2020 Summer Solstice Sekret Sequel Something Speedround

Oh, Christ, the deadline is less than a week away. I've been so... what's the opposite of diligent? Indolent? Lazy? Imma go with lazy. I don't know if this thing's gonna be polished when I submit.

Also, reading through my story just reminded me that I have an extended bit where the characters wax philosophical about the deterministic implications of the time travel scene from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I don't know if I'm more ashamed or proud of it, but it definitely feels like a mix of the two.

Wow, this is all amazing, I wish I’d known about this when it started!
I am going to borrow your prompts to help me flesh out the backstory of my next project, if that’s alright, since it just so happens to be about a brand-spanking-new way to time travel, developed by a lovely mad scientist, the side effects of which may have led to a global (though not necessarily magical) disaster.
Hope you all don’t mind a random interjection post right here, and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for the winter edition! Good luck, everyone!

Coddiwomple said:

OMG, it's that time of year again isn't it?*

What time is that, you say? Time to pull a story out of my... brain, just under the deadline???

Noooooo no no no...

It's BIRTHDAY time!

Happy Birthday, Norman!
Best of all possible besties





​

*In Oz time, that is. It's also time to congratulate Norm on his upcoming story publication. Happy birthday and congrats, Dogface! I hope you get all you wish for and deserve

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Hmm. IIRC, you dropped this on me last year as well, Coddiwolf, and that ultimately ended up with a tomato mudcake being thrown.

And it also resulted in a few other B-people being revealed in our little storyfest. Research time!

Jaymz Connelly said:

Happy birthday, Norm!

You don't look a day over 160!

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Thanks, but are you talking dwarf years, elf years or dog years?

And how did you know about my Sisyphus story? I think there might be a Betaleak (probably from Kevin, if past form is any indicator).

And also, in the true spirit of good tidings, in Hobbiton I believe that the birthday celebrant showers gifts upon their friends, so as a gesture of dog-bro-ness good ole KJB can expect to receive written words in his email today. Or maybe tomorrow, since the future still hasn’t caught up with LA so I’ve got an extra day if I need it. Gotta love the time zones!

Kjbartolotta said:

Gonna be right up to the deadline on this one, from the lack of stories in my inbox looks like everyone else is right there with me. Good by me. I think everyone who's submitted a story has gotten a reply and is on my master sheet, if you have submitted and I haven't responded plz let me know. I am also on vacation right now (wooooo!) internet is spotty and I'm not bothering to check my email too often, but I should still be able to get back to you if need be.

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Hmm... I definitely submitted (via sharing the Google Docs). Possibly you responded to me already. I can't say I remember. Though that's likely my own memory deficiency.

Gatteau said:

Wow, this is all amazing, I wish I’d known about this when it started!
I am going to borrow your prompts to help me flesh out the backstory of my next project, if that’s alright, since it just so happens to be about a brand-spanking-new way to time travel, developed by a lovely mad scientist, the side effects of which may have led to a global (though not necessarily magical) disaster.
Hope you all don’t mind a random interjection post right here, and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for the winter edition! Good luck, everyone!

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Stay tuned! I also missed the event the first time I knew it existed and nobody minded when I participated in-thread. When it came around again I made damned sure to sign up by the due date. Good times!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NORMAN!!!

What's this about a publication????

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Happy birthday to the birthday person!

steals a slice of cake

accidentally just grabs a candle caked in icing

On the story front, I decided to rewrite the last half-to-third of the story (with notes on where and how it's supposed to go), so that knocked me back a bit, but it's still at 11k and likely to end up at least 15k. Assuming I get some solid writing time in tomorrow and Tuesday...

But not tonight. Am done for Sunday night.

Happy birthday, Norman!

Woollybear said:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NORMAN!!!

What's this about a publication????

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

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Heya, WB!

Yeah, about that. There’s a big-mouth bronze horse around here somewhere, masquerading as a big bronze wolf, who did a bit of beta’ing for me when I entered the annual competition in my local community. The top entries in each category are bundled into a small print-run anthology and sold via selected outlets. I also like that it’s not a winner-take-all vibe, and that no one gets a big head about being selected. It’s only small time, but I’m still pretty chuffed about it.

This year’s effort was a bit tough for me because I tend to write long and entries were limited to 2500 words. By the time I’d finished I was a thousand over with only one day left to submit, so I just passed it across and said to the horse, “I know how you always like deleting every precious word I write, so have at it.” And she did. Vicious. Very sharp knife, lots of cutting. Pure butchery. Pretty awesome job, too.

I first heard about it last year when the librarian bailed me up and told me to enter; I made the cut with that one as well – it was heaps of fun. As you know, it’s pretty cool to have copies of work that have your name plastered onto the cover / contents, kind of some validation for all of that hard work (including those still awaiting completion – ugh, I really do need to get back to my WIP).

Those sorts of accomplishments are supposed to be in a different subforum, but you know what Coddi can be like, gate-crashing any and every event regardless of propriety.

Brightdreamer said:

Happy birthday to the birthday person!

steals a slice of cake

accidentally just grabs a candle caked in icing

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Thanks!

Knowing who made that cake, maybe you got off lightly. Just saying.

eyeblink said:

Happy birthday, Norman!

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Thanks! And to you when October 4th rolls around!

Happy Birthday Norman. I hope you've been having a fantabulous day with lots of cake!

And congratulations on the short story publication!

I'm not that much further on with my story - up to 6500 words - but I did the tidying up and editing on what I'd managed to check through another day when Rob was home (he was also home yesterday), so a part of my story is a more cohesive than it was.

Eyeblink and I were going to beta read each others, but I doubt either of us will be at a good point for that before we have to email our offerings to Kevin. I daresay we'll still have to not guess each others stories in the Guessing Thread though, as I suspect we know too much about what each other has been writing! Lol

Happy birthday Norm!!!!!!!!!!!! insert: balloons and cake and grog of your choice and more balloons and those party popper things and more cake

And I'm up to 7200.

I thought of a slightly different way to structure my penultimate scene which works better. Is it possible to have two penultimate scenes?

What I have left to do is essentially the final scene.

With a bit of luck, I'll end up with two days to tidy it up.

I'm getting excited now.

First draft done. 9200 words.

I do have to rewrite the opening scene as the story has changed since I wrote it, but then two days to polish it as best I can.

It's no doubt underwritten, even at that length, but my first drafts usually are, and this will be a work in progress until I get to the point of submitting the story for publication somewhere.

Submitted!

Who believes in handing homework in at the last minute? Not me, nuh-uh.

Hey guess what everybody?

A certain pesky bronze horse has a birthday today!

Happy Birthday, Coddiwomple! ​

May the words gush from your keyboard almost as quickly as from your hay-munching mouth.

Happy Birthday, Coddi!!!

Gatteau said:

Wow, this is all amazing, I wish I’d known about this when it started!
I am going to borrow your prompts to help me flesh out the backstory of my next project, if that’s alright, since it just so happens to be about a brand-spanking-new way to time travel, developed by a lovely mad scientist, the side effects of which may have led to a global (though not necessarily magical) disaster.
Hope you all don’t mind a random interjection post right here, and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for the winter edition! Good luck, everyone!

Click to expand...

Norman Mjadwesch said:

Stay tuned! I also missed the event the first time I knew it existed and nobody minded when I participated in-thread. When it came around again I made damned sure to sign up by the due date. Good times!

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Mark ye your calendars for December 1st if ye want to partake of yonder 2021 Sisyphus Season what will be all new and fresh like and stuff!

(I make gud werds).



Also, Happy Belated Entering-This-Void Day, Norman and Coddi!

Happy birthday Coddi!

I hope you're having a fun filled day with lots of cake! Or should that be apples? Regardless, have a good one.



I have written so many words today my fingers are almost tippy-typed to the bone. My story is complete though.

Up to 13,700ish words, two more scenes to go... (Well, one of the scenes kinda intercuts two separate scenes, so maybe it's more like three, or two and a half...)

Took a snack break, now to get back to it.

*blasts motivational rock music, hoping a montage occurs so I don't have to do all the work*

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY FRIENDLY HORSE-PERSON!!!

Kjbartolotta said:

Lemme be real: Who wants another week? I was dead-set against it, but I don't have too many stories in my inbox and if it takes the stress off people rushing to finish, I'm glad to push things back till October 2nd.

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I'm fiddling around with my ending but will be submitting by current deadline. I have no problem with a further extension, though, if others need it.

Happy (belated) birthday to Norman and Coddi! I hope you both had great days.

Me, I'm am getting another COVID-test. (No worries, though. Very unlikely I have it but it's unpleasant all the same and I feel for my overworked doctor. But them the rules an' why is really a whole other rant! Still... Bloody incompetent officials....*grumble*)

Kjbartolotta said:

Gonna be right up to the deadline on this one, from the lack of stories in my inbox looks like everyone else is right there with me. Good by me. I think everyone who's submitted a story has gotten a reply and is on my master sheet, if you have submitted and I haven't responded plz let me know. I am also on vacation right now (wooooo!) internet is spotty and I'm not bothering to check my email too often, but I should still be able to get back to you if need be.

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I don't think I have ever sent anything in early, and I've done all sysiphusses bar one. So why change a winning strategy, eh? *bitter laugh*

One more scene and I [strike]can play my game![/strike] have a finished draft. I'm hoping to have that before tomorrow. Then it's polishing and editing until the deadline. 7K but I expect I will be cutting a bit. It's not as aweful as it was before, but it's still kinda dull and I need to rewrite at least one scene. I think I should be able to before the deadline, and if it's not, well, I'll send it in anyway, warts and all. I don't mind warts on toads and frogs, a few on a story can't be that bad then, eh?

My laptop however is being rather recalcitrant by doing something strange with final letters. Things like 'due to the' get changed to things like 'duet ot he' and I can figure out why. *grumble* And it's been doing it for two days now.

Kjbartolotta said:

Lemme be real: Who wants another week? I was dead-set against it, but I don't have too many stories in my inbox and if it takes the stress off people rushing to finish, I'm glad to push things back till October 2nd.

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Not necessary for me. I intend to send it in just before the deadline (as is traditional) in whatever shape it is in. The rules say that's allowed. I wasted the previous extention, another one is not going to change anything for me. It either needs way more time that that to get it to my satisfaction and that's not worth it at this time. My procrastinating is on me alone.

I also kind of need to see it done, and rather want to start Oktober without this on my plate.

BUT, if others need an extention: fire away! No naming, no shaming. I don't mind waiting with guessing if people need the other week.

But for me, I will be sending mine in before the current deadline.

Happy birthday, Coddi! Hope it was a great day for you! *puts out a side of beef* What? That's what dire wolves eat, isn't it?