FanStory wrote to vapros: Jack and me finished first in the contest "What is Love?"


vapros: Guess I'm all done. It's been fun. You are in charge until I get back!

Bill


vapros: Today I have posted 'Missing Person', a slice of life in 2866 words. You might enjoy it.


vapros: Foul mood today. I just had a very discouraging experience on my favorite web site. Bleah!
    vapros: Just had one comment I wanted to make. -
    Adri7enne: Aw, sorry to hear that! He/She is definitely off my Christmas list. Chin up, my friend. Laissez le bon temps rouller! -


vapros: Late last night I submitted my entry in a short story contest. We had literally several weeks of advance notice for the deadline, but I put it off until the eleventh hour and posted it with barely a half hour to spare. I guess some others may have done the same - several reservations were not used. I've done that a couple of times, too.

Mine had the bones of a fine story, but what I wrote and put up was much less. There are a hundred places where it could have benefited from more description, observation, metaphor, etc, and didn't get it. For this I feel a bit ashamed and embarrassed - 'honte', as the Cajuns would say. This tale was picked before it was ripe, and it's too late now.

So, make a note here. Before you post, be sure you have actually written something, and especially if it will have your name on it. Don't do it poorly and then feel badly about it. What goes around comes around.

Here's a question for the committee. Noting that this contest allowed for stories up to 7000 words, should such an entry have been posted all at once? (I'm someone who preaches against posts that are too long.)

    nor84: This isn't an answer from the committee, but from the contest originator and a long-time member. No, you can't have two entries from the same person in a contest. The site's computer would not let you enter.

    Most contests that have word requirements allow up to 7000 words, but recommend something like 3000 words. I think that's what the standard template says.
    -
    giraffmang: In terms of competitions, you can't post a two parter. The site doesn't allow for it. In regard to longer posts, it depends on what you want to do. If there is no natural break in a story then it can feel disjointed to randomly break it into two posts. Some of my posts are around 6000 words and I haven't suffered because of that. You just tend to get less fluff reviews of the piece which is a good thing.

    In the 'real' world longer stories are the norm and the shorter posts here don't really stand up to scrutiny. At least, that's the feedback I've been given from other authors and industry professionals.

    All the best
    GMG -


vapros: I offer a new writing prompt today, for those of you who can remember their first car. Who says there is nothing new in the prompt menu?
    I am Cat: Does a skateboard count? ;) -
    I am Cat: I got my first one in 1977 I believe.
    I was the only kid in town with one. ;)
    I'm 53, hardly a teeny bopper... More of a bee-bopper -
    vapros: Yes, I understand you were very poor. The family was poor, and the cook was poor, and the chauffeur was poor, and the upstairs maid and the gardener, also. Everybody was very poor. :) -
    I am Cat: Are you always this charming? Or was it some thing I said? -
    vapros: Sorry about that. It reminded me of an old joke about a grade school assignment. No hurt was intended. I need to be more careful. -
    michaelcahill: No worries. As her entertainment director, I flew in the Stones for a surprise concert. She's on the mend. :)) -
    I am Cat: I was hoping for Aerosmith, Mikey. ;)
    No worries vapros... I don't get offended easily. ;) -


vapros: www.youtube.com


vapros: Thanks so much, Dawn. https://youtu.be/xe9fK7qTa3M
    vapros: Well, I missed the link! -
    Dawn Munro: I'm not sure what you mean - it's YouTube. No link necessary - you just go there. Google YouTube.If you scroll down your page you'll see the song, though. Were you asking how to include a video in something? (Did I misunderstand?) -
    vapros: No, you didn't miss anything. I could find it in YouTube, but I did not know how to post it here, with or without graphics. Any more help appreciated. -


vapros: I see some writers, (John LeCarre' for example) no longer use quotation marks for dialogue. They are using the apostrophe, instead. What's the status of this shortcut? Popular?
    nor84: No, not popular. I think single quote marks may be British. In the US, we continue to use double quotes. -
    Gloria ....: Cormac McCarthy doesn't quotation marks at all. As he says, if you write well enough and clearly enough there is no reason for quotation marks. I agree. Punctuation is only intended to enhance reading, but it's almost taken on a life of its own. -
    nor84: Hmm... as a prose writer, I wonder how you could identify the speaker without ".......," John said OR
    "....." John slammed the door. How does McCarthy show who is speaking?

    I can understand LeCarre using single quotes, because his writing originated overseas.

    -
    Gloria ....: Start with his book, The Road, Nor. It is an amazing read. It was so good I read it three times in a row I found it so good. There is never any problem knowing who is speaking. -
    nor84: Probably won't be something most writers will handle well. -
    vapros: Thanks so much, Dawn. I appreciate it. Roy Hamilton was a great talent, who died young. -
    Realist101: I don't like it, personally, and some are even omitting periods after Mr. or Mrs. etc...weird in my view. :/ -


vapros: When I write a full two line review of a post that has only 19 words, and then the program not only tells me it is too short, it also deletes what I have already done, I'm likely to decide not to review that one at all.
    Serendipity!: Cut and paste the whole thing, THEN write your two line review. lol -