OONAHVERSE celebration

On Big Bang day I have notched up my 100th acceptance! I have to say I'm just a wee tiny bit over the moon about that. Of course like all writers, I hope tomorrow it will be 101 and I'm still working on the book. But I'm thrilled.

September's Links with Comments

http://ink-sweat-and-tears.blogharbor.com/blog

http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue307/last_laugh.html

http://www.short-fiction.co.uk/newstories/show_story.php?story_id=856

http://www.bostonliterarymagazine.com/fall08drabble.html#fall08universal.html

http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue306/celestial_sunflower.html

http://shortstory.us.com/2008/09/headline-by-oonah-v-joslin/#comment-563

http://www.everydayfiction.com/closer-to-the-truth-by-oonah-v-joslin/#comment-8530

http://www.iceflow.com/doorknobs/DOORBODY2.html

http://www.microhorror.com/microhorror/author/oonah-v-joslin/worker/

http://www.theshinejournal.com/joslinoonah.htm

http://staticmovement.com/ovjoslin.htm

Micro Horror took my September piece Worker. An aptly titled story whose protagonist is named after myself which tips a hat to what happens in the story too. The horror of the everyday is within and if we carry our prejudices with us to the grave, woe betide us.

From Crazy Diamond to Borrowed Light was written about a friend. He called me a crazy diamond and the thought was born that without the light shed into my life by such friends as John, I would never have shone at anything. Thank you to all those family members, teachers, preachers, friends and editors for illuminating my path.

Lesson in Wood is one of those pieces written as a flash challenge. But the little tree is real enough. I can see it from where I sit writing.

I came 4th in the Doorknobs and Body Paint Dorsal Contest and so got published. This si a stream of consciousness piece of which I am rather proud. The theme was Heat.
My friends Avis Hickman-Gibb http://avishickmangibb.blogspot.com/ and John Ritchie were also placed in the top ten in that contest so please read their entires too.

Closer to the Truth is a favourite of mine. I like the moral and the way it links human kind and the stories we tell to make sense of everything, to the universe but ina very personal way. And Mary was based on a real patient whom I caught just standing behind me in the garden of our home in the grounds of a Psychiatric Hospital one day. She looked so forlorn. I longed to know her story but of course she couldn't tell me and they came and took her back to the ward. This one was for Mary - who is important too.
Jason Stout said: Hi Oonah - My comments always end up in EDF's spam filter - so wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your story. It was one of the best on EDF in a good long time. Sweet and endearing and touching.Good luck with EDP Jason

Thank you Jason. I'm delighted you liked it so very much.

Short Story has a challenge piece of mine. Headline is just for fun.

Celestial Sunflower is a response to the NASA photo Don has attached as a link. Quite an astounding image. Of course the ressemblance to a sunflower is purely within the mind - that is how we make sense of our universe. It was fun to play with that thought in words and of course the final lines expose the fact that I knew I was doing that by being deliberately humourous, a bit glib. If anything out there ressembles me, it is only because I can think it - like the bend of the thames by the Isle of Dogs looks like madonna and child. Perception is what our universe is made of.
My friend Nik Perring has a story in too and John Stocks poetry is impressive as always.

Universal Language is a drabble at Boston Literary Magazine. This one was a forum challenge too - on the subject of mathematics.

Freeze is an unusual piece. I was looking at the clock and I imagined that if that red hand froze, I would be able to step out of time and that people would be in frozen for me in the monent. That some would be talking, or on the toilet or otherwise caught in the act of...dying...last breath...infinite probabilities as to what happened next - like Schrodinger's cat.

The Last Laugh How could I resist writing about such an intriguing image? It has a cruel finality to it. I have no idea whether the artist likes the words I put to her pictures. It is difficult to add to such superb artwork but I hope at least I don't detract from it. The only thing I can say is that each poem I write about her work is sincerely meant as a compliment.

The Rain The Editor said:"Hi Oonah
The Rain is now up on IS&T - and the first 3 stanzas seem to reflect the current state of the global economy."
This was written from a nightmare I had years ago but it never left me. Mother Shipton eat your heart out, I'd say, eh? If the rest comes true we can expect the horsemen at The Angel of the North any time now. When I had the dream it was definitely about that hill but I don't think the Angel was there at the time - just the sweeping view away to the west.

Every Day Poets

About Every Day Poets
http://www.everydaypoets.com
Every Day Poets is a magazine that specializes in bringing you fine, short poetry.
Starting on 1st November 2008, Every day at 12:01am Pacific Time (8am GMT), we will be publishing a new poem of up to 60 lines/500 words or fewer that can be read during your lunch hour, on transit, or even over breakfast.
Feel free to browse around the site, check out our archives as they grow, or even sign up to receive a poem in your inbox... every day!
And if you are a poet, why not send us your best work? We are open for submissions now.
Oonah V Joslin (Managing Editor)

I came 3rd runner up

in the Doorknobs and BodyPaint's Dorsal competition and that means I get published there. I'll put the link up in a few days.

Happily two of my friends, John Ritchie and Avis Hickman-Gibb, also got into the top ten in that competition and I offer them my congratulations too.

August Links

Here they all are.

Faith Charity and Hope - Humour
http://www.short-humour.org.uk/writersshowcase/faithcharityandhope.htm

Best Laid Plans – Horror (is also at Micro Horror)
http://hermitosis.blogspot.com/2008/08/microhorror-pick-of-week.html

The Shark’s Tooth – spoof sci-fi
http://www.staticmovement.com/augustnew.htm

Vanishing Point – Creative non-fiction at The Linnet’s Wings
http://www.ddwebsites.com/?stn=9035&mpageno=5&pageno=19

Confession – Humour at EDF
http://www.everydayfiction.com/confession-by-oonah-v-joslin/

What Boundaries - This one I deliberately smudged into a prose poem. It started as a flash but there was no plot… so like The Rain (which will be up at Ink Sweat and Tears soon) I took it that step in style further.
http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue302/what_boundaries.html

Also my story Trap has been selected for the Short Humour Anthology, A Man of a Few More Words. So if you didn’t read it online – buy the Issue at Lulu.com when it comes out.

Short Humour

Faith Charity and Hope has just gone up at Short Humour. Brian said:
Hi Oonah,

Many thanks for 'Faith Charity and Hope'. I particularly liked that one.

http://www.short-humour.org.uk/writersshowcase/faithcharityandhope.htm

I have to say - so do I. I hope you will too.

Double Exposure

My story Trap has been chosen to appear in A Man of a Few more Words - the Short Humour print anthology. I am of course delighted.
Also Bill West and Avis Hickman-Gibb are also to appear there. Well done you both!

To be chosen as a favourite of someone's is always flattering. And Best Laid Plans has been put onto this site: http://hermitosis.blogspot.com/2008/08/microhorror-pick-of-week.html
as well as Micro Horror.
I'm kicking off this feature with Oonah V. Joslin's excellent story, equal parts impact and economy:
"Best Laid Plans"
Thank you Tom.