The 2019 Sequel Solstice Story Share: The Sequel!

Okay, last night's revisions were cancelled by weather (major storm moved through, threatening power), but hopefully I can make up for it today. Family plans are officially off, so I should have the day to myself until I need to start dinner.

Opening Word, cranking up the Expanse soundtrack (it's been helping me revise), and away we go...

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Aaand the danged thing's fighting me tooth and nail.

Again.

It should be a simple fix here. But the words aren't wording right.

Stopped for dinner and a little vegetating, and now I'm taking another run at it...

13,000. I'm thinking this is definitely going to be a TBC. I'm wondering if I should just write to a point and then spend the remaining time polishing it as best I can, or try to rush and get through as much of the story as possible. I want people to want to read it now, so I don't want to leave everyone with 9/10ths of a very rough draft. What about [Title of story] Episode 1, ending on a logical cliffhanger and at least somewhat edited? Just like last time, my brain took a one line prompt and barfed out a mid-length novella. Sorry in advance.

Albedo said:

13,000. I'm thinking this is definitely going to be a TBC. I'm wondering if I should just write to a point and then spend the remaining time polishing it as best I can, or try to rush and get through as much of the story as possible. I want people to want to read it now, so I don't want to leave everyone with 9/10ths of a very rough draft. What about [Title of story] Episode 1, ending on a logical cliffhanger and at least somewhat edited? Just like last time, my brain took a one line prompt and barfed out a mid-length novella. Sorry in advance.

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I'm definitely feeling less frantic picking a stopping point with my story. Still have to finish it at some point and that's annoying me, but I've found that more I try to get done, the further I am from the end.

So many novella clogging up my hard drive at this point.

Just a thought for those of you who write novellas....

I went to EdgeLit earlier this year and spoke with a number of publishers/editors. Novellas are increasing in popularity. Here's three publishers who are actively publishing novellas, although they don't have submission windows open just now:

Undertow Publications - https://undertowpublications.com/subs Michael Kelly publishes weird fiction and strange tales rather than outright horror. Stories in his Weird Tales anthologies incorporate the fantastic, psychological and sci-fi.

Sinister Horror Company - https://www.sinisterhorrorcompany.com/ Don't be put off by the Horror aspect, Justin Park also publishes Sci-fi and loves stories which combine elements such as Sci-fi, horror, fantasy in any combination. He has published a Sci-fi novella (I Dream of Mirrors) and (most recently) a comedic Sci-fi novel (Cannibal Nuns From Outer Space).

Hersham Horror Books - https://silenthater.wixsite.com/hersham-horror-books/books-primal-novella-range. Peter Mark May publishes mainly horror based stories, but these often include psychological and/or supernatural, uncanny elements.

The other one to keep an eye on is https://www.midnightstreetpress.com/ Trevor Denyer is a great guy who again, is very open to publishing stories which utilise other genres. His anthologies often include a novella.

I realise that each of these publishers leans towards horror (I am essentially a horror writer), but I do know they're open to more than just that genre.

I hope this is helpful!

Story #3 is finished. That makes:

• Story #1 (main prompt): 7359 words
• Story #2: 2192 words
• Story #3: 7715 words
• Total: 17,266 words

Might change a little after tweaks, but they should be all finished up and submitted soon enough.

Well, my story is gone, my laptop is ded, and I am not coping well with it all very much.

Laptop just went black, dark, no power, doesn't appear to be charging, can't make it even pretend like it wants to work, expensive paperweight level dead laptop. Aaaaand my story was on it. Aaaand I will not be able to afford a new one before the deadline to recover it from the HDD in the dead one. I am contemplating trying to write a flash fic from my phone, to be able to submit something, but I'm no micro story teller.

Justobuddies said:

Well, my story is gone, my laptop is ded, and I am not coping well with it all very much.

Laptop just went black, dark, no power, doesn't appear to be charging, can't make it even pretend like it wants to work, expensive paperweight level dead laptop. Aaaaand my story was on it. Aaaand I will not be able to afford a new one before the deadline to recover it from the HDD in the dead one. I am contemplating trying to write a flash fic from my phone, to be able to submit something, but I'm no micro story teller.

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Oooooooh noooooo *hugs*

That's terrible and so, so frustrating. Maybe rewrite 200 words for the guessing thread? And then submit the story itself later? Remember, Jay said Jello. *more hugs*

Justobuddies said:

Well, my story is gone, my laptop is ded, and I am not coping well with it all very much.

Laptop just went black, dark, no power, doesn't appear to be charging, can't make it even pretend like it wants to work, expensive paperweight level dead laptop. Aaaaand my story was on it. Aaaand I will not be able to afford a new one before the deadline to recover it from the HDD in the dead one. I am contemplating trying to write a flash fic from my phone, to be able to submit something, but I'm no micro story teller.

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That is terrible for you! So frustrating and upsetting.

I think what Coddi is suggesting is a fab idea and I'm more than happy to support it.

Justobuddies said:

Well, my story is gone, my laptop is ded, and I am not coping well with it all very much.

Laptop just went black, dark, no power, doesn't appear to be charging, can't make it even pretend like it wants to work, expensive paperweight level dead laptop. Aaaaand my story was on it. Aaaand I will not be able to afford a new one before the deadline to recover it from the HDD in the dead one. I am contemplating trying to write a flash fic from my phone, to be able to submit something, but I'm no micro story teller.

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Oh no!! Just on the off chance this might help: I had trouble with my laptop a couple of months back. The battery had been kaput for ages and wouldn't charge. I used the laptop on AC power with the battery still in. Suddenly it wouldn't turn on at all, just had the black screen. I had to remove the battery, reconnect to AC, and she ran again.

Mine may end up a tbc also. Its 12k and counting, and nowhere near finished. I'm gonna try and crank it out in time for the deadline, but life keeps getting I the way.

Justobuddies said:

Well, my story is gone, my laptop is ded, and I am not coping well with it all very much.

Laptop just went black, dark, no power, doesn't appear to be charging, can't make it even pretend like it wants to work, expensive paperweight level dead laptop. Aaaaand my story was on it. Aaaand I will not be able to afford a new one before the deadline to recover it from the HDD in the dead one. I am contemplating trying to write a flash fic from my phone, to be able to submit something, but I'm no micro story teller.

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Justobuddies, that is the suckiest thing ever.

Also, Alby and Taz look to be struggling, and KJB needs more time on his nth extra story.

Dare I ask… if another extension would solve some of these issues? I’ve been struggling to finish my edit (just a few more paragraphs to bash into shape), so I’m good. But if anyone else needs extra time I’m not opposed, and I’m pretty sure that lilyWhite and Coddi would jump at the opportunity to write six more stories each (maybe and maybe not laughing behind their hands / hoofs at the misfortune of others, and at least one of them having a good moan about her own self-inflicted tribulations).

Norman Mjadwesch said:

Also, Alby and Taz look to be struggling, and KJB needs more time on his nth extra story.

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TBH, I just turned what I have in. Over 30000 words totalz! W00t!

Sorry about the story, JustSo. We'll accept an interpretive dance/drunken rant as substitute.

I've fallen behind, but hope to catch up by Saturday. If not, I'll turn in what I got.

I support us all turning in interpretive dance numbers for credit.

Haha. Seriously but, I'm quite happy to turn in Part One this week if the consensus is for that, but an extension would be well used. (Just, no more than 1-2 weeks, or I'll still be writing this bloody thing when I come over to North America and will be hand delivering copies to everyone there.)

Albedo said:

I support us all turning in interpretive dance numbers for credit.

Haha. Seriously but, I'm quite happy to turn in Part One this week if the consensus is for that, but an extension would be well used. (Just, no more than 1-2 weeks, or I'll still be writing this bloody thing when I come over to North America and will be hand delivering copies to everyone there.)

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Ditto to all this.

I hate to turn in incomplete work, but I don't want everything held up on my account. Anyway, I'm going to be writing like mad the next few days (if only life doesn't interfere too terribly much - stuff around here keeps breaking), so there's still a chance I can complete a draft, at least.

Whelp.

New x-rays this morning. Turns out my tailbone is broken after all.

Sigh.

At least that explains why it's still so damn painful after two-and-a-half weeks.

In better news, I got a thorough and inspiring crit on story #3 from my favorite resident alien. I'm pretty sure I can get the revision done by the deadline, even if the story might need a coat of polish after.

Kjbartolotta said:

TBH, I just turned what I have in. Over 30000 words totalz! W00t!

Sorry about the story, JustSo. We'll accept an interpretive dance/drunken rant as substitute.

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I totally read that as an interpretive rant, doing so whilst drunk dancing just makes it all the more epic.

I did find my notes file in my dropbox, so I can pull 200 words out for the guessing thread, but there's a large part of me so depressed about what was lost (cause it wasn't just my sequal project that went poof) that I'm not sure I can make myself rewrite the whole everything once I get a new laptop. We'll see how I feel when I'm finally back in the saddle.

Sorry to hear some people still struggling. Kinda makes me feel like I'm trying to one-up you all with more tales of woe, because guess who's back? AGAIN?

*sigh*

I kinda wish I got to be more often in this thread because you lot are great but truly the tiny eye volcanoes have done their best to totally ruin this experience. And they may yet interfere with me participating in the guessing thread at all.

BUT I will have something finished to send in. Now around 6.5K. Still needs some edits as I still think it's kinda horrible but it is finished and it will have to suffice.

Friendly Frog said:

Sorry to hear some people still struggling. Kinda makes me feel like I'm trying to one-up you all with more tales of woe, because guess who's back? AGAIN?

*sigh*

I kinda wish I got to be more often in this thread because you lot are great but truly the tiny eye volcanoes have done their best to totally ruin this experience. And they may yet interfere with me participating in the guessing thread at all.

BUT I will have something finished to send in. Now around 6.5K. Still needs some edits as I still think it's kinda horrible but it is finished and it will have to suffice.

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Froggy, I'll say it again, but WTF!? Have I told you about the old folk remedy of using apple cider vinegar for eye infections? Because, in my personal experience, DON"T DO THAT!

Coddiwomple - You know, when people say you're supposed to bust your a$$ writing, that's just a figure of speech... Seriously, though, ouchie.

Friendly Frog - I think your tiny eye volcanoes must have their own tiny gods, and demand tiny sacrifices from your eyelash mites... but the mites have been stingy, and thus the gods rage.

As for me, some progress has been made. Not a ton written, but I have a much better vision of the ending and pinned down how it will probably go down, so I'm cautiously optimistic about wrapping by Friday or Saturday (knock on plywood.) Looking at about 8Kish, maybe a little north of that; could probably use a hard cut/revision, but I'm not going to bother. I'm just going to hit the end, then do a quick scan pass. I will have more writing time tomorrow after work, since I shouldn't have to shop. Might bring it over the finish line then, family and energy pending.

Saving to multiple locations (because this is when the gremlins like to hit), and off for the night.

The Bronze Horse with the Glass Ass is going to step forward (gingerly) and officially ask:

Hey Jay? Can we make our summer sequel an equinox guessing thread? One more week? Between the tiny eye volcanoes and ded computers and the viral novella outbreak...and my purely selfish reason... my sis and her husband are flying in tonight for the half marathon we were supposed to run together* on Sunday and I haven’t finished my revisions to story #3.

I'll defer to anyone who feels otherwise, of course, and submit what I have with good cheer.

* Yes, I have the sads. And if it makes any difference at all, story #3 is a special present to Jay, so I really want to make it shiny.

Coddiwomple said:

The Bronze Horse with the Glass Ass is going to step forward (gingerly) and officially ask:

Hey Jay? Can we make our summer sequel an equinox guessing thread? One more week? Between the tiny eye volcanoes and ded computers and the viral novella outbreak...and my purely selfish reason... my sis and her husband are flying in tonight for the half marathon we were supposed to run together* on Sunday and I haven’t finished my revisions to story #3.

I'll defer to anyone who feels otherwise, of course, and submit what I have with good cheer.

* Yes, I have the sads. And if it makes any difference at all, story #3 is a special present to Jay, so I really want to make it shiny.

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I second the motion. I've got no personal stake in this, but there are just too many people being hammered by life for me not to wish for those who need it a little extra leeway. There's what, eighteen of us here doing this thing, and maybe a third are dealing with more crap than a sewage treatment works?

So yeah, bring on another extension, and let the novella people and the dead computer people and the tiny eye volcano (WTF?! again?) frog and the broken horse statue with the non-wagging tail have something that reduces the stress in their lives for a few more days.

The dog has spoken. (A most benevolent dog he is, too.)

Yep, I'm happy to have another extension if it will help others.

ajaye said:

Yep, I'm happy to have another extension if it will help others.

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Ditto

Get well soon Coddi and Froggy

Brightdreamer said:

Saving to multiple locations (because this is when the gremlins like to hit), and off for the night.

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Just make sure they're locations you can get to without a computer, don't end up like me.


Wait a tick! Anyone with scrivener that can open my files, convert to word and shoot back to me?

I forgot scriv backs up to the cloud. YAY CLOUD!