The AH Coffee Shop and Reading Room 09

[NotWise]

The contest story has been in for a day and half. It's down from about 15 views/minute at this time yesterday to two views/minute now, so it's losing my interest. On to the next story.

I decided last summer what my next story would look like, and then I did the contest story instead. Now I can: do the one I planned on, fall back on the one I started last year and bogged down on, rewrite one of my recent stories, or do something entirely different.

Earlier this evening I started a synopsis for the story I came up with last summer. I got a very sketchy idea worked out, then found that it worked best to start at the end of the story and flesh it out in reverse order -- lay out what happened, then how it happened. I don't remember doing that before. The ending would be emotionally intense, but one I'm not sure it would be great in Romance. I could end up floating it in EC.

The story I bogged down on looks more interesting than it did a couple months ago. I think its problems can be fixed.

The story I submitted in spring of '23 flopped, and at least I know what I don't really like about it. I can fix that, but it means rewriting the climactic sex scene. And then what? Submitting an edit? It seems like a lot of work for an edit that would only have an effect over a long term, since the story doesn't get many views now.

Or there's the Valentine's Day contest and/or the Pink Orchid event, or my long-delayed story for Chloe's Mike Hammer event, or . . .

 

[dmallord]

Hey folks,

I was stoked to get up and out to a doctor's evaluation visit. My first time outside since getting home from my second hospital trip in early September. The nurse said I needed a healthy breakfast and snacks to make it through the tests. She fixed eggs with bacon and I ate about half but the taste is so different now that it is almost force-feeding time. She's threatening me with tube feeding. That gets me to eat a bit more. She's like a damn drill sergeant.

Unfortunately, by the time I struggled to get dressed, I was exhausted and down. She took pity on me and put me back to bed with oxygen for a while.

Rescheduled for next week on Wednesday. Lord willing and the creek don't rise...

 

[Candy_Kane54]

Hey folks,

I was stoked to get up and out to a doctor's evaluation visit. My first time outside since getting home from my second hospital trip in early September. The nurse said I needed a healthy breakfast and snacks to make it through the tests. She fixed eggs with bacon and I ate about half but the taste is so different now that it is almost force-feeding time. She's threatening me with tube feeding. That gets me to eat a bit more. She's like a damn drill sergeant.

Unfortunately, by the time I struggled to get dressed, I was exhausted and down. She took pity on me and put me back to bed with oxygen for a while.

Rescheduled for next week on Wednesday. Lord willing and the creek don't rise...

Take care and get strong. Let me know when you're up and about and I'll make sure the coffee pot is full and hot.

 

[cole4258]

Coffee and breakfast is ready, who’s hungry

 

[NotWise]

Starving. That early bagel and cream cheese didn't last.

 

[TomTeacher19]

Coffee please. Fire hose style. I'm ready

 

[Smuttyandfun]

 

[MillieDynamite]

I feel much better today. I'm not going to get my hopes up yet. I'm just enjoying not hearing my lungs when I breathe.

 

[NotWise]

I cleaned out the chile beds, topped the dahlias and dug out their tubers. I'll let them sit and dry before I put them away for the winter. A couple more weeks and I'll be ready to plant hyacinths and garlic for the spring.

My broccolini and Swiss chard are still growing, but I'm not sure I'll harvest either of them.

I did the ceremonial last mowing of the lawn. Usually the trees have dropped their leaves by now and the last few mowing are mostly to mulch the leaves. This year, most of the trees are still holding their leaves.

 

[NotWise]

I just placed this comment on my holiday contest story:

I did not place a dedication on this story, but I wrote it with the Lit author TxRad in mind. TxRad passed away last spring, but I think he would have liked my freckle-faced redhead, Celeste.

 

[MrPixel]

Usually the trees have dropped their leaves by now and the last few mowing are mostly to mulch the leaves.

Yup. That's the routine around here. Today's chore was mulching the acre at the studio. The lindens were done a couple of weeks ago, but the giant sycamore on the property sheds non-stop, and comprised most of my chasing leaves with the lawnmower this afternoon. Adding insult, the giant leaves covered a protruding root and I bent a blade tip. Oh, joy. At least it wasn't a spindle!

 

[NotWise]

Whoa! The lowly local university football team beat a ranked opponent! Our defense (not our strong suit) held them to one score in the second half. If we can beat Hawaii in the last game we'll be bowl-eligible for the first time in recent memory.

 

[Candy_Kane54]

Whoa! The lowly local university football team beat a ranked opponent! Our defense (not our strong suit) held them to one score in the second half. If we can beat Hawaii in the last game we'll be bowl-eligible for the first time in recent memory.

Go Lobos! (I happen to be an alumna)

 

[NotWise]

Go Lobos! (I happen to be an alumna)

They're a surprise team this year; a new coach and a lot of players out of the transfer portal, so no-one knew what to expect, and they keep getting better.

 

[HandleyPage]

My coffee is listed (advertised as "F*ckin' Strong
Coffee") ain't too bad, especially in the Morning.
And I have exhausted my supply of Biscuits (sad !)

How do I find a 750word story ?

 

[NotWise]

My coffee is listed (advertised as "F*ckin' Strong
Coffee") ain't too bad, especially in the Morning.
And I have exhausted my supply of Biscuits (sad !)

How do I find a 750word story ?

If you search for "750 word" you should get a list of the 750-word event pages for each year, and those pages list all of the stories.

To be clear, use Lit's search facility, not Google or something.

 

[Rustyoznail]

Sorry HP, I'm out of Jammie Dodgers too.

Four days before we go go on holidays for a week.

Bec bought me a birthday present. I get to drive four laps of the Bathurst racetrack in a race ready Mustang. So cool!

 

[cole4258]

Afternoon folks. A rainy day here so maybe time for a fresh cup

 

[dmallord]

Hey, hope thinkgs are fine with you at the coffee shop. I've been compelled by a dream to writ it down somewhere. It will be short as my energy is also. It's just the images of the dream not really a story I suppose.

I find myself thinking about walking in a field of wild flowers. It seems like childhood maybe. Bright pretty and flagrant. Why I have the image I don'tg know because the dream is a night. I guess it is a mixture of past and present things happening. Black and white images probably because most people dream in black and white. Colorful dreams are rare.

The dream has fragments of real mixed with I am not sure if the others thoughts are real either but it gets mixed with comeing aware when I awaken. This moring I recall a bit more of it.

I'm walking in a dark field with soft rains and thunder around me. I hear a voice but lime most dreams I can't make out the words. It' soft followed by a warmth flow of heat and gentle hands pressing my shoulders. I don't have the rest of the dream. I suppose some of it is mixed with the reality of this morning when I was awake enough to know the nurse was with me. She had put the onxygen mask on sometime last night and now had put on another warm blanket. The tine ones that you can warm in a microwave. It felt like toast. Comforting. She said I was shivering, but it's warm in the room now.

Perhaps it was a mixture of her actions annd the dream elements combined. Disquiet with comfort.

Any way coffee would be great now.

 

[Candy_Kane54]

I brewed a pot of Gevalia Dark Roast for you. The teapot is hot, too, if you'd rather have a cuppa.

Good to see HP made it back ...

 

[Duleigh]

Any questions?

 

[Rustyoznail]

View attachment 2428828
Any questions?

Yes. Why is a Sith Lord stabbing a buffalo with a light saber?

 

[Duleigh]

Yes. Why is a Sith Lord stabbing a buffalo with a light saber?

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Hey, hope thinkgs are fine with you at the coffee shop. I've been compelled by a dream to writ it down somewhere. It will be short as my energy is also. It's just the images of the dream not really a story I suppose.

I find myself thinking about walking in a field of wild flowers. It seems like childhood maybe. Bright pretty and flagrant. Why I have the image I don'tg know because the dream is a night. I guess it is a mixture of past and present things happening. Black and white images probably because most people dream in black and white. Colorful dreams are rare.

The dream has fragments of real mixed with I am not sure if the others thoughts are real either but it gets mixed with comeing aware when I awaken. This moring I recall a bit more of it.

I'm walking in a dark field with soft rains and thunder around me. I hear a voice but lime most dreams I can't make out the words. It' soft followed by a warmth flow of heat and gentle hands pressing my shoulders. I don't have the rest of the dream. I suppose some of it is mixed with the reality of this morning when I was awake enough to know the nurse was with me. She had put the onxygen mask on sometime last night and now had put on another warm blanket. The tine ones that you can warm in a microwave. It felt like toast. Comforting. She said I was shivering, but it's warm in the room now.

Perhaps it was a mixture of her actions annd the dream elements combined. Disquiet with comfort.

Any way coffee would be great now.

 

[NotWise]

The synopsis for my new story turned out to be more difficult than I expected. Conflicted characters are always a problem, and their voices are proving hard to find.