Week 4 started at the bottom of a rollercoaster, always a great place to start because the only way is up. The early uphill climb of Any Crow In A Storm and Dracul’s Lair was followed by Pynchon McCool: an introduction in twelve chapters. Pynchon was unlike anything else we’ve published, the clever format condensed a novel into a short story. To continue the metaphor; it was a rollercoaster within a rollercoaster.
Week 3 saw Literally Stories publish two new, very different authors, Jon Green and Xavier P. Xavier.
In fact, all five stories – Do Eros Sevens Dream Of Jupiter And Mars – The River – Hep C And A Lot Of Codeine – The Elite Agency – Listening In , which featured during Week 3 were unlike any other we have published to date.
Week 2 on Literally Stories and no one can say we did not live up to our globe-trotting promise.
Monday witnessed a Welshman, living in South Africa, writing disturbing American based horror.
Tuesday, Swedish funny man Tobias Haglund landed us in Germanville trick-or-treating Nietzche et al.
Wednesday and it was but a short trip to Dover for an Englishman and his Romanian girlfriend.
Thursday saw a return to the USA. More unpleasant goings on in the backwoods with squirrels and…sorry folks, that would be telling.
Friday brought Week 2 to a close with a suspect Russian ‘Product’ which was up for negotiation in an offer you really would want to think twice about.
We said we were going to put our feet up come the weekend. Heave a collective sigh. Have a lie in. Take the dog on a long walk.
We changed our minds. Decided Saturday was an opportune time to say thank you to our readers.
Thank you.
Literally Stories began the week with 8 WordPress followers and a handful of Facebook likes. It finished the week with 31 fellow WordPress folk keeping tabs on us and 56 Facebook ticks and in total 270 story reads.
It is, as they say, a good, solid start. Continue reading “Literally Stories – Week 1”
On Friday next week (21st November) we will publish a story by another author we hope keeps on patronising Literally Stories, Jane Dougherty.
Coincidentally, the story is called Friday.
We found it in our Gmail Inbox. Last Friday I think it was. It was a joy reading it.
You see, we love reading and are having a great time sifting through all the stories you are sending in.
So please keep sending them in and we’ll keep on reading them, and some – the very best, we’ll publish.
Next Monday, 17th November, 2014, we publish our first story.
It’s called Post.
I say ‘our story’ because the story is being published by us – Literally Stories. But in fact the story wasn’t written by one of us but by one of you.
Congratulations to ‘our’ first Author, Jenny Morton Potts.
Monday, 17th November, 2014, Literally Stories will publish its first short story. Tuesday, 18th, our second story will appear here.
A new story each weekday and then the Editor’s favourite from the week, featured on Saturday.
On Sunday we aim to put our feet up. Read the paper. Take the dog on a long walk. Play Scrabble. Swim the Channel.
Okay – you’ve seen our bios and none of us – you’re thinking – look anything like long-distance swimmers?
True. We just like making things up. Telling stories.
We hope you will enjoy reading those stories, that they will enthral and entertain you. Scare you. Shock you. Make you think – brilliant protagonist – wonderful plot – original idea – slick narrative – didn’t see that coming – awesome (or whatever superlative you usually use) or just make you think. In fact, you might enjoy reading our stories so much you are inspired to write one yourself – not forgetting of course, when it is completed, edited to perfection, buffed up and ready to go, to make Literally Stories your first stop for submissions.
Conversely, you might read one of Literally Stories short stories and think; I can do better. Great. We’d love to see the result.
First though, we hope to see you all here next Monday. The 17th. Until then, we extend our very best wishes to all our followers (that was eight at the last count) and future authors (who knows how many that will be?)
The Literally Stories Editors – Adam, Diane, Hugh, Nik and Tobias.
literally stories 