We hope that you have all enjoyed this week’s mixed bag from Literally Stories as much as we have enjoyed presenting them to you.
There is always a buzz of excitement when we receive a new submission, this is tempered by nervousness and crossed fingers. We absolutely love accepting your short fiction pieces, we are thrilled to send an acceptance email and the following notification of publication date. All the stories, including our own are read by all the editors and to be approved they have to receive at least three strong YES votes. Sometimes a story will be borderline and then there is great discussion amongst the editors and on occasion one of us will champion a piece successfully and bring about a change of mind and a piece will gain approval. I mention this because we do want contributing authors to know that we always take your work very seriously and we do know how disappointing it is if we have to send that horrible “other” email.
Week 20 ! that’s a milestone isn’t it. There’s another one also, no prizes but can any of our regular readers guess what it is? Answers on a post card please (not really but there’s always the Your Thoughts page for those little titbits you want to share with us, we love to hear from you! But if you read on to the end I’ll reveal our other great milestone.
Literally Stories began and ended the week with concise short stories, on the theme of loss. There wasn’t a great deal of cheer on offer in between either and yet we trust all the stories – as they say –struck a chord.
Resonated.
We have five more lined up for next week but first here is what you had to say about this week’s specially selected tales.
A chilling psychological thriller. Philosophical science fiction. Addiction. History. Crime. Heroic deeds. But enough of the UK’s General Election campaign.
I’m joking of course. That was dull. The same old same old. Not at all like Literally Stories. No, the only thing you can predict for sure about Literally Stories, is another week; another five quality tales.
The same again next week then?
Yes.
How predictable.
And the week after?
I guess so.
And the week after that?
Hmm. Not if a bunch of sweet wrappers and an empty fag packet are the only things rattling around in our inbox.
This week’s review belongs to the reviewers.
Here they are:
June Griffin said about The Village by Tobias Haglund: The powerful laws of nature are at work in this brilliantly horrific tale told in three colors – the black heart of an inhumane father, the white snow of a freezing Swedish winter, and the drops of red blood from a slaughtered moose…
Vic Smith said about Unit 4207’s Failed Assignment by Piyali Mukherjee: Clever stuff, Piyali. I particularly liked the way that the unit had some of the designed-in flaws that humans have. I enjoyed reading this.
James McEwan said about Hugh Cron’sReasons Don’t Matter: I thought we were in for a police procedural crime story, in a way it was. But I discovered as I read on, it was a reflection on the justice system, where the criminal couldn’t care less, yes I weep for the world we live in.
Vic Smith said about Ossie Durrans’Zepps! (no longer available on LS): This is an interesting read, Ossie. I don’t know if it’s based on truth, but it certainly felt like it. It’s good that you showed the participants in war as individuals and not faceless armies.
Hugh Cron said about Tobias Haglund’sThe Gulls Cry: You have a superb talent for finding beauty in tragedy. Your descriptions and tone in the story are perfect. You are a very accomplished, skilled and adaptable writer. I only hope that your future involves your talent with much deserved success!!
This week’s race to be top of the polls (Story of the Week) was well contested. Close. Witness cut and thrust. Thrust and cut. More key battlegrounds than you can shake a *swingometer at. What I ought to say about the contest is Nik Eveleigh is not a Dirty Rascal, he’s this week’s King of the Castle with his odd little tale titled The Old Man in the Park.
There’s tidy for you!
* It often pays to ‘ignore’ a spell-checker, but pundits, politicians and err, parrots, beware! During the next few weeks of electioneering it is less than likely you’ll hear/read the term ‘urinometer’. On the other hand…
And speaking of all things electoral… have your say about which of this week’s stories should come out a winner:-
Welcome to two new authors this week, Lee and Ceinwen.
Thank you as always to our readers. We trust you enjoyed the stories. For those taking time to comment — much appreciated. Speaking of which, here are a selection of this week’s comments.
For those of you who are wondering how on earth they missed out on such an exciting bunch of midweek Football ‘Friendly Internationals and are now contemplating whether or not Scotland blew a 4-0 half-time lead against the USA and did Australia send their cricket team instead of the Socceroos, I have news.
Wonder no more. No such fixtures took place this week. The ‘scores’ are – as you have no doubt already guessed – a tally of authors published on Literally Stories since our inception in November 2014 (an asterisk denotes new writers scheduled to appear on LS soon.)
For a review of this week’s stories I’ll hand you over to the readers.
The Number 26 by Diane Dickson. Fran Macilvey said: Very interesting and poignant.. Thank you, Diane!
Three Weeks by Todd Levin. Vic Smith said: Another good story, Todd, thoughtful and observant. I enjoyed reading it.
Honey Pie by Tobias Haglund. June Griffin said: Tobias, this beautiful story is so real, it left me hurting.
Len Cordy and the Lollipop Guild by Shane Bolitho. Des Kelly said: Nicely written. Filled with evocative scents, sights and sounds. You drew your characters well.
Sanctions by Hugh Cron. Vic Smith said: Another slice of truth, Hugh. You speak for those with no voice, without trying to turn them into saints. Des Kelly said: Nicely told. Full of despair.
Story of the Week for week ending Friday 13th March went to a photo finish. In horse racing the idiom would be it was that close you could throw a blanket over the runners and riders. Fine, but if you did that then horse and jockey might not cross the line at all. They might veer off at an acute angle, plough through the running rail and head straight for the nearest…I digress. It was close. But there are no horses or blankets. There is however a winner’s enclosure. Albeit a crowded one.
Three winners. Hugh, if you can just…budge up a bit Todd. That’s fine. Tobias if you could tuck your elbow it then…good, now you can all take a bow.
Don’t forget to vote for your favourite stories to choose the winner for next week:-
It has been another week on Literally Stories. Began Monday. Went through several days and ended Friday.
I could review it all for you but I am inclined not to as I’ll no doubt make a hash of it.
Least said soonest mended is my maxim. Strictly speaking I didn’t actually think that one up.
Anyway. I’ll belt up. Keep schtum (I cannot repeat what my spell-checker suggests.)
Say nada, zip, or nowt as we say in my native city of Seven Hills.
Not Rome, Italy folks. No. Sheffield, England.
Say nothing and let others do the talking…there, I’m done now.
Talk!
Monday – The Hobby by LS Editor and master of dirty realism, Hugh Cron. Tobias Haglund said: A very, very interesting experiment with the format. Placing the unsettling feeling of discomfort in the head of the reader. Something unsaid or intangible is often scarier.
Tuesday – Cor Pulmonale by Todd Levin. June Griffin said: The river, the bus stop, the poppy designs, the constant cold and the broken heater were just some of the vivid elements in this fine story of two lost souls snatching at a comfort never meant to last.
Wednesday – Pater Noster by Bi-lingual LS Editor and master of a multitude of genres, Tobias Haglund. Some grinning buffoon who seems to have spent too much time in the sun said: PK Dick renowned as a science fiction author would have approved of this Tobias, the line: One misstep. Two paths in a forest. If both lead to the river how can either be wrong? There aren’t shades of darkness. epitomises the central, arguably spiritual theme to his philosophical writing.
Thursday – Son of Violence by LS newcomer, Michelle Assaad. Vic Smith said: Whatever happens next, it won’t be good, will it? I enjoyed this, Michelle, and I’m looking forward to your next story.
Friday – Ray’s Vision by LS Editor Adam West. Richard Ardus said: A very satisfying short; the pithy one line admonitions; the sinister identification of the protagonist with the son of God, knowing that there’s a kind of get-out clause – like Christ, he’s doomed.
Forgot to mention there is a poll. A new one (see link below), and there is/was an old poll and that poll was a tumultuous battle. Two T’s – Todd and Tobias – an Englishman and a Swede – went to war. And it was terrible. Titanic. Turbulent. Like two people called Titan fighting and someone (called Titan) had to win, and someone had to lose (unless it was a dead-heat then it didn’t have to end in defeat). Was it a dead-heat? No. Who won? Tobias won that’s who. But Todd won too. It was his third story to be published on Literally Stories which puts him one behind Des Kelly as most published author on the site.
Another week of words where verbs very welcome were. Verbosity? No. Not us. Never. We would never use a very unnecessary word. Why do I begin the news piece this way? An important lesson, of course. An edited piece stands a stronger chance. Remove unwanted verbosity. Look up the word verbosity, then add back those words you removed and cut the fat. Now, to some lighter news.
The task of writing Week 13 News fell to someone (me) who has made a habit of late of staring at blank pages. Bereft of inspiration (I tidy up and make tea and send out a load of emails to make myself useful) I’ll leave the wordy stuff to the reader/writers of Literally Stories.
I seldom get invited to poker games as I never carry cards but always sad short stories. Read ’em and weep. Now that we got that awkward first sentence out of the way I can begin summarising the past week.
Last Tuesday featured a dystopian story about something which kills off most of humanity. Speaking of a thing which kills, Kill Switch is the name of Nik Eveleigh’s story. It’s bold. Not just because I wrote in bold but the story is also bold.
Following those two stories was a comedy called A Captivating Meeting by crazily Swedish tough guy Tobias. One of those three is not true.
The Thursday story came from Vic Smith. Its speculative theme resonates in modern technology and it’s called The Conscious Coward.
Finishing the week is usually Sunday, but not here at LS. It’s the Friday story (Well technically it’s this news update, but no one reads this). Des Kelly, who will become our most prominent external author, gave usSnow On The Ground. About the complexity of love between two even complexier persons.
The Story of the Week from 9th to 13th February 2015 has been decided. It was close. How close? Like a near-sighted dyslectic would spell clothes. Because he would write very close and also spell it close. The very definition of exciting couldn’t even begin to describe how inspiring and exhilarating this Story of the Week competition was. I guess that is the definition of exciting, so yes the very definition could describe it. It was very dramatic. It started from the stomach and ran all the way up to the throat. It’s a tie. But enough about my attire. The competition was a draw.
Vote for your favourites and stop voting for Tobias. It’s the equivalent of voting for the Beer Party in elections. Go ahead and click on your favourite story.
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