Sunday, February 21, 2010
Storyblogging Carnival LII
The latest Storyblogging Carnival is online at Fringeblog. Seven stories, this time, up from the last couple, which have been hovering around four.
And that's a wrap for year two, people! Yes, the Storyblogging Carnival has been going for two years now--the next one will be the second anniversary.
And that's a wrap for year two, people! Yes, the Storyblogging Carnival has been going for two years now--the next one will be the second anniversary.
Labels: Storyblogging Carnival
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Storyblogging Carnival LI
The latest Storyblogging Carnival is up at Doc Rampage. He says he has four stories, but I count five.
Labels: Storyblogging Carnival
Friday, February 19, 2010
Storyblogging Carnival L
This is Storyblogging Carnival L, a collection of storytelling in blog format from around the blogosphere. Since we're using Roman numerals, every time you get to a big round number, you go down to a single digit again. Thus this, the fiftieth carnival, is L. For our fiftieth carnivals, we have seven entries from a variety of writers.
Galad's Reprieve
by Andrew Ian Dodge of Dodgeblogium
A 100 word brief story rated PG.
Galad death watch is ended by the incompetence of others.
The Joy of the Pool
by Lisa of Lil' Duck Duck
A 456 word brief story rated G.
"Lil’ Duck is easily thrilled, but nothing makes him happier than the promise of swimming in the pool."
A Different Sort of Vampire
by Goemagog of this space for sublet
A 832 word brief story rated PG.
Venturing out into the nothingness.
Adventure
by David N. Scott of Perrerro
A 2095 word short story rated G.
A writer looks for inspiration among seals.
A Guilding of Lillis, Scene 2 (Beginning)
by Dave Gudeman of Doc Rampage
The next 2,213 words of a story in progress rated PG.
Rolf's sensitive nature leads to dire consequences in this continuing tale of adventure and romance.
[Rolf and Zantar are not exactly the heroic type, are they? -DSC]
Prologue of Amelia Earhart's Blog
by Brian Carland of Amelia Earhart's Blog
The first 2,376 words of a novel in progress rated PG.
This is the begining of a serialized novel (blogel) of the last ten years of famous flier Amelia Earhart's life. Published in installments on Tuesdays and Fridays in August and September.
You Give Love a Bad Name
by Postmodern Sass of Postmodernes Sprachspielen
A 5,224 word short story in seven parts rated R.
"I was wearing matching underwear—Victoria's Secret, hot pink, if you must know—underneath my go-go dress last night when my karaoke buddies and I went to a Kickass Karaoke party at a boozecan on Queen Street. This is probably why I didn't end up going home with Ashton Kutcher..."
If you'd like to take part in a future carnival, please contact me. I am also looking for hosts. Other carnivals can be found here.
The Storyblogging Carnival can be found at The Truth Laid Bear's ÜberCarnival.
Galad's Reprieve
by Andrew Ian Dodge of Dodgeblogium
A 100 word brief story rated PG.
Galad death watch is ended by the incompetence of others.
The Joy of the Pool
by Lisa of Lil' Duck Duck
A 456 word brief story rated G.
"Lil’ Duck is easily thrilled, but nothing makes him happier than the promise of swimming in the pool."
A Different Sort of Vampire
by Goemagog of this space for sublet
A 832 word brief story rated PG.
Venturing out into the nothingness.
Adventure
by David N. Scott of Perrerro
A 2095 word short story rated G.
A writer looks for inspiration among seals.
A Guilding of Lillis, Scene 2 (Beginning)
by Dave Gudeman of Doc Rampage
The next 2,213 words of a story in progress rated PG.
Rolf's sensitive nature leads to dire consequences in this continuing tale of adventure and romance.
[Rolf and Zantar are not exactly the heroic type, are they? -DSC]
Prologue of Amelia Earhart's Blog
by Brian Carland of Amelia Earhart's Blog
The first 2,376 words of a novel in progress rated PG.
This is the begining of a serialized novel (blogel) of the last ten years of famous flier Amelia Earhart's life. Published in installments on Tuesdays and Fridays in August and September.
You Give Love a Bad Name
by Postmodern Sass of Postmodernes Sprachspielen
A 5,224 word short story in seven parts rated R.
"I was wearing matching underwear—Victoria's Secret, hot pink, if you must know—underneath my go-go dress last night when my karaoke buddies and I went to a Kickass Karaoke party at a boozecan on Queen Street. This is probably why I didn't end up going home with Ashton Kutcher..."
If you'd like to take part in a future carnival, please contact me. I am also looking for hosts. Other carnivals can be found here.
The Storyblogging Carnival can be found at The Truth Laid Bear's ÜberCarnival.
Labels: Storyblogging Carnival
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Storyblogging Carnival XLIX
This is Storyblogging Carnival XLIX, a collection of storytelling in blog format from around the blogosphere. Rather than wasting time, let's just get to the entries. This week we've got a lot of non-fiction entries, many of them stretching the definition of story a bit. I decided to be lenient, partly because I'm a little short on stories these days.
Brass Blues
by Andrew Ian Dodge of Dodgeblogium
A 100 word brief story rated PG.
Brass is a person not a piece of metal in this tale.
[This reads more like poetry than prose. -DSC]
Why I love Canada: An Immigrant Family's Story
by lecentre of Centrerion Canadian Politics
A 423 word brief story rated PG-13.
My ancestors came from a dangerous place to Canada, and Canada helped them a lot. In contrast to many ungrateful immigrant extremists who would blow Canadians up... while being funded by Canadian welfare.
Osama bin Laden — Give it up man
by Bob Parker of The View From Silverhorn Lodge
A 462 word brief story rated PG.
A view of life from the owner of a mountain lodge.
[A lawn gnome's tale. -DSC]
Bragging on my Little Toddler's Latest Accomplishments
by Lisa of Lil' Duck Duck
A 724 word brief story rated G.
"You see, I wouldn’t want to return to that foggy first year, but I do think it passed by so quickly, and his second year is passing even faster, if that is possible. That’s why I’m setting aside this evening to write about all the things that I just love about him right now, to brag on him a little even."
The Exterminator
by Polly D. Boyette of Life is a Buffet
A 1,190 word short story rated G.
Find out the best way to debug your life.
A Guilding of Lillis, Scene 1
by Dave Gudeman of Doc Rampage
The first 1,854 words of a story in progress rated PG.
The infamous Rolf and Zantar meet for the first time. The subject of Rolf's ears comes up.
[Rolf and Zantar are back! Well, not so much back as appearing for the first time in this prequel, only it isn't a prequel, since it was written first, it just wasn't posted on Doc's blog before, but on his now defunct website. -DSC]
If you'd like to take part in a future carnival, please contact me. I am also looking for hosts. Other carnivals can be found here.
The Storyblogging Carnival can be found at The Truth Laid Bear's ÜberCarnival.
Brass Blues
by Andrew Ian Dodge of Dodgeblogium
A 100 word brief story rated PG.
Brass is a person not a piece of metal in this tale.
[This reads more like poetry than prose. -DSC]
Why I love Canada: An Immigrant Family's Story
by lecentre of Centrerion Canadian Politics
A 423 word brief story rated PG-13.
My ancestors came from a dangerous place to Canada, and Canada helped them a lot. In contrast to many ungrateful immigrant extremists who would blow Canadians up... while being funded by Canadian welfare.
Osama bin Laden — Give it up man
by Bob Parker of The View From Silverhorn Lodge
A 462 word brief story rated PG.
A view of life from the owner of a mountain lodge.
[A lawn gnome's tale. -DSC]
Bragging on my Little Toddler's Latest Accomplishments
by Lisa of Lil' Duck Duck
A 724 word brief story rated G.
"You see, I wouldn’t want to return to that foggy first year, but I do think it passed by so quickly, and his second year is passing even faster, if that is possible. That’s why I’m setting aside this evening to write about all the things that I just love about him right now, to brag on him a little even."
The Exterminator
by Polly D. Boyette of Life is a Buffet
A 1,190 word short story rated G.
Find out the best way to debug your life.
A Guilding of Lillis, Scene 1
by Dave Gudeman of Doc Rampage
The first 1,854 words of a story in progress rated PG.
The infamous Rolf and Zantar meet for the first time. The subject of Rolf's ears comes up.
[Rolf and Zantar are back! Well, not so much back as appearing for the first time in this prequel, only it isn't a prequel, since it was written first, it just wasn't posted on Doc's blog before, but on his now defunct website. -DSC]
If you'd like to take part in a future carnival, please contact me. I am also looking for hosts. Other carnivals can be found here.
The Storyblogging Carnival can be found at The Truth Laid Bear's ÜberCarnival.
Labels: Storyblogging Carnival
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Storyblogging Carnival XLVIII
The latest storyblogging carnival is now up at Our Adventurous Song. It's short, but it's good too. Have a look.
I'll be hosting the next carnival here at Back of the Envelope. If you'd like to volunteer to host a future carnival, let me know.
I'll be hosting the next carnival here at Back of the Envelope. If you'd like to volunteer to host a future carnival, let me know.
Labels: Storyblogging Carnival
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Storyblogging Carnival XLVII
The latest storyblogging carnival is up at Doc Rampage. There are ten stories this time, including a very interesting one by Doc himself on the extinction of the human race. Of course, Doc still has trouble with Roman numerals, so I'll just spell out that this carnival is the 47th.
Labels: Storyblogging Carnival
Monday, February 15, 2010
Storyblogging Carnival XLVI
NOTE: Once again, this is a re-post, so the links may be out of date.
This is Storyblogging Carnival XLVI, a collection of storytelling in blog format from around the blogosphere. Rather than wasting time, let's just get to the entries. We've got a total of seven this time.
The Order
by Andrew Ian Dodge of Dodgeblogium
A 100 word brief story rated PG.
A mission.
[One hundred words of creepiness... which is exactly what I said for Andrew's last story. -DSC]
Thag not center Universe!
by Mark Rayner of The Skwib
A 700 word brief story rated PG-13.
In the continuing story of Thag, our hero has another run-in with the Shaman.
Uncle Bobby
by David N. Scott of Pererro
A 931 word brief story rated PG.
A visit from a somewhat over the hill relative.
Bob and the Circus
by Goemagog of this space for sublet
A 1,200 word short story rated PG.
At This Space for Sublet, Bob and the circus, about Bob and a circus. No monkeys, but there is squirrel juggling.
[Goemagog agrees, his short stories are getting longer. -DSC]
Pentecost
by Lyn Perry of Fwd: Thoughts
A 1,638 word short story rated G.
Pentecost is a narrative sermon about the birth of the Church from the perspective of a contemporary participant in this new spiritual movement.
Ink Magic, Chapter 13 (Beginning)
by Dave Gudeman of Doc Rampage
The final 1,910 words of a 20,633 word short story rated PG-13.
This is the climax of the short story I've been writing since last Halloween; it's in thirteen parts as befits the subject matter. In this part, Steven finally runs into the creature that killed his father. Fireworks ensue.
Planet Claire
by Postmodern Sass of Postmodernes Sprachspielen
A 1,994 word short story in two parts rated PG.
Some people do seem to be living in an alternate universe.
If you'd like to take part in a future carnival, please contact me. I am also looking for hosts. Other carnivals can be found here.
The Storyblogging Carnival can be found at The Truth Laid Bear's ÜberCarnival.
This is Storyblogging Carnival XLVI, a collection of storytelling in blog format from around the blogosphere. Rather than wasting time, let's just get to the entries. We've got a total of seven this time.
The Order
by Andrew Ian Dodge of Dodgeblogium
A 100 word brief story rated PG.
A mission.
[One hundred words of creepiness... which is exactly what I said for Andrew's last story. -DSC]
Thag not center Universe!
by Mark Rayner of The Skwib
A 700 word brief story rated PG-13.
In the continuing story of Thag, our hero has another run-in with the Shaman.
Uncle Bobby
by David N. Scott of Pererro
A 931 word brief story rated PG.
A visit from a somewhat over the hill relative.
Bob and the Circus
by Goemagog of this space for sublet
A 1,200 word short story rated PG.
At This Space for Sublet, Bob and the circus, about Bob and a circus. No monkeys, but there is squirrel juggling.
[Goemagog agrees, his short stories are getting longer. -DSC]
Pentecost
by Lyn Perry of Fwd: Thoughts
A 1,638 word short story rated G.
Pentecost is a narrative sermon about the birth of the Church from the perspective of a contemporary participant in this new spiritual movement.
Ink Magic, Chapter 13 (Beginning)
by Dave Gudeman of Doc Rampage
The final 1,910 words of a 20,633 word short story rated PG-13.
This is the climax of the short story I've been writing since last Halloween; it's in thirteen parts as befits the subject matter. In this part, Steven finally runs into the creature that killed his father. Fireworks ensue.
Planet Claire
by Postmodern Sass of Postmodernes Sprachspielen
A 1,994 word short story in two parts rated PG.
Some people do seem to be living in an alternate universe.
If you'd like to take part in a future carnival, please contact me. I am also looking for hosts. Other carnivals can be found here.
The Storyblogging Carnival can be found at The Truth Laid Bear's ÜberCarnival.
Labels: Storyblogging Carnival
Anniversary
So yesterday was the sixth anniversary of this blog. It also happens to be Valentine's Day. I apologize for not putting up something, but I was at a writing conference this past weekend. Plus I had a date on Valentine's Day. The sad thing was that this was the first one I've had on the blog's anniversary since I started it.
Labels: blogging
Now accepting submissions to the next Storyblogging Carnival
The next Storyblogging Carnival will be the one hundred and seventh. It will be hosted here, at Back of the Envelope, and going up on Monday, March 1st. If you use your blog to share your fiction, then the Storyblogging Carnival is your opportunity. Here we host any and all forms of storytelling in blog format. If you're curious about what this looks like, have a look at some examples of previous storyblogging carnivals.
If you'd like to participate, please e-mail your story submissions to me at dscrank-at-alum-dot-mit-dot-edu (or post in my comments), including the following information:
If you'd like to participate, please e-mail your story submissions to me at dscrank-at-alum-dot-mit-dot-edu (or post in my comments), including the following information:
- Name of your blog
- URL of your blog
- Title of the story
- URL for the blog entry where the story is posted
- (OPTIONAL) Author's name
- (OPTIONAL) A suggested rating for adult content (G, PG, PG-13, R)
- A word count
- A short blurb describing the story
- The story or excerpt submitted must be posted on-line as a blog entry, and while fiction is preferred, non-fiction storytelling is acceptable.
- The story can be any length, but the Carnival will list them in order of length, from shortest to longest, and include a word count for each one.
- You may either send a complete story, a story in progress, or a lengthy excerpt. You should indicate the word count for both the excerpt and the complete story in the submission, and you should say how the reader can find more of the story in the post itself.
- If the story spans multiple posts, each post should contain a link to the beginning of the story, and a link to the next post. You may submit the whole story, the first post, or, if you've previously submitted earlier posts to the Carnival, the next post which you have not submitted. Please indicate the length of the entire story, as well as the portion which you are submitting.
- The host has sole discretion to decide whether the story will be included or not, or whether to indicate that the story has pornographic or graphically violent content. The ratings for the story will be decided by the host. I expect I'll be pretty lenient on that sort of thing, but I have some limits, and others may draw the line elsewhere. Aside from noting potentially offensive content, while I may say nice things about stories I like, I won't be panning anyone's work. I expect other hosts to be similarly polite.
- The story may be the blogger's own or posted with permission, but if it is not his own work he should gain permission from the author before submitting to the Carnival.
Labels: Storyblogging Details
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Storyblogging Carnival XLV
NOTE: Once again, this is a re-post, so I can't guarantee the links still work.
Welcome to Storyblogging Carnival XLV. Unlike the last carnival, it can't be pronounced, but it's still a collection of storytelling in blog format from around the blogosphere. We've got a total of ten entries this time.
Gator
by Andrew Ian Dodge of Dodgeblogium
A 100 word brief story rated PG.
Killer alligators explained.
[One hundred words of creepiness... -DSC]
The O.J. Case
by David N. Scott of Pererro
A 384 word brief story rated G.
Dreams from the future?
Keeping up with Mr. Jones
by Mark Rayner of The Skwib
A 500 word brief story rated PG-13.
The ultimate data-miner discovers he has other things to think about.
Kidney Failure
by Corman of Creativity Dies
A 791 word brief story rated R.
A cautionary tale of the power of Robitussin.
[According to the author, when he sent this story around to some of his friends and family, they thought it was non-fiction. -DSC]
Pancho Villa Avenged, Part 1
by F. Scott Sinclair of Novelist F. Scott Sinclair's Blog
A 954 word excerpt of a novel rated R.
A Novel of Macho Mexico Versus the United States
An Unimportant War
by Goemagog of this space for sublet
A 1061 word short story rated PG.
A parable for our time.
[I think goemagog's short stories are getting longer. -DSC]
Ink Magic, Chapter 12 (Beginning)
by Dave Gudeman of Doc Rampage
The next 1,121 words of a story in progress rated PG.
Steven finds out what's really going on, what with the monsters and the dead guy calling his cell phone.
The Lady in the Painting
by Wichi Dude of Storyman
A 1,474 word short story rated PG.
"You never know where the mind will take us. And when we get back from the trip, it makes us wonder, 'Just who is crazy?'"
Boys Don't Cry
by Postmodern Sass of Postmodernes Sprachspielen
A 1,500 word short story in two parts rated PG-13.
"The story of a young man named Paco, whom I never met, but who nevertheless existed."
Hot Pursuit, Chapter 28 of Part 3 of The Child (Beginning)
by Sheya Joie of Tales by Sheya
The next 4,153 words of a 151,627 word novel in progress rated PG-13.
"I liked the cooks. And the deep-fried demon-head."
If you'd like to take part in a future carnival, please contact me. I am also looking for hosts. Other carnivals can be found here.
The Storyblogging Carnival can be found at The Truth Laid Bear's ÜberCarnival.
Welcome to Storyblogging Carnival XLV. Unlike the last carnival, it can't be pronounced, but it's still a collection of storytelling in blog format from around the blogosphere. We've got a total of ten entries this time.
Gator
by Andrew Ian Dodge of Dodgeblogium
A 100 word brief story rated PG.
Killer alligators explained.
[One hundred words of creepiness... -DSC]
The O.J. Case
by David N. Scott of Pererro
A 384 word brief story rated G.
Dreams from the future?
Keeping up with Mr. Jones
by Mark Rayner of The Skwib
A 500 word brief story rated PG-13.
The ultimate data-miner discovers he has other things to think about.
Kidney Failure
by Corman of Creativity Dies
A 791 word brief story rated R.
A cautionary tale of the power of Robitussin.
[According to the author, when he sent this story around to some of his friends and family, they thought it was non-fiction. -DSC]
Pancho Villa Avenged, Part 1
by F. Scott Sinclair of Novelist F. Scott Sinclair's Blog
A 954 word excerpt of a novel rated R.
A Novel of Macho Mexico Versus the United States
An Unimportant War
by Goemagog of this space for sublet
A 1061 word short story rated PG.
A parable for our time.
[I think goemagog's short stories are getting longer. -DSC]
Ink Magic, Chapter 12 (Beginning)
by Dave Gudeman of Doc Rampage
The next 1,121 words of a story in progress rated PG.
Steven finds out what's really going on, what with the monsters and the dead guy calling his cell phone.
The Lady in the Painting
by Wichi Dude of Storyman
A 1,474 word short story rated PG.
"You never know where the mind will take us. And when we get back from the trip, it makes us wonder, 'Just who is crazy?'"
Boys Don't Cry
by Postmodern Sass of Postmodernes Sprachspielen
A 1,500 word short story in two parts rated PG-13.
"The story of a young man named Paco, whom I never met, but who nevertheless existed."
Hot Pursuit, Chapter 28 of Part 3 of The Child (Beginning)
by Sheya Joie of Tales by Sheya
The next 4,153 words of a 151,627 word novel in progress rated PG-13.
"I liked the cooks. And the deep-fried demon-head."
If you'd like to take part in a future carnival, please contact me. I am also looking for hosts. Other carnivals can be found here.
The Storyblogging Carnival can be found at The Truth Laid Bear's ÜberCarnival.
Labels: Storyblogging Carnival
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Storyblogging Carnival XLIV
NOTE: Re-post, links not guaranteed.
Welcome to Storyblogging Carnival XLIV (pronounced "xliv"), a collection of storytelling in blog format from around the blogosphere. I've let this blog sink into obscurity for the past few weeks, but what better way to signal a return to the norm than with a storyblogging carnival? So let's dive right in. There are five stories this time, most of them super short.
Sinking
by Andrew Ian Dodge of Dodgeblogium
A 100 word short story rated PG.
There is a reason Wembley is sinking...
[There's not much I can say about a 100 word short story without giving it away, so please go read it yourself. -DSC]
The Twin Lights of Life and Liberty
by Lyn Perry of Bloggin' Outloud
A 250 word brief story rated G.
My entry in the "Two Lights" contest recently hosted by Clarity of Night blog.
[250 words? That's barely more than 100. Once again, you better read it yourself. -DSC]
Jack and Diane
by Postmodern Sass of Postmodernes Sprachspielen
A 660 word brief story rated PG.
This is one of my earliest stories, which explains who Jack is, and sets the stage for our continually evolving and mostly dysfunctional relationship.
Thag do revolution!
by Mark Rayner of The Skwib
A 700 word brief story rated PG-13.
The continuing (humorous/satirical) story of Thag the caveman. This time, there is a shakeup in the clan power structure.
[And yet another really short story. -DSC]
Cubicles
by Goemagog of this space for sublet
A 1008 word short story rated G.
"He was trapped, he knew it, he was required to explain the obvious to the oblivious via reports and assessments, and he was powerless to change anything.
"On the plus side, his keyboard clicked, so he sat back down and began typing again."
[Those two lines remind me why I always find goemagog's very short stories so much fun. Although a mere 1008 words, it's longer than his usual entries. -DSC]
The Diary
by Kris Mallory of Stealth Fiction
A 2,377 word short story rated R.
Some books shouldn't be read.
[Interesting premise. -DSC]
If you'd like to take part in a future carnival, please contact me. I am also looking for hosts. Other carnivals can be found here.
The Storyblogging Carnival can be found at The Truth Laid Bear's ÜberCarnival.
Welcome to Storyblogging Carnival XLIV (pronounced "xliv"), a collection of storytelling in blog format from around the blogosphere. I've let this blog sink into obscurity for the past few weeks, but what better way to signal a return to the norm than with a storyblogging carnival? So let's dive right in. There are five stories this time, most of them super short.
Sinking
by Andrew Ian Dodge of Dodgeblogium
A 100 word short story rated PG.
There is a reason Wembley is sinking...
[There's not much I can say about a 100 word short story without giving it away, so please go read it yourself. -DSC]
The Twin Lights of Life and Liberty
by Lyn Perry of Bloggin' Outloud
A 250 word brief story rated G.
My entry in the "Two Lights" contest recently hosted by Clarity of Night blog.
[250 words? That's barely more than 100. Once again, you better read it yourself. -DSC]
Jack and Diane
by Postmodern Sass of Postmodernes Sprachspielen
A 660 word brief story rated PG.
This is one of my earliest stories, which explains who Jack is, and sets the stage for our continually evolving and mostly dysfunctional relationship.
Thag do revolution!
by Mark Rayner of The Skwib
A 700 word brief story rated PG-13.
The continuing (humorous/satirical) story of Thag the caveman. This time, there is a shakeup in the clan power structure.
[And yet another really short story. -DSC]
Cubicles
by Goemagog of this space for sublet
A 1008 word short story rated G.
"He was trapped, he knew it, he was required to explain the obvious to the oblivious via reports and assessments, and he was powerless to change anything.
"On the plus side, his keyboard clicked, so he sat back down and began typing again."
[Those two lines remind me why I always find goemagog's very short stories so much fun. Although a mere 1008 words, it's longer than his usual entries. -DSC]
The Diary
by Kris Mallory of Stealth Fiction
A 2,377 word short story rated R.
Some books shouldn't be read.
[Interesting premise. -DSC]
If you'd like to take part in a future carnival, please contact me. I am also looking for hosts. Other carnivals can be found here.
The Storyblogging Carnival can be found at The Truth Laid Bear's ÜberCarnival.
Labels: Storyblogging Carnival
Friday, February 12, 2010
Storyblogging Carnival XLIII
NOTE: Re-post, links not guaranteed.
This is late, but the most recent carnival is at Cagey Mind.
And yes, I'm still around, and so is the blog. I've been travelling most days and working twelve hour days when I'm not. It's hard work, but I'm enjoying it.
This is late, but the most recent carnival is at Cagey Mind.
And yes, I'm still around, and so is the blog. I've been travelling most days and working twelve hour days when I'm not. It's hard work, but I'm enjoying it.
Labels: Storyblogging Carnival
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Storyblogging Carnival XLII
NOTE: Re-post, links aren't guaranteed.
The latest carnival is now up at Quibbles-n-Bits. There are twelve stories for your reading pleasure. As this is the Passover edition, Josh is guaranteeing that it's kosher.
The latest carnival is now up at Quibbles-n-Bits. There are twelve stories for your reading pleasure. As this is the Passover edition, Josh is guaranteeing that it's kosher.
Labels: Storyblogging Carnival
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Storyblogging Carnival XLI
NOTE: Old post, can't guarantee links.
The latest Storyblogging Carnival is online at Zeroth Order Approximation. There are seven stories for your reading pleasure.
The latest Storyblogging Carnival is online at Zeroth Order Approximation. There are seven stories for your reading pleasure.
Labels: Storyblogging Carnival
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Storyblogging Carnival XL
The latest Storyblogging Carnival is online at DesertLight Journal. It's pretty small, with five entries, and it's the first one I didn't have an entry for, but there's still some good stuff there. Check it out.
Labels: Storyblogging Carnival
Monday, February 08, 2010
Storyblogging Carnival XXXIX
The latest Storyblogging Carnival is up at Doc Rampage. Twelve entries this time. Go have a look, and be sure to link to it.
Labels: Storyblogging Carnival
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Storyblogging Carnival XXXVIII
Tales by Sheya has the thirty-eighth Storyblogging Carnival. There are seven stories this time, including the latest from the continuing tales by Sheya, Doc, Andrew, and myself, and the beginning of a novella by Ben. We have a thing for long fiction, don't we? Fortunately, Mark and Peace deliver some truly short pieces to balance things out.
Labels: Storyblogging Carnival
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Storyblogging Carnival XXXVII
NOTE: Another re-post of an old carnival, so I can't guarantee links.
Welcome to the thirty-seventh Storyblogging Carnival, a collection of storytelling in blog format from around the blogosphere.
I was a bit worried when Thursday rolled around and I only had I only had three entries, including my own, but my fellow bloggers rallied to my help (which is a euphemism for saying that they gave in to my whining), and we have a total of nine stories this week.
Not Being
by Goemagog of this space for sublet
A 290 word brief story rated G.
I hope Kafka would have liked it.
[With only 144 words, it's hard to say much without giving it away. But it's possibly the most surreal thing Goemagog's ever written, and my new favorite of his. -DSC]
Dr. Tundra Forsakes the Flying Spaghetti Monster
by Mark Rayner of The Skwib
A 450 word brief story rated PG-13.
This is a humorous sequal to the alternate history tale Dr. Tundra in the Dock, following the misguided doctor's time in the "Reeducation Retreat". Some sexual content.
Ink Magic (Part 7) (Beginning)
by Dave Gudeman of Doc Rampage
The latest 1,202 words of a 14,538 word short story in progress rated PG.
Our hero learns to use the graviscope to spy on the demonic entities that are spying on him.
[Ooh, old computers and odd devices are always fun. Plus there's a really freaky revelation. -DSC]
Rampage in a Spa
by Dave Gudeman of Doc Rampage
A 1,963 word short story rated PG-13.
James Frey set the standard; all I did was follow it in this poignant and rivetting but completely emotionally true account of my first (and probably last) visit to a hot-springs spa with a companion who was not entirely of my own choice.
[This story rocked! It was funny and ridiculous and completely true, emotionally. It continues Doc's series on his adventures in Morocco. -DSC]
Benoni , Part One
by Adam Graham of Adam's Blog
A 2,234 word short story rated PG.
A man plunges into despair and bitterness after September 11th. Two years, as his wife lays on an operating table, he must come to terms with his feelings and faith.
[This time it's Adam, not Andrea, who's sharing a story at Adam's Blog. It's a different story, and quite powerful. -DSC]
A Sad Tale from Skuddledump
by Lyn Perry of Bloggin' Outloud
A 2,630 word short story rated G.
A retelling of the Garden of Eden.
[This is a delightful story, the Garden of Eden as a modern high rise apartment building. I liked it. -DSC]
Part 3, Chapters 14 and 15 of The Child (Beginning)
by Sheya Joie of Tales by Sheya
The latest 4,385 words of a 117,858 word novel in progress rated PG-13.
During the report at the end of their second day of scouting in the enemy's fortress, Stone recounts a very eventful day - explaining his nasty shiner among other things - as well as shedding just a touch of murky light on his own dark past in this deepest dungeon.
Chapters 21 and 22 of Britannia Revived (The Whole Story)
by Andrew Ian Dodge of Dodgeblogium
The next 7,794 words of a continuing story rated R.
The story of an EU dystopia continues.
If you'd like to take part in a future carnival, please contact me. I am also looking for hosts. Other carnivals can be found here.
The Storyblogging Carnival can be found at The Truth Laid Bear's ÜberCarnival.
Welcome to the thirty-seventh Storyblogging Carnival, a collection of storytelling in blog format from around the blogosphere.
I was a bit worried when Thursday rolled around and I only had I only had three entries, including my own, but my fellow bloggers rallied to my help (which is a euphemism for saying that they gave in to my whining), and we have a total of nine stories this week.
Not Being
by Goemagog of this space for sublet
A 290 word brief story rated G.
I hope Kafka would have liked it.
[With only 144 words, it's hard to say much without giving it away. But it's possibly the most surreal thing Goemagog's ever written, and my new favorite of his. -DSC]
Dr. Tundra Forsakes the Flying Spaghetti Monster
by Mark Rayner of The Skwib
A 450 word brief story rated PG-13.
This is a humorous sequal to the alternate history tale Dr. Tundra in the Dock, following the misguided doctor's time in the "Reeducation Retreat". Some sexual content.
Ink Magic (Part 7) (Beginning)
by Dave Gudeman of Doc Rampage
The latest 1,202 words of a 14,538 word short story in progress rated PG.
Our hero learns to use the graviscope to spy on the demonic entities that are spying on him.
[Ooh, old computers and odd devices are always fun. Plus there's a really freaky revelation. -DSC]
Rampage in a Spa
by Dave Gudeman of Doc Rampage
A 1,963 word short story rated PG-13.
James Frey set the standard; all I did was follow it in this poignant and rivetting but completely emotionally true account of my first (and probably last) visit to a hot-springs spa with a companion who was not entirely of my own choice.
[This story rocked! It was funny and ridiculous and completely true, emotionally. It continues Doc's series on his adventures in Morocco. -DSC]
Benoni , Part One
by Adam Graham of Adam's Blog
A 2,234 word short story rated PG.
A man plunges into despair and bitterness after September 11th. Two years, as his wife lays on an operating table, he must come to terms with his feelings and faith.
[This time it's Adam, not Andrea, who's sharing a story at Adam's Blog. It's a different story, and quite powerful. -DSC]
A Sad Tale from Skuddledump
by Lyn Perry of Bloggin' Outloud
A 2,630 word short story rated G.
A retelling of the Garden of Eden.
[This is a delightful story, the Garden of Eden as a modern high rise apartment building. I liked it. -DSC]
Part 3, Chapters 14 and 15 of The Child (Beginning)
by Sheya Joie of Tales by Sheya
The latest 4,385 words of a 117,858 word novel in progress rated PG-13.
During the report at the end of their second day of scouting in the enemy's fortress, Stone recounts a very eventful day - explaining his nasty shiner among other things - as well as shedding just a touch of murky light on his own dark past in this deepest dungeon.
Chapters 21 and 22 of Britannia Revived (The Whole Story)
by Andrew Ian Dodge of Dodgeblogium
The next 7,794 words of a continuing story rated R.
The story of an EU dystopia continues.
If you'd like to take part in a future carnival, please contact me. I am also looking for hosts. Other carnivals can be found here.
The Storyblogging Carnival can be found at The Truth Laid Bear's ÜberCarnival.
Labels: Storyblogging Carnival
Friday, February 05, 2010
Storyblogging Carnival XXXVI
The latest Storyblogging Carnival, number thirty-six, is up at Doc Rampage. More carnivals can be found in the Storyblogging Carnival category.
The next Carnival will be hosted here at Back of the Envelope on January 31st.
The next Carnival will be hosted here at Back of the Envelope on January 31st.
Labels: Storyblogging Carnival
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Storyblogging Carnival XXXV
Welcome to the latest Storyblogging Carnival, a collection of storytelling in blog format from around the blogosphere. This week we have nine stories from familiar writers. Some of these stories have a Christmas theme, while some don't, but I hope you'll enjoy them all.
Thag do art!
by Mark Rayner of The Skwib
A 220 word brief story rated PG-13.
The continuing adventures of Thag; this story examines the nature of artists.
[I like Thag, even if he is an artist. -DSC]
Rising Up
by Goemagog of this space for sublet
A 599 word brief story rated G.
Balloons! Monkey free.
[A story by Goemagog without monkeys? That's rare. -DSC]
Ink Magic (Part 6) (Beginning)
by Dave Gudeman of Doc Rampage
The latest 1,048 words of a 13,336 word short story rated PG.
Steven goes back to have a chat with the old guy that sic'ed the demon on him in the first place. Secrets are revealed. Plots thicken.
[I finally got a chance to get caught up on Doc's story, which I'd kind of fallen behind on since the last time I hosted. It's good, but I'm sure Doc will understand if I notice some small similarity between it and my story. -DSC]
Father of Mine
by J. Fielek of Quibbles-n-Bits
A 1,800 word short story rated PG.
Sometimes you never know what you left behind.
[A Christmas story, of sorts. Nice, but not without sexual themes. -DSC]
The Forgotten, Part Four (Beginning)
by Andrea Graham of Adam's Blog
The latest 2,710 words of a continuing short story rated PG.
Blinded while protecting his flocks from a lion, Josiah Bar Natan is forced to seek refuge with his Uncle Benjamin in Jerusalem during the days of Christ's ministry. His uncle's servant girl, Rachel, is assigned the daunting duty of convincing a proud Josiah to accept her help and his condition, as Josiah has vowed to fast and pray until the Lord restores his sight.
[Another story I just recently got caught up on, and I'm glad it did. I particularly like the character of Rachel. -DSC]
Part 3, Chapters 8 and 9 of The Child (Beginning)
by Sheya Joie of Tales by Sheya
The latest 4,998 words of a 104,743 word novel in progress rated PG.
Solitary is not so solitary when you aren't alone. And Forest and James get their encounter with Logan, king of the fighters.
[Okay, I'll admit that I still haven't quite caught up to the most recent chapter of The Child. Sheya just writes too fast! -DSC]
Chapters 17 and 18 of Britannia Revived (The Whole Story)
by Andrew Ian Dodge of Dodgeblogium
The next 6,720 word of a continuing story rated R.
The story of an EU dystopia continues.
Faded Glory
by Josh Cohen of The New D-42
An 11,000 word short story rated NC-17.
The story of a guy who goes to his high school reunion, intercut with stuff from his past.
[This is a part of Josh's Little Infidelities series, about people who almost, but not quite, ruin their relationships. This is one of those where it seems like the infidelity isn't so little. -DSC]
If you'd like to take part in a future carnival, please contact me. I am also looking for hosts. Other carnivals can be found here.
The Storyblogging Carnival can be found at The Truth Laid Bear's ÜberCarnival.
Thag do art!
by Mark Rayner of The Skwib
A 220 word brief story rated PG-13.
The continuing adventures of Thag; this story examines the nature of artists.
[I like Thag, even if he is an artist. -DSC]
Rising Up
by Goemagog of this space for sublet
A 599 word brief story rated G.
Balloons! Monkey free.
[A story by Goemagog without monkeys? That's rare. -DSC]
Ink Magic (Part 6) (Beginning)
by Dave Gudeman of Doc Rampage
The latest 1,048 words of a 13,336 word short story rated PG.
Steven goes back to have a chat with the old guy that sic'ed the demon on him in the first place. Secrets are revealed. Plots thicken.
[I finally got a chance to get caught up on Doc's story, which I'd kind of fallen behind on since the last time I hosted. It's good, but I'm sure Doc will understand if I notice some small similarity between it and my story. -DSC]
Father of Mine
by J. Fielek of Quibbles-n-Bits
A 1,800 word short story rated PG.
Sometimes you never know what you left behind.
[A Christmas story, of sorts. Nice, but not without sexual themes. -DSC]
The Forgotten, Part Four (Beginning)
by Andrea Graham of Adam's Blog
The latest 2,710 words of a continuing short story rated PG.
Blinded while protecting his flocks from a lion, Josiah Bar Natan is forced to seek refuge with his Uncle Benjamin in Jerusalem during the days of Christ's ministry. His uncle's servant girl, Rachel, is assigned the daunting duty of convincing a proud Josiah to accept her help and his condition, as Josiah has vowed to fast and pray until the Lord restores his sight.
[Another story I just recently got caught up on, and I'm glad it did. I particularly like the character of Rachel. -DSC]
Part 3, Chapters 8 and 9 of The Child (Beginning)
by Sheya Joie of Tales by Sheya
The latest 4,998 words of a 104,743 word novel in progress rated PG.
Solitary is not so solitary when you aren't alone. And Forest and James get their encounter with Logan, king of the fighters.
[Okay, I'll admit that I still haven't quite caught up to the most recent chapter of The Child. Sheya just writes too fast! -DSC]
Chapters 17 and 18 of Britannia Revived (The Whole Story)
by Andrew Ian Dodge of Dodgeblogium
The next 6,720 word of a continuing story rated R.
The story of an EU dystopia continues.
Faded Glory
by Josh Cohen of The New D-42
An 11,000 word short story rated NC-17.
The story of a guy who goes to his high school reunion, intercut with stuff from his past.
[This is a part of Josh's Little Infidelities series, about people who almost, but not quite, ruin their relationships. This is one of those where it seems like the infidelity isn't so little. -DSC]
If you'd like to take part in a future carnival, please contact me. I am also looking for hosts. Other carnivals can be found here.
The Storyblogging Carnival can be found at The Truth Laid Bear's ÜberCarnival.
Labels: Storyblogging Carnival
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Storyblogging Carnival XXXIII
The latest Storyblogging Carnival is up at Tales by Sheya. With a whopping fourteen stories, it's our biggest yet. Go check it out.
I'll be hosting the next Storyblogging Carnival right here at Back of the Envelope. Look for the announcement next Monday.
I'll be hosting the next Storyblogging Carnival right here at Back of the Envelope. Look for the announcement next Monday.
Labels: Storyblogging Carnival
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Storyblogging Carnival XXXII
It's early, too! Mark Rayner got the Thirty-second Storyblogging Carnival up last night. He divided it into three sections: fiction, non-fiction, and audio, just like a book store!
Labels: Storyblogging Carnival
Monday, February 01, 2010
Storyblogging Carnival CVI
For once, this is not an old Storyblogging Carnival. It's a brand new, up-to-date, carnival, which due to the fact that I'm doing a new carnival while still re-posting the old ones, is going to appear somewhere in the mirror. At some point I'll re-organize it... probably. All those Carnivals can be found on this page. Anyway, let's get started.
49 BC
by Marco Kaufman at The Big Book of Grievances
A 108 word brief story rated PG.
A Roman general makes an historic decision.
And Glory
by Andrew Ian Dodge of Dodgeblogium
A 198 word excerpt rated PG.
The selling paragraph for Andrew's novel.
Vintage Wisdom
by Madeleine Begun Kane of Vintage Wisdom
A 525 brief story rated PG-13.
Humorous (and true) tale of a pre-wedding wine tasting.
Sailing
by Angie Miller of the greatest of these
A 608 word brief story rated PG.
The story of a family sailing outing and the challenges of taking young children along.
The Adventure Sentimentale
by Elisha Webster Emerson of My Inconvenient Body
A 923 word brief story rated G.
A story about a bottle, a plastic chili, some puffins and zero humans.
This concludes the one hundred and fourth Storyblogging Carnival.
If you'd like to take part in a future carnival, please contact me. I am also looking for hosts. Other carnivals can be found here.
The Storyblogging Carnival can be found at The Truth Laid Bear's ÜberCarnival.
49 BC
by Marco Kaufman at The Big Book of Grievances
A 108 word brief story rated PG.
A Roman general makes an historic decision.
And Glory
by Andrew Ian Dodge of Dodgeblogium
A 198 word excerpt rated PG.
The selling paragraph for Andrew's novel.
Vintage Wisdom
by Madeleine Begun Kane of Vintage Wisdom
A 525 brief story rated PG-13.
Humorous (and true) tale of a pre-wedding wine tasting.
Sailing
by Angie Miller of the greatest of these
A 608 word brief story rated PG.
The story of a family sailing outing and the challenges of taking young children along.
The Adventure Sentimentale
by Elisha Webster Emerson of My Inconvenient Body
A 923 word brief story rated G.
A story about a bottle, a plastic chili, some puffins and zero humans.
This concludes the one hundred and fourth Storyblogging Carnival.
If you'd like to take part in a future carnival, please contact me. I am also looking for hosts. Other carnivals can be found here.
The Storyblogging Carnival can be found at The Truth Laid Bear's ÜberCarnival.
Labels: Storyblogging Carnival
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Heightist women?
A year ago, this would have depressed me (HT Instapundit):
I'm a 5'4" guy. I'm well below the 5th percentile--assuming a Gaussian distribution, I'm well below the 1st percentile. I'm also a reformed heightist. At one point, I preferred women who were shorter than I was. Unfortunately, most of those women were only interested in men taller than I. Eventually I realized that I was being silly--considering my height's the same as the average female height, I wasn't being fair to 50% of the female population. Granted, this wasn't a sudden change of heart--I just gradually expanded my ideal dating pool, to my height, and then to a little taller, etc. Fortunately, it was sometime after this that I met my 5'6" girlfriend, and height wasn't a deciding factor for her either.
One thing a lot of women in the comments to that article talk about is that being taller than the man is an issue for him. I can see that being the case when a guy's 5'9" and dating a 5'10" woman. Not that many women are taller than he is, and the few who are might seem intimidating. The thing is, that's a luxury a 5'4" guy doesn't have. If I were intimidated by taller women, I'd be intimidated by half of them.
So it doesn't depress me anymore--I just find it immature. I'm not about to say that there's something wrong with having a preference for taller men. But a preference and an absolute refusal to consider anyone the wrong height (and neither I nor my girlfriend ever stuck to absolutes in height considerations) is a recipe for heartache.
But the fact of the matter is that, for the most part, I go out with guys my height or taller. The shortest guy I ever went out with? 5’10”. The tallest? 6’6”. Lately, I’ve been wondering, does that make me a heightist?As if that wasn't depressing enough, read the comments, and all the women who say that they won't date anyone less than 6 feet (and especially the short women who won't date short men). I hate to disappoint those women who say that they'll only date 6' guys, but according to this chart, only about 25% of men are taller than 6 feet.
If I am, I’m not alone. A while back, I conducted a poll: “Would you go out with a guy who’s shorter than you?” Around 40 percent of the women who responded said: “Hell-to-the-no.” Another 32 percent or so indicated they’d date a guy the same height or a “teeny bit” shorter. How many women would go out with a significantly shorter man? Around 25 percent. In other words, most women are heightists.
I'm a 5'4" guy. I'm well below the 5th percentile--assuming a Gaussian distribution, I'm well below the 1st percentile. I'm also a reformed heightist. At one point, I preferred women who were shorter than I was. Unfortunately, most of those women were only interested in men taller than I. Eventually I realized that I was being silly--considering my height's the same as the average female height, I wasn't being fair to 50% of the female population. Granted, this wasn't a sudden change of heart--I just gradually expanded my ideal dating pool, to my height, and then to a little taller, etc. Fortunately, it was sometime after this that I met my 5'6" girlfriend, and height wasn't a deciding factor for her either.
One thing a lot of women in the comments to that article talk about is that being taller than the man is an issue for him. I can see that being the case when a guy's 5'9" and dating a 5'10" woman. Not that many women are taller than he is, and the few who are might seem intimidating. The thing is, that's a luxury a 5'4" guy doesn't have. If I were intimidated by taller women, I'd be intimidated by half of them.
So it doesn't depress me anymore--I just find it immature. I'm not about to say that there's something wrong with having a preference for taller men. But a preference and an absolute refusal to consider anyone the wrong height (and neither I nor my girlfriend ever stuck to absolutes in height considerations) is a recipe for heartache.
Labels: Relationships
Storyblogging Carnival XXXI
Welcome to the thirty-first Storyblogging Carnival. If you're not familiar with it, storyblogging is simply storytelling in blog format, usually but not always fiction. We have ten stories this time, and the longest and most disturbing one is non-fiction. More Carnivals can be found on this page. But for now, let's get on with this one:
The Gruntwerx Paradigm
by Mark A. Rayner of The Skwib
A 472 word brief story rated PG.
What happens when you are forced to be happy all the time? Bad things. Very bad things.
The Last Bus
by J. Fielek of Quibbles-n-Bits
A 514 brief story rated G.
An homage to a great person.
[A touching little story. -DSC]
What they don't tell you.
by Goemagog of this space for sublet
A 845 word brief story rated G.
MONKEYS!
[The author's blurb isn't very descriptive, but I'll just say that Goemagog continues to have a gift for the really, really bizarre. -DSC]
Mysterious Ways
by Stuart Wood at Pajama Pundits
A 1,286 word brief story rated PG.
A story pondering crime and religiosity entering politics.
Sleeping Dragon
by Eric Ashley of Tales of Tadeusz
A 1,404 short story rated R.
A Belmont Club commenter asked what would have happened if bin Laden had attacked Beijing with the airplanes rather than New York and Washington. This is one answer to that question.
Britannia 12 & 13 (The Rest of the Story)
by Andrew Ian Dodge of Dodgeblogium
The next 2,899 words of a continuing story rated PG.
It continues...
[I originally misplaced Andrew's e-mail and didn't find it until late last night, so I didn't have a chance to read Andrew's entry. My apologies. To show my contrition, I won't even complain that Andrew didn't send me the word count of the whole thing. -DSC]
Ink Magic
by Dave Gudeman of Doc Rampage
The first 3,227 words of a short story rated PG.
Doc gives us a story for Halloween. There's sarcasm, cynicism, and scatological humor. Oh, and something about evil hoodoo.
[Doc didn't send a blurb this time, giving me the rare opportunity to make one up for him. That's always fun. -DSC]
Chapter Two and Chapter Three of Part III of The Child (Beginning)
by Sheya Joie of Tales by Sheya
The next 4,644 words of her 90,917 word novel rated PG.
Now that the teams have scattered through the fortress to find Walker and the captives, some teams find the searching agonizingly slow...
...while for others, events begin to move at a pace that takes their breath away.
[Sheya's reorganized her story into fewer, but longer chapters. -DSC]
What not to do in China...
by Rory of What not to do in Australia
A 15,500 word short story rated R.
This is non fiction, yet the story is so incredible it could easily be fiction.
[This story's title should be taken very literally. -DSC]
And that's it for this carnival. If you'd like to take part in a future carnival, please contact me. I am also looking for hosts. The next Carnival will be hosted by Mark Rayner at The Skwib.
The Storyblogging Carnival can be found at The Truth Laid Bear's ÜberCarnival.
The Gruntwerx Paradigm
by Mark A. Rayner of The Skwib
A 472 word brief story rated PG.
What happens when you are forced to be happy all the time? Bad things. Very bad things.
The Last Bus
by J. Fielek of Quibbles-n-Bits
A 514 brief story rated G.
An homage to a great person.
[A touching little story. -DSC]
What they don't tell you.
by Goemagog of this space for sublet
A 845 word brief story rated G.
MONKEYS!
[The author's blurb isn't very descriptive, but I'll just say that Goemagog continues to have a gift for the really, really bizarre. -DSC]
Mysterious Ways
by Stuart Wood at Pajama Pundits
A 1,286 word brief story rated PG.
A story pondering crime and religiosity entering politics.
Sleeping Dragon
by Eric Ashley of Tales of Tadeusz
A 1,404 short story rated R.
A Belmont Club commenter asked what would have happened if bin Laden had attacked Beijing with the airplanes rather than New York and Washington. This is one answer to that question.
Britannia 12 & 13 (The Rest of the Story)
by Andrew Ian Dodge of Dodgeblogium
The next 2,899 words of a continuing story rated PG.
It continues...
[I originally misplaced Andrew's e-mail and didn't find it until late last night, so I didn't have a chance to read Andrew's entry. My apologies. To show my contrition, I won't even complain that Andrew didn't send me the word count of the whole thing. -DSC]
Ink Magic
by Dave Gudeman of Doc Rampage
The first 3,227 words of a short story rated PG.
Doc gives us a story for Halloween. There's sarcasm, cynicism, and scatological humor. Oh, and something about evil hoodoo.
[Doc didn't send a blurb this time, giving me the rare opportunity to make one up for him. That's always fun. -DSC]
Chapter Two and Chapter Three of Part III of The Child (Beginning)
by Sheya Joie of Tales by Sheya
The next 4,644 words of her 90,917 word novel rated PG.
Now that the teams have scattered through the fortress to find Walker and the captives, some teams find the searching agonizingly slow...
...while for others, events begin to move at a pace that takes their breath away.
[Sheya's reorganized her story into fewer, but longer chapters. -DSC]
What not to do in China...
by Rory of What not to do in Australia
A 15,500 word short story rated R.
This is non fiction, yet the story is so incredible it could easily be fiction.
[This story's title should be taken very literally. -DSC]
And that's it for this carnival. If you'd like to take part in a future carnival, please contact me. I am also looking for hosts. The next Carnival will be hosted by Mark Rayner at The Skwib.
The Storyblogging Carnival can be found at The Truth Laid Bear's ÜberCarnival.
Labels: Storyblogging Carnival
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Storyblogging Carnival XXX
Welcome to the thirtieth Storyblogging Carnival. We have ten stories this time, from nine authors. Mark Rayner kindly contributed two stories this week. He's prolific, ain't he? If you're not familiar with it, storyblogging is simply storytelling in blog format, usually but not always fiction. More Carnivals can be found on this page. But for now, let's get on with this Storyblogging Carnival:
Thag not want get tattoo!
by Mark A. Rayner of The Skwib
A 300 word brief story rated PG.
Another in the continuing series on Thag, the caveman with problems. This story deals with another aspect of human nature — how we tend to avoid new experiences as we get older. It's still comedy though.
After Nelson
by Mark A. Rayner of The Skwib
A 450 word brief story rated PG.
On the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, I image what history might have looked like if Lord Nelson hadn't been there to win it.
The Sad Story of Princess Helga
by Gary Sieling of The Secret Life of Gary
A 529 brief story rated G.
Princess Helga meets a sorceress.
[I wrote the blurb for this one. -DSC]
Little Redfern's Trip to the Supermarket
by Jonathan Holley of Johnny America
A 765 word brief story rated R.
I looked up from my bucket to leer at two bickering coeds who were at the other end of Aisle 14. I thought about mouthing the sequins on brunette's blue miniskirt. I guessed from the flesh-toned Band-Aid on her calf that she’d nicked herself shaving...
Pineapple Upside-down Cake
by Andrea Graham of Adam's Blog
A 1,015 word short story rated G.
A child's eye view of death and food.
[As the author didn't send a blurb, I wrote one for her. -DSC]
The Journey (part 4), Part 14 of Scale 7 Artifact (Beginning)
by Dave Gudeman of Doc Rampage
The next 1,165 words of a 22,304 word story rated PG.
Yet another chapter in the greatest saga ever told about the exploration of the third moon of a gas giant in another solar system by a guy named Daniel with a scale 7 artifact on it.
Romero is a Pain Redux
by Andrew Ian Dodge of Dodgeblogium
A 1,265 word short story rated PG.
The Sage of Wales and Claire try to keep a straight face as Rupert explains how he got out of the mess he got himself into on an island in the middle of the sea. Written by request of Storyblogging readers.
Part XXI of The Spy Novel
by The Colossus of The Colossus
A 2,521 word chapter of a 41,958 word novel in progress rated PG-13.
Eric Ashley's summary: "Cold, controlled, paranoid, and searching speculation based on tiny clues, this story sucks you in, and grabs you. Who are your friends? Is the hero that, or simply a protagonist of questionable virtue, although undoubted skill? When will the betrayal come, and who will do it? Crisp writing style, and more questions than one can shoot with a full clip of ammo."
[I always enjoy a good description of the underground lair of a secret society of gardeners. -DSC]
Chapters 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, and 113 of The Child (Beginning)
by Sheya Joie of Tales by Sheya
The next 3,474 words of her 86,273 word novel rated PG.
At long last, they reach the enemy's fortress - and now they must find a way to sneak inside.
Chapters 29-34 of CLOWN
by Theron Marshman of Harkonnendog
A 6,271 word short story rated R.
Chapters 29-33 of CLOWN, during which Clown gets drunk, schizo, depressed, horny, has a philosophical discussion with a priest who ALMOST saves his soul and...
And that's it for this carnival. If you'd like to take part in a future carnival, please contact me. I am also looking for hosts.
The Storyblogging Carnival can be found at The Truth Laid Bear's ÜberCarnival.
Thag not want get tattoo!
by Mark A. Rayner of The Skwib
A 300 word brief story rated PG.
Another in the continuing series on Thag, the caveman with problems. This story deals with another aspect of human nature — how we tend to avoid new experiences as we get older. It's still comedy though.
After Nelson
by Mark A. Rayner of The Skwib
A 450 word brief story rated PG.
On the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, I image what history might have looked like if Lord Nelson hadn't been there to win it.
The Sad Story of Princess Helga
by Gary Sieling of The Secret Life of Gary
A 529 brief story rated G.
Princess Helga meets a sorceress.
[I wrote the blurb for this one. -DSC]
Little Redfern's Trip to the Supermarket
by Jonathan Holley of Johnny America
A 765 word brief story rated R.
I looked up from my bucket to leer at two bickering coeds who were at the other end of Aisle 14. I thought about mouthing the sequins on brunette's blue miniskirt. I guessed from the flesh-toned Band-Aid on her calf that she’d nicked herself shaving...
Pineapple Upside-down Cake
by Andrea Graham of Adam's Blog
A 1,015 word short story rated G.
A child's eye view of death and food.
[As the author didn't send a blurb, I wrote one for her. -DSC]
The Journey (part 4), Part 14 of Scale 7 Artifact (Beginning)
by Dave Gudeman of Doc Rampage
The next 1,165 words of a 22,304 word story rated PG.
Yet another chapter in the greatest saga ever told about the exploration of the third moon of a gas giant in another solar system by a guy named Daniel with a scale 7 artifact on it.
Romero is a Pain Redux
by Andrew Ian Dodge of Dodgeblogium
A 1,265 word short story rated PG.
The Sage of Wales and Claire try to keep a straight face as Rupert explains how he got out of the mess he got himself into on an island in the middle of the sea. Written by request of Storyblogging readers.
Part XXI of The Spy Novel
by The Colossus of The Colossus
A 2,521 word chapter of a 41,958 word novel in progress rated PG-13.
Eric Ashley's summary: "Cold, controlled, paranoid, and searching speculation based on tiny clues, this story sucks you in, and grabs you. Who are your friends? Is the hero that, or simply a protagonist of questionable virtue, although undoubted skill? When will the betrayal come, and who will do it? Crisp writing style, and more questions than one can shoot with a full clip of ammo."
[I always enjoy a good description of the underground lair of a secret society of gardeners. -DSC]
Chapters 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, and 113 of The Child (Beginning)
by Sheya Joie of Tales by Sheya
The next 3,474 words of her 86,273 word novel rated PG.
At long last, they reach the enemy's fortress - and now they must find a way to sneak inside.
Chapters 29-34 of CLOWN
by Theron Marshman of Harkonnendog
A 6,271 word short story rated R.
Chapters 29-33 of CLOWN, during which Clown gets drunk, schizo, depressed, horny, has a philosophical discussion with a priest who ALMOST saves his soul and...
And that's it for this carnival. If you'd like to take part in a future carnival, please contact me. I am also looking for hosts.
The Storyblogging Carnival can be found at The Truth Laid Bear's ÜberCarnival.
Labels: Storyblogging Carnival
Friday, January 29, 2010
Storyblogging Carnival XXIX
The latest Storyblogging Carnival is online at Tales by Sheya. There are thirteen stories from eleven authors this time.
I'll be hosting the next carnival myself, here at Back of the Envelope. Let me know if you'd like to join in.
I'll be hosting the next carnival myself, here at Back of the Envelope. Let me know if you'd like to join in.
Labels: Storyblogging Carnival
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Storyblogging Carnival XXVIII
Storyblogging Carnival XXVIII is now online at Tales of Tadeusz. Thirteen entries this time, as many as we've ever had. We'll see whether we can grow even more in the weeks to come. I met a few more blogging writers last night, whom I've invited to take part.
Labels: Storyblogging Carnival
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Storyblogging Carnival XXVII
Welcome to the first anniversary edition of the Storyblogging Carnival. Yes, it's really been a whole year since the first carnival. With a year's worth of storytelling in blog format under our collective belt, what's next? I have no idea, but I'm sure we'll have fun.
I honestly don't have much to say by way of introduction this week. So let's just enjoy this week's entries:
Thag Not Like Angry Sky!
by Mark A. Rayner of The Skwib
A 280 word brief story rated PG.
The continuing saga of Thag and his clan — this time on a more serious note, reflective of this past week's events.
[I really liked this short, serious fiction. A necessary reminder of the frailty of human life. -DSC]
Part 11 of Scale 7 Artifact (Beginning)
by Dave Gudeman of Doc Rampage
The next 1,231 words of an 18,525 word story rated PG.
The team is away, but Daniel still harbors dark suspicions. Will his fears come true? Will Daniel's insane paranoia itself damn the mission? Only time will tell. OK, I'll tell you. Daniel's suspicions are well-founded, but you would know that already if you read the ealier chapters.
[Doc continues to spin his yarn with humor and hard sci-fi. -DSC]
BLEEP!!
by Eric R. Ashley of Tales of Tadeusz
A 2,020 word short story rated PG.
An annoyed troubleshooter searches for a reason why the new work crew can't keep up with the production schedule. Sci-fi/Humor.
[We're off the Death of a Blogger story for the moment, for something a little lighter. -DSC]
Camp
by Trudy W. Schuett of WOLves
A 2,158 short story rated PG.
The purpose of Camp is not for summer getaways and winter hunting trips like everybody else’s property. Sure, it started out that way, but sometime in the late 1930s that changed. Officially, that is. I think it’s always been a place of refuge, a way station for people on the path to other things.
[This story was written especially for our first anniversary. It's a fascinating tale about the footnotes to history most folks don't read. -DSC]
Chapters 90, 91, 92, and 93 of The Child (Beginning)
by Sheya Joie of Tales by Sheya
The next 2,562 words of a 73,984 word novel rated PG.
A bit of sword practice in the morning turns into a hunt for a missing member of their group - and something even more unexpected.
[After a computer problem induced hiatus, The Child is back. Good to see you again, Sheya. -DSC]
Chapter 1 of Electricity
by Myke Bartlett of Electricity: A Novel in Increments
A 2,572 word chapter of a 60,000 word novel in progress rated R.
Aston Somerfield – 23, casual smoker and part-time alcoholic – has come to London to find himself. He knows who he's looking for, he's seen him on the cover of the NME. Drawn across oceans by fame and fate, Aston is keeping his diary empty to make sure he's available. Won't commit to anything until it's everything. But London has other plans.
When a virtual stranger calls Aston a few hours before his death, fate is derailed. Amid a hundred boozy evenings and romantic deadends, a mystery unfurls. Equally assisted and hindered by tremulous accountant Tom Hensley and dedicated loafer Steven Black, Aston uncovers a different London – one of murder, ghosts, dangerous emails and the second big bang.
As chaotic and random as the city it inhabits, Electricity slowly evolves into a mystery bigger than the universe itself.
[Okay, I'll admit I only skimmed some of these entries, but this one I didn't even have a chance to do that, as it was submitted late and there's a full 60,000 words online right now. However, it looks like a fascinating story, and when I get a chance, I'll have to start reading this. -DSC]
Chapters 8 and 9 of Britannia Revived (The Whole Story)
by Andrew Ian Dodge of Dodgeblogium
The next 4,677 words of a novel rated R.
The US President is having problems.
[A continuation of Andrew's near future story of the EU and it's many, many ills.-DSC]
The Quest
by Jason Pomerantz of Fiddle and Burn
A 7,000 word short story rated PG.
In honor of the Carnival's anniversary, here's a special sneak preview of a story that will be running in Fiddle and Burn over the next month: Thirteen year old Hal is obsessed with a violent computer game called Deathzone. When a new version comes out... he'll do whatever it takes to get a copy!
[This is quite a treat. Jason runs a blog he calls a comic strip in prose format, where he posts small bits of the story every day. He's making an entire storyline, weeks worth of posts, available to us ahead of time. Jason's a swell guy, ain't he? Now, if only I could convince J.K. Rowling to do the same with Book 7. -DSC]
A Slightly Different Love Story
by Josh Cohen of The New D-42
A 8,100 word short story rated NC-17.
A slightly different love story, in which two people fall in love, and events occur.
[As always, Josh's story needs a strong warning for explicit content. And as always, it's well told. This one isn't as explicit as most of the others, but it's not exactly PG either.-DSC]
And that's it for our first anniversary edition. If you'd like to take part in a future carnival, please contact me.
The Storyblogging Carnival can be found at The Truth Laid Bear's ÜberCarnival.
I honestly don't have much to say by way of introduction this week. So let's just enjoy this week's entries:
Thag Not Like Angry Sky!
by Mark A. Rayner of The Skwib
A 280 word brief story rated PG.
The continuing saga of Thag and his clan — this time on a more serious note, reflective of this past week's events.
[I really liked this short, serious fiction. A necessary reminder of the frailty of human life. -DSC]
Part 11 of Scale 7 Artifact (Beginning)
by Dave Gudeman of Doc Rampage
The next 1,231 words of an 18,525 word story rated PG.
The team is away, but Daniel still harbors dark suspicions. Will his fears come true? Will Daniel's insane paranoia itself damn the mission? Only time will tell. OK, I'll tell you. Daniel's suspicions are well-founded, but you would know that already if you read the ealier chapters.
[Doc continues to spin his yarn with humor and hard sci-fi. -DSC]
BLEEP!!
by Eric R. Ashley of Tales of Tadeusz
A 2,020 word short story rated PG.
An annoyed troubleshooter searches for a reason why the new work crew can't keep up with the production schedule. Sci-fi/Humor.
[We're off the Death of a Blogger story for the moment, for something a little lighter. -DSC]
Camp
by Trudy W. Schuett of WOLves
A 2,158 short story rated PG.
The purpose of Camp is not for summer getaways and winter hunting trips like everybody else’s property. Sure, it started out that way, but sometime in the late 1930s that changed. Officially, that is. I think it’s always been a place of refuge, a way station for people on the path to other things.
[This story was written especially for our first anniversary. It's a fascinating tale about the footnotes to history most folks don't read. -DSC]
Chapters 90, 91, 92, and 93 of The Child (Beginning)
by Sheya Joie of Tales by Sheya
The next 2,562 words of a 73,984 word novel rated PG.
A bit of sword practice in the morning turns into a hunt for a missing member of their group - and something even more unexpected.
[After a computer problem induced hiatus, The Child is back. Good to see you again, Sheya. -DSC]
Chapter 1 of Electricity
by Myke Bartlett of Electricity: A Novel in Increments
A 2,572 word chapter of a 60,000 word novel in progress rated R.
Aston Somerfield – 23, casual smoker and part-time alcoholic – has come to London to find himself. He knows who he's looking for, he's seen him on the cover of the NME. Drawn across oceans by fame and fate, Aston is keeping his diary empty to make sure he's available. Won't commit to anything until it's everything. But London has other plans.
When a virtual stranger calls Aston a few hours before his death, fate is derailed. Amid a hundred boozy evenings and romantic deadends, a mystery unfurls. Equally assisted and hindered by tremulous accountant Tom Hensley and dedicated loafer Steven Black, Aston uncovers a different London – one of murder, ghosts, dangerous emails and the second big bang.
As chaotic and random as the city it inhabits, Electricity slowly evolves into a mystery bigger than the universe itself.
[Okay, I'll admit I only skimmed some of these entries, but this one I didn't even have a chance to do that, as it was submitted late and there's a full 60,000 words online right now. However, it looks like a fascinating story, and when I get a chance, I'll have to start reading this. -DSC]
Chapters 8 and 9 of Britannia Revived (The Whole Story)
by Andrew Ian Dodge of Dodgeblogium
The next 4,677 words of a novel rated R.
The US President is having problems.
[A continuation of Andrew's near future story of the EU and it's many, many ills.-DSC]
The Quest
by Jason Pomerantz of Fiddle and Burn
A 7,000 word short story rated PG.
In honor of the Carnival's anniversary, here's a special sneak preview of a story that will be running in Fiddle and Burn over the next month: Thirteen year old Hal is obsessed with a violent computer game called Deathzone. When a new version comes out... he'll do whatever it takes to get a copy!
[This is quite a treat. Jason runs a blog he calls a comic strip in prose format, where he posts small bits of the story every day. He's making an entire storyline, weeks worth of posts, available to us ahead of time. Jason's a swell guy, ain't he? Now, if only I could convince J.K. Rowling to do the same with Book 7. -DSC]
A Slightly Different Love Story
by Josh Cohen of The New D-42
A 8,100 word short story rated NC-17.
A slightly different love story, in which two people fall in love, and events occur.
[As always, Josh's story needs a strong warning for explicit content. And as always, it's well told. This one isn't as explicit as most of the others, but it's not exactly PG either.-DSC]
And that's it for our first anniversary edition. If you'd like to take part in a future carnival, please contact me.
The Storyblogging Carnival can be found at The Truth Laid Bear's ÜberCarnival.
Labels: Storyblogging Carnival
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Storyblogging Carnival XXVI
NOTE: Once again, this is a re-post, so the links aren't guaranteed.
The latest Storyblogging Carnival is up at Curtis Schweitzer's a-sdf. He's posted it on both his blogs, so you can also find it at Working Titles. We have a good showing with thirteen stories this week.
The next carnival is the twenty-seventh, making it our first anniversary. I would like to get as many entries as possible for this, so please consider submitting even if you haven't done so in a while. And if you don't have a story yourself, please use your blog to let other people know about this upcoming carnival.
The latest Storyblogging Carnival is up at Curtis Schweitzer's a-sdf. He's posted it on both his blogs, so you can also find it at Working Titles. We have a good showing with thirteen stories this week.
The next carnival is the twenty-seventh, making it our first anniversary. I would like to get as many entries as possible for this, so please consider submitting even if you haven't done so in a while. And if you don't have a story yourself, please use your blog to let other people know about this upcoming carnival.
Labels: Storyblogging Carnival
Monday, January 25, 2010
Storyblogging Carnival XXV
NOTE: As before: re-post, old links.
The latest Storyblogging Carnival is up at Fiddle and Burn. Jason has collected nine stories from around the blogosphere for your reading pleasure.
The latest Storyblogging Carnival is up at Fiddle and Burn. Jason has collected nine stories from around the blogosphere for your reading pleasure.
Labels: Storyblogging Carnival
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Storyblogging Carnival XXIV
NOTE: As a reminder, this is a re-post, so some of the links may be outdated.
Welcome to the twenty-fourth Storyblogging Carnival, a bi-weekly collection of fiction from around the blogosphere. Previous carnivals are archived in the Storyblogging Carnival category of this blog. A Carnival collects and organizes entries from numerous participants in a central location, and this Carnival collects examples of Storyblogging. For new visitors, Storyblogging is simply story-telling in blog format, and may range from posting a short story on a blog to posting a long serial story there, from blogging as a fictional persona to collaborative story-telling. It can even be non-fiction that tells a story rather than recites facts. There are twelve stories this week, two from new participants.
You'll notice that there are two stories rated NC-17 in this carnival. My policy over what degree of sex and/or violence is acceptable in the carnival is that it's entirely up to the host. But what about when I'm the host? When it comes to sex, at least, any sort of explicit description will get an NC-17 rating, which is why these two stories have it. When it's not explicit, but it's still there, the story will probably get an R--as my own story "A Stranger in the Library" received. But is there a limit for what I'll include in the carnival? The short answer is "yes." The long answer is that I'm not quite sure what that limit is. The two stories I included made the cut since I found the stories themselves both interesting and well-written, even if parts made me uncomfortable. Other than that, I can't tell if another story will make it until I read it, and I can tell you with certainty that some of the other hosts would not have accepted these stories, and others would have had no problem with them.
Of course, if you wanted to make it easier on me and the other hosts, you could tone down what stories you submit to the carnival. You can write whatever you want on your own blog, but the host implicitly takes a certain amount of responsibility for what he links to, even when he liberally applies warnings to the link. And while it's not my goal to go so far as to keep the carnival family-friendly, I really don't want my sister telling her daughter that she's not allowed to read my blog.
The Fools' Village
by Tom Harrison of Monday Evening
A 263 word brief story rated G.
A fable of employment in the non-profit sector.
[This is a funny story, but you have to pay close attention. -DSC]
A potato named McKenzie
by Goemagog of this space for sublet
A 547 word brief story rated PG.
Fighting the good fight against vegetation.
[This one's really, really weird. -DSC]
The Story of a Dog and a Baby
by firstbrokenangel of AAFFLLAACCKK
A 624 word brief story rated PG.
That dog's a keeper.
[This is more advice than story, and while I think it's generally true, I don't believe it's always true. As always, your mileage may vary. -DSC]
CLOWN Excerpt 2 (Beginning)
by Theron Marshman of Harkonnendog
A 736 word brief story rated R.
Clown sexually harrasses Abbey, creating a basketball of dead flesh thereby.
[I think the main character thinks too much. -DSC]
Money Emotions and Beachstone Buzz
by Melissa Moon of New Age Harlot
A 1,079 short story rated NC-17.
It's about being a whore and being pure about worldly things, including money which this non-fiction story is about.
[From the description, you can probably guess why it receives this rating. The story itself is not the most graphic in this carnival, but much of the rest of the blog is disturbing. Enter at your own risk. -DSC]
Scale 7 Artifact, Part 9 (Beginning)
by Dave Gudeman of Doc Rampage
The next 2,441 words of a 16,388 word story in progress rated PG.
The expedition to Moon 3 won't have any marines to guard them from alien animals, but the team won't exactly be helpless.
[Despite saying that he was going to focus on Dying Earth stories, Doc has returned to Scale 7 Artifact. I, for one, am glad to see it, as I was wondering what would happen next. -DSC]
Chapters 82,83,84, and 85 of The Child (Beginning)
by Sheya Joie of Tales by Sheya
The next 2,537 words of a 68,277 word novel in progress rated PG.
Oh - *that's* why Starr was having all those visions of wolves...
[The Child's coming along nicely. -DSC]
Chapters 2 and 3 of Britannia Revived (Whole story)
by Andrew Ian Dodge of Dodgeblogium
The next 3,137 words of a novel in progress rated R.
The novel BR continues and this time Andrew has given us two chapters to chew on. In the light of the recent attack in London the title is rather apt.
[Andrew takes us to a near future where the EU rules Europe with all the competence you'd expect, and everything's coming apart at the seams. This is a departure from his Cthulhu tales, but very interesting. -DSC]
City of Peace: part 2 (Beginning)
by Curtis Schweitzer of working titles
The next 3,726 words of a 8,227 story rated R.
The first installment of "city of peace" began with a story about redemption. Inasmuch as this is what I hope will become the theme of the overall work, I am tracing its effects through different characters. In a way, it reminds me of the parable of the sower, in which redemption is offered but only sometimes taken. Likewise, these characters have all been given the chance to begin life anew--to be saved from their desperate circumstances. In this installment, Nathan James Riley ("The Bum") shows us that all too often, the story does not end happily.
[This one was right on the edge of receiving my NC-17 rating. Nevertheless, it's a good story about some rough characters and harsh realities. -DSC]
Chapters 8 and 9 of The Death of a Blogger (Beginning)
by Eric Ashley of Tales of Tadeusz
A 4,750 word excerpt of a 67,110 word novel rated PG.
The Blogosphere starts to operate as a problem-solving machine on Sharon's behalf, and the first gusts of what will become a perfect blogstorm are felt.
[I'm glad the blogosphere is living up to its billing. -DSC]
Cheated
by Josh Cohen of The New D-42
A 10,378 word short story rated NC-17.
A story about two couples. Actually, one couple, seen through the eyes of another as they come to terms with the effect they have on each other. Part of a continuum of stories about "Little Infidelities". Contains adult language, adult situations (some of them including moderately-explicit sex), and mild violence.
[The author was concerned that I would find this story too sexually explicit. It certainly is so, but the quality of the writing and of the story-telling outweigh my discomfort with some of the scenes. -DSC]
I hope you enjoyed this Carnival. If you'd like to participate in future Storyblogging Carnivals, or just join the e-mail list, please contact me.
The Storyblogging Carnival can be found at The Truth Laid Bear's ÜberCarnival.
Welcome to the twenty-fourth Storyblogging Carnival, a bi-weekly collection of fiction from around the blogosphere. Previous carnivals are archived in the Storyblogging Carnival category of this blog. A Carnival collects and organizes entries from numerous participants in a central location, and this Carnival collects examples of Storyblogging. For new visitors, Storyblogging is simply story-telling in blog format, and may range from posting a short story on a blog to posting a long serial story there, from blogging as a fictional persona to collaborative story-telling. It can even be non-fiction that tells a story rather than recites facts. There are twelve stories this week, two from new participants.
You'll notice that there are two stories rated NC-17 in this carnival. My policy over what degree of sex and/or violence is acceptable in the carnival is that it's entirely up to the host. But what about when I'm the host? When it comes to sex, at least, any sort of explicit description will get an NC-17 rating, which is why these two stories have it. When it's not explicit, but it's still there, the story will probably get an R--as my own story "A Stranger in the Library" received. But is there a limit for what I'll include in the carnival? The short answer is "yes." The long answer is that I'm not quite sure what that limit is. The two stories I included made the cut since I found the stories themselves both interesting and well-written, even if parts made me uncomfortable. Other than that, I can't tell if another story will make it until I read it, and I can tell you with certainty that some of the other hosts would not have accepted these stories, and others would have had no problem with them.
Of course, if you wanted to make it easier on me and the other hosts, you could tone down what stories you submit to the carnival. You can write whatever you want on your own blog, but the host implicitly takes a certain amount of responsibility for what he links to, even when he liberally applies warnings to the link. And while it's not my goal to go so far as to keep the carnival family-friendly, I really don't want my sister telling her daughter that she's not allowed to read my blog.
The Fools' Village
by Tom Harrison of Monday Evening
A 263 word brief story rated G.
A fable of employment in the non-profit sector.
[This is a funny story, but you have to pay close attention. -DSC]
A potato named McKenzie
by Goemagog of this space for sublet
A 547 word brief story rated PG.
Fighting the good fight against vegetation.
[This one's really, really weird. -DSC]
The Story of a Dog and a Baby
by firstbrokenangel of AAFFLLAACCKK
A 624 word brief story rated PG.
That dog's a keeper.
[This is more advice than story, and while I think it's generally true, I don't believe it's always true. As always, your mileage may vary. -DSC]
CLOWN Excerpt 2 (Beginning)
by Theron Marshman of Harkonnendog
A 736 word brief story rated R.
Clown sexually harrasses Abbey, creating a basketball of dead flesh thereby.
[I think the main character thinks too much. -DSC]
Money Emotions and Beachstone Buzz
by Melissa Moon of New Age Harlot
A 1,079 short story rated NC-17.
It's about being a whore and being pure about worldly things, including money which this non-fiction story is about.
[From the description, you can probably guess why it receives this rating. The story itself is not the most graphic in this carnival, but much of the rest of the blog is disturbing. Enter at your own risk. -DSC]
Scale 7 Artifact, Part 9 (Beginning)
by Dave Gudeman of Doc Rampage
The next 2,441 words of a 16,388 word story in progress rated PG.
The expedition to Moon 3 won't have any marines to guard them from alien animals, but the team won't exactly be helpless.
[Despite saying that he was going to focus on Dying Earth stories, Doc has returned to Scale 7 Artifact. I, for one, am glad to see it, as I was wondering what would happen next. -DSC]
Chapters 82,83,84, and 85 of The Child (Beginning)
by Sheya Joie of Tales by Sheya
The next 2,537 words of a 68,277 word novel in progress rated PG.
Oh - *that's* why Starr was having all those visions of wolves...
[The Child's coming along nicely. -DSC]
Chapters 2 and 3 of Britannia Revived (Whole story)
by Andrew Ian Dodge of Dodgeblogium
The next 3,137 words of a novel in progress rated R.
The novel BR continues and this time Andrew has given us two chapters to chew on. In the light of the recent attack in London the title is rather apt.
[Andrew takes us to a near future where the EU rules Europe with all the competence you'd expect, and everything's coming apart at the seams. This is a departure from his Cthulhu tales, but very interesting. -DSC]
City of Peace: part 2 (Beginning)
by Curtis Schweitzer of working titles
The next 3,726 words of a 8,227 story rated R.
The first installment of "city of peace" began with a story about redemption. Inasmuch as this is what I hope will become the theme of the overall work, I am tracing its effects through different characters. In a way, it reminds me of the parable of the sower, in which redemption is offered but only sometimes taken. Likewise, these characters have all been given the chance to begin life anew--to be saved from their desperate circumstances. In this installment, Nathan James Riley ("The Bum") shows us that all too often, the story does not end happily.
[This one was right on the edge of receiving my NC-17 rating. Nevertheless, it's a good story about some rough characters and harsh realities. -DSC]
Chapters 8 and 9 of The Death of a Blogger (Beginning)
by Eric Ashley of Tales of Tadeusz
A 4,750 word excerpt of a 67,110 word novel rated PG.
The Blogosphere starts to operate as a problem-solving machine on Sharon's behalf, and the first gusts of what will become a perfect blogstorm are felt.
[I'm glad the blogosphere is living up to its billing. -DSC]
Cheated
by Josh Cohen of The New D-42
A 10,378 word short story rated NC-17.
A story about two couples. Actually, one couple, seen through the eyes of another as they come to terms with the effect they have on each other. Part of a continuum of stories about "Little Infidelities". Contains adult language, adult situations (some of them including moderately-explicit sex), and mild violence.
[The author was concerned that I would find this story too sexually explicit. It certainly is so, but the quality of the writing and of the story-telling outweigh my discomfort with some of the scenes. -DSC]
I hope you enjoyed this Carnival. If you'd like to participate in future Storyblogging Carnivals, or just join the e-mail list, please contact me.
The Storyblogging Carnival can be found at The Truth Laid Bear's ÜberCarnival.
Labels: Storyblogging Carnival
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]