Winter Holiday 2024 Contest Support and Seasonal Story Discussion Thread

[Bassytian]

My first entry, "Snowed Incest" is live!

At the age of 21, James was forced to become the legal guardian of his sister Savannah, who is seven years younger, after their parents were killed in an accident. Years later, James takes her to a cabin they visited once in the past for her 18th birthday, which also happens to be Christmas Day. The trip begins innocently enough, but a few hours after Savannah turns 18, James comes to realize to significance of that milestone.

Comments and feedback are welcome, thanks to those who have already read and voted so far! If you haven't read it yet, I hope you enjoy!

 

[DukeofPaducah]

Thank you!

My first entry, "Snowed Incest" is live!

At the age of 21, James was forced to become the legal guardian of his sister Savannah, who is seven years younger, after their parents were killed in an accident. Years later, James takes her to a cabin they visited once in the past for her 18th birthday, which also happens to be Christmas Day. The trip begins innocently enough, but a few hours after Savannah turns 18, James comes to realize to significance of that milestone.

Comments and feedback are welcome, thanks to those who have already read and voted so far! If you haven't read it yet, I hope you enjoy!

Already read it. Enjoyed it thoroughly, thank you very much.
All the snow melted in the vicinity of their cabin, the activity inside was so hot. lol.

 

[Wineandcheese]

I was going to skip this contest, but then a little idea popped into my head. A totally original concept about Santa’s Naughty List. I did a story search and discovered that there are eight million stories about the naughty list. (Okay, less than eight million, but you get the idea.) But the story in my head wouldn’t give up, so I started writing it. I’m not sure if I’ll finish it in time for the contest since I write slowly. Maybe just a short 2K quicky. I’m wondering how many complaints about non-originality I’ll get.

But really, I did come up with it on my own.

 

[FreyaGersemi]

I’m wondering how many complaints about non-originality I’ll get.

"Everything has been done before, it's just the way you do it."
-Alexander McQueen.

 

[REucalyptus]

Thanks for the insights on voting and commenting, everyone!

I just want to emphasize that avoiding quotation marks is not a crazy thing. Many big contemporary writers--the kind who win Pulitzer and Nobel Prizes or get studied at universities--do this, and they do it for full novels with multiple characters. Sally Rooney, Bryan Washington, Celeste Ng, Ling Ma, Jose Saramago, and Cormac McCarthy are just a few examples.

(And if you like postapocalyptic writing and haven’t read Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, please drop everything and read it now! There’s nothing sexy about it, but it’s the best Christmas novel out there.)

But, yeah, a good editor may have said, REucalyptus, you need to decide how important this effect is in your story--you know you're publishing this to Literotica and not submitting it to FSG, right? Are you willing to frustrate some readers who are unfamiliar with or dislike this technique or do you want to do everything you can do to win this contest?

 

[Bassytian]

Already read it. Enjoyed it thoroughly, thank you very much.
All the snow melted in the vicinity of their cabin, the activity inside was so hot. lol.

Haha yeah. That poor snowman though, as if having a banana for a nose wasn't bad enough!

Thanks for reading!

 

[Duleigh]

A Krissmas Karole T.O.S. is polished up as much as it can get. One more editing session and I'll submit and see who complains about submitting two versions of a story

 

[WriterPerson314159]

I’m just happy that Christmas Connection got to 25 votes. That means at least that many people read it.

It’s one of those stories that’s still living in my head, though. It needed to be done, but one of the things about trying to write realistic people is that they start to live, and you want to know what happened to them.

 

[Actingup]

Thanks for the insights on voting and commenting, everyone!

I just want to emphasize that avoiding quotation marks is not a crazy thing. Many big contemporary writers--the kind who win Pulitzer and Nobel Prizes or get studied at universities--do this, and they do it for full novels with multiple characters. Sally Rooney, Bryan Washington, Celeste Ng, Ling Ma, Jose Saramago, and Cormac McCarthy are just a few examples.

(And if you like postapocalyptic writing and haven’t read Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, please drop everything and read it now! There’s nothing sexy about it, but it’s the best Christmas novel out there.)

But, yeah, a good editor may have said, REucalyptus, you need to decide how important this effect is in your story--you know you're publishing this to Literotica and not submitting it to FSG, right? Are you willing to frustrate some readers who are unfamiliar with or dislike this technique or do you want to do everything you can do to win this contest?

Or they may have said, "Why are you wasting your time over there when I've got a contract ready for you to sign?"

 

[Actingup]

I’m just happy that Christmas Connection got to 25 votes. That means at least that many people read it.

It’s one of those stories that’s still living in my head, though. It needed to be done, but one of the things about trying to write realistic people is that they start to live, and you want to know what happened to them.

On my list. I do love your intro though: "If you like your stories filled with 12" cocks and breasts that require the Army Corps of Engineers to keep the women from toppling over, then yay! But you won't read about them here."
In both cases, I think it would absolutely suck to be the woman, and even that guy might have trouble with back pain from walking funny, not to mention the issue of never being able to find anybody who he can enjoy sex with. So in that sense, they're deeply flawed hypothetical characters

 

[AlexFourways]

@Actingup
Just wondering where the story number chart has got to? I passed the to in deference to your superior analysis and presentation.

 

[MrStill]

Ha! It's funny that readers have preconceptions like that. It's a fun read.

Thanks for your comment on the story, much appreciated. Wait for them to find out that most of our Xmas parties are outside, open air events!
However, I do have to agree with some of the other comments that the payoff was underwritten, even my usual standards. I'll put that in the memory bank for the future...

 

[Actingup]

@Actingup
Just wondering where the story number chart has got to? I passed the to in deference to your superior analysis and presentation.

I'm not sure I can commit to posting it every day though! As far as I can tell no new ones were published today.

 

[AlexFourways]

I'm not sure I can commit to posting it every day though! As far as I can tell no new ones were published today.

From what I have seen, probably no more need till Tuesday. Nice to see it is still fitting the curve!

I was probably doing the Engineer's thing of being methodical and assumed you would do the same.
But as it is you doing it, I will envoke that fay creature Nuff!*


*for those without my twisted linguistic imagination (FairyNuff - work it out from there!)

 

[DukeofPaducah]

I’m struggling to come up with a successful strategy. I posted to LW and got ready to rumble.
Plenty of readership and votes. 26k/333.
Rating? Not so much. 2.93 and holding. Less than stellar. I’m short a couple stellars.
The style has been polarizing. Some comments have applauded; but one comment said it was as entertaining as a root canal. I’m being pummeled. My ego is in tatters. What’s a mother to do?

Here’s a pair from Bob Seger to give you an idea what goes through my mind at random intervals.

 

[Duleigh]

But the story in my head wouldn’t give up, so I started writing it.

The muse is powerful with this one, it is!

It’s one of those stories that’s still living in my head, though. It needed to be done, but one of the things about trying to write realistic people is that they start to live, and you want to know what happened to them.

That sounds like the start of a series - go with it. I ended up with several loved series because I fell in love with the characters of the first story and wanted to explore their lives.

 

[FreyaGersemi]

What’s a mother to do?

If I can help, just ask. You know how to get in touch with me.

 

[Actingup]

From what I have seen, probably no more need till Tuesday. Nice to see it is still fitting the curve!

I was probably doing the Engineer's thing of being methodical and assumed you would do the same.
But as it is you doing it, I will envoke that fay creature Nuff!*


*for those without my twisted linguistic imagination (FairyNuff - work it out from there!)

Ah! It's methodical, but the method allows for a variable sampling rate.

 

[Inkent]

Two days at a conference that, how can I put it, I didn't really need to be there for but sometimes you haven't got a choice meant busy fingers on my phone and....voila! Killer Chris Crimble is almost there for publishing! Should have it done tomorrow and see if I can track down someone to give it a once over. Most of my stuff is the the LW section so it ain't ever going to win no competition, but it certainly fun jogging 'round the writers track with you all in these comps!

 

[Duleigh]

A Krissymas Karole T.O.V. has been submitted in Erotic Horror. Let's see if it flies.

 

[Candy_Kane54]

My entry, "A Christmas to Remember," has been submitted.

 

[secretLace]

I have written the first part of the story and now I feel that I can't make the promise of the introuction real. I wrote a flirty first part that kind of grew into something more magical. First I had the premise of two boutique employees that dared eachother to be part of the christmas display. Then I started to write the into changing the perspective to a bystander. I thought to do a little intro and then change back into the display.

But it took a life of its own and sudely if felt like christmas magic had happened. The young woman looking at the display being seduced into participating by what could be the lady Winter herself.

Now I can't go for the sexy yet mundane continuation
Inspiration took me somewhere else. Might have to post it and leave it as a christmas tale without the heavy sex. Its only 1800 words long now.

What do you all think?

 

[WriterPerson314159]

I have written the first part of the story and now I feel that I can't make the promise of the introuction real. I wrote a flirty first part that kind of grew into something more magical. First I had the premise of two boutique employees that dared eachother to be part of the christmas display. Then I started to write the into changing the perspective to a bystander. I thought to do a little intro and then change back into the display.

But it took a life of its own and sudely if felt like christmas magic had happened. The young woman looking at the display being seduced into participating by what could be the lady Winter herself.

Now I can't go for the sexy yet mundane continuation
Inspiration took me somewhere else. Might have to post it and leave it as a christmas tale without the heavy sex. Its only 1800 words long now.

What do you all think?

Stories do that, where you find yourself realizing that to do them justice, you have to write your way through an intermediate part you hadn’t planned so the payoff works. That happened to me multiple times on my last story (which is part of how it got to 46k words). What I ended up doing a couple of times was letting it breathe for a day or so and thinking about it when I had time. “How can I get from here to there?” Then when something came to me, I could write it.

Good luck!

 

[secretLace]

Cheers. Im going over it in my head not to see how it will progress. Coming back to it tomorrow like you suggested to see what feels right. Been a while since I had that inspiration. Just pickd up another of my older stories and actually restructured it and wrote it so it could be posted here. It's going to be a great christmas I can feel it.

 

[SouthernCrossfire]

I worked on mine for hours this evening and finally submitted it. I would mention the name but it changed several times and I don’t remember the last one.