9 Comments
User's avatar
Robert Gowty's avatar

Well that was a delicious glass of cool water after feeling like I'd staggered across the desert in Lawrence of Arabia to make it to Substack. I think it's going to take me a while to get the hang of this.

Expand full comment
The Celtic Chameleon's avatar

I am so glad you enjoyed :) Medium is almost a desert now, fosure. They suspended David Perlmutter today, just a miserable, rotten decision. Meanwhile, I'm still there, hating the place but taking their money.

Expand full comment
Robert Gowty's avatar

Great stuff, just what a short story should be. As for David Perlmutter, that is really terrible. If they can't understand that people like Alan Asnen and David Perlmutter are part of the soul of Medium, then they are lost.

Expand full comment
The Celtic Chameleon's avatar

Truly. He's a fascinating individual, a kind man - and I think this will have really distressed him (just my take on it though, nothing he has said).

Expand full comment
Peaceful Dave's avatar

Great story

Q1: Fiction?

Q2: The recommend to substack is insisting on my Gmail account but my substack is not linked to that account. What is that link about and by who?

Expand full comment
The Celtic Chameleon's avatar

Thank you, and yes, fiction, fosure. It was prompted by a Vocal challenge. Vocal challenges are abysmal generally, like something a teenager might come up with in a high school English class, and they appear to be judged based on the "Pick a random contestant out of the hat" school of thought. But at the time I was exploring all avenues and having a look at Vocal and this one nestled in my brain.

Expand full comment
The Celtic Chameleon's avatar

Oof, thanks Dave. I was given it by another writer, and as it comes from within Substack, thought it was legit. However, I will remove it and write to Substack and ask them if its theirs. My apologies, thanks for pointing this out.

Expand full comment
RMac's avatar

I love to sit with your stories and just savor them.

Expand full comment
The Celtic Chameleon's avatar

Thank you. This was written in response to a Vocal challenge, a while back. I was only on Vocal for a few weeks, here and there, and though I do have a Vocal account, it is neglected.

I quickly realised that those winning the contests were not actually very talented writers. I know that sounds like sour grapes, but really it's not, I only entered a couple of challenges. It almost felt as though they picked them out of a hat.

However, as with story prompts, sometimes having the parameters of a writing challenge can shake something worth reading free. Really glad you enjoyed.

Expand full comment