Winter decided it wanted to dump our annual snowfall on us all at once this week, so it's a perfect time to think about being somewhere where the air doesn't hurt your face.
PT Prompt #197
You decide to plan your next vacation by closing your eyes, spinning a globe, and going wherever your finger lands. Where do you end up going on vacation?
PT Prompt #198
Plan a vacation that's the polar opposite of your dream trip. Don't like cruises? Go on a cruis
I am happy to announce that the poetry anthology will be returning again this year! Please check out the guidelines below, and I look forward to reading a lot of excellent poetry in April!
2024 Poetry Anthology - Due: April 1, 2024
The 2024 Theme is “Seasons”
Feel free to interpret the theme in any way you want. The anthologies are not exclusive, but inclusive, so don't worry if you think your entry has only a tangential link to the theme. If you are inspired, then write
Did Monday's feature of Mark Arbour's WWI story feature, Furlough, intrigue you? Did you know he also wrote a follow up for the next year's anthology? If you haven't enjoyed Mark's historical features before, check out this excerpt below and then take a peek at his many other stories!
Want to read more? Click here
Sub-genres of fantasy, of which there are many, focus on speculative elements of writing that have an extremely unlikely possibility of actually being real. Magic, fantastic beasts, and in many cases the places you find them, all land in fantasy.
Sub-genres: Alternate History, Anthropomorphic Fantasy, Arcanepunk, Arthurian, Assassin, Crossworlds/Portals, Dragon Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Flintlock, Gaslamp, General Fantasy, Grimdark, High/Epic Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Lost World,
Did last year feel like a war to you? Or has this year started off like one? Well, like the characters in Mark Arbour's story, Furlough, how about taking a short break? Enjoy this 2009 Anthology feature featured as this month's Signature ad!
Length: 4,853
Description: Two wounded men meet in Paris during World War I. One is wounded on the outside, both are wounded on the inside. Will their accidental meeting help heal both of them?
A reader said: This story has a number of
Oh, the way my brain DOESN'T work. I just had it in my noggin the Weekly Wrap Up is on Sunday, and I set up reminders on my phone... for this and next Sunday evening. Not helpful since it should have been Saturday. Whoops! Good thing Myr reminded me. So let's get going, shall we?
Monday was a look back of the Review Team's 2023 reviews. If you missed some, check them out now.
Want a laugh? Tuesday was a Comedy Genre Deep Dive by Myr.
Join in for Wednesday's Author Guess Who ga
Burger, No Burger
When I was in college, I got myself a job right there on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, where I packaged up stuff and got it ready to be mailed out to that company’s customers as quickly as possible. It’s not like it was Amazon or anything, but they prided themselves on being rather swift with their deliveries. And I was getting paid, so I had food and groceries and stuff that I needed to survive...and it worked out. However, let me tell you younger guys out there, you don’t k
Here is your weekly nudge or inspirational kick.
PT #195
Write a short story or vignette where a paper napkin takes on large emotional importance.
PT #196
Invent a character who has a ‘Murphy’s Law' week.
Please include the prompt number either in your story/chapter description or title to help readers who would like to search for specific prompts. Also, please remember that stories less than one thousand words must be posted as part of a collection.
I
Y'all would be so proud of me. I set an alarm to get this month's edition of Author Guess Who all typed up! If you don't know the drill, Author Guess Who is a blog game where our community is given some answered questions and is tasked with guessing which of our wonderful authors participated. Don't be afraid to be analytical about the responses. There might be a hidden clue buried within.
Here we go!
• • • • •
What is one thing the GA community might not know about
Sub-genres of comedy focus on less serious things or have a less than serious take on serious things.
Sub-genres: Comedy Modern, Comic Fantasy, Comic Sci-Fi, Comic Horror, Satire, Surreal Comedy, Tall Tale
Top 10 Most Read - Comedy Modern
Funny and less serious stories set in modern times
Chasing Rusty Parker by Laura S. Fox
Jay's Loelife by Mrsgnomie
Black Widow by Mark Arbour
What Happened To The Baxter Boys by Mancunian
Our Review Team has put together a list of all the Reviews they did in 2023. You can click on any of them to see the actual blog. Maybe there was one that you said you'd read, maybe one piques your interest now, or maybe one looks like it would be a foray into a different genre. No matter what the reason, here is your second chance to see the Reviews from last year.
2023
January 9: 2022 Reviews Revisited - Timothy M.
Reader comment: Thanks, review team!
April 10: Jay's Loelife b
Newly coined word? 2012?
As if our dictionaries, don't have enough to offer.
One of my personal favorites, don't laugh.
*ipty boppity boo
"Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" is the iconic magical incantation used by the Fairy Godmother in Disney's 1950 animated film, Cinderella. It is the spell that transforms a pumpkin into a carriage, mice into horses, and Cinderella's rags into a beautiful ballgown.
At least with this one*, at the appropriate time, the clock struck 12, everything w
Just the facts:
SONDER Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
SONDER Slang Meaning | Merriam-Webster
SONDER in Thesaurus: All Synonyms & Antonyms
SONDER Synonyms: 30 Similar Words & Phrases
Instagram
Sonder is the profound realization that every random passerby is living a life as vivid, complex, and deeply personal as your own.
Key Meaning
Main Character Effect: You recognize that every stranger you see is the protagonist
Sonder—the realization that every random stranger is living a life as vivid, complex, and deeply felt as your own—is the cornerstone of rich, resonant storytelling.
Why Sonder Matters in Storytelling:
Breaks Main Character Syndrome: It shifts a narrative away from a single, ego-centric perspective, reminding the audience (and the creator) that the protagonist is only the hero of their own bubble.
Deepens Characterization: It forces writers to treat background figures, minor charac
Sonder is a modern neologism (a newly coined word) created in 2012 by author John Koenig for his online project, The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows.
Because it is an artistic coinage rather than a word with a traditional historical evolution, its construction draws from a mix of roots: German sondern: Meaning "to separate" or "set apart". French sonder: Meaning "to probe," "to fathom," or "to measure the depth of" (such as dropping a sounding line into water). Folk Etymology / Inspira
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