 Short Stories: April 29, 2020 Issue [#10153] |
This week: A Blessing in Disguise Edited by: Leger~  
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Leger~ |
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A Blessing in Disguise
Okay, this newsletter isn't about a virus. It's about English idioms.
id·i·om /ˈidēəm/ noun -a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words (e.g., rain cats and dogs, see the light ).
I started to look one up and of course fell down the rabbit hole. I found a helpful webpage and I'm sure there are a few more out there deep in the interwebs. Or not so deep, you all know how to use Google, it's not rocket science.
'Once in a blue moon' is a phrase we use to mean 'rarely'. There are 13 full moons in a calendar year, so one month will have two full moons. The second would be the 'blue moon'. The moon can look blue under certain atmospheric conditions, like when smoke, dust or a volcano blows up and particles change the perception. This year, the blue moon happens in October. The two moons will be October 1st and 31st.
There are a lot more idioms used in our every day language, once I started reading the list, I was amazed at how many there actually are.
Think about rarities in your stories. We've all heard the urban myths, stories of comets, and sightings of Big Foot. Let's look at the blue flash; a very rare phenomenon observed in the morning or evening when the sun is crossing or immediately below the horizon, in which a momentary flash of blue light appears above the upper rim of the solar disk, caused by refraction of light in the atmosphere. While they might not happen every day, it might be a fun twist in a story that you're struggling with.
Oh look! Elvis! When you get back...Write On!
This month's question: What idioms do you commonly use? Send in your answer below!  Editors love feedback!
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Excerpt: The silvery surface of the water broke and a young man rose up from the depths of the lake. His long hair drawn out straight from the water—his wet skin shimmering in the moonlight. With an alien grace, he lifted himself up, rested his elbows on the dock and looked at the lunar light reflected in Hanna’s face.
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Molly the witch vows to set right a world that no longer seems to care...
#1319868 by Dom-110  |
Excerpt: It must have been easier for witches in the old days, Molly mused as she walked, you could have really been someone back then. Respect would have meant something. If people had a problem they'd have got personal service. Not a telephone helpline that assures you that 'your call is important to us' for hours on end. Or a government department hog-tied in red-tape and bureaucracy but still eager to persuade you that it's doing all it can for your benefit. Seems these days people put more effort into trying to convince you they're helping than actually doing so. Molly supposed it was the public's fault as much as anything.
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Excerpt: She was older, more worn – a little rust around the wire spring, weathered wood. She’d seen it all … slacks, paisley sheets, jockey shorts dyed pink from that one red sock that made it into the whites, bikinis in summer, pullover sweaters in winter. She had stood on the line in fair spring weather, summer thunder storms, windy chills in autumn, and freezing winter rain. Yes, she’d seen it all.
Excerpt: “If mankind was supposed to live forever in flawed fleshly bodies, then that’s how it would be. Maybe we were meant to die?” she pointed out to Trask.
Excerpt: In her first dream of the night, Tula Point heard a snap, three crackles and the sound of thunder. She opened her eyes just enough to see blue lights blink from several florescent green faces. In the shadows, between wakefulness and sleep, she heard the muffled scream of a Cheetah. For some reason she reached out her paws to find the source of the images and sounds, then fell back to sleep.
Excerpt: He’s in one of his moods, she noted. That was a bad sign, a very bad sign. She could tell he’d had a bad day. His appetite frustratingly low, he poked at the clam chowder she’d spent all afternoon trying to perfect to his tastes, which seemed to change every now and then.
Excerpt: My first real kiss - I mean a kiss that really meant something to me, anyway - occurred when I was in seventh grade. I was in love with Marianne from the day I first met her. It's no exaggeration to say that from that day forward, my only goal - one which I swore I would achieve at virtually any cost - was to kiss my beloved Marianne. Immediately, I thought of her as my 'girlfriend' - even though she wasn't aware of it. Not at first, anyway. I was super shy. She was ADD - or something similar; I get confused by all of those 'attention' disorders - and I could never get the girl to hold still for fifteen lousy seconds so I could plant one on her lips. Yeah, it was frustrating.
Excerpt: Dez Perlie is on level 60 of his apartment house. He reads his watch, 7:30AM. he quickly takes a look outside the window and heads down the elevator and outside. Dez’s job is to tend to the garden outside the 500 ft walls surrounding the city, where he has to wear sunglasses before exiting the main gates. Dez has never really understood why they had to wear these sunglasses. His friend and coworker Tom, explains to him that the gardens were like the mystical God, Medusa where to look at it directly they would turn them into stone.
Excerpt: But things are about to change. In fact although Adam doesn’t know it yet, things are going to change in the next few minutes.
As Adam had got out of bed early, he walked to the shop to get some milk and a newspaper. At least this morning, he would have time for a coffee and some cereal before going to work. As he walked into the shop he was greeted by the shop keeper, “Good morning my dear Sir, Have we not been to sleep?”
“Just up early today for a change Seb” replied Adam. He selected a newspaper, and got a pint of milk from the fridge and then realised he’d forgotten to bring any money with him.
“I’m so sorry Seb, I’ve no money on me, could you write it down in your book, and I promise I will bring you the money later?”
Seb sighed and pulled out a well worn note book from under the counter, and flicked through the pages.
“Well I suppose I can Sir, but you owe me thirty quid now, I cant let you have any more credit after this, until you pay me back.”
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This month's question: What idioms do you commonly use? Send in your answer below! Editors love feedback!
Last month's "Short Stories Newsletter (April 1, 2020)" question: What are you doing to stay occupied in quarantine?
Cappucine  : Teaching my English classes remotely is keeping me absolutely occupied.
Lilliy Loidd 🪔 : Getting ready for the Something That's Coming!
melovewriting  : Going through story notes that I write down at work.
blueflowers777: Writing and reading!
Beacon's Anchor  : Writing down my goals for the month and try to get them down before the month is out. Another, I want to get back to read a book since I have to stay home except if I have to go out and get a few things like toilet paper and paper towels.
woolwaulker: I am a delivery driver that goes to USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL. I have reduced my delivery schedule to one trip per day to cover them all, in Covid19 protective gear I have purchased myself that I leave outside when I get home, and then wash up thoroughly once inside, plus spray myself with Covid19-Killer spray. I have reduced my trips to the grocery store to one day per week, according to the published guidelines. I do not interact with any other persons other than electronically. I live in the mountains, and so social distancing is no problem, except for birds, squirrels, skunks, etc. I am doing the best I can, and I do not feel guilty, nor do I believe I am violating any guidelines. I do not want to get Covid19, and I do not want to give it to anyone else. May higher power bless us all.
MirandaCookies IS IN COLLEGE : Trying to complete my weekly goals
Luckie 🍀  : Writing, writing. More writing. Jam out, followed by sitting and writing.
Santeven Quokklaus  : What I was doing before quarantine. Some things never change...
DRSmith : Sipping quarantinis  while trying to stay within the lines on grandkids coloring books.
Shar's Holly Jolly Expressions  : I have been packing today and I have been here working on my Topic of the Month Contest. Using the newsfeed to add my good mornings and good evenings in the mornings and evenings along with some times afternoon if I sleep to late. I will also begin to set up my new Fundraiser forum for May.
jolanh : Writing my Silverbolt stories.
tj-Merry Mischief Maker  : I have never had any problems entertaining myself and always enjoy alone time, unfortunately, our stay at home order has my children at home, so now I get to be teacher, principal, cook, entertainer, and maid. I find myself eager for the stay at home/social distancing to end so I can have some quiet, alone time again. 
Jack Henry : Hoping to finish a competition entry. When that's done, I'll sit around the house hoping to make the short list. As for winning? One can only but dream.
Dominique : I'm an introvert. I'm very much a homebody anyway. I work from home (normally - although this craziness has me with zero work 2-3 weeks now) and take online classes. Plus, I have a 2 year old that isn't in school yet. I'm also in recovery, so I've kind of abandoned my overly adventurous side to resort to a more calm, serene, out-of-prison and clean type of life. :) It has worked well for me and definitely has helped me adjust at the moment when I am "told" to stay home. I was sort of like, well, what else would I do? hahahaha
shepherd46: I keep busy with writing; although some writing projects are on hold due to the quarantine. I also keep busy with cleaning projects and go out and get some fresh air when I can. Like many, I hope this quarantine is over soon.
Beauty4Ashes : I am definitely introverted. No problems at all with entertaining myself. I am also self motivated. I have so many projects and never enough time. I always feel like I should be doing something so sitting down to write and enjoy myself is challenging for me but I'm gonna do it this time!
princess191: reading all poetry / speaking with family / friends / fellow writers / Super cleaning
BIG BAD WOLF is Merry  : Haven't been Quarantined yet, but with my favorite library closed, one has to find other things to do.
Quick-Quill  : Playing on my phone while I’m forced to watch news all day long. I’m spending some time on my second draft of my novel. I’m playing with our new puppy.
Goblin Slayer : Thanks, you humble me with your words and story. Anne Frank did have it worse than us. but I also believe this was a malicious attempt by the Chinese to sedate us and thin our numbers. They would essentially take care of our weak and our stupid for us. Hopefully, we have enough strong and intelligent people to stand and fight.
dragonwoman : I have read the Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl several times and Life Magazine book about her. I have a fascination with her life and death that never really leaves me.
Thank you all for the tremendous feedback. I appreciate your taking the time to answer. Leger~ |
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