Big White Box

One of my writing groups (I'm in three; just sayin') has an experiment going on. We've set up a website where we showcase authors and their work. This has been live for a few months now. I'm just getting around to posting about it.

Big White Box 

Our featured authors so far include Brad Walseth, Jim C. Hines, Frances McNamara, and Eric Larson. If you are or know of someone who'd like to be featured, please use the contact form on the main page. Alternatively, you could leave suggestions here and I'll forward them to the group.

We're also putting up our own short fiction. Each Sunday (or thereabouts) our webmaster posts a story under Big White Blog. Today's story - "Shadows" - is by me! The stories are mostly less than 500 words. I think we each have three or four pieces up there so far. There's no common theme or genre, so hopefully you'll find something you like.

We're also trying our hands at running writing contests. Our first one closed recently. That's all I'm going to say about it until we complete the judging process.

So, if you're looking for something short to read, try our Big White Blog. If you like what you see, please tell your friends. ;-)

Link Gumbo - Worldbuilding

I'm up for critique next month in SPAMmers.  A science fiction short story that got out of hand and meandered on toward novelette during NaNoWriMo last November is calling to me today.  It needs tightening and a focus.  A title would be good ...

It also needs some worldbuilding.  I checked my handy file of linky things on the subject.  Here are a few that I particularly like: 

http://matociquala.tumblr.com/post/46254831406/people-too-often-conceive-of-worldbuilding#_=_ Scott Lynch via Elizabeth Bear:  "Some parts of it you can measure almost scientifically.  Some parts are mad whack inscrutable alchemy." 

http://www.redwombatstudio.com/blog/?p=5484  Okapi butts and worldbuilding as only Ursula Vernon could present it.  "... there's no okapi there at all, it's basically a big striped butt on a stick that the writer is waving through the undergrowth."

http://www.sfwa.org/2009/08/fantasy-worldbuilding-questions/  Patricia Wrede's wonderful list of thought-provoking ideas.  Unpack at your leisure. 

So this weekend I may intersperse preparing my taxes (I've industrially pushed the file around my desk for a month; push must move on to shove) with poking at this SF story. 

A lot of coffee will be consumed.  Probably with chocolate.

A One-sided Conversation

This is another of my SPAMmers' homeworks.  The prompt was "soaked in sadness" and as always the limit was no more than 500 words.

A One-sided Conversation

You'll find it an easy recipe.  A classic.  You probably have most of the ingredients in your cabinet right now, will only have to gather one or two.  Then you'll be on your way to, well, let's use the euphemism of wedded bliss.  Why a euphemism you ask?  I'm old and don't stand with that straightforward modern nonsense.  But you'll get what you want from this one, dearie.  There's a guarantee.  You must call back about how you get on.  

Yes, dearie?  Oh, you don't seem to have any henbane?  None down by the river at all?  Tsk.  What are things coming to.  No, you can't get it from me.  You must collect it fresh during a waxing gibbous.  You thought full?  Someone said that was more powerful?  Youngsters.  Dear, you want growth, and to get that you can't harvest when everything is already at it's maximum, now, can you.  You'll just have to wait.  Do call back. 

There are no proper mandrake roots this time of year?  Have you looked?  Yes?  You have amazed me, you truly have.  One could always find good mandrake anytime it was needed back when ... sorry, you don't want to hear about how things were in the old days. 

You find the bats are diseased and you fear their noses won't work as needed.  All are covered in white fuzz.  You can substitute dried wing, of course.  You have no stock of dried bat wings in storage?  None?  In the past you've always avoided recipes that called for them?  You haven't hunted for bats since you were eight?  Tsk, tsk, dearie.  You young witches certainly ... yes, do call back. 

It didn't work and you want to know about that guarantee.  Did you mix it with his potatoes?  Did you encourage things along?  Are you sure you followed the recipe exactly?  Youngsters often get impatient about some of the more time consuming steps.  Waiting for the proper phase of the moon took longer than you planned, and having to travel for a week to locate healthy bats set you back a bit as well.  But truly, dearie, if you'd had everything at hand the mixture would have been ready to use in a month.  Yes, a month.  Did I leave that part off?  In the old days these things were just understood by all, no need for written down recipes.  You ... ah, you want to know what I left off.  Yes, dearie, of course.  It must be soaked in sadness for a double fortnight or all the rest is just a waste of time. 

End of The World

In my SPAMmers writing group we have "homework" based on a predecided prompt with a limit of 500 words.  Those who do it read their work at the meeting.  For our meeting last night the prompt (decided months ago) was "end of the world."  Vic posted his effort here .  I decided to post mine, too, partly because someone said I needed to write more stuff like it. 


Working title: "Bike"  


Deidra and I were strolling down the sidewalk.  A matte black motorcycle was parked in front of the drug store.  I stopped.

"What?  Coffee, remember?"

I rarely paused for anything on my way for coffee.  "It's beautiful."  I held out my arm.  "Look at those sleek lines." 

"Crazy woman.  It's a motorcycle!"

"A Ducati. Work of art."

"Black ugliness.  The coffee shop?" 

I waved her on.  "I've never seen one live before."  I moved closer.  "See how the curves make it look like it's already going fast?"

She stood there, hands on hips, rolling her eyes.  "No."

"Look at that Harley over there.  See how clunky it is?" 

"They're machines, Vonda."

I resigned myself to never getting her to understand.

Deidra was tapping her foot.  "That's it.  I'm going."

"I'll be there soon."  My breathing had slowed, my back muscles relaxed; physical reactions to such a pretty thing.

A dark haired man stepped up next to me.  His clothes matched the bike; matte black jacket and pants.  His unzipped jacket showed a pale green shirt underneath with the top four buttons undone, revealing significant chest hair.  I had a vague sense he was clean shaven with a nicely shaped chin, laughing eyes.  Chest hair.  I felt like I'd won the lotto.  Bike and man.

"Like what you see?"

"Yes."  Simple answers are sometimes the best.

"Would you like a ride?"

"I love to look at them, but I'm terrified of riding."

He looked me over.  Slowly.  Grinned.  "Bikes?  Men?"

"Bikes."  I smiled, one corner of my mouth higher than the other.  "It takes a long time for me to be comfortable enough to ride a man."

"I've never backed off from a challenge."

I raised an expensively plucked eyebrow.  "Oh?"

"Interested in some iced coffee?  There's a shop just up the street."  He pointed in the opposite direction Deidra had gone.

I was attracted to this man.  Dangerously so.  I should say no thanks and go; I wasn't always sensible when viewing beauty.  "I'd love to.  I'm Vonda."

"BJ.  Let's ride there."

"Hold on."

"Backing off from the challenge already?  We've barely begun."

I took several deep breaths.  Looked into BJ's inviting brown eyes.  I really wanted to have my fingers entwined in his chest hair.  "Not the bike."

"Shame."  He tipped an imaginary hat, strode over and mounted.  I felt the motion of his hips as he settled on the seat.  Felt my hips wanting to respond.

He looked hard at me.  "Sure you don't want to come?"

Oh, I wanted to come all right.  Just not out here in public.

He winked as if he knew what I'd just thought.  "You did say bikes terrified you.  Shouldn't push you."  He twisted a bit, patted the seat behind him.  "Join me.  Get the feel."

I hesitated.

"I won't start the engine."

Oh, honey, the engine's already revving.

"Come on, sweetheart.  It's not the end of the world."

I stepped forward.