The 2021 Sekrit Solstice Sci-Fi/Fantasy Story Swap!

Thanks to my darling little brother, I now have a new story thread that really wasn't where I wanted to go, but may be too perfect not to incorporate. (Yay more research, I guess?) And a couple of paragraphs of actual story words, but a long way to go yet.

Oh, and I am currently adjectiving.


(I should also say that the infernal editor has been *strong* lately, so having a story where the rules explicitly say that the thing doesn’t have to be good is helping immensely. So thank you Sisyphus for that.)

Lordy, my character is a yacker. Morning, noon, and night without stop—and I still don't know if there's supposed to be a story in there somewhere. Probably won't know until he finally runs down. If he runs down. Iow, all I'm doing so far is listening, not writing yet.


ETA on 01/08: Ahh, now I get it; now I understand why he seemed to be ramblin' and not gettin' to the point. Well, duuude, what did you think was happening? How oblivious can one person be?

Gatteau said:

That may just be destiny trying to tell you something... Sometimes the world just has to blow up, no ifs ands or buts.

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True, true. There's nothing wrong with a bit of fictional astronomical destruction in general.

But the moment you're discontent with life and the world at large, and it starts to get translated in a way that in almost every story you start planetary annihillation becomes sort of your go-to for raising the stakes, maybe it is time for some differentiation...

Fair, fair. Could be time for a shake up, then.

I’m going for the opposite end of dire extremes: stepped in gum...

Sooo... apparently I typed up a post two days ago, thought I hit post reply but didn't, seeing how the post isn't here. Thankfully the forum saved it, so here's what I said:

I told my mom about my story idea today, and in the process, had more idea, and she helped me sharpen some of what I already had that was unclear, too. I've basically got this thing loosely plotted up to the mid-point turn at least. Not completely sure what happens after that, but I'll deal with it when I get there.

Wow. Lots of productive people above.

I began an attempt to write a Hopeful Story Thing but it reads much more cynical than intended. Will someone remind me what hopeful sounds like?

Donuts? Are donuts hopeful? What about hatted dogs?

I got rid of my start, did some research, and made another start, and hopefully I won't have to get rid of that one.

kinokonoronin said:

Donuts? Are donuts hopeful? What about hatted dogs?

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Another vote here in favor of hopeful donuts, and dogs, and all related silliness.

After thinking over the bit I wrote earlier today, my note to self was “(? not !)”, so that’s how that’s going. Which means rewriting 2/3 of today’s words, but so far (not having started that part yet) I like the new version better.

Well, I've gotten out of this world-destroyed plot stint, but so far everything else I can come up with is bittersweet, and I'm not sure I'm up to writing that either.


So help me god, if I don't come up with a decent plot that doesn't tax my mental state too much, it'll be frogs from here on all the way down! Frogs are great.

And possibly dinosaurs. Maybe with a diplocaulus thrown in for good measure. Just you try saying no to a three-foot newt!

...And if that doesn't get me a plot, at least it should make me happy.

Sorry to be so quiet folks, I'm currently dealing with a family crisis and things aren't looking good.

I'll be on with my story as soon as possible. I know what I'm writing, just need to get it down, but right now I'm spending most of my day on the 'phone.

Don't worry if it appears I'm not about, I'll be checking in when I can.

Cobra has given a really good deadline that I intend to meet.

All the hugs, Sue!


*googles diplocaulus* Coolness.



I was frustrated yesterday because my brain simply did not want to be creative. (See post in Cantina about blankity-blanking malfunctioning smoke detectors and the resulting sleep deprivation.) I basically just stared at my screen for several hours. But lunch seemed to give me a little mental boost and I did finally write a paragraph before deciding that was the most wording tired my brain could do at that time. I have since caught up on sleep and am hoping for more wordage today.

Ello. Sorry I have been silent. I'm plugging away at my story. Progress is...slow. Not a surprise. IDK, I maaaaay ​have the bones of one?

I started my story on Monday 4th, which is earlier than I have done in some years. I'm trying to do 500 words a day before work, and so far I'm at 3500 words and looking at a story which will soon be a novelette at least. I do have other commitments for the next week and a half which may mean putting this story on pause, but on the other hand I am on leave from the day job for a week after next Thursday.

Getting there...

Believe in frogs indeed. I now have a tentative setting and a vague direction for a plot that I Don't Immediately Hate, which is sometimes all one can hope for. I'm blocking off some brainstorm-time this weekend. I stocked up on tea, cake and firewood and charged my ancient mp3player. This should be fun.

Friendly Frog said:

And possibly dinosaurs. Maybe with a diplocaulus thrown in for good measure. Just you try saying no to a three-foot newt!

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If this happens then a read request is automatic from moi! Prehistoric things are impossible to resist. I mean, I still watch each of the new Jurassic Park franchise movies when they come out even though every production is progressively worse. But there are dinosaurs!

Sue77 said:

Sorry to be so quiet folks, I'm currently dealing with a family crisis

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Same. Although things aren’t as bad as poor Sue by the look of it. Well, unless I’m reading mine wrong? idk

Even though my story is finished (because my prompt was the best prompt!) I’d like to get back into the Sisyphus and do another one. More than one, even! Although I can’t make any promises.

We still have heaps of time and I signed up to participate, so dammit I’m going to keep participating. Finishing early isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be. I was heaps more harassed with looming uni deadlines, back in the day. (Stupid work ethic, where the hell did that come from?)

Norman Mjadwesch said:

If this happens then a read request is automatic from moi! Prehistoric things are impossible to resist. I mean, I still watch each of the new Jurassic Park franchise movies when they come out even though every production is progressively worse. But there are dinosaurs!

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The feels, I know them. I keep paying my money for Jurassics Park knowing they're going to suuuuuuuuuck, but dinosaurs (even horrifically inaccurate ones), so I'm in. Someone please stop me from buying this lifesized Utahraptor skeleton. I have no more room in my house for dinosaur merchandise.

I made a start, but have had a bugger of a week back at work, so have ground to a halt. Trying to pick up again over this weekend. I'm with all of ya who have lost momentum or who haven't found it. We'll all pick up! And Sue, sorry to hear things aren't good at the moment. I hope they get better.

It's always the first scene for me. Why are they so hard to get to the end of, so you can get to the second?

I'm finding this a lot harder than I imagined. I just can't focus for some reason. Trump nonsense. Pandemic incessantly on news.

I have a 1,000 words down so far. Not 100% certain where it goes next. Maybe in a few days things will look brighter.

After being in editing mode for my portal fantasy since May or June of last year, I'm finding I have to fight tooth an nail not to repeatedly edit what I've already written on my Sisyphus story. It's not even that I don't like my idea or what I've written so far, I'm actually very pleased with the idea and feel like there's a lot of potential, but there's a difference between drafting a brand new story in a brand new world, and inserting an occasional new scene in a manuscript and story world I've been familiar with for several years. I'm also finding that despite having plotted the major points of this story up to the midpoint turn, I still have to pants quite a bit because there are so many little details that a broad outline doesn't cover. So. Yeah. I'm clawing my way forward inch, by inch.Giftee, I hope I'll have a completed story for you by March. It just may be one of my messier ones.

I've had to isolate myself a bit to focus on any extracurricular work lately (not just writing). Staying away from my office/PC for an hour helps, and also some mindfulness exercises. Hope everyone else finds their path to creativity.

I've been having a really terrible time focusing on this story the past two weeks for *gestures vaguely at world* SOME REASON, but I buckled down and handwrote three and a half more pages yesterday. It's mostly terrible babble, but I'm starting to get a sense what these babbling characters are trying to tell me, so I guess the process isn't going to be too far off drafting a novel, more's the pity. I was really hoping in a short format my writer-brain would find a more *efficient* way of letting me know what to write...

Jeez! Peeps, the struggles are real but we can do this thing. FWIW I know a couple of AWers passed on the Sisyphus this time around because of 2020 reasons and things are still sucky, but one day we’ll look back on all of this and ask why Alby didn’t buy his utahraptor skeleton because IT’S A UTAHRAPTOR SKELETON.

We’re all about peer support around here. I’m just glad that we didn’t get canned this year, and thanks Cobra for volunteering to be our proud leader once again.

To editing and beyond!

I wrote some more words! Then I thought of some stuff and now I think I might start it again again. But at least it's because I can make it better, not because it's not working.

Normally I just write the draft, start to finish, no stopping, and fix up things later (even major things). That really doesn't seem to be working for me this time.

*hugs* for all those who find it slowgoing. I'm in the same boat.

Norman Mjadwesch said:

If this happens then a read request is automatic from moi! Prehistoric things are impossible to resist. I mean, I still watch each of the new Jurassic Park franchise movies when they come out even though every production is progressively worse. But there are dinosaurs!

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Will keep that in mind if the dinosaurs make it to the final plot. I have said before that Jurassic Park is the only dinosaur movie in the entire franchise, all the others are monster movies that happen to have some dinosaurs. Fairly entertaining monster movies, mind but falling mighty short of the gloriousness of actual dinosaur movies. (I has Opinions. Many, many Opinions.) Still watch them sometimes when they come on TV, even though I critique them mercilessly...

Albedo said:

The feels, I know them. I keep paying my money for Jurassics Park knowing they're going to suuuuuuuuuck, but dinosaurs (even horrifically inaccurate ones), so I'm in. Someone please stop me from buying this lifesized Utahraptor skeleton. I have no more room in my house for dinosaur merchandise.

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I guess I shouldn't be mentioning Beasts of the Mesozoic then with their scientifically researched, interestingly coloured, poseable collection of dinosaur figures, nor their wildly successful kickstarters, I take it... Would take less room then lifesized Utahraptor skeletons, is all I'm not saying.