xf_book_club | Short-Short Story Nomination Post

Entry tags:

Short-Short Story Nomination Post

If you've been following along, here at

xf_book_club, I post a new story every week (or two, or three). What this means is that we tend to focus on stories that take time to read and discuss--in other words, longer stories and novels.

However, there are some great vignettes and short-short stories in the X-Files fandom, which tend to be over-looked here.

amyhit were discussing the possibility of a Short Story Week, where we'll post and discuss a different short story every day. But first we'd like your suggestions! Back in 2008, we didn't put an upper limit on the word count, but this time, we'd like to try to keep the stories at 1000 words or less. Drabbles, vignettes, one-shots: anything goes, as long as it doesn't exceed 1000 words in length.

Please post suggestions in the comment here. If you have a link or somewhere you know it's archived, please post that as well.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You could look at

thedrabblefiles to find pieces under 200 words. Plus, they were written fairly recently, within the last two years or so.

Thank you. I will do that. I know of two that will certainly be included. I'm going to look through the porn battles, too. There were some pretty serious, non-pwp stories there, as well.

Subaqueous by Melymbrosia: http://www.thuviaptarth.net/xf/subaqueous.html

Persephone by onemillionandnine: http://www.reocities.com/onemillionandnine/persephone.html

Ruminants by onemillionandnine: http://www.reocities.com/onemillionandnine/ruminants.html

A Three Fish Man by leiascully: http://archiveofourown.org/works/15555

I'll have more, but I want to post these before LJ eats my comment. Also, I keep having to reject stories for being over 1000 words. This is not making me happy.

I'm just throwing my opinion in everywhere. I hope that's okay.

It would be interesting to talk about Persephone, because yikes.

Stargazing (http://archiveofourown.org/works/109050) by Reading Redhead

Our Mulders (http://archiveofourown.org/works/56171) by Punk (I think this author goes by Punk Maneuverability elsewhere)
This one's not technically a story -- I think it's more of a meta -- but I thought I'd suggest it anyway. It's listed with other fics, and it deals with fic-writing and characterization, so I think we should be able to get some good, relevant discussion out of it.

Excellent suggestion. I was looking for it, too.

what about Our Scullys? I like that one better. But is it longer?

Maybe we could read both. They're both around 500 words, which would add up to 1000, still staying within our limit.

Good idea. Sorry, that came out kind of pushy. I didn't mean to say we should neglect our mulders for our scullys. *g* We definitely need them both.

Hee!

Silverbells and Cockleshells by threeguesses.
http://threeguesses.livejournal.com/3473.html

Oh, yes. This one's fantastic.

These (sans author's notes) are all under 1000 words, I've checked.

Personally these are the ones I feel would offer up particularly good discussion material. Which is not to say they're fics that will broadly appeal, but that they seem like the kind of fics people are bound to have mixed feelings and differing opinions about. (and that none of them suck)

Happen at Once by tree -- http://archiveofourown.org/works/4263?view_adult=true

Pair of Aces / Double or Nothing by Aloysia Virgata -- http://undertherug.insatiable-mind.net/Aloysia/Aloysia_files/aces.html

The Right to Remain Silent by Suture -- http://www.oocities.com/suture_xf/right_to_remain.html

If I Die in a Combat Zone by Sabine -- http://web.archive.org/web/20010701205301/grapefruithead.com/ourboys/sabine/iidiacz.txt

Intervention of Elves by Lisby -- http://maybeamanda.xffics.com/xmas_files/fics/intervention_elves.txt

Eyes Shut by MD1016 -- http://whispersofx.net/whispersofx/stories/eyesshut.txt

Tell You a Secret by Melymbrosia -- http://ioho.org.uk/tellyou.txt

Another Dark Forest by Aloysia Virgata -- http://undertherug.insatiable-mind.net/Aloysia/Aloysia_files/forest.html -- (plus there are several other porn battle fics by her that fit the bill)

They Grew Together by Wintersong (gossamer link only) -- http://fluky.gossamer.org/display.php?TheyGrewTogether.Wintersong

But these would also be good:

Choice Towards Being by Frey -- http://chalkboxkid.livejournal.com/1755.html#cutid1

Interlude by Syntax6 -- http://www.omniscribe.com/interlude.txt

Five Quirks Dana Scully Notices About Fox Mulder During Their First Year as Partners -- http://www.manhattan-trash.net/fandom/other/fanfic/five_quirks.shtml

this is what happens after the pain by Crookedhalt -- http://community.livejournal.com/crookedhalt/1868.html

if no one speaks of remarkable things by Rollsofrice -- http://rollsofrice.livejournal.com/8179.html

what we were to each other we were in equal measures by Leiascully (and its compliment) -- http://archiveofourown.org/works/127454

Christmas 2001 by M. Sebasky -- http://ioho.org.uk/christmas.txt

There is Only Me in My Bedroom by Tesla (gos. link only) -- http://fluky.gossamer.org/display.php?ThereIsOnlyMeInMyBedroom.Tesla -- (which is not really a stand alone fic but a part of...This House is Burning(?). It is, however, posted to Gossamer under its own title. Read alone it does seem a bit out of the blue, but with what we know of Mulder it also makes a lot of sense. I would know, since I accidentally read it first.)

For kicks, a bit of humor/parody: The Second Shortest MSR Ever Written by Kel -- http://web.archive.org/web/20010422124855/www.geocities.com/Area51/Realm/9374/1562ndmsr.txt

There's also a smut snippet (working title: 'going down', I think?) by Penumbra -- http://penumbra23.livejournal.com/6783.html#cutid1

And of course the JET snippets, which I am way too lazy to go seek out and word-count, but if there are any JET lovers in our midst (who am I kidding, of course there are) who would like to read some mini-JET fic, they could go check those out and get back to us. *shrugs*

Edited 2011-01-27 03:35 (UTC)

http://jetfic.livejournal.com/5681.html

I love this one. Season 2. Post-ep to Sleepless.

I'd never read that. Nnnnggghhh! So. good.

But too long.

http://jetfic.livejournal.com/6660.html

http://jetfic.livejournal.com/8154.html

http://jetfic.livejournal.com/8911.html

http://jetfic.livejournal.com/7007.html

But it's first season!

http://jetfic.livejournal.com/10743.html

Predicting blindfolded (aka without clicking the link): Oh, this must be the one for Squeeze. I love that one!

I love it too!

http://jetfic.livejournal.com/16894.html#cutid5

Because why isn't she still writing? Something? Somewhere?

I'm going to bed. It's overwhelming me.

'Kay. I'll try to read through these JET snippets tomorrow and get back to you. But, wait, actually I'm hanging with Littlegreen tomorrow, so I'll get back to you on Sunday. 'Nite.

I have always remembered "Heaven" by Kel; very comforting post-ep for the Gunmen deaths. And I discovered another "Heaven" by bugs; not comforting, or comfortable, but quite provocative. Both shorties, cuddled up together at Gossamer.

I love short shorts.

Four Cuts by DB Kate http://community.livejournal.com/thedrabblefiles/13272.html#cutid1

Someone else wrote a bunch of inter-connected drabbles. If I find them...

Here's a bunch by memories child, although I can't find the one I want. Dammit.
http://memories-child.livejournal.com/60696.html

Cold Comfort by Sandrine: http://sandrine.livejournal.com/228767.html

In the Farmer's Garden by Adrienne: http://community.livejournal.com/xf_drabble/106415.html#cutid1

The Even-Numbered Pages Are the Past by bravenewcentury http://community.livejournal.com/xf_pornbattle/13460.html?thread=1437588#t1437588

Edited 2011-01-28 05:52 (UTC)

Yes, that's the one! The one of Bravenewcentury's post-series fics I was thinking of specifically in our Home, Home thread, I mean. Ooh, it's so beautiful. I'm glad you thought of it.

Yeah, it's really really good. How are we going to pick? This is going to be hard.

I don't know. I was just thinking of asking you. Any ideas?

Let's discuss--but not here?

I sent you an email.

Edited 2011-01-29 03:05 (UTC)

I'll reply to your email asap. Hopefully tonight.

Cool.

More by memories child, these written for halfamoon a couple of years back: http://community.livejournal.com/halfamoon/60516.html#cutid1

http://community.livejournal.com/halfamoon/65552.html#cutid1

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Short-Short Story Nomination Post

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Our Mulders

Re: Our Mulders

Re: Our Mulders

Re: Our Mulders

Re: Our Mulders

no subject

no subject

so. much. fic.

Jet snippet #1

Re: Jet snippet #1

moar snippet

teena!

Re: so. much. fic.

Re: so. much. fic.

Might be too long

Re: Might be too long

Re: Might be too long

But now I'm feeling depressed

Re: But now I'm feeling depressed

no subject

From the drabblefiles

Re: From the drabblefiles

Re: From the drabblefiles

Re: From the drabblefiles

Re: From the drabblefiles

Re: From the drabblefiles

Re: From the drabblefiles

no subject