G'day all Or is it actually Howdy y'all Afterall it is my 10 days of fun with the Stampede in full force!! So I just had the pleasusre of being sandwiched into an LRT (above ground subway but not in the air) with probably 400 of my closest friends in a single car heading home from Stampede. No one needed to worry about hanging on to handles or bars, as nobody could move enough to fall over with lurching of the train on starts and stops. Then, to everyones extreme pleasure, someone deciided tha
We've all had moments where all we can do is say "oh, sh**" and then either brace for the inevitable or stare in disbelief as the inevitable cockily saunters past. For example, I was driving home from work one day and was sitting in my car at a red light. There was one car ahead of me. The light turned green, and the car ahead of me proceeded through the intersection. For some reason, I didn't go right away. I hesitated and allowed a good couple of car lengths between us before proceeding.
Before I get into today's blog, I want to wish our neighbors to the North a very Happy Canada Day 🍁 and my fellow US citizens a Happy Fourth of July! 🎆
I thought it would be fun to get some history and insight into the GA Anthologies from the Grand Poobah himself, our founder and fearless leader @Myr. So grab a cuppa and and enjoy this interview before heading out to any festivities today.
What prompted you to start the GA anthology? Let’s hear some GA history!
Top Read Poems by sub-genre since Mar 2024.
Top 10 Most Read Poetry - Ballad
a poem that tells a story and was traditionally set to music. Usually follows a form of rhymed (abcb) quatrains alternating four-stress and three-stress lines.
Lyrics for Tony - a collection of poems by AC Benus Complete
a Glass Floor Underfoot by AC Benus Complete
Audre Lorde Knows What I Mean – 2021 in review by AC Benus Temporary Hold
1940, 1970 and Today – plus other poems
First off, to our millions of Canadian members, Happy Canada Long Weekend! Sounds like it is a scorcher no matter where you are. Here in my little burg, believe it or not we have been on extreme water restrictions, like fluhing the toilet once per day, 3 min showers, no outside watering at all, etc. since 23 days ago when we had a main feeder line from our water treatment plant, big enough to drive a truck through, broke A city of 1.5 million and and 80% of the city and surrounding towns and ci
With the recent update to the Stories Archive, we can now provide a read report by story tags, like we do with the genres. So, find your favorite tag and see the top read stories so far in 2024 with that tag!
Top 10 Most Read Age - child
Chanukah Gift by Altimexis Complete
Dolphin Delivery by Carlos Hazday Complete
HMS Belvidera by Mark Arbour Complete
A Child's Haven by CLJobe Complete
Family Struggles by Dahawk Complete
Salvation
If you know me at all, you know I love a good mystery story. Dame Agatha Christie, Jonathan Kellerman, Joseph Hansen, Martha Grimes, Earl Derr Biggers, Dashiell Hammett, Robert Parker, Minette Walters, Joe Lansdale, Wilkie Collins, and many many more all come to mind. There is something intriguing about a whodunit or even a whydonit.
They are also such fantastic period pieces, where you journey to another place and live in a different time. You can read about Dave Brandstetter in the 19
Time's up! Two weeks have come and gone. Now let's see who put their best guessing hats on. If you just so happened to miss the Author Guess Who interview for this month, make sure you click...
> > > HERE < < <
... to see what this month's mystery author had to say! Without further ado, time for the big reveal!
This author... has posted over three million words!
This author... has over seventy stories for you to read!
This author... is...
Top Read Paranormal Stories since Feb 2024
Top 0 Most Read Paranormal - Cryptid
Features creatures from folklore, mythology, or cryptozoology, such as Bigfoot, Loch Ness Monster, or Chupacabra. The narrative often revolves around encounters with these mysterious beings.
No stories
Top 0 Most Read Paranormal - Cursed Objects
Focuses on objects with supernatural or cursed properties. The plot typically involves characters trying to understand or break the curse asso
In storytelling, the concept of ensorcell—which means to enchant, fascinate, or place under a magical spell—serves as a powerful tool for shaping character arcs, driving plots, and controlling narrative pacing. It bridges the gap between literal magic and psychological influence.
Here is how the concept of ensorcellment impacts storytelling:
Driving the Plot and Creating Stakes: Ensorcellment often serves as the central inciting incident or conflict in a story.
The Inciting Inc
The verb ensorcell (meaning "to bewitch" or "to enchant") originated in the 1540s and comes from the Middle French word ensorceler, an alteration or dissimilation of the Old French ensorcerer. It is the combination of the prefix -en, meaning "in" or "into" (or an intensive prefix meaning "to cause") and sorcier, the French word for "sorcerer" or "wizard", derived from the Medieval Latin sortiarius, and the ultimate Latin root meaning "lot," "fate," or "destiny".
According to the Oxford
Just the facts:
ENSORCELL Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
ENSORCELL Synonyms: 22 Similar and Opposite Words | Merriam-Webster Thesaurus
ENSORCELLMENT Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words | Merriam-Webster Thesaurus
ENSORCELLMENTS Synonyms: 47 Similar and Opposite Words | Merriam-Webster Thesaurus
ensorcell
Ensorcell (also spelled ensorcel) is a transitive verb meaning to cast a spell over, bewitch, enchant, or deeply fa
Just the facts:
BUCOLIC Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
BUCOLIC Synonyms: 22 Similar and Opposite Words | Merriam-Webster Thesaurus
BUCOLIC Synonyms: 372 Similar Words & Phrases
bucolic
Bucolic (/bjuːˈkɒlɪk/ or /bjuːˈkɑːlɪk/) means relating to the pleasant, peaceful, and idealized aspects of the countryside, rural life, or shepherds.
Definition and
In storytelling, a bucolic setting—defined by idyllic, rural, and pastoral landscapes—serves as a powerful narrative tool that goes far beyond simple background decoration. Writers and filmmakers use bucolic elements to manipulate pacing, contrast character growth, and ground abstract themes in tangible visuals,
Here is why bucolic settings are so important in storytelling:
The Archetype of the "Safe Haven": Bucolic settings often represent the ultimate emotional anchor or the "St
The word bucolic comes from the ancient Greek word boukolikos (βουκολικός), meaning "rustic" or "pertaining to herdsmen". It combines boûs (βοῦς) meaning "ox" or "cow" (which also gives us words like bovine) and -kolos (-κολος) meaning "tending" or "keeper", and together they form boukólos (βουκόλος) meaning a "cowherd" or "oxherd". The Greek term passed into Latin as būcolicus, keeping its association with herdsmen and pastoral themes.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED)