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V. C. Ackerman's avatar

Some People Are Like Trees - People should act like people and less like trees, but here’s a counterpoint; trees don’t have to go to work. They can just relax in the sun all day!

Mattresses - You’d be rich with all that mattress money, but then the law would be after you!

Stranded On A Deserted Island • Part 6 - The time storm came back because it realized that the timeline was going to get very VERY messed up!

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Mark Starlin's avatar

Trees have it easy, for sure.

The mattress money dilemma. An unusual problem.

It was TIME for the Time Storm to blow in and set things right. 😉

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Justin Deming's avatar

I enjoyed the tree poem and the bit about mattresses, but I loved your serial. I thought it was the perfect length per post, and the way you gave a quick “refresher” brought me right back in to the story each time. Great job! I look forward to reading more of them! 😀

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Mark Starlin's avatar

Thanks, Justin. The serial parts are the length I naturally write at one sitting, so they works well for me. And I think the refreshers are helpful to jog the memory after a week. I will be posting more serials down the road.

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Pennie R. S. Nelson's avatar

That was a good ending to "Stranded On A Deserted Island". I really enjoyed the whole story and look forward to reading more serials if you do them.

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Mark Starlin's avatar

Thank you, Pennie. There will be more serials down the road. 🤓

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Claire Walster's avatar

The tree poem was wonderful, Mark!

Where do I sign for a mattress like that?

I loved following along with this serial! Not the ending I expected, but it was a fun ride! I would definitely read more serials from you in the future.

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Mark Starlin's avatar

Thanks, Claire. If I only knew where they sold those mattresses! I am glad the adventure made up for the ending. 🤓🤣

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Jack Herlocker's avatar

Trees: Some people are like shoe trees — getting shoved into the middle of things, then doing their best to help out.

Mattresses: “Honey, why is my side of the bed so hollow?” “Remember how you said you really, really wanted that expensive new car? Well...”

SOADI: Hmmm. The end is a tad deus ex machina for my taste, but when you’ve written yourself into a corner, sometimes a rope from the rafters is your only out. Still, wouldn’t be the first serial where it was fun up until the end! Good job, Mark!

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Mark Starlin's avatar

Yeah, it is hard to end time-travel stories well. It's the nature of the beast. It could have gone on and on getting more and more complicated, so I thought it was time to bail out. At least I didn't drag it out for multiple seasons, like the TV show Lost, and then have a hugely disappointing ending.

Thinking back, almost every time travel story/show/movie I have read/seen has had a disappointing ending. If they ended at all. 🤣

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Sharron Bassano's avatar

Cool! You made it back. I had no idea how you could do that -- and If you write like I do, YOU didn't know either. ha ha ha! Nice work.

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Mark Starlin's avatar

Thanks, Sharron. I just went along for the ride while writing the stranded story. 🤓

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Sharron Bassano's avatar

Man! I sure do understand that! At the moment, I have worked myself into a corner on my latest three-part story, and find I have to backtrack and rewrite a couple of sentences that are already published, in order to move forward. Rats! I wish these characters would just tell me the whole story before I begin.

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Mark Starlin's avatar

That is the danger of winging it. So far I have been able to work things out. I did write a 12,000 word story that way and got stuck at one point, but I eventually wiggled my way out. 🤣

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Scott Ocamb's avatar

I did enjoy the serial. I kept waiting for the next episode. I like how it ended, keep us wondering what the world will be like.

I also liked the tree poem, I am not normally a poetry person, but that one resonated with me.

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Mark Starlin's avatar

Thanks, Scott. I plan to do more serials in the future. I am glad you liked my “not normal” poetry. 🤣

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