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Story #22: Ice (and others)

I’m sick of writing a blank post with a few gibberish characters on it every day. From now on I’ll just update the CCW0809 page without further annotation here; if you want to comment on a story just mention in your comment which story you’re referring to.

Oh yeah, one other thing, a story of triumph under adversity if you like:

I started on some new meds as part of a pain regimen the other day, and they help some, but they also space me the fuck out. Under normal circumstances I probably wouldn’t notice the extraneous effect, which is a kind of mental linearity that I’m not used to, but I’ve been writing a story a day for a while and so I very clear notice the difference between my undoctored state and this one. Actually, now that I think about it, even my ‘undoctored’ state is doctored with another med, so maybe there would be even more upside possible if I wasn’t taking anything, although the downside of that would be I’d have to shoot myself.

Anyway, if you’ve ever tried to run through a swamp with water up to your waist, that’s how it’s felt to finish these fucking stories; and yet I finished them. I suppose we’ve reached the point where talking about this contest is like talking about your high school athletic feats — everybody who could possibly give a shit already knows, and nobody who doesn’t already know can’t understand — but this is really a noteworthy fact. To go from being unable to finish anything except under the most extreme and extraordinary circumstances (being transported to a floating orbital HQ for six weeks with nothing to do but write) to being able to finish something I feel at least reasonably good about every day, with a crazy-ass insane set of responsibilities, and now a drug induced haze — well, it’s a pretty big deal in these parts.

I’m up to over a month of a story every day now. A streak is an amazing thing.

This will be the last of these sorts of self-congratulatory jerkoffs.

  • leafmuncher
    @Arbor Day:

    Liked: It was a simple story, but there was an elegance to the simplicity. You paint a nice picture of Carey's personality with few brush strokes, like that Picasso where he draws a face with a few strokes.

    Disliked: The "more bum-like because they were black" bothered me a bit, but I'm not sure why.
  • leafmuncher
    @ Taking Damage

    I really love the CGK series, and I think they would actually make a great novel. I love these not-so-super-powers, I think it's a funny and original concept, and I really like the way many of them translate into lessons about life. It could be like the SFH Aesop's Fables.

    Liked: I really liked the section that explains how he got his power "People wanted to know..."

    Disliked: I guess I felt like he was being a bit uncreative with his powers, like he could punch people he didn't like in the face and then undo it, or run into girls' showers for 15 seconds. And I'm not sure I understand why it wouldn't work in quiz shows, I didn't get the "They ask a different question" part. Presumably they would tell him the right answer and then he could reverse time and answer it correctly, no?
  • leafmuncher
    @ So Many Stars So Many Stars So Many

    Liked: There were some very nice vignettes painted in this one. I especially liked the description of the girl's apartment. I also liked the way the threads were interwoven.

    Disliked: There was one part in the dialog that bothered me. The "You don't have to lie" / "I'm not" / "I know" didn't make sense to me. Like if she knew he wasn't lying, why would she say that? Also, an abject lack of bagel-eating in this one.
  • leafmuncher
    @ A Narrative Where You Are Awesome

    Liked: The first paragraph is lovely. I also really like the theme. And the last paragraph put a big smile on my face.

    Disliked: For the most part it didn't - to me, at least - have the same wonderful flow I've been seeing in a lot of your work in the past weeks, e.g. The Chinese Hate Us or Bridge.
  • How appropriate that this is today's story.
  • leafmuncher
    Hey, Mr. Author, I'm ready for my next story, dammit!
  • leafmuncher
    @ The Treatment

    Liked: I liked the general theme of someone outgrowing their peers, and I thought it was super cool that this was achieved through a Treatment.

    Disliked: One minor nit, I found that calling him Jeremy sometimes and Christian others was a bit confusing, there was one place where I was like "who is Christian?"
  • leafmuncher
    @ Notes on a Trial

    Liked: I think you've nicely captured courtroom exchanges.

    Disliked: I got lost in the last page of dialog, not sure I got it.
  • leafmuncher
    @ Eggs: This story is brilliant. (Read it out loud to Anna again)

    Liked: I loved the theme of the story, which I took to be that of learning to be happy with what you have instead of risking what you have to try to get more. I loved the cadence of the story, and I found it to remind me (but not in any derivative way, more like you should write fucking movies) of the Stranger Than Fiction voiceovers. (Love the phrase "iced in yellow" as well.)

    Disliked: Once again, I can't really find anything to dislike about this story. Nicely done.
  • leafmuncher
    @ The Way of Things in America

    Gosh, gee, I'm tickled pink - and honored at having made my debut appearance in a story of yours. And a very funny story at that.

    Liked: I just loved the way you portrayed the cannibals. Exquisitely done. I really liked the part about the Cannibals eating hot dogs and fruit, I laughed at loud.

    Disliked: Honestly, nothing stood out to me negatively in this story.
  • leafmuncher
    Ah gotcha. I'd always sort of noticed it, but only today decided to do anything about it.

    On the plus side, it means I have at least 21 stories ahead of me to look forward to.
  • I started posting them from the beginning, so you could follow the
    trajectory. So while I am writing them every day, there's a delay
    before you see them.

    The dates have been this way the whole time, you realize.
  • leafmuncher
    Hey, slightly confused over the dates. The latest story shows "11-16-09", which is like three weeks ago. I was under the impression you were writing these in real time, but perhaps not?
  • leafmuncher
    @Coupon

    (Read it out loud to Anna for a bedtime story, and she said she liked it)

    Liked: The first-person narrative really worked for me, and I love the Compassionate God King stories in general. Funny, clever, spunky.

    Disliked: The ending was abrupt to me, but maybe that's just because I wanted it to go on.
  • leafmuncher
    @Unit of Importance

    Liked: I really liked how much space and time the story covered in a very short amount of writing. It was epic. My favorite part is the time in Argentina, because you can feel the tension building towards something. Very nicely written.

    Disliked: The "How are the most medial neurons in your hippocampus?" line is a bit obtuse. Like I don't even understand what he's asking. And I know that was sort of the point, but I think there might be a better question to pose there.
  • leafmuncher
    First of all, congratulations on your streak. The only things I've ever done every day in a month, well, let's just say I'm not too proud of them.

    @ICE

    Liked: You captured the Scottish accent of GT nicely.
    Disliked: This was pure pulp-sci-fi to me, I didn't get it or feel it. Sorry.

    Typo: "Had blown *threw* his eye socket"
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