Sinbad

2007 Anthology

The excitement was intoxicating. Danny felt the powerful single cylinder motor throbbing steadily between his knees, he felt the vibrations travel up through the handlebars and up his arms so that his shoulders shook slightly. He stabbed the gearchange pedal with his toe, hoping he was engaging low gear, and blipped the throttle twistgrip with his right hand while beginning to release the clutch lever with his left. Suddenly the big BSA motorcycle lurched forward and he lost his grip on the han

Winter Holiday by Sinbad Day 1 We were up near Alcock tarn. It's a small lake perched high on the hillside in the fells above Grasmere. I've seen Herdwick sheep before so I wasn't too surprised when I saw a small flock of them. What caught my eye about this flock of sheep was not their funny white faces looking out from above the big russet brown balls of wool which are their bodies, nor even the way they blended with the brown bracken that covers th

2006 Winter Anthology (pic)

No, I'm sorry but this just won't do, Viv. I'm feeling badly let down by you. Once again you have shown there's no genre that you can't master, and seemingly effortlessly. Your last anthology entry was a radically different story in which you tackled a sensitive subject with skill and delicacy. And this time you've written a.... cowboy story. (Sorry, I'm English, any story about American farmers is a cowboy story from this side of the pond!) A certain E. Annie Proulx has recently become a lot more famous as a result of one of her cowboy stories being made into a movie which was received with some acclaim. Will the next Brokeback Mountain be scripted by our very own Viv, I wonder? I'm not feeling let down about the story which is wonderful and wonderfully told as all your work is. But I can't be expected to live another three months not knowing what happens next - this is cruelty and vindictiveness! What have I ever done to you to deserve this treatment???! Won't you reconsider and write the next episode NOW??! Love your work, Viv, as ever Sinbad

What a great story, Shadowgod at his best! Right from the beginning I was drawn into the tale. Why? Because you drew such an interesting, sympathetic character. I wanted everything to turn out right for him, I wanted his hurt to go away, I wanted someone to look after him. And you delivered, big time! I just love a story with a happy ending! Thanks for a great read I really love this one! Sinbad

This is fabulous, Lugh! What a great, heart-warming story. I love the setting and the fantasy element. Thanks for writing a great read! Sinbad

I echo previous comments made, it's quite an achievement to give us vignettes of a series of disparate characters in such a short space. Each character is described well enough to arouse our curiosity. I want to know what happens to them - do they get a happy ending to their story? If an author can get his readers involved to that extent he's done something special. Well done, Ieshwar! Sinbad

Wow, Graeme, this is really special. A complete departure from the style and genre of other stuff of yours that I've read, it shows you are a master of science fiction as well as everything else that makes us mere mortals green with envy.(!) Thank you for writing a superb anthology story. Sinbad

Now this is a great story! Fascinating plot, with lots of unresolved hooks so you could develop it beyond where it is so far! Any plans to do that? Sinbad

Thank you for a great read! I enjoyed the story as much for its unusual perspective and insight into the lives of these fascinating characters as for its happy ending storyline - I love a happy ending! Sinbad

We're not so much coming out of the closet, more coming out of the woodwork! I'm another one whose situation has parallels with this story and so I can hardly be objective about it. BUT it's a very well-written story, and its open ending leaves the reader to fill in his own preferred ending - or the ending which most fits his own story. Thank you for writing it! Sinbad

My grateful thanks to CJ and Graeme for your kind encouragement. So... I keep at it! Sinbad

Thanks guys - great advice - I was looking at Oliver Goldsmith - I know 'The Vicar of Wakefield' quite well. And the link(s) to info on carriages are mindblowing - so many varieties! Sinbad

-- so I've referred to Beau Brummell who's from the end of the 18th century. I've also referred to Hepplewhite furniture which is from the end of the 18th century. If I read Georgette Heyer to get some authentic period detail into my story, that will be relevant to the end of the 18th century. So it might be best to move my story to the end of the 18th century!! That would only leave me with one problem - to edit the scene about the trip to the theatre to see The Beggar's Opera because that only ran for 62 performances, in 1728 - I'll have to find a play that was all the rage at the end of the century for them to go to instead. Any ideas? Sinbad

Thanks Camy, I've edited the story appropriately! Sinbad

I'm begging again... Timothy's Story has been on eFiction since January 2nd 2007. It picked up a review (a kind review - thank you very much!) quickly but since then, nothing. I would REALLY like to know what you all think of it. Should I give up writing 'cos I'm clearly no good at it, or is it worth persevering to try and get good? The review the story did get includes the comment that the reviewer isn't sure if it's a true story so let me clear that up: It's on eFiction - it's fiction. I did put a comment to that effect in the disclaimer at the beginning of the story. However, it is BASED on fact. I drew my memory of real events together to make up the bulk of the story, but the ending denouement is entirely fictitious. Please, please, please let me know what you think of this story! If you like it you might also like my other two: 'Winter Holiday' and 'Lord Richard'. Thanks - really, THANKS! Sinbad Timothy's Story

Okay, I'm BEGGING.... The first story I submitted to GA (or anywhere else for that matter) is Winter Holiday. I submitted it and it got a nice positive review which was very encouraging to this newbie. I then withdrew it and edited it down to about 2/3 its original length so it would qualify and submitted it for inclusion in the Winter 2006 anthology. It got a lot of kind comments there too. But several requested follow-on stories. So with permission, I re-posted the original longer version in eFiction with the intention of making it the first in a series. That was the first day of the year and it has attracted NO reviews or ratings. Which is a little disappointing. So this is my plea: please spare the time to read my story and let me know what you think! I'm currently working on Lord Richard (see separate topic) and finding that if you write a period piece you have to get it right. Winter Holiday doesn't have that problem - I wrote what I know - here and now! If you like Winter Holiday, you might also like my other offering - Timothy's Story. Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you... Sinbad Winter Holiday

Thanks Kitty I'll bear that in mind. I don't think I want to fill my story with 'slang of the day' and specific references (although I've already come a cropper mentioning Beau Brummell) but I do want to know what to call the carriages that will continue to feature in the story, for instance. Anyone know what a Gig is, what a Landau is, a Chaise? So far I've called the transport they go to the theatre in a carriage which seems fairly safe. But I'm discovering that if you do period, you've got to do it right (or suffer the wrath of Kitty, Luc etc!!!) Thanks Kitty et al for your interest and good advice which I will try to follow. Sinbad

Hi Camy, actually Caduggan Square is supposed to be a fictitious location - it sounded like it could exist - clearly my subconscious was telling me something - it does exist! And I'll have to change the name or decide to make it real and correct the spelling. I wonder which would be best? I'm not sure whereabouts Cadogan Square is - is it Belgravia? That would be suitably posh for an Earl. Sinbad

I didn't mean to imply in my previous post that I consider Ms Heyer's work shoddy, merely that it was shoddy of me not to do proper research before embarking on my little effort, relying on my imperfect memory of some of her stuff. Like Luc, I think Georgette Heyer is Queen of her genre, and by quite a margin. A great author, by any standard.

Hang University, get writing bach! You have a readership to satisfy! Sinbad

Starting my homework this evening - Georgette Heyer's 'Lady of Quality' because it's to hand. Further editing in progress to get the language more C18-ish! Sinbad

I've now made a few small initial edits to the first two chapters and the BIG NEWS is that I've posted chapter 3, which concludes the first major storyline, establishing Richard and John as a couple. The next chapters will show them becoming a sort of Batman and Robin, with Jasper back at base as support. Please read it and let me know what you think!

How do you know how many hits your story has? I would dearly love to know how many people have at least begun reading my stories - since two of my stories have one review and the other has none at all it is possible nobody has even read them - in which case I might as well not post them... Sinbad