Me too!
IT’S TIME FOR SEKRIT SANTA 24!
- Thread starter THX1138
- Start date
Same here!
@chrispenycate and @Astro Pen, you good to go?
Yes you should from @AnRoinnUltra. If not by the end of the day, I'll PM you.
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I have my first paragraph written, and my first chapter mapped out, but no idea yet how it's going to finish - all that's just scene setting. But it does suggest my e-mail's functioning. I'll get there, though
Am I too late? I’d love a heart wrenching doomed space romance…
Give me a bit @Jo Zebedee. I'll see what i can do...
And we are off!
We have 7 story requests being worked on, so good luck to all!
We have 7 story requests being worked on, so good luck to all!
Have an idea. Working on an outline now.
More than 1,100 words written and they just set up the story. I may have bitten off more than I can chew.
I'm taking a different approach this time. Starting in the middle working towards the end. Then I'll go back to the beginning and work towards where I first started. My hope is that I'll have a better understanding of the MC throughout the whole story.
Just a reminder to all, it's November 22nd. With all that is going on these next few months, don't forget to spend some time on your Sekrit Santa story!
When you are done with your assigned story, please PM me, THX1138 or request my e-mail as soon as you can so I can send it off to the recipient and post the sample, so Provincial can do her review!
And don't forget to have a cup of spiced tea too. Nothing like a cup of spiced tea this time of year!
Thanks everyone!
When you are done with your assigned story, please PM me, THX1138 or request my e-mail as soon as you can so I can send it off to the recipient and post the sample, so Provincial can do her review!
And don't forget to have a cup of spiced tea too. Nothing like a cup of spiced tea this time of year!
Thanks everyone!
And we have our first story!
And here is the 1st 200 or so words... Enjoy!
Soul Catcher
Olzek 4 was a dream really. 16 psi atmosphere, oxygen rich, implying plant life, therefore of immediate agricultural potential. No sign of intelligent life had been reported so no territorial fears.
The two surface probes had been signalling back regularly.
We were two weeks out and decelerating. A restless excitement had spread through the ship. After a seven month journey the sphere of Olzek 4 could now be made out.
People were readying for what would be a basic but happy agrarian life. A vegetarian version of the sustainable practices of the Amish farmers seen in the nostalgia movies.
Chief scientist Daniel Sharp, though, was wearing a frown as he scrolled through the latest data.
“Something wrong?” I asked.
“No, Captain ” he replied. “It all looks, er, good.”
“So why the frown?”
“Oh nothing really, just me.” he shrugged. “You know what we scientists are like with data analysis.”
I left it there and went down to the cargo hold, to check that the housing pods and the seed banks were in good shape and ready for deployment.
The colony was going to be a little larger than we anticipated. Human nature being what it is, and despite regulations, we had two early pregnancies on board. The babies names had already been chosen, Stella and Orion.
And here is the 1st 200 or so words... Enjoy!
Soul Catcher
Olzek 4 was a dream really. 16 psi atmosphere, oxygen rich, implying plant life, therefore of immediate agricultural potential. No sign of intelligent life had been reported so no territorial fears.
The two surface probes had been signalling back regularly.
We were two weeks out and decelerating. A restless excitement had spread through the ship. After a seven month journey the sphere of Olzek 4 could now be made out.
People were readying for what would be a basic but happy agrarian life. A vegetarian version of the sustainable practices of the Amish farmers seen in the nostalgia movies.
Chief scientist Daniel Sharp, though, was wearing a frown as he scrolled through the latest data.
“Something wrong?” I asked.
“No, Captain ” he replied. “It all looks, er, good.”
“So why the frown?”
“Oh nothing really, just me.” he shrugged. “You know what we scientists are like with data analysis.”
I left it there and went down to the cargo hold, to check that the housing pods and the seed banks were in good shape and ready for deployment.
The colony was going to be a little larger than we anticipated. Human nature being what it is, and despite regulations, we had two early pregnancies on board. The babies names had already been chosen, Stella and Orion.
Victoria Silverwolf
Vegetarian Werewolf
Nice! Classic science fiction, with enough of a hook to keep the reader's interest.
Soul Catcher .... A sharp, tightly plotted, and frightening journey into the unknown.
Our 2nd story is in!
Here is a snippet for our reading pleasure...
The forgotten kingdoms of Iachtar and Uachtar
Athlan and Iníon Unterwhackle stepped through the rotting wooden fence at the edge of new Kinnegad. Behind them was a thriving city. In front of them was a large crumbling castle.
Father and daughter walked to the gate house entrance to the castle.
They were met by a stooped caretaker, and a sign above an empty plastic box declaring 'donations are welcome'.
Athlan spat on the ground.
Iníon sensed hesitancy.
'Do we really need to be here Dad?’, she asked, ‘I mean, we learned about it at school. Plus, nobody talks about those times.’
Athlan didn’t reply. He was lost in thought.
‘Some things are meant to be forgotten. If we go back now we could catch the end of the Nangelball game.’, suggested Iníon
She then leaned in and whispered into her father’s ear, ‘And that wrinkly old fart of a caretaker looks creepy, can we not just go back?’
When her father replied, it was in a slow and sad voice. A tone Iníon rarely heard.
‘We came here the night your Uncle died’, he said, ‘All the young people. We all came together. In through this gate.’
Iníon felt a pang of guilt. The trip was clearly important to her father. She quietly switched on her earpods, and began feigning interest.
Athlan walked into the large arched entrance towards the inner courtyard of the castle.
The caretaker nodded as he walked past.
‘Your daughter doesn’t like me, she thinks I’m creepy’, hissed the old man
‘Bugger off’, said Athlan.
The old man took a step back and pointed to the plastic bucket ‘A donation would be nice’,
‘Bugger off’, said Athlan for a second time.
‘You were there that night, weren't you?’ asked the old man. He then bowed his head and mumbled an apology.
Athlan ignored the apology, and walked into the courtyard. Iníon absentmindedly followed.
The pair stopped walking at the center of the inner courtyard of the castle. Green and purple vegetation had reclaimed most of the space. The walls were still recognisable, and a high tower at the opposite end to the gate house was still imposing, but everything else was in decay. There were several large rusting tracked vehicles dumped on the cracked stone paving.
Athlan walked over to one of them, and frowned. Iníon followed, ‘What is it?’ she asked.
‘An Omperdon gun. Just like the one that killed your Uncle.’
Iníon switched off her earpods and looked around.
‘Is this where it happened?’ she asked.
Here is a snippet for our reading pleasure...
The forgotten kingdoms of Iachtar and Uachtar
Athlan and Iníon Unterwhackle stepped through the rotting wooden fence at the edge of new Kinnegad. Behind them was a thriving city. In front of them was a large crumbling castle.
Father and daughter walked to the gate house entrance to the castle.
They were met by a stooped caretaker, and a sign above an empty plastic box declaring 'donations are welcome'.
Athlan spat on the ground.
Iníon sensed hesitancy.
'Do we really need to be here Dad?’, she asked, ‘I mean, we learned about it at school. Plus, nobody talks about those times.’
Athlan didn’t reply. He was lost in thought.
‘Some things are meant to be forgotten. If we go back now we could catch the end of the Nangelball game.’, suggested Iníon
She then leaned in and whispered into her father’s ear, ‘And that wrinkly old fart of a caretaker looks creepy, can we not just go back?’
When her father replied, it was in a slow and sad voice. A tone Iníon rarely heard.
‘We came here the night your Uncle died’, he said, ‘All the young people. We all came together. In through this gate.’
Iníon felt a pang of guilt. The trip was clearly important to her father. She quietly switched on her earpods, and began feigning interest.
Athlan walked into the large arched entrance towards the inner courtyard of the castle.
The caretaker nodded as he walked past.
‘Your daughter doesn’t like me, she thinks I’m creepy’, hissed the old man
‘Bugger off’, said Athlan.
The old man took a step back and pointed to the plastic bucket ‘A donation would be nice’,
‘Bugger off’, said Athlan for a second time.
‘You were there that night, weren't you?’ asked the old man. He then bowed his head and mumbled an apology.
Athlan ignored the apology, and walked into the courtyard. Iníon absentmindedly followed.
The pair stopped walking at the center of the inner courtyard of the castle. Green and purple vegetation had reclaimed most of the space. The walls were still recognisable, and a high tower at the opposite end to the gate house was still imposing, but everything else was in decay. There were several large rusting tracked vehicles dumped on the cracked stone paving.
Athlan walked over to one of them, and frowned. Iníon followed, ‘What is it?’ she asked.
‘An Omperdon gun. Just like the one that killed your Uncle.’
Iníon switched off her earpods and looked around.
‘Is this where it happened?’ she asked.
The Forgotten Kingdoms of Iachtar and Uachtar .... When the bitter consequences of rebellion are too painful to recall and too confused to understand, how can we teach our children what they need to know?
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