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  • Cole Matthews

    Points of View - The Ultimate Personification of an Object

    By Cole Matthews

    Points of view are so important in stories.  As writers, we have to pretend to be someone else, feel what they feel, and ache with their longings.  As an exercise, let's pretend to be something not alive.  You can fill the object with whatever you feel or think.  The object will become a character, a witness, and your sounding board.     #215 - You are a porch swing.  You must describe the events that unfold around you, but only during times of great emotion.  That's when you awaken.  
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MDBCs 20 Dec 2023

December 20th 2023 - Holidays and Observances   (click on the day for details) Abolition of Slavery Day, also known as Fête des Cafres (Réunion, French Guiana) Bo Aung Kyaw Day (Myanmar) Christian feast day: Dominic of Silos O Clavis Ursicinus of Saint-Ursanne Katharina von Bora (Lutheran)

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Twenty-Five Days of December -- Day Nineteen

A great study of life, connections and death, Mon oncle Antoine (1971) is on my personal short-list of significant films. In it, young adolescent Benoît is an altar boy and general mercantile boy-of-all-work. Set during Christmas week, the young man sees funerals, a kid his own age die, his uncle's drinking problem and his aunt's infidelities. The makings of a great holiday film? You bet; one of the best because it reminds us what's really important in life, even in the midst of decay. Especiall

Western Deep Dive

Sub-genres of westerns focus on the western United States, the frontier in general, and the rugged individuals that tend to populate such places.  The sub-genres can range from the historical context, the present day, or the weird with fantasy and aliens invading the west. Sub-genres: Weird West, Western Historical, Western Modern, Western Romance, Western Sci-Fi   Top 10 Most Read Western Modern Change of Heart by sojourn Riding Lessons by Andrew To

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Myr in Reading Reports

MDBCs 19 Dec 2023

December 19th 2023 - Holidays and Observances   (click on the day for details) Christian feast day: Lillian Trasher (Episcopal Church) O Radix Pope Anastasius I Pope Urban V December 19 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) Saint Nicholas Day

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Twenty-Five Days of December -- Day Eighteen

The intrepid few of you brave enough to show you are follow these postings may not have encountered this story before. I humbly present it now as a worthy addition to any holiday reading list.   It was one of those laugh or cry situations. Here she was, trapped in a strange downtown on Christmas Eve, just letting the clock tick towards an unpleasant task on the twenty-sixth. It seemed no comfort at all that Washington Avenue was so beautiful. Colorless lights were everywhere: drap

December Signature Feature: Phases of the Moon by Mann Ramblings

This month I admit I couldn't pass up another "family" story... but with a dose of last month's paranormal feature. Have you read the last story @Mann Ramblings posted, Phases of the Moon? Well, maybe this week will convince you if you haven't!  Length: 146,674 Description: Under the phases of the moon, Jimmy Coutreau is hunting, following the howls that don't belong. A loner by choice, he finds himself fascinated by Sawyer Thomas, a man who doesn't belong in his world, but here

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MDBCs 18 Dec 2023

December 18th 2023 - Holidays and Observances   (click on the day for details) Christian feast day: Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Flannán Gatianus of Tours O Adonai Sebastian (Eastern Orthodox Church) Winibald December 18 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

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Twenty-Five Days of December -- Day Seventeen

Robert Nathan’s 1928 novel may seem unfamiliar to you, but the holiday episode from the book (starting with Chapter 11) has been adapted for the Christmas big- and small screen about half a dozen times. His Bishop’s Wife was first presented to movie-going audiences in 1947 as The Preacher’s Wife.   Here is the original to read https://archive.org/details/bishopswife0000robe/page/106/mode/2up   And here are two clips of Whitney Houston performing the title role in 1996

Weekly Wrap Up (Dec. 10 - Dec. 16)

On the 8th day of Christmas, by true love gave to meeeeee, divorce papers!!! 😮    Well, that isn't how the song goes  But if any of you do get divorce papers on Sunday, I am so sorry    To tell the truth, all I can remember from that song is the five golden rings, two turtle doves and a penguin in a pear tree  This shall lead into the question of the week! Hmmm, do I have a question of the week every week? So rather than just asking what your favourite Christmas song is, I want to know

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MDBCs 17 Dec 2023

December 17th 2023 - Holidays and Observances   (click on the day for details) Christian feast day: Daniel the Prophet Josep Manyanet i Vives Lazarus of Bethany (local commemoration in Cuba) O Sapientia Olympias the Deaconess Wivina Stur

sandrewn

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Twenty-Five Days of December -- Day Sixteen

A while back I was chatting with a young man one evening, and he asked me what I was doing. I replied "Watching Creature Comforts." Long story short, he had no idea what that was. I suppose these episodes are creaking up to an authentic "vintage" category (as with automobiles, 25 years old or older), so for all you Christmastime spring chickens out there, here is Aardman Animation Studio's 2005 Creature Comfort's Xmas show. Gotta love the powerhouse singing, scarf-mufflered bird!   https://

Character Combos

Character Combos As many of you guys already know...I absolutely LOVE to work with ensemble casts in my own work! It gives me so much freedom and extra room to build characters up (or tear them down) without having to resort to long bouts of exposition to do it. I’ve always thought that the true identity of a character was more impactful by centering on their positive or negative interactions with the other characters in my stories then just talking about them, second-hand. It says soooo muc

MDBCs 16 Dec 2023

December 16th 2023 - Holidays and Observances   (click on the day for details) Christian feast day: Adelaide of Italy Haggai Ralph Adams Cram, Richard Upjohn and John La Farge (Episcopal Church (USA)) December 16 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) Day of Reconciliation, formerly celebra

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Twenty-Five Days of December -- Day Fifteen

The author represented today is one I gained an appreciation of only in 2023. He wrote a surprising number of works touching upon same-sex love, and favorably reviewed the work of others dealing with Gay themes. The following period piece ranks in quality with the best produced by the better-known likes of Edith Wharton, Anton Chekhov, and others. Please enjoy   I MR. AND MRS. CLARENCE FOUNTAIN Mrs. Clarence Fountain, backing into the room, and closing the door noiseless

Of Pride and Power Chapter 15 is live

Chapter 15 Well that was an interesting encounter with the future Queen Mary I. It also highlights some very real-world issues with people of a certain ideological ilk, who play off victimization. I will warn everyone right now, I am going to make sure Mary I earns the title of Bloody Mary that historical epithets have honored her with. Her purges were bad in history, but imagine them several times worse and far more encompassing with modern techniques of propaganda. For a moment thoug

W_L

W_L in Writing Stories

MDBCs 15 Dec 2023

December 15th 2023 - Holidays and Observances   (click on the day for details) Bill of Rights Day (United States) 2nd Amendment Day (South Carolina) Christian feast day: Drina Martyrs Drostan (Aberdeen Breviary) John Horden and Robert McDonald (Episcopal Church (USA))

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Happy Holidays?

The holidays aren't always the picture of perfection depicted in Hallmark movies or on holiday cards.  In fact, it's pretty safe to say that the opposite tends to be more true to reality for most people.  We all have that relative with opposite views who loves to start in at the dinner table, or a busybody who's all up in everyone's business and then proceeds to pass judgment on it.  Then there's making sure the food is perfect, the table is set, and the house is clean.  Planning for the holiday

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