The 2017-2018 Sekrit Solstice Sci-Fi Fantasy Story Swap

Sounds like almost everyone has their stories in and those that haven't are almost pushing the button to send. Fabulous!!

I'm so looking forward to tomorrow - can't wait. I do hope my giftee likes what I've done for them - I stuck to the prompt..... I think.....

Over 100 stories is quite an incredible achievement! Sounds like a number of people went with the 'write more stories' ambition that was tossed around in December. I had a couple of extra stories I had wanted to write, but I just couldn't manage it on time. I may write them as the year progresses and send them directly to the prompter, though.

Very much looking forward to getting my story when I wake up tomorrow.

Sue77 said:

I do hope my giftee likes what I've done for them - I stuck to the prompt..... I think.....

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Wait, wait, wait.

There was a prompt??

Oh, crap.

Lillian_Blaire said:

Wait, wait, wait.

There was a prompt??

Oh, crap.

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Doesn't matter if you stuck to the prompt or not, your giftee with LOVE the story you wrote just for them. Prompts are just... guidelines.

*takes deep breathes*

Okay, yeah. You're right. I don't care if the author of my story used my prompt or went completely off on some tangent. I almost don't remember what my prompt was. Whatever I get, I'll love, I know. So I'll try not to stress.

Definitely don't stress. It'll all be fine and awesome.

No email from Cobra. Do I need to resend?

Richard White said:

No email from Cobra. Do I need to resend?

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Yeah, you might want to. He said he was caught up.

The Good: My Sisyphus characters have come to life and are being obnoxious in my head.


The Bad: None of this is story worthy.


The Ugly: The deadline is TONIGHT. No, I didn't procrastinate. I really have been pecking away at this damn story ever since Prompt Day. My mind and body simply called in DEAD because I've been really sick and burnt out what with chronic health issues 'n' general shitty crap. That's why I've been so unusually silent on this thread, where in the past I've been a pretty active participant in the insanity. I used up all my spoons these past few months to shower and eat. I still feel the silent judgment of the Sisyphants.


I'm sorry giftee. :-|

BUT!

You should know that EVERY SINGLE YEAR I've done this challenge, for various COMPLETELY DIFFERENT AND TOTALLY VALID AND BEYOND MY CONTROL REASONS THAT I COULD PROBABLY WRITE A BOOK ABOUT OKAY, SERIOUSLY, I've always been a last-minute down-to-the-wire Sisyphant.

My fingers are typing away. I can't guarantee that it will fit the prompt (it ran away from me, okay), but you WILL get SOMETHING tomorrow because BY HELLFIRE AND STORMSHADOW, I Do Not Want To Be That Guy.

Also, thanks a lot giftee. Your prompt gosh darned Big Banged and exploded into a novel idea. (No sarcasm - I really am a novel writer rather than a short story writer, so I'm very pleased about this!) I have no idea how long the actual story you get tomorrow will be, but if you want, to make up for its current shittiness, you can have the first crack at the novel when I do eventually write it!

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ION - I haven't had a chance to catch up on this thread, but I know this worry comes up every single year, so I'll say this again--

I don't care what I get. I don't care how far off the prompt you went*, dear gifter. I'm just pleased as punch that somebody actually took the time out to write a story for ME! You are GREAT for VOLUNTEERING to DO THIS SHIZZ!

Therefore, know this: I am going to absolutely love whatever I get, and will probably be raving about it somewhere spoiler-free as soon as your beauteous bodacious text burns through my eyeballs and into my brain.

No stressesesesseeses, okay?

* Seriously. I literally CAN'T, because I've forgotten what my prompt even was. No! Don't remind me! And I'm not going to go look! Not until AFTER I've read my gift! >:-D

I can't wait. Loved the story I received last year.

First one sent 3/16/2018 6:03pm

Resend 3/19/2018 7:27pm

Let's see if it goes through this time.

I didn't get a bounce back on the first one, so I'm a tad concerned.

I'm still working on edits/rewrites but I'm on track to finish - I have my marked-up copy all the way through and actual edits approaching 2/3rds through. I will get this to Cobra before bed (in the same time zone as him) even if I have to break out extra tea.

...my overall word count might be up by at lest 2k with the additions I made so this has officially crossed into the novelette zone.

Mary Love said:

After the guessing game is done, I'm thinking we need an online album to show off our covers on. Does anyone know of a website that would host our covers (if multiple people wanted to upload to an album), or something like that?

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Hmm. There's gotta be a way to do that. After the poop finishes hitting the fan at work this week, I'll see if I have time to look into this on Friday?

Sage said:

I got back to work and got treated to a doom-and-gloom lecture about my new position (that I was already nervous about), so I'm enjoying all the celebrating going on in here.

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So sorry to hear, Sage! *hugs*

I also just got side-swiped by some major stuff at work that is cray-cray (and I'm not talking the battery mod). Not me. But...*bites nails* *whispers: "Poop, meet fan tomorrow"*

So I can tell you all I am ALL KINDS OF EXCITED to read my story, to get away from the insanity that will likely be occurring at work.

paddismac said:

<sigh> I hate my excerpt and can't imagine it will entice anyone to want to read my story...

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Entice people to read?

Er, well, I picked something so as not to get guessed IN THE FIRST HOUR again *glares at a certain Alien and Dammy the Master of ferreting me out* And that's all I'm saying for now.

tjwriter said:

I'll be coming hot like space junk burning through the atmosphere tonight, CM.

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I would so read a story that came in "hot like space junk". That is awesome. Will there be burn marks on the pages?


Seriously, best description ever, tj. You got this!!!!

CobraMisfit said:

To be fair, not all of the extra stories will be in the Guessing Thread. Many of those are specifically for individual readers.

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How does that work? Author's choice whether to include or not?

heh-heh. My excerpt wasn't chosen to be enticin'. It was chosen for several nefarious reasons.

tiddlywinks said:

I would so read a story that came in "hot like space junk". That is awesome. Will there be burn marks on the pages?


Seriously, best description ever, tj. You got this!!!!

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D'aawwww. Thanks. Working furiously over here. At least there is an idea in my head now. It's just getting it down.

I dunno if I put as much thought into my excerpt as everyone else. I just picked the first segment that wasn't a complete flaming pit of suck. No idea if it's loaded with enough shibboleths for it to be pinned on me immediately or not. Is my writing style identifiable? Maybe on the forums, in a teeth-itching way, but I'm not sure if that translates into having a distinct 'authorly' voice.

This binge writing episode is brought to you by Redbull, the Pandora Film Scores station, and the tears of my enemies.

Also, youngest kidlet has now popped a fever. Luckily, he is being carted off to my parents since there's no way he can go to school tomorrow. Thank goodness for support networks.

Were we really supposed to choose an excerpt carefully? I think I've only ever sent in the opening. But of course, I might just be saying that to throw you expert guessers off (I'm absolutely NOT saying that to throw you expert guessers off).

Weel, Cobra sed:

Also, please make sure to include a 200-400 word section pasted directly into the e-mail that you feel best represents your tale of wonders.

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Which, of course, leads ineluctably to my doing the opposite.

I tried to pick an excerpt that was interesting, but didn't give too much away. I've got no idea if I have an authorly voice, so haven't a clue how to avoid revealing something I don't know if I have. (that make more sense in my head)

Aaaaaaaand since I wrote my post up above, shit just spiraled down into the toilet. I don't want to say what happened, but suffice it to say I am now enraged and super stressed out/anxious because I can't do anything about it until tomorrow.

Now I'm staring at the screen in a slow panic, because all my enthusiasm has been blocked.

I wish I could punch incompetence in the face and just get this shit resolved NOW so that I can get back to writing.

*rages*

I'm so sorry.

I've got some tells and may have talked about my project on various media streams so I tried to pick one that wasn't an immediate giveaway, but doubtful. Anxiety is telling me I'll wake up waaaay before I receive my story, but I'm excited to read whenever it gets here.