Gypsy by Konstantin Makovsky (1839-1915). Oil, date unknown (source)
It's Write and Link time! I chose a painting to go with my story - it does not illustrate characters or anything like it, but I thought it would go well with the mood. About 1100 words this time. The link to join in is at the very end of the post. I can't wait to read your stories!
The opening phrase for the July stories:
"It was one of those endless Summer days..."
That's a beautiful story, Natalia! Full of lovely warmth and colour. I was so anxious to read it I read while cooking my lunch so I will read it again. Lovely! xoxoxo
ReplyDeleteThank you, Shawna! Now you're making me hungry... Lovely gazpacho is in the fridge! :) It's hot here!
DeleteIt's hot here too. I have two electric fans blowing on me. I don't know why the first time I linked up it didn't work properly as I do know how to do it, but perhaps I just wasn't paying attention to what I was doing. It looks like it's properly linked now. I tried it and it took me to the right page. I don't know how to delete the first one. Maybe you have to do that.
DeleteGazpacho sounds good. I loved the pictures I was able to create in my mind while reading your story and hearing the Gypsy woman's voice in my head. Mine is a bit long-please forgive me. It just seemed to want to be that length. xoxo
Sheesh there are two you have to delete. I am clearly very tired! I know one of them is right and I think it's the last one. So sorry! I think I have too many tabs open and not enough brain cells functioning.
DeleteNo worries, it is easy to do (delete links). I'm in the middle of your story. I don't care if it is lengthy - I consider us learning and experimenting! My play was 1500 words. :))
DeleteOne of my favourite short story writers, Alice Munro, writes around 7,000 word stories. I find that the story tells me how long it wants to be. I can edit and clean it up a bit but I only knocked about 500 words off that story in the one edit that I did. Oh I also read that Alice Munro spent at least seven months fine tuning her stories before she submitted them but I am definitely sharing things that are still very rough draft. As you say, we experiment and find the way that is right for us. xoxoxoxo
DeleteWell, maybe it is the way to go for you - writing longer stories. I have a great appreciation for concise forms of art - that's why I picked 1000 words as a measure. Some of my short shorts are 200 or 300 words. And I want to challenge myself to write even shorter pieces, where every word is like gold... But I do not mind longer stories in this link-up, I mean, as long as they are not 10000 words - not novels :) - it's all fine by me. I agree that some stories need more space to develop.
DeleteIt is so much fun, isn't it? :) Even just talking about writing is FUN! :)
Another lovely story, Natalia. I have a fear of fortune tellers-this is probably why!
ReplyDeleteThey certainly can spook you. Look for the ones with true depth!
DeleteVery touching story. Maybe because I am homesick sometimes and you remind me home or maybe of my experience with gypsy old lady. Love it.
ReplyDeleteI am so touched by your reaction, Anna! It's interesting that Justin mentioned that my European readers (or those Americans who traveled to Europe and had encounters with Gypsies, like himself) would probably especially appreciative. It's just such a big part of our life there - mystical, intriguing, a bit scary... :)
Deletetouching, evocative, interesting, and full of subtle shades of feeling and color through the words!
ReplyDeletebesos
I am so, so very touched that you find it evocative and interesting, Monica!
DeleteLovely with the spooky eyes.
ReplyDeleteI love the way the little mama had a new lease on life after 14. I experienced this after a health scare!
Great link up. Xo Jazzy Jack
Then you know just exactly how it feels, my dear! Thank you.
Deletewise and beautiful story natasha!
ReplyDeleteatmospheric! sigh....
and i love that paining from makovsky :-)
hugs&kisses!!!!!!!!!
Makovsky is such a brilliant painter, isn't he? Love his work. Thank you for your always so kind and encouraging comments, my love.
DeleteBeautiful story! I loved your description of tears flowing out to the sea.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it a truthful description, Joni? I think every one of us at least once experienced such a flow of tears... Thank you! :)
DeleteA truly touching story, I so enjoyed your descriptions of the gypsy woman and her blue eyes.Beautifully written.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Jill, for saying it - it means a lot to me!
DeleteI was absoultely bewitched by this short story of yours...I hanged on every word. It's poetic prose, well written and beautiful...wonderful descriptions and dialoque...but what impressed me the most was the message that the gypsy woman gave to that girl...the message of not looking for justice.
ReplyDeleteSometimes things that happened to us are not fair and we shoul just let go instead of trying to find an answer to everything...as hard as it is to believe for some of us, sometimes we are not to blame for everything.
So what I'm trying ro say is that this story resonated on a personal level with me.
Oh Ivana! Thank you so much for such an insightful comment! You totally got it. Much love to you! I do hope to see your story too! xxx
DeleteI'm working on a story, but I'm afraid that I've encountered a writer's block of some kind. We'll see if I can sort it out by tomorrow.
DeleteI have linked up an old story of mine that I managed to rewrite today...I just wasn't able to write anything new, I hope this is not against the rules:) Have a lovely day.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you made it this month too, Ivana! No, of course it is not against "the rules" :-) which are pretty simple to begin with and design to give us all freedom to create and just enough common ground and push to start, that's the idea anyway. I'm off to read your story!
Deletejust stopping by to thank you for your comment and for reading my story. I'm looking forward to our next link up.
DeleteThis is great to read. Made me feel tingling in my stomach.
ReplyDeleteI was always wondering how gypsy fortune tellers are doing the magic. I mean, it's always the same basically, or at least it was in Poland many years ago. They'd ask you to place a coin, tell ou something, then ask you for paper and so on and so on and then they'd just disappear:D I met a gypsy fortune teller just once and she suprisingly didn't want any money. I promised myself I'd remember what she'd said but time passed and I don't remember anymore. I just know it was something uplifting, not 'I see many children, husband and love' but actually something unexpected, yet I just can't remember:)
I so hope I will make it next time and share something too.
xxxxx