Libby Drew

Absolutely. It's the emotional punch I was referring to. When events stir the heart to one extreme or another.

I prefer to read and write in either 3rd limited or 1st person. I will usually avoid reading stories in 3rd person omniscient -- and will never write one. Jumping from one character's head to another can be dizzying and distracting. It can be the lazy way to develop characters, plots and scenes. Fleshing out the narrative from a single POV, whether that be 3rd or 1st person, will almost always result in a richer, more provocative scene -- and story.

These are the stories/books/movies that can stay with us the longest, in my opinion. Dopamine rushes come and go. The stories that punch us in the gut tend to linger... for good or bad. That said, I'll almost choose to write a happy ending. I'm one of those people. 😊

I love #152! I've had the boss who made me want #152 to happen. Maybe that's why.

Deer love them. Not the leaves, but they will mow the bare stems to the ground in the winter. Ask me how I know this.

The question is strictly for research purposes.

What are they busy doing?

My heart goes out to you. I'm so sorry.

Thank you, my dear! I cried several times writing and editing this one. Not sure I want to do that again. 🙃 But I feel accomplished tackling something new and different (for me).

Thank you. 😊 An accurate assessment of the premise. Love is an emotion, after all. "Memories" evoke it just as strongly as day-to-day life, I think.

No, you're right. This is a tragedy in every sense of the word. The hell of dementia aside, these men never had the chance to be truly together... until the very end, leaving Sidney to fill in the parts of their lives they both wished could be different. Sidney deserved better, honestly. But love can be a tricky, almost insidious thing. I can't blame him. Thanks for the thoughtful remarks. They are much appreciated.

Thank you. Flashbacks are tricky, but necessary in this case. And you're right, of course. Which parts of these recollections are true, which are invented? Especially as Sidney cut off the physical nature of their relationship once Arthur got married. Still, I suspect there were many romantic moments over the course of their lives. I consider the story a tragedy in every sense of the word, which is normally way outside my comfort zone. Glad I had the chance to give it a try. Thanks for the comment!

There are so many professional caregivers out there that don't get enough credit. But there are even more family/friend caregivers who don't get the empathy and understanding they deserve. My heart goes out to you. Thank you very much for your thoughtful comment and for sharing this part of your life with us.

Thanks very much. I think it truly could have been an epic love story. In some ways it was, and in others, not so much. I appreciate the comment. Thank you!

My heart goes out to you. As I'll tell everyone who confides here that they are caring for a loved one with dementia, you are an incredibly brave and selfless person. Because it's really fucking hard and heartbreaking. I know. Thank you very much for trusting me with this part of your life and for pushing through this story to leave your thoughtful feedback. I appreciate it very much.

Thanks so much for the feedback and kind words. I'm so glad you enjoyed it.

Your gif wins. 😉

Thank you very much! And agreed! I do love me an opportunity to post (and read!) anonymous stories. The contest was fun, for sure, but I'd be just as happy to do it in a themed collection. I hope we can do it every year. 😊

It was very different. I do love my happy endings. I appreciated the challenge of taking on a concept I'd normally steer away from. You hit the nail on the head with sacrifice; there was certainly plenty of that. While some may feel the saddest part of the story was the crippling toll of dementia, I think for me it was how Sid pretty much lived his whole life for a person who could never give him 100%. My daughter, who often reads my work (I appreciate her feedback) asked me what I thought the most heartbreaking line was, and that was tough. I think it was either, "He lives by himself in upstate New York." or the line from the hospital flashback when Arthur makes Sidney promise never to leave him -- an incredibly selfish request, all things considered. Anyway, I'm rambling. But thank you for your kind words and feedback. I truly appreciate them. 🙂

Thank you. I'll be replying to story comments in detail tomorrow but please know yours touched me very deeply. You have tremendous courage.

So what you're saying is... open a bottle of wine and grab some tissues before I dive in tonight? 😉

Thank you, everybody! 14,000 Days of Virtue is truly the saddest thing I've ever written, and I didn't believe it would have a chance against a more upbeat story, BUT I wrote it anyway. I feel like submitting anonymously gives me tremendous freedom to try something outside my wheelhouse. I couldn't be happier at its reception. Even if I cried while I was writing it. 🙃 And now, I can dive into all the other entries! Which I've held off on doing until now... Thank you to all the readers and especially to @Cia for modding the anthology/contest!

I had no idea it was a car. Thank you! I learn so much here, in these posts and their follow-up comments. ☺️

Thank you! I'm stupidly exited. New endeavors always have the possibility of fun and adventure. 😊

The pandemic was a nightmare on every level. Several people I know were also let go during the time. I'm glad your story had a happy ending. 😊 Thank you! I'm looking forward to sharing it. This project was well underway before my parents got sick. After they passed, I had a hard time looking at the manuscript without feeling sad. So having it done is closure on several levels.