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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:
  • 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 post may be of any age, from a week old to years old. The submission deadline is 11:59 PM Eastern time on Saturday, February 27th. More detailed information follows (same as always):
  1. The story or excerpt submitted must be posted on-line as a blog entry, and while fiction is preferred, non-fiction storytelling is acceptable.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
If you'd like to be added to the e-mail list, please let me know. Finally, I appreciate folks promoting the carnival on their own blogs, and I'm always looking for bloggers willing to host future carnivals.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Monday, February 08, 2010

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.