:: Contest Number Seven! ::, The Women / The Winners Options

[Mizterious]

Thought maybe if I posted my losing entry, it would stimulate others to do the same: Mimi, Mr. P, fons, GG, Kaytie, Chester, James? Is there any regular I'm missing? Come on you writers! Give it over! (Q-I did not copy yours here but hope you transfer over.) Here's what a loser's story looks like! It was fun! Thanks again TCB and posse.

At first light Miriam finally slept, dreaming of loss. She did not hear the intrepid chirps of dawn, nor the rustling wind flapping the linen cloth at her bedroom window. Miriam lay caught in her tousled sheets, limbs indecently spread, as if frozen in the act of creating angels in the snow. Slack jaw, snuffled snores. Her features smooth, colorless, no hint of the morfina nightmare seething behind her brow. The pravaz, syringe, her best friend, lay casually exposed on her bedside table. Her true healer.

Miriam rocked and cradled infant Frank, as he nursed at her breast. With eyes closed, he suckled with astonishing gusto. Obscene, gluttonous, greedy. Frank’s tiny fingers curled in a fist, kneaded and pushed at her swollen skin. The babe wouldn’t let go, even as Miriam’s breast became depleted of milk. Clamped to her flesh like a wild parasite. Kept sucking and sucking. Miriam screamed. Clawed at the infant, tore it away from her flesh. It’s face morphing into old man Frank. White hair, high forehead, sharp nose, weak chin. Frank struggled to keep Miriam’s nipple clasped firmly in his mouth. Began to gurgle and struggle with rage. Bit down on it, blood trickled from between his lips and he began to laugh. Open-mouthed, bellyfuls, raucous, spiteful laughter, so that he lost his grasp – shrieked with insane mirth. Miriam grappled the baby from her lap, held it upside down by its ankles as if it was a dead foul, and bashed it against the wall. Whacked it over and over, until the thing turned into a lamp, the same lamp she had used to reduce her rage the night before. The lamp became her heart. Miriam continued bashing it against the wall until it stopped beating and fell to the floor. She stood staring at it. Began drooling as she fingered the inside of her mouth, looked down at her feet. Her teeth lay sprinkled about her, like pearls from a broken necklace.

Miriam sobbed. Tears leaked from her eyes, streamed down her cheeks. She attempted to lift her eyelids, but could not. Her head twisted from one side of her pillow to the other. But the dream soon lost its potency, began to vaporize, fade out, disappear into the realms of subconscious desire and she would have no recollections upon awakening, as to why her pillow was wet.

From The Women poor, poor man..

[lynnbarry]

YES, for me the contest was more fun than a barrel of baboons, gayer than a day in May... Xtreme creative aerobics ...winning (co-winning) has been one of the highlights of my writer's life. Judged by THE GREAT TCB...ah ah ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! heavenly choirs...absolutely awesome!

As for the translation of the entries into German???...another exciting experience/honor for lynnbarry...I will be an international contest winner, kind of (sort of--loosely translated) and man...as a writer, I (self esteem) needed this shot in the clogged vein! Ok...back to writing...lucky number seven novel is FINALLY flowing...many false starts, out of the gate too soon, stalled, screeching halt...cya....oh yeah...apron on gotta wait tables, wash the damn dirty dishes (pondering all the while, as Q reminded me), then back to the writing.

HUGS

This post has been edited by lynnbarry: May 2 2009, 10:28 AM

[Q-Force]

My undemented, unpsycho, purely romantic and over-word-limit entry

This was a good lesson in characterization for me. As a writer one has to get into the head and heart of the character being portrayed. I should have drawn on personal experience for inspiration from the women having taken a very personal exception to my unilateral decision to end my relationships with them. It was there all along for me and I didn't tap into that stovetop-bunny-boiling mindset I surely would have been subjected to had I been stupid enough to stick around...

"Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned / Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned."

from a play called the "The Mourning Bride" (1697) by William Congreve.

[lynnbarry]

The idea that something I wrote won a contest judged by an international best selling great has given me more confidence as a writer. But lets get back to THE WOMEN...we seem to be veering from the heart of the board, the matter, and what IS the matter...a GREAT BOOK has been written and is on best selling lists and I walked into Border's and right there...right there...right there...THE WOMEN...MUST READ!!!!...it is just crazy that I won the contest...do you guys feel the same way? Ruth AKA Andrea and Nobel AKA Utobya?

For me this has pushed me to work on my novels with a totally different mindset...and this current squabbling over who should or shouldn't be on this message board has been reduced to a performance of theater of the absurb to me.

Okay...back to THE WOMEN...I agree with Miz and Q...lets get to read the other entries. I find it fascinating that we all read the same book and yet all the dreams are not even remotely the same, except fons admitted something about cows in his too...and how many entries were there?

I am delighted to have had this opportunity to be creative and feel a part of a literary legend's work in a way...okay it isn't like a future printing will include our dreams BUT to be in any way connected...THRILLING!

*not just a watiress* lynnbarry...HUGS

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[maccoffee]

Dear Lynn and Andrea/Ruth,
I'm very happy to announce the following:
our dear Holger confirmed not only inserting both translated versions in a thread - no much better - he's building up an extra site (which will take a little while). Within the next week, the german readers will have the pleasure to savor Your superb dreams too.
Big Hugs, Yours Moni

[lynnbarry]

Dear Lynn and Andrea/Ruth,
I'm very happy to announce the following:
our dear Holger confirmed not only inserting both translated versions in a thread - no much better - he's building up an extra site (which will take a little while). Within the next week, the german readers will have the pleasure to savor Your superb dreams too.
Big Hugs, Yours Moni

OH MY GOODNESS! I am honored and delighted...THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! I'd better take a few lessons in German. HUGS HUGS HUGS!!!

[Holger]

The pleasure is on my side. I'm still waiting for the translation of Lynn's story and hope I can build the page and announce it in our newsletter next week. Thanks to all.

[Andrea K. C. T.]

Yes, thanks a lot, Holger, that's great!

@lynnbarry: You work on novelS (meaning several at one time)? Wow!

@Mizterious and Q-Force: Thanks for posting your dreams. Mizterious, the sprinkled teeth are a picture I won't get out of my head so soon. Q-Force, for children of the internet it is hard to imagine, that news about an earthquake travelled so slow (but that's a fine historical detail).

[Holger]

Voilà:

Miriam's dream by Ruth

Miriam's dream by Lynn

Thanks to Ruth, Lynn, Moni, Fons and The Posse (for using the images, I hope that's okay).

This post has been edited by Holger: May 13 2009, 03:54 AM

[lynnbarry]

Dear Lynn and Andrea/Ruth,
I'm very happy to announce the following:
our dear Holger confirmed not only inserting both translated versions in a thread - no much better - he's building up an extra site (which will take a little while). Within the next week, the german readers will have the pleasure to savor Your superb dreams too.
Big Hugs, Yours Moni

Moni,

Just learned you are the one who translated my dream entry. I don't know how to read German, so I can't comment on the translation, but I sure am grateful for the time you spent doing it. THANKS SO MUCH! BIG HUGS BACK TO YOU.

I am honored.

[maccoffee]

Moni,

Just learned you are the one who translated my dream entry. I don't know how to read German, so I can't comment on the translation, but I sure am grateful for the time you spent doing it. THANKS SO MUCH! BIG HUGS BACK TO YOU.

I am honored.

You're welcome!

[PhilaMDG]

Congratulations to Ruth, Lynn and Nobel !! Going forward, perhaps Doctor Boyle would consider sending a signed copy of the next novel to future contest winners. And to be fair to Ruth, Lynn and Nobel, they would be rewarded with signed copies of "When The Killing's Done". Just a thought.

PhilaMDG

[lynnbarry]

Hey Phila! Thanks!!!!!!

Here is a pic of me in my glasses with the framed signed review by TCB...treasured...cherished possession.

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[GEA2]

If Mr. Boyle reads this..
Your delivery and style are unique.
Thank you!
George

[TCB]

Dear George: You are very welcome. And thank you for the kind words. TCB. BTW: we should be sponsoring another contest before too long. Probably in late January for the release of Wild Child.