Science Fiction Microstory Contest discussion
***APRIL 2022 SCIENCE FICTION MICROSTORY CONTEST (Comments Only)***
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The first one in this time. I had an immediate thought germinated by the April requirement and went with it. I was in the middle of writing a response to a paper on the multiverse interpretation of QM which I think is BS. (The simulation theory works better and doesn't break any conservation principles.)
However, the multiverse is great fun in science fiction.
Mod
Mod
Hi Jot, Yes, also the first time being first. Regarding QM, my response was just a comment on a paper, not a paper.
Great stories so far everyone. It's always amazing to me how many different directions these ideas go.Also wanted to share I'm currently working on my latest audiobook, called "Treaty of War", through Amazon's ACX platform. It will be my longest audiobook yet at 8.8 hours. It's a Tom Clancy-esque spy thriller, so that's why it interested me.
I hope everyone is doing well!
Justin wrote: "Great stories so far everyone. It's always amazing to me how many different directions these ideas go.Also wanted to share I'm currently working on my latest audiobook, called "Treaty of War", th..."
Congratulations, and best of luck, Justin.
I'm quite interested in the whole audiobook thing, Justin, as my sister has never finished reading my novel because she prefers audiobooks while driving. (Her husband finally read it in two days after I sent him an ebook version. He loved it, much to his surprise, and even spoke like the characters for a week afterward.) So I'm wondering if there's a website where we can hear samples of your work.
Posted one. Bit of a shaggy dog story. Sorry!
Tom wrote: "Justin wrote: "Great stories so far everyone. It's always amazing to me how many different directions these ideas go.Also wanted to share I'm currently working on my latest audiobook, called "Tre..."
Thanks Tom, much appreciated!! Still have to get my story in!
J.F. wrote: "I'm quite interested in the whole audiobook thing, Justin, as my sister has never finished reading my novel because she prefers audiobooks while driving. (Her husband finally read it in two days af..."Hi J.F.!
There are a couple places you can hear my audio samples. I'll point you to my Soundcloud page first:
https://soundcloud.com/user-368674090...
This includes all my ACX and studio work (had a streak of medical booklets as you can see). I had the privilege of narrating one of Jack McDaniel's books (Purple Hearted Man).
My website justinsewall.com has most of the same samples, but I need to update my site to include some of my newest work.
Additionally, here are some videos I have narrated for one of my ACX book clients (this is an ongoing project). I did not do the video, just the narration:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhNFC...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=013an...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rAGR...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0d7N...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LI4EH...
Please tell me the title of your book so I can look it up. If I can answer any questions about audiobooks, just let me know!
Thanks J.F.!
Justin, I listened to a few of the videos and you have quite a good narrating voice, like PBS-level. The title of my book is The Brickweavers. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
It has quite a few phonetic challenges. For example the fictional city of "Thujwa", whose citizens are the "Thujwani", who worship the god "Thujwun." I had written the entire novel before I decided how to pronounce those words after running them through Word's text-to-speech option, which sounded right: THOOGE-wah.
Thanks J.F.! Hopefully PBS does not equal boring! :) I've picked up your book for my Kindle and will dig into it. The premise is intriguing.Thanks again, much appreciated!
JSS
Mod
J.F. wrote: "Justin, I listened to a few of the videos and you have quite a good narrating voice, like PBS-level. By "PBS-level" I mean well-modulated, not overly dramatic but not a monotone.
J.F. wrote: "J.F. wrote: "Justin, I listened to a few of the videos and you have quite a good narrating voice, like PBS-level. By "PBS-level" I mean well-modulated, not overly dramatic but not a monotone."
Thanks J.F.! Just read chapter 1 of your book. Great world building!
Got one in an hour ago--just under the wire. Enjoy, I hope.Some fine stories in, this time.
Paula wrote: "Got one in an hour ago--just under the wire. Enjoy, I hope.Some fine stories in, this time."
Your story was melancholy and beautiful, Paula.
Justin wrote: "Outstanding as always Paula! :)"Thank you so much, Justin!!!
By the way, I agree with J.F.--your voice is superb. What wonderful work to be so fine at!
Jeremy wrote: "Posted one. Bit of a shaggy dog story. Sorry!"An excellent piece!
Jot's rules are simple:
1) The story needs to be your own work and should be posted on the goodreads (GR) 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 speculative fiction, follow a specific theme and potentially include reference to items as requested by the prior month's contest winner. (This change is mine, because I want to mix it up a little. Speculative fiction can be anything in the genre, from space ships to dragon riders.)
4) You have until midnight EST on the 22nd day of the month to post your story to the GR 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 send me a single private vote (via GR or to author.jotrussell@gmail.com) for a story other than their own. This vote will be made public once voting is closed. Voting, and reading each story before 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 you 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 GR and the LI Sci-Fi group.
8) For each month, there will be three discussion threads:
a) Stories - For the stories and the contest results only.
b) Comments - For discussions about the stories and contest. Constructive criticism is okay, but please avoid any spoilers about the stories or degrading comments directed towards any individuals. If you want to suggest a change to the contest, feel free to start a discussion about the idea before making a formal motion. If another member seconds a motion, a vote can be held. I will abstain from voting, but will require a strong two-thirds majority to override my veto.
c) Critiques - Each member can provide at most one critique per story, with a single rebuttal by the author to thank the critic and/or comment to offer the readers the mind set of the story to account for issues raised by the critique. Critiques should be of a professional and constructive manner. 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, I will post the new contest threads.
Jot Russell
Contest Creator/Director
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APRIL'S THEME:
Mimicry.
An artist painting nature. An alien disguised as a human. A butterfly with eye spots like a hawk. A mime silently staging tragedy.
REQUIRED ELEMENTS:
An emotion, either strong or subtle.