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What Is YOUR Story About?
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Hey guys! It seems like things are a little dead around here, so I thought maybe I’d try and help resurrect this forum. And seeing how writers seem to enjoy talking about their stories more then anything else…it seemed like a fitting topic to pursue. 😂
So, what is your current contemporary fiction project about? Do you have a title for it? And while your at it why not share snippets, colleges, Pinterest links…the whole nine-yards! 😀
My contemporary fiction WIP is actually a little, side-project of mine that I call “Every Single Note”. It’s a short story about a guitarist and his wife who is dying from cancer. Shortly before his wife (Elise) was diagnosed with cancer, Josh had a promising career in the music industry but he gave up playing to care for Elise. He doesn’t play it for a long time, but then when Elise is bed ridden and only has a couple more months to live, she asks Josh to pull his guitar out from retirement and play for her but he refuses. Why? *shrugs* It’s a secret known only to those who read the story. 😉 Anyways, Elise dies soon after and Josh is left to grieve and process his guilt for never having played for her. It has lots of potential to be cheesy and cliché but I’m trying to work against those things. 🙃 *fingers-crossed*
I’ve written the first draft and so it still needs massive amounts of work. Here’s a snippet:
Elise was still asleep when he returned to her.
He sat down beside her and took her hand.
That was the only thing he could do.
Just sit and wait.
Wait for the end. Like a whipped dog cowering before its master.
Wait for the powers stronger than him to come and take away the one thing most precious to him in the world.
Your turn! I’d love to hear about y’alls stories!! 🤩
"But how could you live and have no story to tell?" - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Saw this thread and thought, “Man, I need to go join that group.”😆 So here I am.
Your story sounds amazing, and looks like it has tons of potential for really moving scenes (everyone’s favorite😊).
I don’t know if anyone has read the Mitford Series…it’s about a whimsical little “normal” country town. My contemporary stories are kinda like that.
My setting is a country town, called Mapleton, Iowa, and I have a whole cast of characters. But the main story focuses around a regular girl named Julia Johns and her family. Nothing really “happens” in most of the stories I write in Mapleton, but so many things happen…if you know what I mean. Everyone has a bit of Mapleton in them…be it the quirky personalities, or the friendships, or the high school problems. My sister and I spend hours planning out, or acting out, different characters and situations. We use people and experience we know to help.☺️
Looking forward to hearing about everyone else’s stories.
"If I'm gonna break, I'll break like the dawn." -Nightbirde
I think it ate my post, second try 😝
Oh boy *rubs hands together* Thanks for this, @eden-anderson!!
My WIP, currently in the self-edit stage and 73k words, is Stop the Rain: Never Leave a Fallen Comrade. It’s the story of a teenage US Army MP (military police) during the heat of Iraq: growing up—joining the Army—getting deployed—mostly, coming back home. I firmly believe that there’s not enough YA books about our military, nonetheless about PTSD, so I’m out to change that. Harley comes home without a scratch, no physical injuries. But he’s hurt, and he doesn’t want to admit it. It’s the story of far too many of our soldiers, and I want to open people’s eyes to that. And it has a happy ending, because I want any soldiers or military families to read it to know, there is hope.
Since you asked for snippets, here’s my opening scene…
I’m laying on my back, staring at the far wall of the barracks, the chipped paint—that wall probably hasn’t been painted in twenty years.
My chest is tight, and I’m too scared to close my eyes.
A door slams, and I bolt upright. Then I’m trying not to cry, and I’m mostly failing, and since when do teenage boys cry in the middle of the night.
Since when am I scared of the dark.
I squeeze my eyes shut and clap my hands over my ears.
But even then, I’m helpless to ward off the screams and the explosions. I can’t stop trembling, so I sit there with my hands clenched to my head and try to wait it out, knowing I’ll eventually be exhausted.
An hour later, I’m still sitting there shaking. Only now I don’t have time to fall back asleep. I’ll have to get up for PT too soon.
I don’t usually wish I had scars everyone could see. But then there’s nights like this where I can’t sleep no matter how tired I am. And I have to get up and face the next day just like any other workday.
I’m Private Harley Keane, US Army Military Police.
And too many people think I’m okay because my body’s intact.I don’t have my own Pinterest, nor a specific board for Stop the Rain, but I have a board on my mom’s Pinterest with sections for all of my stories, so if you’re curious… https://pin.it/7rJn5V5
It’s releasing Veterans Day, and in case you’re curious and want to read it, I’m looking to have it alpha-read this coming month… 😉
@eden-anderson That sounds so sad and so beautiful all at the same time!! That snippet… 💔 It honestly doesn’t sound cliché to me… it sounds like something that needs to be told.
@arindown *melts into a little puddle* No idea if you’re a country fan, but I felt like I just read the description of Rascal Flatts’ “Mayberry” as a novel and I just love that to pieces… 🥰I ask where he got these crazy ideas anyway
He just smiles and says, it’s the way that I was raised@wolverinerm Your story sounds amazing.😆 I think you totally found a hole in storytelling that needs to be filled. Keep it up.
I have actually never heard the song Mayberry, but the old TV Andy Griffith show was set in a little town called Mayberry.😊 I love normal, yet interesting country life (being a small-town girl) and I want to show that in my story. I don’t have any good parts to share at the moment…but maybe later. Just kinda embracing life in 2020 through the eyes of a character.
"If I'm gonna break, I'll break like the dawn." -Nightbirde
@arindown Thanksy, I will… ☺️
I’m a city girl myself, but I’m currently living in a small town… quite the adjustment, but I think it’d be a really setting. And yeah, “Mayberry” is one big reference, although I’m obviously more familiar with the song than the show. 😉
Well, if you get something to post tag me, I’d love to see it. 😉
I ask where he got these crazy ideas anyway
He just smiles and says, it’s the way that I was raised@arindown Well, I’m glad you decided to join this group! We need more people. 😀
Aw, why thank you!
I’ve heard of the Mitford series…but I’ve never read them and I’m not very familiar but your story sounds wonderful. Very cozy and sweet and comforting! 😊 I’d love to hear more about it! Is it like a full series of novels set in Mapleton? Or a bunch of short stories?
Ugh, I hate when it eats posts. 😑😂
Oh! *clutches heart* Your story sounds so…beautiful and heartbreaking! THAT OPENING SCENE. 😢❤️
I don’t read much YA so my opinion might not count, but I don’t think I’ve heard of any YA contemporary novels about the military. I think it’s something we need. (Funny thing I’m writing this on Memorial Day. 😉) YA books that deal well with PTSD, soldiers coming home, and the effects that war has on families and individuals…YES. YES. YES. Go you for stepping out there!! I applaud you! 😊👏👏👏
Aw, thanks! I’m trying to get it right. I guess we all are…😂
"But how could you live and have no story to tell?" - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
My current WIP has both medieval times (kinda) and also contemporary characters.
It’s called, Ninjanaria and has multiple MCs! Plus tons of side characters!
My main main character is Jered. Then Marrill. Then the other characters who I write from their POV are, Tim, Silas, Jaylin, Hougen, Aclabar (the bad guy), and who else?? I think that’s it lol! I will tell you more but my fams leaving!! 😉
Jominkreesa! For the weirdos who know what it means! 😉 I love you guys!
Wow all your stories sound so good!!!!
@arindown It sounds like a rainy day sitting by the fire with hot coffee book!! My mom would love it! 😉
@eden-anderson Your story sounds really sad! But it sounds like it could be really good and well written!
@wolverinerm OMGosh!!! Your story sounds so sad but also really really good! I’d so read it next month!!Also now that I’m back I should share the rest of my post lol!
Jominkreesa! For the weirdos who know what it means! 😉 I love you guys!
Alright here is the rest of my post!
So the premise is, Jered (a 14-year-old boy) brother goes missing and he discovers that Tim (his brother) was transported into another world. So he has to go rescue him. He meets other kids in the world and learns that they all have to work together in order to save Ninjanara (the world.) !!
I don’t have any social media about it but yeah.
Here is a part from my book.
Jered’s eyes flew open. He jerked upright coughing up water. He was confused and looked around frantically. Where am I?
His eyes landed on a figure a few feet in front of him, curled up in the sand. He reached for it and slowly turned it over. It was a boy, about Jered’s age, he was a little pudgy and seemed to be sleeping. Jered concentrated on the boy’s face, the boy looked so familiar that he could almost scream. Then it all came back, Tim disappearing, his dad’s letter, Aunt Evelyn, all of it.
Silas!
He crouched, and examined him carefully, he didn’t seem to have any wounds that he could tell. But he was out cold.
He looked around searching for help. He was in a valley, surrounded by giant tree-studded ridges. A small pond like lake rippled in the center presumably fed by the streams running off the mountains.
There wasn’t a person in sight.
Jominkreesa! For the weirdos who know what it means! 😉 I love you guys!
Your story sounds really good! Love how you’re using normal kids, and then throwing them into a fantasy world.
Thanks. I feel like my stories are kinda a sit-by-the-fire sort. They’ve already provided my sisters and I hours of laughter. If I ever really get around to writing them, I hope they’ll do the same for other people.😊
"If I'm gonna break, I'll break like the dawn." -Nightbirde
@beth20 Ooh, your story sounds cool too! It seems like a very fun/adventurous premise. 😀
"But how could you live and have no story to tell?" - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
@arindown Thank you! 🙂
@eden-anderson Thanks! 🙂Jominkreesa! For the weirdos who know what it means! 😉 I love you guys!
@eden-anderson, Your story sounds so sad and sweet! 😥❤ My dad plays guitar, so stories about guitarist are always a little nostalgic for me. I’m sure yours will turn out beautifully!
@arindown, Ahh! Your story sounds like something I would love to read. 😄 Country town, large cast of characters… 👌 Oh, yeah.
@beth20, Ooh, your premise sounds really intriguing! I’ve always loved the idea of modern day characters travelling to another world. 😊 I tried to write one like that some time ago, but I didn’t get very far with it. 😛
@wolverinerm, I’m kind of crying inside right now. 😭😭❤ …Are you looking for alpha-readers? 😏 Because I’m very curious now and I totally want to read it. 😆)ENFP-T/Artist/Writer/Musician
“Creativity takes courage” -Henri Matisse@eden-anderson, Okay, so, my contemporary story is still very much in the early stages. (Like, really early stages.) But it’s kind of a coming of age story about a teen-aged only child who babysits his neighbor’s kids while they’re off on a romantic get-away. 😆
It’s kind of my goofy/fun/lighthearted outlet since the other story I’m working on is so heavy. 😛 I don’t have have any snippets or anything yet, but it’s basically just a story about family, taking responsibility, helping others, and all that fun stuff. 🙂
ENFP-T/Artist/Writer/Musician
“Creativity takes courage” -Henri MatisseThank y’all… 🥰🥰
@beth20 Ooh, that’s such a neat premise!
@chalice Okay, that storyline has so much potential to be so crazy and fun 😆Also @beth20 and @chalice, I’ll post the link to my alpha-call post and tag y’all in it. 😉
I ask where he got these crazy ideas anyway
He just smiles and says, it’s the way that I was raised
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