Sunday, July 26, 2015

Write and Link #3: It Was One of Those Endless Summer Days

Bathing of a Red Horse by K. Petrov-Vodkin (1878-1939). 1912 (source)

It's time for Write and Link again! This link-up is all about creative writing, short fiction in particular, and is open to anyone who is a writer, loves to write and wants to get their creative juices going. The rules are very simple - please incorporate the offered opening phrase into your story, keep the story on the short side (1000 words is only a guideline, your story can be shorter or longer...as long as it's not a novel) and link back to this post. Сlick on the tab at the left top of the page to read all the creative stories we wrote in the past couple of months. We appreciate readers and comments very much!

UPDATE: I've decided to post all of my fiction (in both English and Russian) on my other blog, Out of the Writer's Closet - and posted my new story, The Essence, HERE. I cannot, unfortunately, redo my previous Write and Link stories simply because those link-ups are closed by now, but this is how I will do things in the future, so my stories will appear as links to this post, with all the other stories and writers. I think this is a more straightforward way to go for this link-up. My story is on the longer side this time (it is in two parts, all together about 2600 words), but I think it is worth it. I can't wait to see what you want to share. Happy writing and reading everyone! 

Oh, and let me know if you'd like to support our little writing group by adding the WRITE AND LINK badge to your blog - I can email you the badge and instructions how to add it to your Blogger site. 


The opening phrase for August stories:
"...Because everyone knows..."

  

14 comments:

  1. Again, the visual pictures your words provide are so detailed. The whole story rolls across my eyes like a movie. I will need to read again to fully grasp, though I'm sensing the pharmacists syrup has some symbolism. Another triumph, Natalia.

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    1. Thank you, Sam! I'm looking forward to what you wrote this month! :)

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  2. A VERy interesting post! I can not write, or better said, I´ve never tried it really seriosly! Did it last time in school and never had the idea to try it once again. Perhaps I should...

    Looking right now at the portrait of Shawna... this is awesome!! A very talented girl.. our dear Shawna <3

    wish you all a lot of inspiration, fun and wonderful art to share
    Dana :-)

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    1. Thank you for stopping by, Dana! I've been writing my whole life and can't imagine a day without writing :) - but this is new to me, because I'm writing fiction in a language that is foreign to me, while also encouraging others to write and get their art out there which is not easy and takes guts to do. I will be happy if the link-up inspires you to start writing, but readers are also very much appreciated! And yes, Shawna is very talented and courageous, in many different ways!

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  3. what a wonderful short story! It got me thinking...what could the syrup mean? I think we all in some way can create our own syrup but just feeling alive, having the desire to try something new, to live, to fall and get up again.

    These two main chacaters are superbly potrayed and I felt that the other (minor) characters (i.e. healthy neighbour and the young pharmacist) gave this story a lovely feeling of credibility.

    It is truly amazing what a simple swim or just taking a moment for ourselves can do for us.

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    1. Thank you, Ivana, for being such an attentive reader! I am interested to learn what "the syrup" means to each reader... hmmm, what could it be, I wonder? :) And I cannot wait to read your new story!

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  4. it should be a by* instead of a but* in the first sentence. What I meant is that sometimes we can greatly help ourselves by seizing the moment and enjoying it and thus creating our own syrup. I'm sure many illnesses come from stress, so learning to deal with it, can help us heal ourselves.

    I hope I'll be able to join in....I have yet to write this story, I have a few ideas, but I haven't put them on paper yet.

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    1. I understand, no worries about grammar or typos. I love it when stories are open to interpretation and am happy to hear that mine gave you something to chew on. :) I do hope you'll write and link, my friend! But I understand when it's just not the right time, take it easy!

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  5. I am so exhausted from the weekend trip I have just managed, after an hour of slowly working at it, to post and link my story. I have not read the others yet but look forward to it. I feel as though I am 90 years old and have half a brain. Love and hugses! xoxoxoxo

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    1. Welcome home! I am happy that you linked up, thank you for managing it! I too always look forward to everyone's stories, and I thoroughly enjoy reading them! Yours is wonderful, as always! Have some rest!

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  6. natasha! sooo wunderschön!
    and do you know what! it reminds me on the russian novels and tales i did read as a kid! the hard reality and some magic woven together - just like it were the normal way things work in russia. love it!!! so much!!
    tons of hugs!!! xxxxxxxxx

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    1. I am so glad that you sensed the connection with Russian literature, Beate - it means a lot to me! Hugses back! xxx

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  7. I loved your story, Natalia! I read vast quantities of Russian fairy tales as a child and I still have my book, a thick paperback with tissue thin pages and hundreds of stories. I always liked the typical formula of three brothers and the youngest being the simpleton, though the feminist in me objects to the brothers winning beautiful princess brides at the end. LOL

    The simpleton is nearly always named Ivan, which I believe is the Russian equivalent of John-considered a sort of generic name in English (John Doe) although I think both Ivan and John are very nice names. For reasons I am not clear on, the name Ivan shows up a lot in Newfoundland which is basically an old Irish settlement.

    I love the little intrusions by the narrator of this story. I always enjoy a very present narrator. The descriptions and the pace of this story all worked so well together and I was riveted just dying to find out what the syrup was and then at the end I laughed to myself because I really love an ambiguous ending. I like pondering different things the syrup could mean. At first I was reading the story as a journey to death and the afterlife. But then the syrup could also be thought of as life affirming, as the dip in the river was and the syrup seemed to be essence of river. The river of life.

    Lovely, Natalia. You work really well in this style and with this word count. I seem to find my comfort zone in around 3,000 words. At first I worried that was too long for this link up and then reminded myself that I am not forcing anyone to read my story.
    xoxoxo

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  8. Shawna, thank you for such a thoughtful comment! Yes, Ivan and John are two forms of the same name, and yes, Ivan is very often the hero of Russian fairy tales (often the simpleton and the hero at the same time). I wonder why the name Ivan is so popular in Newfoundland. I also do like it.

    I think this experiment (the link-up) helps us to understand what word count works for us, as well as what genres work for us, and it's all great! My story this time was closer to your word count, and it's all just fine. I think the important thing is that we write, everything else is secondary at this point.

    I'm glad that you are open to interpret the syrup (which is actually not a syrup :)... I think, as a writer, I am actively learning in which way to express what I actually want to express, and endings are often a bit tricky. Open-ended story in a way is an escape, I think, but it also is trusting the reader that they will find the best ending they can imagine. I would love to write a story with two, three, four etc different endings some time.

    Much love xxxxx

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