The 2015-2016 Sekrit Solstice Sci-Fi/Fantasy Story Swap

Cliff Face said:

Because pure chlorine gas is just marvelous? Not a day goes by that I don't spread it on my toast, stir it into my coffee, and spray it on my windows. Mmhmm.

And why yes, I *am* procrastinating! Why do you ask?

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Yep yep, can't think "chlorine" without thinking "edible!"

Plus, it makes for a great hair-styling gel.

For a painful while I wasn't sure I was going to get anything done for this year! But I WILL have something. It's not going to be the 10K my recipient last year got, and I'm feeling guilty for that. Also feeling guilty because I'm not sure this story is any good! The prompt is good but I feel that I'm failing to execute it with any flair or panache or interest or skill....

shortstorymachinist said:

Break time, seeing as I am cross-eyed from research for my SSSFFSS story. For the past three hours I've been slowly sliding farther and farther down a new tab/Wikipedia hole. Now I'm researching how to make pure chlorine gas and I can't remember why.

Time for lunch.

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I belive Bleach and Amonia will get you the results you seek...though you can also use those chlorine tablets that they have for pools...just remember to avoid the heavy drifting cloud of gas....

On a side note, just a day away before my self imposed writing spree...gotta pick up the liquid cocaine....err...energy drinks...today after work. With an average of 3,000-4,000 words per hour, I'm looking at 12 hours of writing to be finished...so between Fri-Sun...I think I can do this! (also, I keep forgetting who I'm writing for...mind you, I'm sticking to the prompt, just forget who the prompt is from at times )

Glyax said:

I belive Bleach and Amonia will get you the results you seek...though you can also use those chlorine tablets that they have for pools...just remember to avoid the heavy drifting cloud of gas....

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It's going to be needlessly complex thanks to story elements. I think I'm going with salt water electrolysis.

shortstorymachinist said:

It's going to be needlessly complex thanks to story elements. I think I'm going with salt water electrolysis.

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Hmm, I suppose that works... you could also come up with other crafty destructive things, pure cesium explodes on contact with water, potassium burns with a purple flame when introduced to water.... you could also chase down a certain snake species that has venom which breaks down your blood more making it flow out of your body like water....oh, and....nvm...I think I should stop...I blame netflix and free time

All I really want is a squirrel. If your words form the shape of a squirrel, that's cool by me. (I think I need a picture with WINKS and SQUIRREL! For reasons. Yes yes.)

And if you are contemplating killing said squirrel with chlorine gas *eyes storymachinist suspiciously* well, you better make it EPIC. Like Henry V epic.

(I'm kidding, giftee. As long as you make me laugh at some point in the story, we're cool. Or distract me with a squirrel. )

Speaking of squirrels, I'm snorting to myself after FINALLY having my characters start talking to me again for this story. *eyes calendar* I got time. Yeah...


...yeah...


*edges back out of thread, chasing after a sparkly squirrel*

tiddlywinks said:

And if you are contemplating killing said squirrel with chlorine gas *eyes storymachinist suspiciously* well, you better make it EPIC. Like Henry V epic.

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Now THAT would be a short story for the ages. The Epic of King Hazelnut V.

Best line. Right there.

Now, if you can just make a St. Crispin's Day speech out of that...

tiddlywinks said:

Best line. Right there.

Now, if you can just make a St. Crispin's Day speech out of that...

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I did it. It sounds like a speech out of a Redwall book.

I was supposed to wake up and finish my short this morning. It's currently a 8.6k. I'm thinking it's going to get to somewhere between 10 and 11k. It also means it's officially longer than the one from last year. Hopefully i finish it sometime next week.

shortstorymachinist said:

I did it. It sounds like a speech out of a Redwall book.

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... I'd read that.

I was on track for some sold weekend writing and then family announced they'd come over sometime this weekend, which has morphed by the end of the day to 'staying the full weekend'. Maaay have to adjust my writing schedule. A lot. We'll see how it goes. I refuse to have nothing written by Monday.

I'm going to spend some time writerating because DEADLINES and while I have a good setup going, I need to get the actual story, so I took a long weekend because my birthday is on Monday. I'm currently sitting at local artisan ice cream/pizza/coffee shop having lunch and I'm going to write a few words.

I am determined to embiggen this tiny splat of a story ('cause guilt and shame are serious motivators).

As it stands (at under 1,000 words), it reads as though it has an MC (revolutionary concept, right??), but that wasn't my initial intention.

Not sure what to do — pare it back to the bare bones and re-write, or accept the fact that this pushy bastard took over my story and try to compromise with him... and he doesn't seem to be the compromising type.

I did write more on mine this week. Good old fashioned pen and paper. This might be a more complex story than I at first thought.

Nothing wrong with flash if that's what you've written. You don't need to make it bigger just because; only lengthen it if the story needs lengthening.

Mine is longish atm (6.7k) but I think it ambles too much and actually could use some trimming. Waiting to hear back from some betas on that though. I'm a terrible judge of my own work.

I haven't quite reached 1K yet (guesstimate) but it's about halfway through. I decided to indulge in a bit of ponderation... I think it'll be under 2K. And if my stupid scanner/camera worked it would have pictures!!

I managed about 700 or so words earlier today which was a nice change of pace compared to the nothing I had been doing. More tomorrow. Being creative felt very refreshing.

I kept stalling out worrying about word choice rather than moving the story forward, so I turned to Write or Die, and it was actually very helpful in forcing me over the hump. I don't know how much of it will be usable for the final version, but at least I'm making progress, which is good because I originally intended to write a short story, and instead this is turning into something with chapters. I honestly have no idea how long it will be when it's done, so I need to hurry or I'll never make the deadline.

^ I just write, when I edit word choice etc gets addressed, but the important part is getting the story and ideas on the paper...pretty comes later haha

Fiddle sticks. TOO MUCH STAGE DIRECTION!

That's what happens when I try to write snippets and scenes out of order then assemble them into a coherent story.

<sigh> Back to slashing and burning. And back to under 1,000 words until I can figure out how to add lean muscle mass instead of doughy fat and water weight.........

I have words! 2500 of them. By estimation there's enough story for another 7000, don't know if that's feasible in the time span. May just decide to go for the main scene which should stand on its own but fits the prompt not as well as all four scenes. We'll see.

For now, I have words!

Most of them are crap, mind, and there will be flailing before all is over. Oh yes.

But they're the first words I've written in a year and I love you all. (I also may need to cut back on the mead a little this late at night.)