have no winners, though one is free to think there own thoughts- It really is simply a matter of principle.
That's a shame Richard, I would have liked to have seen your work in the Anthology. (BTW, your story this month is a great read.)I agree with you re 'the winning story' myth. I also think it's crazy to afford greater respect to stories whose "best story" status is earned via such a vote. The contest idea is an admirable vehicle to focus effort and attention to actually keep up the CREATIVE habit of writing and learning ... but the 'status of winner' practice is a nod to a CONSERVATIVE education model's (in any country) notion of 'success.'
I respect you for taking the stand against it (or against your interpretation of what it means) that is on taking a stand on this important principle.
However, I do think that it comes down to where is the most good (for creativity) done? Is it In taking an unwaivering stand OR is it in submitting one's own kind of work (warts and all, in my case anyway, as I know my work has a lot of improving to do, though I like my stories' originality and energy and 'message' enough to still submit them ... and in fact have only submitted two out of my 'allowance of 3' because those were the only two of mine I thought met my energy + originality + message criteria.)
This is a crazy and exhausting world sometimes/in some 'places' (family being one of the craziest and most unfathomable and often tragic, and, other 'structured places' such as anything-online being less so and the least crazy of all is 'animals') and how one stands by one's principles without being counter-productively rigid, in the crazy situations, is not an easy call, I find.
Well, Heather and Richard, I agree with you in principle re the "winning" story, but note that we did get agreement this year that te only differential would be the inclusion of the "winning" stories as well as the authors' choice of 3 stories each; last year, you'll recall, for some reason those having a winning story had twice as many stories as did others in the anthology, which was absurd. I suppose we could ask persons with a "winning" story to include it *rather than* one of his/her other stories, but then what happens for those who don't even like their winning story but prefer, rather, the nonwinning story it would have to replace?lol! Listen, Richard, you're quite right but why not include at least one of your pieces anyhow? A couple of them are among the very best last year!
@ Paula, you said we did get agreement this year that te only differential would be the inclusion of the "winning" stories as well as the authors' choice of 3 stories each ... I suppose we could ask persons with a "winning" story to include it *rather than* one of his/her other stories, but then what happens for those who don't even like their winning story but prefer, rather, the nonwinning story it would have to replace?
I didn't realize that, that it was effectively mandatory for authors of winning stories to include their 'winner' regardless of whether or not they like it!! Now that is C.R.A.Z.Y. !! Really if 'creatives' actually voted for that to be the case then all I can say that that is the creative world's version of the Stockholm syndrome where someone barracks for that which harms them. How can an artist not in the grip of such madness vote for such a mandated hijacking of control over their own creative preference?? Wow! Good on Richard for calling out such 'wrongness!'
Stockholm syndrome, or capture-bonding, is a psychological phenomenon first described in 1973 in which hostages express empathy and sympathy and have positive feelings toward their captors, sometimes to the point of defending and identifying with the captors*.
*their captors (here) being the way standard education teaches us/tries to teach us to be obsessed with a codified definition of creative worth ... such as a 'winning vote' that pervades all. (It wouldn't be madness if 'the vote' stayed where it belongs: in the contest! It is madness when it pervades out into false generalizations eg 'places' where it shouldn't be: like the anthology!)
I think this line of discussion would be better over on the anthology thread - or we risk losing the interest of our new members and others not involved in the anthology?i.e. let's stick to this month's contest here :-)
Aha - a welcome return, Andy. Another one who can't keep away :-)
Judging is going to be hard this month.
Good to see you back, Andy. Two great stories from Messrs Lake and Gurcak. :-)
Agree that the flow of rubbish turns people off looking at all- I'm a classic case- both for writing too often and for not reading others' contributions. Only getting one reminder of a running discussion is a real pain- Either one religiously clicks to read every comment or the thread is forgotten- at least by me. So sorry Andy for not keeping this thread pure to whatever it is- but was my comment any worse than the average contribution here?
Shit- was it really that bad?
I thought the 'being warned off this thread' was directed at me more than you, Richard ... since I picked up the baton and ran with it.The trouble is there is no thread to express the view you expressed (because The Anthology thread is more about pragmatic matters than about taking an 'on principle' stand.)
But you were right! An anthology shouldn't come with a pre-determined stance on which are 'winning stories.' That should be entirely up to the reader - who "is not involved in" the anthology's history.
As it stands what is being called 'the Anthology' is in reality more a 'compendium' or 'documentary' on the monthly contest! It's simply a fact, but apologies all the same to 'the newcomers' or otherwise-innocent who are apparently now fainting and being 'put off' by a different point of view being expressed ... and responded to.
Thanks, JJ!Jeremy - indeed, some meaty and interesting stories.
I think the parameters have been very stimulating as well as a little challenging.
Getting the smell/scent/stink in is a good prompt for adding in sensory description, not only visual, so good for developing technique.
Richard's interior monologue which yet depends on external stimuli, particularly smell, is very well done in this sense, making the difficult requirement central to the story. And most have added sensory description in a way that adds impact to the stories.
Thank you, JJ. I was definitely intrigued by the Time theme, and as Andy said, the smell element does shove one into the sensory realm.
Here are some fantastic examples of Call and Response. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxg4A...
and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiiA5...
and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsI8p...
I can see that Richard and I - by CALLING OUT certain issues have elicited a RESPONSE. And it is intriguing and hilarious. One could even go so far as to perceive that 'the responders' have, by that process, 'found religion' (albeit of the wrong sort, ie the sort that reveres voted-for, or otherwise-learnt, rules to such an extreme that lateral thinking becomes 'that which needs to be shunned.'
eg
Andy G said
Thank you, JJ. stop. (this is the CALL)
I was definitely intrigued by the Time theme, stop (this was the RESPONSE)
and
as Andy said, stop (this was the next CALL)
the smell element does shove one into the sensory realm. stop. (that was the next RESPONSE)
What I am "definitely intrigued by" is the amazing patterns people fall into EVEN When they are trying to be SO serious and rule-abiding cyber citizens! It is hilarious. And it is intriguing.
Richard and I simply CALLED out something about the nature of creative endeavour and 'some here' have RESPONDED with a strong denial of the role of lateral thinking in any creative process - including ... apparently ANY straying a little from 'keeping a straight path' (which IF anyone cares to look back through the threads, here and on LI you will see that 'meandering' is and always has been part of the process of arriving at a creative outcome!)
I don't buy for one second that it is about protecting the sensibilities of newcomers. Their sensibilities if they are authors must include making room for lateral thinking and difference (and ... cover your ears The Sensitive among us) calling out for a principle!!? ... as Richard did and I supported.)
and for those who prefer 'the road less definitely intriguing than ever so polite banalities about topics and themes, here's a much better school https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFWRc... and believe me I'm not having a shot at anyone either. I am merely appalled at the lack of creative latitude that is sometimes extended when anyone dares step outside one particular school of thought.
As someone incapable of lateral or creative thinking, I'd prefer to carry on with polite and banal comments about the stories and how we write them, if that's not too inauthentic of me ...?Actually, any comments, they don't have to be polite ... :-)
I have been sick with the flu, so recently I do not give a double F about anything.
Well, exactly.Though I'm a bit lost everywhere, to tell the truth
@Greg - good story.I hope the Cessna is registered to fly ... can be an issue these days :-|
Andy wrote: "@Greg - good story.I hope the Cessna is registered to fly ... can be an issue these days :-|"
I agree with Andy. Great story Greg, loved the story and the little twist at the end.
...feel better, but keep dreaming to fuel stories like these latest ones, Marianne!I've just completed a first read of the stories so far and have to say I agree with Paula about there being a book's worth of great stories and ideas. Some literary tours de force here, with great ideas and great writing swirling around them.
Some quite ingenious takes on time, whiteness and smell in many of the stories. Very nice presentations overall.
As a first-time contributor, I am blown away by the high quality of writing here and the interesting conversations. I liked all of the stories and had a hard time choosing. Ultimately I did. Best to everyone and thanks for the opportunity to participate.Do any of you have published SCI-FI works on Amazon? I would like to check them out and pick them up. Are there other anthologies from this group to read as well?
At the risk of appearing to ask only to promote my own work (a whopping two novellas), I would like to respectfully offer up my Cerulean Rising series for your consideration. They are only available digitally on Amazon.
Thank you for letting me share.
Best to all and really outstanding writing from everyone.
I don't think so, Richard - and I'm counting on time zones to get my story done and posted before Jot wakes up ...
Hope you make it Dorthe- I'll meditate to slow the clock- I'll meditate that I'm waiting for a bus- that's the slowest time I know.
Thanks, Richard - I think it worked :o) Have any of those Einsteinian quantum physics blokes ever checked the gravity field around a bus stop, one wonders? Something has to slow down the time in those spots.
Story is up now, in any case.
Dorthe wrote: "Thanks, Richard - I think it worked :o) Have any of those Einsteinian quantum physics blokes ever checked the gravity field around a bus stop, one wonders? Something has to slow down the time in t..."
Hej Dorthe,
Your story is really good. I enjoyed it.
John
And I agree with Heather's characterization, here, of the group as a wide and variegated beach and pool, all open to you to explore and try and learn in from the rest.
Also, quite frankly the stories so far in this month's batch are, on the whole, probably the most powerful, moving, and/or well written we've had in quite some time--maybe in any of the contests. The thing is to joy in this, for the stories and for one another, rather than to judge or focus only on one's own tale, let alone in "ranking" the stories against each other. There are at least four this month entirely pro by most any publication standards. (imho)
Welcome, Justin!