2020 Summer Solstice Sekret Sequel Something Speedround

Friendly Frog said:

I would love some alt-history where North-American peoples and cultures kept on top of the western invaders and went from there. Should be vertile playgrounds but for some reason, I seem to be alone in that wish.

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Nope, you're not alone. I would read the shit out of that!


So, I know I said I wasn't going to even start my story until August... and it's not August yet... BUT, the perfect opening popped into my head while I was exercising today, so... I have 100 words. *G*

With regards to the pantsing thing - I'm kind of a plantser. I'll do some basic planning for a long story, but for shorts, totally pants all the way. Like the story I just wrote the opening for. It's an opening. where does it go? But something will come to me when I sit down to write for real. Pantsing is FUN, Norm. I'm looking forward to 'reading' the rest of the story I started today.

I'm doing the one bit of research I allowed myself for this story as I will need it for the big bang of the story. Almost finished.

I also think I've worked a way out to connect all three prompts in a non-obvious way, so I have most of my plot worked out. I had to scrap two really nice ideas concerning the time machine prompt bit, but that would mean this story would get massive and complex and I want to keep it short so out they go and into the notes for potential later use.

I got my beginning and ending and two scenes in between. I just need a fluid way to connect the beginning to the rest of the story and need to decide if I include the jerk-character or tone them down to merely wilfully ignorant.

Once I've sussed that one out, writing can begin!

Yesterday I read a Ted Chiang story that fits one of our three prompts. And it's given me a few ideas about my own story.

Hey, if you're going to steal, steal from the best.

*squints at nebulous possible story idea*

*pokes at it with stick to see if it's substance or smoke*

I’ve gone all whacked-out weird with mine. I’ve made starts to multiple stories, mostly to the same prompt(s), but don’t know which of them will stick. Unfortunately, they don’t all fit into the same story… or if they did it would be a revision of the definition of eclectic.

I guess that’s better than not having any ideas at all?

I have a beginning of about 1K which has me quite astonished. If I had known getting to blow things up was such an inspiration for me to start so much sooner on writing than usual in a story, I would have blown more things in previous stories!

Although, come to think about it, I did blow up a lot of things in my last stories: moons, space ships and now this. Clearly I need to get a few things out of my system. Hm. Always liked myself a bit of creative destruction. And now I have a prompt to do just that.

I expect I will stall for a bit now, some new characters have appeared and I still need to work out how they'll fit in and how big their role is.

I've noticed with SSS I usually get one idea and stick to it doggedly. I think I might be the weird one!~

I've only got the one idea, so if it doesn't work, I'm totally screwed. I do have a very vague, nebulous idea for a prompt that isn't in the three, but that likely won't get done on time unless the official idea gets its skates on and gets done soon.

I only have one idea, too, so I'm currently stalking it like a starving leopard stalking the last antelope on the savanna... if I don't make this kill I'm probably vulture bait.

I just have the one idea, but it's so ridiculously complicated (because, you know, time travel) and has so many working parts that writing any given scene is like tip-toeing through a minefield.

Also, can confirm that The Merchant and the Alchemist and Exhalation in general is certified win. Highly recommend.

I've fleshed my idea out a bit and have some scenes organised in my head. I've also been thinking about ways I can best incorporate the Summer Solstice prompt

What I've come up with will either fall flat on its face or work.

Fingers crossed it's the latter!

Brightdreamer said:

I only have one idea, too, so I'm currently stalking it like a starving leopard stalking the last antelope on the savanna... if I don't make this kill I'm probably vulture bait.

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Do you have a plan for after you’ve caught the last antelope and find yourself in the same situation again next time, looking up into the sky as the vultures circle your emaciated body, panting in shallow breaths as your life ebbs away?

Have you… considered hunting gazelles? Now gazelles are tasty! (Trust me on this.)

Once upon a time, there was a little gazelle called Bambi, but not the Bambi who was a baby deer. One day cute little Bambi-not-Bambi looked up into the sky and noticed that Binky the vulture was casting her gaze upon a big bad puddy cat with mean spots that made it look like a measles carrier.

“Binky,” called Bambi the baby gazelle (not the fawn whose mum … yeah we’ll redact that part) to Binky the carnivorous bird…

TBC (or not)

Aah, summer sisyphus, where the writers are mean and lean and the ruminants plots are nervous.

…and flying in big lazy circles, Binky the Ravenous Vulture heard the words of Bambi, and then noticed something else. There below, keeping moist in a puddle of water, was a little frog. Was the frog friendly? It certainly looked friendly! Binky decided to get a better look, and as she descended, a shadow passed over the glistening green back of the little frog.

Heh

I'm doing okay thanks, apart from the drum on my printer failed just after I put a new cartridge in. I knew the drum was on its way out, but had checked it would survive my last cartridge. Ho-hum. Time for a new printer, preferably one that will take same cartridge as the old!

I was in the middle of printing off stuff I'd researched when it happened. Aaargh!

Yes, my story needed some research. I need to get the vibe of it right too.

I just need to stop researching for a completely unrelated story and get to writing my SSSSSS story. I have a promising start and I know basically what happens, but I've been an extreme slacker about getting words down.

So far I’ve resisted any research, but instead I’ve opened a gazillion different files so that I can freak myself out with way too many ideas, none of which work together but collectively have a certain aroma that I’m not much enthused about. I hardly ever do pantsing and this is why!

I’ll finish without needing an extension though, so at least there’s that.

Norman Mjadwesch said:

…and flying in big lazy circles, Binky the Ravenous Vulture heard the words of Bambi, and then noticed something else. There below, keeping moist in a puddle of water, was a little frog. Was the frog friendly? It certainly looked friendly! Binky decided to get a better look, and as she descended, a shadow passed over the glistening green back of the little frog.

Heh

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Obvious misdirection, sah!

Everybody knows vultures only eat dead things. Zombie Froggy, I ain't yet.

And as someone who spent a childhood chasing and catching frogs (all released with no harm and mostly even unkissed), I can tell you with confidence that the frog you see is seldom the frog you catch. (Would have spent adulthood catching them too if it wasn't for that chythrid fungus.)


Halfway through the treatment for tiny eye volcanoes! Eyes not looking so red anymore, except for a few spots that I reckon are scars or rather: tiny eye calderas. Still itchy, but that's allergies for ya.

Norman Mjadwesch said:

So far I’ve resisted any research, but instead I’ve opened a gazillion different files so that I can freak myself out with way too many ideas, none of which work together but collectively have a certain aroma that I’m not much enthused about. I hardly ever do pantsing and this is why!

I’ll finish without needing an extension though, so at least there’s that.

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What the heck, Norm is pantsing and I am *gasp!* PLOTTING! And it's not even Friday. This is spooooooky.

SciSarahTops said:

What the heck, Norm is pantsing and I am *gasp!* PLOTTING! And it's not even Friday. This is spooooooky.

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Wha...? Oh no! We are caught in another one of those time displacement thingamies because Sarah isn't in Friday yet but it's been Friday here all day. How does the world work properly when we can't even synch our days?

*reads newspaper*

Oh yeah. I forgot. The world isn't working properly.

Glad to hear the tiny eye volcanoes are responding to treatment Froggy.

I have done my research, organised my notes, planned my story and am ready to put fingers to keyboard but... my PC is poorly and not running smoothly.

Have spoken with its maker and the engineers are examining event files as I type.

Fingers crossed I don't have to send it to them to be sorted out.