15 weeks! Wow that's a lot of writing! A huge thank you, and round of applause to all the participants. Here's the roundup of all the stories. There are some gems in here!
And a note: The Author Aerobics challenges will be on a hiatus while I work on the "Two Sisters" serial for Serial Central. Don't you worry, there will be a lot more fiction to come.
Week 15 - Something Old Challenge
- Wordless by Harry Markov - Two strangers on a bus, playing the same game day after day.
- Excerpt: Midnight's Child by T.S. Bazelli - There are many kinds of death.
Week 14 - Make it Fresh Challenge
- Robin Bonnett by Aidan Fritz - Foiling the Sheriff of Nottingham with well aimed lazerbolts and deft hovercar maneuvers.
- Once and Future by Stephen Watkins - Not Sir Galahad, but Rob the accountant is destined to revive the once and future king Arthur.
- Thirst by T.S. Bazelli - In the desert there are so few chances for survival.
- The Maiden's Resolve by Harry Markov - Every blow cost 100 lives. The princess wept.
Week 13 - Layered Conflict Challenge
- Nipping at Mani's Heels by Aidan Fritz - Lothar will do anything to vanquish the shadows for his daughters. He makes a bargain he may regret.
- The Shadow Pilgrim by Stephen Watkins - Do you know why night flees the day, and why day flees the night?
- Quick Draw by T.S. Bazelli - The sun was shining and the air smelled of rain. It was a good day to die.
- Just Like Me by T.S. Bazelli - Things get heated in the Demetriou household.
- Bright Hands by Stephen Watkins - In Taruth's hands, the light becomes a spear, a shield, a wire trap.
- Grian Cloch: Stone of the Sun by Aidan Fritz - Caen's wings burned as he descended too quickly. They called them Gods, but he knew the truth.
Week 11 - Internal Dialogue Challenge
- Fireworks Mods by Aidan Fritz - He aimed for the bell, and they came after him. It wouldn't be so easy.
- Kathryn's Child by Stephen Watkins - It's name was Shiva and it was her creation.
- Fire Shooting by J.P. Cabit - You don't want to be on the wrong end of this barrel.
- The Old Woman and the Dragon by T.S. Bazelli - It's never wise to keep a dragon as a pet.
- Peka's Showdown by J.P. Cabit - A story that will make you shiver. Peka's alone in the wilderness and there are wolves about.
- The Immigrant and the Gatekeeper by Aidan Fritz - Coon is being tested, but the new world will not listen to his plea's.
- Where it all Began by Stephen A. Watkins, Jr. - Aran returns home to face the puppet master of his fate.
- Adrift by T.S. Bazelli - No one wants Kate. The only place she feels at home is adrift on the sea.
- My Mother by J.P. Cabit - Natasha works at an airport and she's having a bad day. What could go wrong?
- Edmund's Flight by Aidan Fritz - A story about a teleporter and a boy with a flying bee carpet.
- The Guardian by T.S. Bazelli - Saving lives is thankless work.
- The Steed and the Page Boy by Stephen A. Watkins Jr. - Two survivors remain on the bloody field: a dragon, who has lost his fire, and a page boy who has lost his master.
- The Secret Last Thoughts Of... by Harry Markov - "They pull the metal plate I lay on and lead me through the kitchen. It is a slow procession as if I am a Sunday ritual."
- Bite by Harry Markov - (author aerobics debut!) The princess awakens to her prince with a scream.
- From That Eternal Summer Isle by Stephen Watkins - Sometimes you forget you're not human.
- The Tree of Souls by Aidan Fritz - Growing a soul tree is difficult work.
- Through the Pearly Gates by T.S. Bazelli - The afterlife for writers.
Week 7 - Genre Bender Challenge
- Don't Look For Too Long by J. P. Cabit - A peek at a skewed reality, where looking into mirrors could have some dire consequences.
- The Last Gunfighter by Aidan Fritz - A genre-blender! How many genres can you identify?
- Glass Half-Empty part 1 by T.S. Bazelli - Hardboiled / Noir / Steampunk - To be continued on Monday.
- Reflections of Niccolo by Aidan Fritz - Images glimpsed in a mirror. Are they real?
- The Natural Disaster: A Just-In-Time Story by J. P. Cabit - A race against time and a natural disaster.
- Mirror Mirror by T.S. Bazelli - Who's the fairest of them all?
Here's a list of the stories from weeks 1 - 5.
That is a fine list of some pretty fantastic stories. What a time! I look forward to more Aerobics, in the future...
They are pretty fantastic. Thanks so much for participating all these weeks :) Maybe by the time they return you won't be quite so busy.
I hope so!
Wow 15 weeks!! Congratulations,you guys did an amazing job! :)
Thanks Lua!
15 weeks is great Tessa! I wish you luck with more of the aerobics in future!
-BrownEyed
Thanks BrownEyed!
Thank-you for your effort in creating these aerobics. They have been a good challenge and you did an excellent job of pinpointing interesting areas of craft and all of the stories have been interesting to see the interesting directions that they went.
It was pretty amazing to see how differently we could all interpret a single theme. Thank you for participating!
O bother! I'd really have liked to participate in the Aerobics but I've only just come across your blog.
If you don't mind perhaps I can start a 15 week 'catch-up'/second chance round.
Of course you're welcome to participate. The exercises are linked over in the right hand bar (Writing Exercises). If you post a link to your stories I'd be happy to link them up here too :)
Also, Aidan Fritz just started up Writer's Weights, taking over the aerobics exercise format for a while. It's worth checking out.
Cheers,
-Tessa