Bill W

What a awesome take on the Santa Claus theme. It was wonderfully refreshing, but at the same time retaining the things we associate with Old Saint Nick, such as reindeer, the sleigh, checking his list, knowing who's naughty and nice.... etc. Great job, Myr, and I loved Nick's outlook on life.

A wonderful and touching story about a father and gay son having a fallout on Christmas Day, and a helpful passerby who manages to lead the story to a tender and satisfying ending.

The story was amazingly touching and very well written. If only all spats between fathers and sons ended as well. I guess it only happens on Christmas Eve or Christmas Night when jolly, and helpful, St. Nick is in the neighborhood.

This is a somber story about life, death, and love. It is a well written short story, although some of you may find it sad or even depressing.

The story was well written, but very sad. It tough losing someone you truly love, and sometimes you don't feel like living any more yourself. I've even heard about giving up the will to live and passing peacefully. In fact, one woman I knew said she was brushing her mother's hair when he mom said, "I don't want to live any longer," and just closed her eyes and she was gone. Life is a short journey between birth and death, shorter for some than for others, but we all face the same end. Thank you for this thought provoking story.

Well, I believe most of the US is getting their first taste of the winter storm that was predicted. We've got a nice white icy coating here in Georgia, and I'm sure we're on the luckier end of the spectrum, although it will likely disrupt transportation for a while. I'm sure there are other areas that are getting hit harder, so let's hear what they have to say about where they're living.

The word "structure" originates from the Latin structūra ("a fitting together, building, arrangement"), derived from structus, the past participle of struere ("to pile, build, arrange, or join together"). It entered Middle English (via Old French structure) around the 15th century, originally referring to physical buildings before evolving to denote the arrangement of parts. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the noun "structure" was first used in English during the Middle English period (1150—1500). The OED's earliest record of the word is from approximately 1440 in Palladius' De Re Rustica and its use was related to the action or process of building, constructing, or in some cases, "building materials". The verb "structure" appeared much later, with evidence in the mid-1600s, specifically in 1664. Story structure is the foundational framework organizing narrative events into a cohesive, meaningful, and engaging sequence, typically featuring a beginning, middle, and end. The most common structure is the three-act model—setup, confrontation, and resolution—which drives character development, creates tension, and manages pacing to avoid reader boredom. Core Elements of Story Structure: Exposition (Setup): Introduces the world, characters, and the "normal" life before the story begins. Inciting Incident: The event that disrupts the normal world and kicks off the main plot. Rising Action (Confrontation): The protagonist faces obstacles, raising stakes and building tension. Climax: The turning point or highest tension, where the protagonist confronts the main conflict. Falling Action: The aftermath of the climax, showing the consequences. Resolution (Dénouement): The final outcome where loose ends are tied up and a new status quo is established. Common Narrative Frameworks: Three-Act Structure: The standard, dividing a story into Setup, Confrontation, and Resolution. The Hero’s Journey: A twelve-step, cycle-based journey focusing on a protagonist's transformation. Fichtean Curve: Focuses on a series of crises immediately, keeping the pace fast. Seven-Point Structure: Focuses on key plot points like the hook, pinch points, and midpoint. Dan Harmon's Story Circle: A simplified eight-step, character-focused loop. Common Narrative Delivery: Linear: Events are told in chronological order. Nonlinear: Events are out of order, often using flashbacks or fragmented timelines to reveal information slowly. Parallel: Multiple storylines occur simultaneously, often intersecting at critical moments. Circular: The story concludes where it began, creating a sense of closure or repetition.

"Emphasis" originates from the Latin emphasis and Greek ἔμφασις (émphasis), meaning "significance," "indirect meaning," or "outward appearance". It traces back to the Greek verb emphainein, meaning "to present, exhibit, or show" (from en- "in" + phainein "to show"). It entered English in the mid-16th century. In ancient rhetoric, emphasis referred to an indication, a vivid presentation, or an indirect meaning—literally "showing" something within a phrase. The term transitioned, or evolved, from meaning "a putting in" or "a visual appearance" to the modern usage of stress or importance in speech or writing. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the earliest known use of the noun emphasis in English is in the mid-1500s, with the earliest evidence recorded in 1534 in the writings of Nicholas Udall, an English schoolmaster, playwright, and scholar. The related verb emphasize was first recorded much later, in 1765. Emphasis in writing is the strategic use of techniques to highlight key ideas, words, or phrases, guiding the reader’s attention to what matters most. It is crucial for clarifying meaning, creating engaging prose, and ensuring crucial information is not overlooked in a sea of text. Why Emphasis is important in writing: Clarifies Meaning: Similar to vocal inflection in speech, written emphasis ensures the reader understands which words carry the most weight, preventing confusion. Improves Scannability: Readers often skim; proper emphasis (like bolding) allows them to grasp the core message without reading every word. Creates Structure and Hierarchy: Using formatting consistently helps readers understand the organization of the document, distinguishing between main points and supporting details. Increases Impact and Engagement: Strategic, moderate use of emphasis makes writing more dynamic and prevents it from sounding robotic or flat. Highlights Key Arguments: It ensures that crucial data, arguments, or conclusions stand out, especially at the beginning or end of paragraphs. Key Techniques for Achieving Emphasis: Placement (Sentence Structure): The most effective, non-visual way to create emphasis is by placing critical information at the very beginning or end of a sentence. Italics: Best for subtle, lighter emphasis, such as emphasizing a single word or highlighting foreign terms. Bold: Used to create a strong visual impact and draw the eye immediately, often used in business or online writing for keywords. Short Sentences: A short, punchy sentence inserted after a long one forces the reader to slow down and notice the point. Repetition: Artfully repeating a key word or phrase can drive a point home, but it must be used sparingly to avoid monotony. Punctuation (Em Dash/Colon): An em dash (—) can draw attention to a trailing point with more impact than a comma. Formatting (Headings): Using larger fonts or different styles for headings creates a clear hierarchy. Common Pitfalls and Best Practices: The "Everything" Rule: If you emphasize too many things, nothing stands out. Effective emphasis requires moderation. Avoid All-Caps: Using all-caps can make writing appear unprofessional or like "shouting". Be Consistent: If you use bold for key terms in one paragraph, do not switch to underlining in the next. Academic vs. Informal: In formal academic writing, italics are often preferred over bolding, and exclamation points should be avoided.

Three friends, a gay boy-friends and their best female friend, are having a New Year's Eve party and one of the guy's apartment during a snowstorm. Unfortunately, one of them has a slight accident, which causes him to him some interesting visions. It's a interesting quick read, so give it a look and see what you think.

Three friends, and an extra, celebrating the New Year during a snow storm. I was able to follow the story quite easily, although from what LJH said, a assume this was a follow up to a previous short story. Anyway, I found it interest and the characters unique.

A dark and remorseful emotional rants of the author after a bad break up. It does invoke the feelings of a bad winter storm that you got trap in unaware, leaving the ultimate question of whether you'll live or die.

It sounds like the dark feelings and raw emotions after a break up that leaves the author with no will to live. Sad!

A silly story about two drunk boys leaving a party and walking in the snow. We can only assume that they're heading home, but one of the boys is adventurous and full of life and chooses to walk blindly along a lonely trail in the dark. Whether they reach their destination is unknown, but there are some silly actions along the way, and as many drunks seem to do, there is a lot of laughing and giggling along the way.

A wild and crazy tale about two drunk boys walking to who knows where in the windblown falling snow. Did they ever get to where they were heading or were they lost and died of hypothermia in the falling snow? This was a descriptive and silly tale that seemed to lose its way in a snowstorm.

If you like stories about magic, this is an interesting read and kept my attention from beginning to end. It's not perfect, but it's more than adequate and tells a story with a tragic beginning and concludes with a magical ending.

I enjoyed this story. I liked the characters and was intrigued by the storyline. Although I felt you could have added a little more details at various points, and I wished the story had continued so we could see how everything worked out, but I felt it was and interesting tale and it kept my attention from start to finish.

The word focus comes from Latin focus, meaning "hearth, fireplace", the center of the Roman home, which evolved to mean a central point of activity or light, a sense applied to optics by Kepler for a lens's convergence point, and later to mental concentration. Its journey from a literal fire (like in fuel) to a metaphorical "center of attention" or a point of clarity shows a shift from physical warmth to mental clarity, say some sources. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the word focus was first used in English is as follows: The earliest evidence for focus used as a noun is from 1638, appearing in the writings of Daniel Featley. It was adopted from Latin, where it meant "hearth" or "fireplace," to describe the focal point of a lens or mirror. The earliest evidence focus used as a verb is from 1776, found in the writing of actor and writer Samuel Pratt. The figurative use of focus as sense of "center of activity or energy" was not recorded until 1796. Focus in writing is the central idea, theme, or controlling principle that guides the entire text, ensuring clarity and coherence by keeping all elements -- paragraphs, sentences, and details -- relevant to the main point often expressed as a thesis or focus sentence, and is achieved by defining the purpose, audience, and main argument before and during writing. Key Aspects of Focus in Writing: Thesis/Main Idea: The core message, controlling idea, or main point that all supporting details should relate back to. Purpose: Why you are writing and what you want the reader to understand or take away. Audience: Who you are writing for influences the level of detail and jargon used. Structure: A clear focus provides a narrative arc or logical flow, preventing tangents and rambling. How to Achieve Focus when Writing: Before writing: Thesis/Main Idea: The core message, controlling idea, or main point that all supporting details should relate back to. Purpose: Why you are writing and what you want the reader to understand or take away. Audience: Who you are writing for influences the level of detail and jargon used. Structure: A clear focus provides a narrative arc or logical flow, preventing tangents and rambling. During writing: Topic Sentences: Ensure each paragraph has a clear topic sentence supporting the overall thesis. Relevance Check: Constantly ask if a sentence or detail serves the main point. Conciseness: Remove wordy phrases or unnecessary information that distracts from the point (e.g., "In Smith's writing, there are many indications of..." becomes "Smith's argument indicates..."). Editing: Review for Coherence: Check that paragraphs flow logically and support the thesis. Strengthen Sentences: Use techniques like end-focus (placing important info at the end) for clarity. Why Focus Matters: Clarity: Makes your writing easy for readers to follow and understand. Effectiveness: Ensures your message is clearly expressed and memorable. Cohesion: Makes your work feel like a unified whole, not a collection of disjointed ideas.

In writing, "economy" refers to the efficient use of language to achieve the maximum effect with the minimum number of words. You do this by using the fewest, most precise words to convey meaning, making the writing clearer, stronger, and more impactful by eliminating redundancy, jargon, and unnecessary fluff, ensuring every word serves a specific purpose to enhance clarity and reader engagement. It's about making words count, often through concise language, strong verbs, and the show, don't tell principle. Key Principles of Economy in Writing: Conciseness: Saying more with less, avoiding wordy phrases like "due to the fact that" (use "because") or "at this point in time" (use "now"). Precision: Choosing exact words that carry the most meaning, rather than vague or generic terms. Eliminating Redundancy: Cutting repetitive sentences, descriptions, or ideas that slow the pace. Impactful Verbs: Replace weak verb-adverb combinations with a single strong verb. Instead of "She walked at a leisurely pace," use "She ambled" Active Voice: Using active verbs ("The team finished the project") instead of passive ones ("The project was finished by the team") for more direct sentences. Focus on Essentials: Including only information vital to the story or message, streamlining plots and removing non-contributing subplots. "Show, Don't Tell": Using actions, imagery, and setting to reveal emotion or backstory, rather than lengthy explanations. Streamlined Structure: Keeping sentences and paragraphs focused and easy to follow, avoiding overly complex structures. Benefits of Writing with Economy: Clarity and Readability: Fewer words allow ideas to stand out more clearly, making them easier for the reader to understand quickly. Increased Momentum: Removing "bloat" keeps the narrative moving, preventing readers from losing interest during descriptive passages. Emotional Power: In forms like poetry, songwriting, and comedy, brevity often intensifies the impact of a punchline or emotional beat. Professionalism: Writing plainly and respecting the reader's time is a hallmark of a skilled, professional writer. Practice Tips: The Scalpel Phase: Write freely in your first draft, but be "ruthless" during the editing phase. Ask: "Can I communicate this same idea using fewer words?". Iceberg Theory: Popularized by Ernest Hemingway, this suggests that the "unsaid" (subtext) can often be more powerful than what is explicitly stated. Avoid "Info-Dumping": Instead of dropping large chunks of background information at once, reveal it naturally through character action or dialogue.

The word "context" comes from Latin contextus, the past participle of contexere (to weave together). it derives from the roots con- ("together") and texere ("to weave"), literally meaning "to weave together," signifying the interconnected elements forming a whole, like words in a text or circumstances surrounding an event, crucial for understanding its meaning. Its use evolved from describing textual composition to encompassing broader situations, settings, or background information that gives clarity and frames interpretation. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the noun context appeared in English during the Middle English period (1150-1500), with the earliest evidence found before 1475 in R. Higden's Polychronicon. The adjective form, context, emerged slightly later, around 1541, with OED evidence from Robert Copland. The verb form emerged in the early 1600s, with evidence from Owen Felltham. Context in writing refers to the surrounding circumstances -- like time, place, culture, audience, and purpose -- that give meaning and clarity to a text, helping readers understand the author's intent, character, motivations, or unfamiliar items, essentially providing the "why" and "where" behind the "what" of the words. It influences style, tone, and content, making writing relevant and impactful by bridging the gap between writer and reader, ensuring the message is received as intended. Key aspects of context: Situational/Physical: The specific time (historical period, ongoing events) and location where the writing occurs or will be read. Social/Cultural: The social norms, traditions, beliefs, and cultural background that shape characters, settings, and communication. Author's Purpose & Audience: Why the writing exists (to inform, persuade, entertain) and who it's for (their knowledge, interests, biases). Literary: Backstory, character details, or plot points within the work that explain behavior or events. Why context is important: Provides meaning: Explains why characters act a certain way or why certain events matter. Adds depth: Allows for deeper understanding of themes and messages. Guides writing: Helps writers choose appropriate language, tone, and examples for their readers. Clarifies terms: Gives clues to define unfamiliar words or concepts. How to provide context: Give background: Include details about the setting, characters, or historical period. Use descriptive language: Show, don't just tell, by describing the environment or circumstances. Incorporate literary devices: Use foreshadowing, flashbacks, or cause-and-effect to build understanding. Consider the "three Cs": Structure your writing with Context (the why/background), Content (the details), and Conclusion (the wrap-up).

This looks interesting. I can't wait to see how those submitting a story interpret the themes.

This was a very moving and sad story, but like Yetti One, I found the flashbacks distracting because there was nothing to show it wasn't a continuation of the current storyline. It would have been better if you'd maybe used a line with five asterisks spread out to let us know it was a change in the timeline. They would have made it less confusing, but the flashbacks were good and important, it just that it broke the flow of reading, because it took a few second before we realized what you were doing. Otherwise, a very powerful tale.

Going on a camping trip at the start of Christmas break - what could go wrong? Even though Curt had checked the weather forecast before they left, the weather turned out much different than what was projected, and he and Greg were now caught in a blizzard. What happens and how they will make out? You'll have to read this wonderful story for yourself to find out. There are beautiful description along the way, and even through they're cold, wet and the area is covered in snow, and that's only some of the hardships along the way. However, once you read it, I'm sure this marvelous tale will bring a smile to your face.

A wonderful Christmas story wrapped up in a blizzard. Well written, great dialogue, and a happy ending. What could be better? Great job!

You're on a ski trip, caught in a blizzard, and your friend has a medical emergency. You do your best to keep your wits about you and work out a plan of how to help him in your mind, but will it be enough? To find out the answer to this question, you'll have to read this intense short story.

You laid out the situation they were in very well, and I liked how you had Adam keep his wits about him and save James life. And as Timothy M. stated, it was actually more realistic that you only had James love Adam as a friend and not as an actual lover.