Lacanoodle

cross-posted from: https://literature.cafe/post/5476023

Hey there!

Welcome to our awesome short story community, this space is all about you. Share your wild ideas, your cozy narratives, or just drop in for some good old story-loving vibes. Let's enjoy these literary snapshots that allow for an intense exploration within our busy lives.

In this space, we celebrate the magic of short stories—those nuggets of narrative brilliance that pack a punch in just a few paragraphs. Whether you're a seasoned storyteller or someone who's just discovering the joy of compact tales, you've found your tribe here.

Here's to weaving stories together and making this community a canvas for creativity, connection, and countless literary adventures!

Warmest regards,

Lacanoodle.

!shortstories@literature.cafe

I do not see how to tag for spoiler here so

SPOLIER ALERT

"Bag of Bones" delves deeply into the theme of grief as its protagonist, Mike Noonan, grapples with the sudden loss of his wife. The book explores Mike's emotional turmoil, guilt, and attempts to find solace. The supernatural elements, such as ghostly visions and eerie occurrences, serve as metaphors for the haunting impact of loss in the grieving process.

The book beautifully portrays the ways in which grief can unravel a person's life, affecting relationships and one's sense of self. Through Mike's journey, you can witness the complexities of mourning, as he navigates the painful process of letting go while also uncovering the secrets of his wife's past. Bag of Bones offers a poignant exploration of how grief can be all-encompassing, shaping characters and driving them to confront both personal demons and external mysteries.

This book made me cry ... repeatedly. And I hadn't cried in years. It's not one of King's major works. Neither is it particularly a fan favourite nor is it a critical success, but it's possibly my favorite King book.

While literary characters often adhere to consistent traits and behaviors, humans exhibit a complexity that defies strict characterization. Characters aren't supposed to be human like, they are not supposed to capture human complexity but the complexity of the work they build upon.

Characters can navigate intricate emotions, internal conflicts, and layers of psychological depth but only in a limited frame. It's why slice of life stories thrive on portraying the everyday experiences and emotions of people. Mundane acts are more predictable and too low stake to matter being out of character.

Unlike fictional figures designed with specific traits, humans do not serve a story, humans do not neatly tie up their arcs or have any meaning to their lives as stories do.

The unpredictability of real-life situations and external influences challenges the notion of consistent character.

Just a quick thought I wanted to type out. Will get back to think about this. Would love to hear what all yall think about it.

I really enjoyed stoner and the simplistic prose and it has been my favorite book for a while. But on the other hand I really love lolita and lotr style of poetic sounding prose and is the kind of style I like to write.

Examples from my own writing:

"The emptiness of exclusion looms like a shadow, constantly reminding me of my fragile place in the world."

"Savory scents swirl in the air, nourishing both the tongue and the soul with every bite of culinary delight."

"Grief whispers in the wind, a haunting melody of what once was and what will never be again."

"She loved him with all her heart. She fought for him with all her might. She lost him to the shadows of his mind." This ones a non poetic example.

I'd love to hear some of your favorite written sentences and preffered style while writing or what you enjoy reading most.

Recently I just wrote a characters physical appearance and started jotting down points about the character, I've done a few of these before but never have I started off with the appearance.

The initial note I wrote: A Greyhound-like character with a sleek and slender build, long, narrow face, pointed ears, deep chest, wearing a short, smooth coat, graceful gait, athletic movements.

I normally write with a theme in mind not a character, so the characters I write often feel forced into the story.

I'd love to hear what you feel makes a character apt for a story and what order you tend to build a story in.

I've never used one but it struck me as odd that people would use a seperate device for smth so easily done on your phone.

Is there smth special about the hardware? Is it better somehow?