It's back! Sekrit Santa 20.

[Luiglin]

I'd planned to get it to you by 19th, but if I get an extra day or two that would be great.

 

[Provincial]

Yes, 22nd sounds good; your original suggestion was 19th December, but these challenges happen at a really busy time of year, as you obviously know!

I am happy to wait until they are all in before you send them out, if that makes it easier for you, but if it doesn’t then by all means send them out by return post!

 

[emrosenagel]

@Phyrebrat I have one more question, if you don't mind. My story became a bit lengthy (shorter than 10k, don't worry!) but I'm wondering should I submit as plain text or in a file? I also want to add a letter along with my story, is that okay?

 

[Swank]

I also want to add a letter along with my story, is that okay?

Sekrit blown!

 

[emrosenagel]

Sekrit blown!

well I guess I won’t now! Maybe after all has been revealed

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Um… I do have to mid Jan right?

 

[THX1138]

I had to resend a corrected version too. Best to take that extra day with the proof-reading and editing.

 

[Luiglin]

Remember folks, if you send in any sort of word processed document to check the properties. They tend to be real naughty in automatically adding names.

 

[AnRoinnUltra]

so I could say, 22nd Dec?

The extra few days would be great. From a selfish reason -I have a couple of hours on Thursday night to write properly (straight to narration is easy to do with noise and distractions but the extra mile is needed for text and the inhabitants here). Thanks for running this.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

So 22nd Dec….? Laughs manically

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Words have been written. I'm a bit like Harry Stamper. I never miss the target.

 

[AnRoinnUltra]

Done, now for the whole editing malarkey -would be no fun if freestyle punctuation gave the game away ...T minus 49 hours for anyone counting

 

[cyprus7]

How do I submit my story? Click on Phyrebrat's name, start a new conversation, and attach a .doc file?
Sorry, newbie here.

 

[THX1138]

How do I submit my story? Click on Phyrebrat's name, start a new conversation, and attach a .doc file?
Sorry, newbie here.

If the doc is small enough too. I'll pm you.

 

[Provincial]

If the doc is small enough too. I'll pm you.

Could you copy me in on that, please? Also, I don’t have Word, only Pages. Can I attach one of those files, and how do I do that?

 

[Luiglin]

Could you copy me in on that, please? Also, I don’t have Word, only Pages. Can I attach one of those files, and how do I do that?

I saved mine as rich text format (.rtf). That should be ok. If not, then most apps these days can save as Adobe Reader (.pdf) or be an option to print as .pdf.

 

[BigJ]

...T minus 49 hours for anyone counting

So we're at (counts off on fingers) about 15 hours left? Y'know, asking for a friend . . .

I absolutely blasted mine out in one sitting this week and would like to give it one more read through and possible trim before I send it in.

 

[AnRoinnUltra]

Right, so fourteen fingers at a finger an hour, and a deadline of zero hundred hours. Zero hundred minus fourteen is negative. Ah, I see the hint ...you wrote a story about time travel

 

[cyprus7]

Just warming up the engines:

secret santa, I'm out of luck
every scene is sure to suck
chapters crash, darlings die
readers flee, I want to cry
editors refuse my calls
time to bounce off all four walls

should no more words I get to write
alliterate this Christmas night
needless nouns and vapid verbs
puerile prose plus boring blurbs
an author's life kicked to the kerb

 

[BigJ]

Right, so fourteen fingers at a finger an hour, and a deadline of zero hundred hours. Zero hundred minus fourteen is negative. Ah, I see the hint ...you wrote a story about time travel

Time travel, or time zones? Maybe if I was fourteen fingers deep everything would make sense but alas I quit drinking.