Stacy Kear's picture
Stacy Kear from Bucyrus, Ohio lives in New Jersey is reading The Art of War October 26, 2012 - 6:09pm

The one I remember most vividly was The Executioners Son, and it lost.  This is such a great way to churn out stories quickly, I'm excited. I wanna see some bloodshed. 

avery of the dead's picture
avery of the dead from Kentucky is reading Cipher Sisters October 26, 2012 - 6:10pm

I remember...it was up against Godlings and the name was...The Wastelands?

If that was someone else's I'm going to feel dumb.

Stacy Kear's picture
Stacy Kear from Bucyrus, Ohio lives in New Jersey is reading The Art of War October 26, 2012 - 6:15pm

So many great stories, I remember liking the one up against Godlings better, don't remember the name though. And the story about the living organism and the scientists made me cry, I hope it was published. 

Jonathan Riley's picture
Jonathan Riley from Memphis, Tennessee is reading Flashover by Gordon Highland October 26, 2012 - 6:24pm

I wasn't arround for War but this Poetry prompt you all keep mentioning sounds intriguing. Does anyone remember what the prompt was exactly? I'm trying to write as much as I can before war and would love a good writing exercise. Especially if it was a difficult one.

avery of the dead's picture
avery of the dead from Kentucky is reading Cipher Sisters October 26, 2012 - 6:37pm

I REMEMBER!!!

For the matchup between Richard and Martin (that's the one I am thinking of, where, if I'm right, Richard wrote The Wastelands) the prompt was Harlem Nights by Langston Hughes. 

Another was Sylvia Plath's Mirror (from which Beka wrote one of my favorites)

Do Not go Gentle into that Good Night - Dylan Thomas

When I Heard the Learned Astronomer - Whitman

wickedvoodoo's picture
wickedvoodoo from Mansfield, England is reading stuff. October 26, 2012 - 6:44pm

@ Richard

 

I remember the name of your losing story ;-)

wickedvoodoo's picture
wickedvoodoo from Mansfield, England is reading stuff. October 26, 2012 - 6:45pm

It was indeed, The Wastelands. Fucking good story. I voted for it for best of round.

Hector Acosta's picture
Hector Acosta from Dallas is reading Fletch October 26, 2012 - 7:20pm

Oh man, now you tell me that Hector kicks ass! And I was already planning my next rounds..

 

You shouldn't underestimate me. This is what happens to me people that understimate me

 

Jonathan Riley's picture
Jonathan Riley from Memphis, Tennessee is reading Flashover by Gordon Highland October 26, 2012 - 7:38pm

So each poem in its entirety was the prompt for each battle? That's pretty f-ing cool.

And Richard borrowed his title from T.S. Elliot. Ha! very clever

Gordon Highland's picture
Gordon Highland from Kansas City is reading Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore October 26, 2012 - 7:51pm

All this nostalgia is making me eager to create some new memories and "surprise sex."

Sound's picture
Sound from Azusa, CA is reading Greener Pastures by Michael Wehunt October 26, 2012 - 9:22pm

Wait. Each pair gets one prompt, correct? 

Liana's picture
Liana from Romania and Texas is reading Naked Lunch October 26, 2012 - 9:25pm

Hey hey, The Executioner's Son lost to my Rabbit in the Hat, not Wastelands... That was my claim to fame before Moon kicked my ass with the cats.

Jonathan Riley's picture
Jonathan Riley from Memphis, Tennessee is reading Flashover by Gordon Highland October 26, 2012 - 9:35pm

@Sound. yes. each pair one prompt according to Utah's introduction.

In the last war I'm guessing it was the final eight. And Avery issued a different poem to each pair remaining for their prompts.

Matt's picture
Matt from New Zealand is reading This is how you lose her by Junot Diaz October 27, 2012 - 2:23am

Matt Attack's picture
Matt Attack from Richmond, Va. is reading As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner October 27, 2012 - 7:14am

So. Um. We're getting ass raped by a hurricane this weekend. I think it'd be a good idea, since I'll have plenty of time to work on stuff, if I get my god-awful prompt now. 

 

Thoughts? 

bryanhowie's picture
bryanhowie from FW, ID is reading East of Eden. Steinbeck is FUCKING AMAZING. October 27, 2012 - 7:28am

I like to think my thoughts, sometimes.

Utah's picture
Moderator
Utah from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry October 27, 2012 - 7:32am

Prodigal (I'm sticking with that one for a while), if you'd like I can give you a prompt you can use to practice with over the weekend.

Prompt:  A guy in an office discovers the guy in the cubicle next to him is a superhero.

Go!

Matt Attack's picture
Matt Attack from Richmond, Va. is reading As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner October 27, 2012 - 8:17am

@Utah #hatecherface

 

 

He sat down at his cubicle and sighed. He turned on his monitor and looked through the daily backlog of emails. Not once was there anything he wanted to read. Devon, his rowmate, quietly walked by and then sat across from him, sipping coffee. 

"Hey man, how was your weekend." His voice was chipper. Everything about him was chipper. 

"Alright, I guess." He sighed again, scrolling past another meeting request. 

"Mine was great."

"That's great."

"Yeah."

He pushed away from the desk, rubbing his eyes. The star and light pattern shifting behind his lids and then returning to darkness. He opened them again. Devon stood at the edge of his cubicle, a dumbass grin plastered on his face. 

"What?" He asked with a short voice. The grin disappeared. "Sorry, hung over. Why was it great."

Devon leaned forward and opened the internet browser on his computer. He scrolled through news articles and then stopped on a link and opened it. He leaned back and pointed. "That."

His burning red eyes adjusted and he read the headline: "Unknown Masked Man Assists with Panda Pair Reuniting."

"No." He turned, looking up at Devon.

"Yes." His grin, if it were possible was even dumber. 

The dawning realization crashed upon him pushing through the fog gray recesses of his mind still drowning in Jack and coke. Devon, was a superhero. 

Matt Attack's picture
Matt Attack from Richmond, Va. is reading As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner October 27, 2012 - 7:54am

Not perfect, but with low blood sugar, constant interruptions from my annoying rowmate and nothing better to do, there ya go. 

 

I still say the best simile I ever wrote was:

 

He walked down the hill, like a god damn idiot. 

Matt Attack's picture
Matt Attack from Richmond, Va. is reading As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner October 27, 2012 - 8:18am

And now for yours, dearest Utah. 1000 words or less, "A Valentines Day to remember."

Gordon Highland's picture
Gordon Highland from Kansas City is reading Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore October 27, 2012 - 8:22am

"A Valentines Day to remember."   I got this.

 

The candles were lit and glasses filled, the rag soaked in ether.

Matt Attack's picture
Matt Attack from Richmond, Va. is reading As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner October 27, 2012 - 8:23am

The candles were lit and glasses filled, the rag soaked in ether."

BWHAHAHAHA! 

 

You=win

Richard's picture
Richard from St. Louis is reading various anthologies October 27, 2012 - 9:54am

you are correct, @averydoll. pm me your address and i'll mail you a copy of Transubstantiate, if you don't have one. i know i mailed out a bunch for some recent promotions, but i don't think you were part of that mailing, right? sorry, i have two brain cells left. thanks for the kind words, guys, glad that some of you remember that story.

and ironically enough, it was just accepted for an anthology today, Into the Darkness from Necro Publications, out later this year or early 2013. They've published work by authors like Jack Ketchum, Edward Lee, Tom Piccirilli, Gary Braunbeck, Joe R. Lansdale and many others. Not sure who is in this one, though. 

avery of the dead's picture
avery of the dead from Kentucky is reading Cipher Sisters October 27, 2012 - 10:18am

Yay for me and my creepy War memory!

Also, yay for Richard and his creepy stories getting published.

underpurplemoon's picture
underpurplemoon from PDX October 27, 2012 - 10:18am

I just realized that people will know my writing because I'm so...yeah, I know...pfft.

Mess_Jess's picture
Mess_Jess from Sydney, Australia, living in Toronto, Canada is reading Perfect by Rachael Joyce October 27, 2012 - 11:24am

If I read a story about lobsters and lesbians, I'll be looking at you, Jen.

Stacy Kear's picture
Stacy Kear from Bucyrus, Ohio lives in New Jersey is reading The Art of War October 27, 2012 - 11:43am

@ Roaring Jen, just write from a misogynistic male POV. 

Bekanator's picture
Bekanator from Kamloops, British Columbia is reading Ugly Girls by Lindsay Hunter October 27, 2012 - 11:48am

Uh, that's my tactic, Stacy. Keeps people on the edge.

Dino Parenti's picture
Dino Parenti from Los Angeles is reading Everything He Gets His Hands On October 27, 2012 - 12:03pm

@Richard: Congrats on the acceptance!

Richard's picture
Richard from St. Louis is reading various anthologies October 27, 2012 - 12:09pm

thanks, dino.

come add to this thread when you get a second, all WAR1 contributors

http://litreactor.com/discuss/war-list-of-published-stories

avery of the dead's picture
avery of the dead from Kentucky is reading Cipher Sisters October 27, 2012 - 12:18pm

That thread is an awesome idea.  Love that.  Makes me want to submit my war story just so I can contribute to something!  But really, it makes me incredibly happy to see all the published stories that came from that. 

.'s picture
. October 27, 2012 - 12:20pm

Hoping to get my WAR2 stories published.

Jonathan Riley's picture
Jonathan Riley from Memphis, Tennessee is reading Flashover by Gordon Highland October 27, 2012 - 12:24pm

Me too jacks. Oh by the way I was just looking at the whoring thread. Congrats Jacks, and Richard.

 

Dino Parenti's picture
Dino Parenti from Los Angeles is reading Everything He Gets His Hands On October 27, 2012 - 12:52pm

@Richard: Would love to, but I joined here after WAR1. Let's do this again for sure after WAR 2.

wickedvoodoo's picture
wickedvoodoo from Mansfield, England is reading stuff. October 27, 2012 - 3:34pm

There will be a great wealth of work to be published after WAR2. Gonna be a couple of hundred stories needing homes.

 

 

Jonathan Riley's picture
Jonathan Riley from Memphis, Tennessee is reading Flashover by Gordon Highland October 27, 2012 - 3:40pm

Damn when you say it like that it makes the whole thing sound as equally awesome as it will be scary and overwhelming. How in the hell am I going to read 127 stories in the first 6 weeks. Then another 47 in the third round. Wow!

.'s picture
. October 27, 2012 - 3:58pm

Johnathan, when you subract your own story, you're already chipping away at the moment. 

No, you're right, we're going to need a lot of coffee...

Dino Parenti's picture
Dino Parenti from Los Angeles is reading Everything He Gets His Hands On October 27, 2012 - 4:39pm

In the heat of anticipating battle, I've forgotten that at worst, many of us will end up with 2-3 kick-ass stories to send out when this is done. Some of us more:)

Gordon Highland's picture
Gordon Highland from Kansas City is reading Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore October 27, 2012 - 5:09pm

That's the whole reason I'm participating. I write way, way too slowly to be effective on such a short deadline. But at least there'll be the embryos (fetuses?) of stories I can birth and clothe later for submissions (how quickly one can go from victory to submission, eh? haha). Second, it's to read a variety of good shit from the likes of y'all. My bloodlust comes a distant third, though I'll put on my intimidation mask in the meantime. It bears an eerie resemblance to Richard Thomas's mug.

Richard's picture
Richard from St. Louis is reading various anthologies October 27, 2012 - 5:13pm

^nice. :-)

bryanhowie's picture
bryanhowie from FW, ID is reading East of Eden. Steinbeck is FUCKING AMAZING. October 27, 2012 - 8:45pm

Jonathan Riley's picture
Jonathan Riley from Memphis, Tennessee is reading Flashover by Gordon Highland October 27, 2012 - 10:37pm

This the kind of trash you talking about Howie?

Liana's picture
Liana from Romania and Texas is reading Naked Lunch October 27, 2012 - 9:50pm

Mommy, Hector won't trash talk with me.

Emma C's picture
Class Facilitator
Emma C from Los Angeles is reading Black Spire by Delilah Dawson October 27, 2012 - 10:13pm

I'm afraid of getting a literary prompt I've not read. How closely are we expected to hew to the prompts? Ack, I'm too neurotic for this. 

Also I have to give a deposition next Friday night, and just started getting prepped for it today. It's a mock deposition, which actually makes it more stressful because I have to memorise pages of statements and someone's course grade depends on how well I do. *crawls in hole for week*

 

Emma C's picture
Class Facilitator
Emma C from Los Angeles is reading Black Spire by Delilah Dawson October 27, 2012 - 10:17pm

JR, in Photobucket hit the "share" icon. Select the 3rd tab for links, and copy the direct link. Then in this text box, click the icon above that looks like a photo^. Paste the link in the URL field, then click in the dimension boxes to resize; if it's working you will see your photo in the preview window.

Jonathan Riley's picture
Jonathan Riley from Memphis, Tennessee is reading Flashover by Gordon Highland October 27, 2012 - 10:35pm

Thanks Emma,

I tried half an hour to put that pic up then I read that and got it in two minutes.

You are the shit!

Dino Parenti's picture
Dino Parenti from Los Angeles is reading Everything He Gets His Hands On October 27, 2012 - 11:56pm

Emma, I'm a tad worried myself.  I'm leaving town on thursday for a wedding I'm a groomsman in, and I don't fly back till monday afternoon. I hope three days will be enough! 

Dino Parenti's picture
Dino Parenti from Los Angeles is reading Everything He Gets His Hands On October 27, 2012 - 11:58pm

Is that what we're getting by the way--a literary prompt? As in maybe having to research and read before hand if we don't recognize it? Great...

JEFFREY GRANT BARR's picture
JEFFREY GRANT BARR from Central OR is reading Nothing but fucking Shakespeare, for the rest of my life October 28, 2012 - 12:44am

Whirrrrr-gug-ug-ug-chun-chun-chun-ug-ug-whirrrrrrr-zhrrrrr

Emma C's picture
Class Facilitator
Emma C from Los Angeles is reading Black Spire by Delilah Dawson October 28, 2012 - 12:52am

@Dino Ouch. I know you can do it, though. I just mentioned to someone earlier, "Waiting" was written in about 10 minutes, no revisions. Just make sure you have wifi or something so you can get your prompt. Then you have 3 days to plan.

 PS my BEST writing happens in-flight. You are golden.