I was at a loss on what to write this week. The sun was shinning and everything was bright and cheerful. I was miserable. I don’t like the sun. I used to suffer from migraines and light annoyed me, so I am left with a lasting hatred of it. Where I stay, if the weather is nice(?) the sun always shines. Well that isn’t true, the sun always shines in my eyes. No matter whether I sit at the front or the back of the house, the light either bounces its way around three parked cars, through the window and straight into my retinas or it just illuminates the back window. To be truthful this is normally only an issue three days a year but it is still annoying. There’s something soothing about the dark. It doesn’t violate your eyes. Life just likes to annoy me at times, that is why I am forced to work with the public.
So, with these thoughts in mind, I began thinking about personal preference. There are so many things that can be good for some and bad for others – The old saying of one man’s poison and all that. So for me, when the sun comes out, it doesn’t just have me squinting like a Shar Pei sooking a lemon, it makes me too damn warm. I can sweat for Scotland in August (The winter) not one of my most attractive traits I might add, but in warm weather I am my own paddling pool. I am never dry. It is disgusting and I actually judge my wife for staying with me. She would have been as well marrying a bloody puddle. So we now have a problem of moisture to add to the light issue. This is nothing, my biggest gripe with the sunshine is all the cheery folk that smell of coconut. They smile too much, laugh too much, enjoy themselves too much and are around me too much. I have a problem with enthusiasm, but enthusiasm when I am blind and wet doesn’t fill me with much joy.
So my wish when it’s sunny and warm, is hatred and hoping that the rain returns. Sure, I would still be wet but at least I could see the misery in everyone else’s eyes!
This segment is becoming quite structured. I don’t normally like structure, it is the sensible parents of boredom but there is no other way for me to do this and sometimes we need to use it!! So as usual, to this weeks cornucopia of topics. We have thoughts of infatuation, greed and need. We not only have deceit, this is tied in with being easily led. Rivalry instigates a bad decision and lastly, something that can be through most stories, acceptance.
As usual, initial comments are attached.
John Henry is a new writer who was published on Monday with his story, ‘Connecting The Dots’. We welcome you John.
‘The MC was a simple soul who was a sucker for a pretty face’
‘The sparse delivery made this convincing.
Tuesday, we were so happy to publish an old friend of ours, Anthony Wobbe gave us ‘Daniel’s Day’. Hopefully he will send us in many more.
‘I was really impressed.’
‘I enjoyed the patois.’
‘The suddenness of the ending worked well.’
We had been recommended to Ed Barkin and we are very pleased that he took us up with his wonderfully titled ‘Guy And The Baby Doll’ which was Wednesday’s posting.
‘This was quite menacing’
‘It was pithy’
‘I loved the lines about the wheels of destiny’
Thursday cometh and we had the absolute pleasure of another of Mr Tom Sheehan’s beautifully worded tales, ‘Catch Of The Day’
‘He really transports you into a story.’
‘A lesson so gently taught that you can only appreciate it afterwards.
The end of the week and we had something so different. Oh I am not talking about Friday, it was still the day in question. I am sure Diane who is editing this will change this bit of fact if it’s wrong. We welcome the youngest member to our site. Luna Moore has sent us something that makes you smile all the way through with ‘Gestalt Girl’.
What a fun, silly, intelligent piece this is.’
‘Layer upon layer of meaning’
‘I believe this girl can write.’
If you couldn’t find something within those wonderful stories to make you laugh or cry or ponder, you have even less emotion than me!!
Now talking about getting emotional, all the editors at Literally Stories become very emotional when we receive a submission as per our guidelines. It is as rare as a phoenix rising from the ashes of a unicorn who has strolled into the fires of the millennium in Brigadoon. We have therefore reviewed our submissions page and tried to make things a little clearer:
We need the word count as we have a limit.
We need the genre as we have restrictions.
We need notification if the story has been submitted elsewhere or if it is a simultaneous submission, this is courtesy to all sites involved.
A few sentences of introduction is also nice.
And structure as requested, that is how we set up.
Have a read of the page.
Please, please when submitting ANYWHERE, do yourself a favour and follow the guidelines, there is a reason for them all.
That’s another week in folks, so please go out in the rain and smile, that will make me miserable! And submit a story following the guidelines, that will make us happy!
Hugh
Banner Image: By charles (Own work (Screenshot)) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
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