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During the Dance
A short story (2000 words)
A story of love, loss, and the dance in between. Absolutely not a romance.
A short story about a child with a gift for seeing past the world.
A story of love, loss, and the dance in between. Absolutely not a romance.
A short story about a child with a gift for seeing past the world.
9 pages, ebook
First published July 1, 2004
37 people are currently reading
2129 people want to read
About the author
Mark Lawrence
99 books56k followersMy books vary a LOT - so
here's a handy guide.
[My new book The Book That Broke The World is out now!]
Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/marklawrencea...
Blog here: http://mark---lawrence.blogspot.co.uk/
I'm on Youtube now! *excitement!*
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIrB...
Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/MarkLawrence...
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Threads
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https://bsky.app/profile/marklawrence...
Three-emails-a-year newsletter here:
http://eepurl.com/cimnK1 #Prizes #FreeContent
I'm even on Tumblr!
https://www.tumblr.com/blog/marklawre...
Pintrest!
https://uk.pinterest.com/princeofthor...
Plus I have free stuff on Wattpad!
https://www.wattpad.com/user/MarkLawr...
Mark Lawrence is married with four children, one of whom is severely disabled. Before becoming a fulltime writer in 2015 day job was as a research scientist focused on various rather intractable problems in the field of artificial intelligence. He has held secret level clearance with both US and UK governments. At one point he was qualified to say 'this isn't rocket science ... oh wait, it actually is'.
Mark used to have a list of hobbies back when he did science by day. Now his time is really just divided between writing and caring for his disabled daughter. There are occasional forays into computer games too.
[My new book The Book That Broke The World is out now!]
Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/marklawrencea...
Blog here: http://mark---lawrence.blogspot.co.uk/
I'm on Youtube now! *excitement!*
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIrB...
Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/MarkLawrence...
https://www.instagram.com/mark___lawr...
Threads
https://www.threads.net/@mark___lawrence
Blue Sky
https://bsky.app/profile/marklawrence...
Three-emails-a-year newsletter here:
http://eepurl.com/cimnK1 #Prizes #FreeContent
I'm even on Tumblr!
https://www.tumblr.com/blog/marklawre...
Pintrest!
https://uk.pinterest.com/princeofthor...
Plus I have free stuff on Wattpad!
https://www.wattpad.com/user/MarkLawr...
Mark Lawrence is married with four children, one of whom is severely disabled. Before becoming a fulltime writer in 2015 day job was as a research scientist focused on various rather intractable problems in the field of artificial intelligence. He has held secret level clearance with both US and UK governments. At one point he was qualified to say 'this isn't rocket science ... oh wait, it actually is'.
Mark used to have a list of hobbies back when he did science by day. Now his time is really just divided between writing and caring for his disabled daughter. There are occasional forays into computer games too.
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March 1, 2025Someone messaged me today:
"While I have you here, "During the dance" brought both myself and my wife to tears, Mark. Thank you for writing that story. It is outstanding, and the reason why I read fiction."
It's things like that which mean this story, although it's free, has paid for my time over and over.
+++++
A short story I wrote back in 2004, shortly after my 4th child was born, very disabled. An emotional tale that is perhaps a reflection of the times it was written in. I think it's probably the best 2000 words I've written.
It's now free on Amazon.
And free in audio read by author T.O. Munro here:
https://soundcloud.com/tomunro/during...
Join my Patreon
Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
...
"While I have you here, "During the dance" brought both myself and my wife to tears, Mark. Thank you for writing that story. It is outstanding, and the reason why I read fiction."
It's things like that which mean this story, although it's free, has paid for my time over and over.
+++++
A short story I wrote back in 2004, shortly after my 4th child was born, very disabled. An emotional tale that is perhaps a reflection of the times it was written in. I think it's probably the best 2000 words I've written.
It's now free on Amazon.
And free in audio read by author T.O. Munro here:
https://soundcloud.com/tomunro/during...
Join my Patreon
Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
...
April 30, 2023
This is a very short story but it’s certainly not lacking in impact. I can't say anything about the story itself because it's so short that I'd give too much away, but one thing’s for sure, it's heartbreakingly beautiful - probably best to have a box of tissues to hand!
September 23, 2017
A poignant, hauntingly beautiful short story that will stay with me for a long time. The writing was perfection – every word was at the right place.
I'm normally not a fan of the overused Too Good for This Sinful Earth trope – an angelic child dies before her time, and the story romanticizes the tragedy. But here I felt it was handled really well.
The characters were more like archetypes than real people, which fit the story and gave it this fairy-tale feel. It felt timeless – the author wrote this in 2004, but it could have easily been written centuries earlier.
The only other Mark Lawrence book I've read (so far! I need to fix that!) is Red Sister , and this story is very different. From what I hear about The Broken Empire series, it's even more different, so if the author's usual grimdark fantasy is not your cup of tea, I still suggest you give this short story a try!
I'm normally not a fan of the overused Too Good for This Sinful Earth trope – an angelic child dies before her time, and the story romanticizes the tragedy. But here I felt it was handled really well.
The characters were more like archetypes than real people, which fit the story and gave it this fairy-tale feel. It felt timeless – the author wrote this in 2004, but it could have easily been written centuries earlier.
The only other Mark Lawrence book I've read (so far! I need to fix that!) is Red Sister , and this story is very different. From what I hear about The Broken Empire series, it's even more different, so if the author's usual grimdark fantasy is not your cup of tea, I still suggest you give this short story a try!
July 2, 2019
Touching, sweet, and sad short story (told from a brother's point-of-view) of a young child called Me-me who saw dancers everywhere and brought happiness to those she knew.
May 18, 2024
"During the Dance" is #1 on my list of Top Ten Mark Lawrence Short Stories. Read my full listicle at Grimdark Magazine.
"During the Dance" is a hauntingly beautiful and tragically sad short story about a young girl, barely four years old, who can see beyond the physical world.
She sees spirits and angels dancing everywhere around her, adorned in beautiful colors and conveying different emotions through their dances.
Her "dancers" come naturally to her, bringing much much joy to the young girl and her family.
The story is narrated by the girl's older brother, whose dancer is somehow trapped inside himself. "You got to let him out," entreats his sister.
Then one day she is visited by a beautiful new dancer, black as coal, at the foot of her bed. The grief experienced by the family captures their rawest of emotions.
This story reminds me of "Annabel Lee" by Edgar Allan Poe in its combination of melancholy beauty and aching despair.
The ending of the story is absolutely perfect and left me in tears. "During the Dance" is a masterpiece of the short story genre, one of the best short stories I have read by any author.
The story is available for free here.
"During the Dance" is a hauntingly beautiful and tragically sad short story about a young girl, barely four years old, who can see beyond the physical world.
She sees spirits and angels dancing everywhere around her, adorned in beautiful colors and conveying different emotions through their dances.
Her "dancers" come naturally to her, bringing much much joy to the young girl and her family.
The story is narrated by the girl's older brother, whose dancer is somehow trapped inside himself. "You got to let him out," entreats his sister.
Then one day she is visited by a beautiful new dancer, black as coal, at the foot of her bed. The grief experienced by the family captures their rawest of emotions.
This story reminds me of "Annabel Lee" by Edgar Allan Poe in its combination of melancholy beauty and aching despair.
The ending of the story is absolutely perfect and left me in tears. "During the Dance" is a masterpiece of the short story genre, one of the best short stories I have read by any author.
The story is available for free here.
March 4, 2021
I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleo
Mini-review
3.5/5 stars
During the Dance is a short story written by Mark Lawrence. It's 9 pages long, 2k words, and it's so worth taking a few minutes of your time to read it. Short, haunting, beautifully-written, and quite impactful; During the Dance displays Lawrence’s storytelling flexibility. I actually wanted this to be longer! And not gonna lie, Lawrence’s versatility here actually made me want to read his sci-fi series: Impossible Times trilogy. You can check the short story for free here:
http://www.marklawrence.buzz/story/du...
You can find the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Alya, Annabeth, Ben, Blaise, Devin, Diana, Edward, Ellen, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Lufi, Melinda, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Seth, Shaad, Summer, Zoe.
Mini-review
3.5/5 stars
During the Dance is a short story written by Mark Lawrence. It's 9 pages long, 2k words, and it's so worth taking a few minutes of your time to read it. Short, haunting, beautifully-written, and quite impactful; During the Dance displays Lawrence’s storytelling flexibility. I actually wanted this to be longer! And not gonna lie, Lawrence’s versatility here actually made me want to read his sci-fi series: Impossible Times trilogy. You can check the short story for free here:
http://www.marklawrence.buzz/story/du...
You can find the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Alya, Annabeth, Ben, Blaise, Devin, Diana, Edward, Ellen, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Lufi, Melinda, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Seth, Shaad, Summer, Zoe.
July 21, 2019
“Billy passed by. He smiled at Me-me. Everyone did.”
A wonderful short story about how a child named Me-me brought so much happiness to a poor family and community in England during her very short life. Very touching.
A ten minute read...
http://www.marklawrence.buzz/story/du...
4 out of 5 stars
A wonderful short story about how a child named Me-me brought so much happiness to a poor family and community in England during her very short life. Very touching.
A ten minute read...
http://www.marklawrence.buzz/story/du...
4 out of 5 stars
July 11, 2019
Left me speechless for a couple of minutes .... Beautiful ...
July 6, 2019
A lovely, lovely very short story. There’s a free kindle version.
Thanks to my Goodreads friend Maureen for bringing it to my attention.
Thanks to my Goodreads friend Maureen for bringing it to my attention.
July 18, 2019
"All her bright golden hair,
tarnished with rust.
She, who was young and fair,
fallen to dust."
—Oscar Wilde
For Me-me, the girl who named herself.
Oh, my!
A poignant, hugely emotive short story of a unique little girl (Me-me), whose sparkling imagination elevates her from the grim reality of the London slums in which she resides.
This snapshot of a tale is told from the POV of her older brother, Sammy, who has a rather more jaundiced view of the world they live in. Yet despite himself, his little sis provides him with the spiritual guidance he so sorely needs. She is Sammy's inspiration as well as his entertainment.
In her beautiful spontaneous mind, Me-me pirouettes like a ballerina, living her disadvantaged life to the full and enriching the lives of those around her.
And she enriched mine too for the duration of this soul-stirring story.
Thanks to Angela M for drawing my attention to this touching, almost parabolic, tale.
It would move a statue, so it would.
Fans of Foster, by Claire Keegan, will love this!
And it's a ten-minute freebie on that new-fangled internet thingy... http://www.marklawrence.buzz/story/du...
I applaud you, Mark Lawrence.
tarnished with rust.
She, who was young and fair,
fallen to dust."
—Oscar Wilde
For Me-me, the girl who named herself.
Oh, my!
A poignant, hugely emotive short story of a unique little girl (Me-me), whose sparkling imagination elevates her from the grim reality of the London slums in which she resides.
This snapshot of a tale is told from the POV of her older brother, Sammy, who has a rather more jaundiced view of the world they live in. Yet despite himself, his little sis provides him with the spiritual guidance he so sorely needs. She is Sammy's inspiration as well as his entertainment.
In her beautiful spontaneous mind, Me-me pirouettes like a ballerina, living her disadvantaged life to the full and enriching the lives of those around her.
And she enriched mine too for the duration of this soul-stirring story.
Thanks to Angela M for drawing my attention to this touching, almost parabolic, tale.
It would move a statue, so it would.
Fans of Foster, by Claire Keegan, will love this!
And it's a ten-minute freebie on that new-fangled internet thingy... http://www.marklawrence.buzz/story/du...
I applaud you, Mark Lawrence.
July 14, 2019
“We lived the same life, but somehow she lived it deeper and sweeter.”
During the Dance is a touching short-story of a boy and his “magical” little sister who could see the beauty in the most unlikely of places. The story is a poignant reminder of how brief life can be. We must let our dancers out now before it’s too late.
“Some people live more in 20 years than others do in 80. It's not the time that counts, it's the person” ― Doctor Who
A big thank you to Kevin Ansbro for pointing the way to this jewel!
Get this fabulous free short here: http://www.marklawrence.buzz/story/du...
During the Dance is a touching short-story of a boy and his “magical” little sister who could see the beauty in the most unlikely of places. The story is a poignant reminder of how brief life can be. We must let our dancers out now before it’s too late.
“Some people live more in 20 years than others do in 80. It's not the time that counts, it's the person” ― Doctor Who
A big thank you to Kevin Ansbro for pointing the way to this jewel!
Get this fabulous free short here: http://www.marklawrence.buzz/story/du...
July 20, 2019
Thank you .... community friends!
Grief - loss - sadness and love.
Grief - loss - sadness and love.
![Profile Image for Imme [trying to crawl out of hiatus] van Gorp.](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1700013408i%2F101358081._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
October 26, 2023
|| 3.5 stars ||
This is a tragic story about a sweet, happy, but poor little girl, who sees beautiful angels dancing in the street everywhere she looks. She is beloved by everyone, but most of all by her older brother, who tries very hard to see the innocent beauty in the world that she sees, but simply can’t.
The story itself follows the aftermath of this precious little girl’s death, and it honestly broke my heart a little bit. The writing was very beautiful and haunting.
This is a tragic story about a sweet, happy, but poor little girl, who sees beautiful angels dancing in the street everywhere she looks. She is beloved by everyone, but most of all by her older brother, who tries very hard to see the innocent beauty in the world that she sees, but simply can’t.
The story itself follows the aftermath of this precious little girl’s death, and it honestly broke my heart a little bit. The writing was very beautiful and haunting.
November 13, 2019
Recommended by several people whose opinions I trust, this is a short story written by an author I have only tried once before and who I did not love.
But I loved this one! It is short but perfectly formed. A lovingly told tale of a child who was very, very special. A rainbow child who could see beyond our world.
Pure pleasure to read. This was free on Amazon when I downloaded it. It may still be. I highly recommend it.
But I loved this one! It is short but perfectly formed. A lovingly told tale of a child who was very, very special. A rainbow child who could see beyond our world.
Pure pleasure to read. This was free on Amazon when I downloaded it. It may still be. I highly recommend it.
June 30, 2019
Beautiful.
I can't really think of anything else to add really.
I can't really think of anything else to add really.
July 7, 2019
”As a child in poverty you never know that you're poor, the slums are the slums. They're home. They're what is. So I'd never felt poor. But Me-me made us feel rich. She carried smiles with her.”
A very short story that is both lovely and a bit sad, but so very worth reading (available for free on kindle.)
Many thanks to my friend Angela whose review prompted me to read this one earlier today.
A very short story that is both lovely and a bit sad, but so very worth reading (available for free on kindle.)
Many thanks to my friend Angela whose review prompted me to read this one earlier today.
June 28, 2019
Oh I just finished reading this.
Another avid reader on here had just finished it so because it was a free download at the moment on Amazon and she recommended it, plus I’m a sucker for sad books......off I popped.
Yes! You definitely need tissues.
Oh boy, how can such a short book have such an impact.
Another avid reader on here had just finished it so because it was a free download at the moment on Amazon and she recommended it, plus I’m a sucker for sad books......off I popped.
Yes! You definitely need tissues.
Oh boy, how can such a short book have such an impact.
January 1, 2018
Beautifully written. Only 2000 words; sad and lovely both. I downloaded it free from Amazon just a couple of days ago.
November 25, 2015
Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths Reviews
This is a short story penned by Mark Lawrence, author of the grimdark masterpiece Prince of Thorns and its sequels. While it has some fantastical elements, it is definitely not a fantasy work nor a grimdark in anyway, but rather a simple tale of love and loss set in the modern world.
Since this is such a compact tale, I will not attempt to summarize it other than to say it focuses on a young girl who sees another side of the world. And while nine pages is not much time to craft a complex story, Mr. Lawrence injects so much emotion into those two thousand words that even the most hardened person will likely find their heartstrings gently played by this girl’s poignant tale.
Truly, During the Dance is a story not to be missed. Its hauntingly beautiful narrative of love will echo in your memories long after you close your e-reader. While those who abhor The Broken Empire and its grimdark lead Jorg Ancrath may feel led to skip this short story, I would ask that they not do so, because it is a different story that should not be compared to Jorg Ancrath’s tale in any way. I personally revisit it from time to time, and it never fails to cast its spell over me. Due to that, it is one of my favorites stories of all time, and I’d love to help introduce it to others out there.
This is a short story penned by Mark Lawrence, author of the grimdark masterpiece Prince of Thorns and its sequels. While it has some fantastical elements, it is definitely not a fantasy work nor a grimdark in anyway, but rather a simple tale of love and loss set in the modern world.
Since this is such a compact tale, I will not attempt to summarize it other than to say it focuses on a young girl who sees another side of the world. And while nine pages is not much time to craft a complex story, Mr. Lawrence injects so much emotion into those two thousand words that even the most hardened person will likely find their heartstrings gently played by this girl’s poignant tale.
Truly, During the Dance is a story not to be missed. Its hauntingly beautiful narrative of love will echo in your memories long after you close your e-reader. While those who abhor The Broken Empire and its grimdark lead Jorg Ancrath may feel led to skip this short story, I would ask that they not do so, because it is a different story that should not be compared to Jorg Ancrath’s tale in any way. I personally revisit it from time to time, and it never fails to cast its spell over me. Due to that, it is one of my favorites stories of all time, and I’d love to help introduce it to others out there.
July 14, 2019
If we all could have something within that would fill our lives with wonder. Beautiful and heartbreaking at once. Wonderful short story.
July 2, 2019
Tissues ready.
A beautifully written, extremely sad and moving short story. Only 2000 words, but every one of them counts..
It was free on Amazon a few days ago.
Thank you, Mark Lawrence for writing this and "giving" it away.
A beautifully written, extremely sad and moving short story. Only 2000 words, but every one of them counts..
It was free on Amazon a few days ago.
Thank you, Mark Lawrence for writing this and "giving" it away.
June 30, 2019
Mark Lawrence said that this was probably the best 2000 words he had ever written and i can see why.
Lovely short story, quick to read and also free!
Lovely short story, quick to read and also free!
January 2, 2021
WELCOME TO DECEMBER PROJECT!
this explanation/intro will be posted before each day’s short story. scroll down to get to the story-review.
this is the FIFTH year of me doing a short story advent calendar as my december project. for those of you new to me or this endeavor, here’s the skinny: every day in december, i will be reading a short story that is 1) available free somewhere on internet, and 2) listed on goodreads as its own discrete entity. there will be links provided for those of you who like to read (or listen to) short stories for free, and also for those of you who have wildly overestimated how many books you can read in a year and are freaking out about not meeting your 2020 reading-challenge goals. i have been gathering links all year when tasty little tales have popped into my feed, but i will also accept additional suggestions, as long as they meet my aforementioned 1), 2) standards, because i have not compiled as many as usual this year.
IN ADDITION, this may be the last year i do this project since GR has already deleted the pages for several of the stories i've read in previous years without warning, leaving me with a bunch of missing reviews and broken links, which makes me feel shitty. because i don't have a lot of time to waste, i'm not going to bother writing much in the way of reviews for these, in case gr decides to scrap 'em again. 2020 has left me utterly wrung out and i apologize for what's left of me. i am doing my best.
DECEMBER 15: DURING THE DANCE - MARK LAWRENCE
a little sentimental for stonehearted me, but i still enjoyed it. everyone's always telling me to read this guy, and now i have, even though they prolly didn't have these stories in mind when they were saying i HAAAAD to read him. i suppose at some point i should take all those suggestions to heart and give him a proper go, but it has been a long day and right now all i'm thinking about is beer and popcorn and getting ready for this blizzard.
LET IT SNOW!!!
read it for free here
DECEMBER 1: PG - COURTNEY SUMMERS
DECEMBER 2: THE JUMPING MONKEY HILL - CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE
DECEMBER 3: ORIGIN STORY - T. KINGFISHER
DECEMBER 4: THE GREAT SILENCE - TED CHIANG
DECEMBER 5: A CLEAN SWEEP WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS
DECEMBER 6: BORED WORLD - ANDY WEIR
DECEMBER 7: VAMPIRE - ROBERT COOVER
DECEMBER 8: A STATEMENT IN THE CASE - THEODORA GOSS
DECEMBER 9: STET - SARAH GAILEY
DECEMBER 10: MARGOT'S ROOM: EMILY CARROLL
DECEMBER 11: HORROR STORY - CARMEN MARIA MACHADO
DECEMBER 12: TERRAIN - GENEVIEVE VALENTINE
DECEMBER 13: IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED, TRY, TRY AGAIN - ZEN CHO
DECEMBER 14: GHOUL - GEORGE SAUNDERS
DECEMBER 16: CLEARING THE BONES - CELESTE NG
DECEMBER 17: THE WAITER'S WIFE - ZADIE SMITH
DECEMBER 18: DEMOLITION - FIONA MCFARLANE
DECEMBER 19: NO PERIOD - HARRY TURTLEDOVE
DECEMBER 20: DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE - GG
DECEMBER 21: RUB-A-DUB-DUB - TONY MILLIONAIRE
DECEMBER 22: HANSA AND GRETYL AND PIECE OF SHIT - REBECCA CURTIS
DECEMBER 23: BRIDESICLE - WILL MCINTOSH
DECEMBER 24: I, CTHULHU, OR, WHAT'S A TENTACLE-FACED THING LIKE ME DOING IN A SUNKEN CITY LIKE THIS (LATITUDE 47° 9' S, LONGITUDE 126° 43' W)? - NEIL GAIMAN
DECEMBER 25: CHRISTMAS TALE - MARK LAWRENCE
DECEMBER 26: THE MONSTERS OF HEAVEN - NATHAN BALLINGRUD
DECEMBER 27: TWO DREAMS ON TRAINS - ELIZABETH BEAR
DECEMBER 28: THE MARTIANS CLAIM CANADA - MARGARET ATWOOD
DECEMBER 29: UNDER THE WAVE - LAUREN GROFF
DECEMBER 30: MR. SALARY - SALLY ROONEY
DECEMBER 31: A/S/L - EMMA CLINE
come to my blog!
this explanation/intro will be posted before each day’s short story. scroll down to get to the story-review.
this is the FIFTH year of me doing a short story advent calendar as my december project. for those of you new to me or this endeavor, here’s the skinny: every day in december, i will be reading a short story that is 1) available free somewhere on internet, and 2) listed on goodreads as its own discrete entity. there will be links provided for those of you who like to read (or listen to) short stories for free, and also for those of you who have wildly overestimated how many books you can read in a year and are freaking out about not meeting your 2020 reading-challenge goals. i have been gathering links all year when tasty little tales have popped into my feed, but i will also accept additional suggestions, as long as they meet my aforementioned 1), 2) standards, because i have not compiled as many as usual this year.
IN ADDITION, this may be the last year i do this project since GR has already deleted the pages for several of the stories i've read in previous years without warning, leaving me with a bunch of missing reviews and broken links, which makes me feel shitty. because i don't have a lot of time to waste, i'm not going to bother writing much in the way of reviews for these, in case gr decides to scrap 'em again. 2020 has left me utterly wrung out and i apologize for what's left of me. i am doing my best.
DECEMBER 15: DURING THE DANCE - MARK LAWRENCE
a little sentimental for stonehearted me, but i still enjoyed it. everyone's always telling me to read this guy, and now i have, even though they prolly didn't have these stories in mind when they were saying i HAAAAD to read him. i suppose at some point i should take all those suggestions to heart and give him a proper go, but it has been a long day and right now all i'm thinking about is beer and popcorn and getting ready for this blizzard.
LET IT SNOW!!!
read it for free here
DECEMBER 1: PG - COURTNEY SUMMERS
DECEMBER 2: THE JUMPING MONKEY HILL - CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE
DECEMBER 3: ORIGIN STORY - T. KINGFISHER
DECEMBER 4: THE GREAT SILENCE - TED CHIANG
DECEMBER 5: A CLEAN SWEEP WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS
DECEMBER 6: BORED WORLD - ANDY WEIR
DECEMBER 7: VAMPIRE - ROBERT COOVER
DECEMBER 8: A STATEMENT IN THE CASE - THEODORA GOSS
DECEMBER 9: STET - SARAH GAILEY
DECEMBER 10: MARGOT'S ROOM: EMILY CARROLL
DECEMBER 11: HORROR STORY - CARMEN MARIA MACHADO
DECEMBER 12: TERRAIN - GENEVIEVE VALENTINE
DECEMBER 13: IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED, TRY, TRY AGAIN - ZEN CHO
DECEMBER 14: GHOUL - GEORGE SAUNDERS
DECEMBER 16: CLEARING THE BONES - CELESTE NG
DECEMBER 17: THE WAITER'S WIFE - ZADIE SMITH
DECEMBER 18: DEMOLITION - FIONA MCFARLANE
DECEMBER 19: NO PERIOD - HARRY TURTLEDOVE
DECEMBER 20: DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE - GG
DECEMBER 21: RUB-A-DUB-DUB - TONY MILLIONAIRE
DECEMBER 22: HANSA AND GRETYL AND PIECE OF SHIT - REBECCA CURTIS
DECEMBER 23: BRIDESICLE - WILL MCINTOSH
DECEMBER 24: I, CTHULHU, OR, WHAT'S A TENTACLE-FACED THING LIKE ME DOING IN A SUNKEN CITY LIKE THIS (LATITUDE 47° 9' S, LONGITUDE 126° 43' W)? - NEIL GAIMAN
DECEMBER 25: CHRISTMAS TALE - MARK LAWRENCE
DECEMBER 26: THE MONSTERS OF HEAVEN - NATHAN BALLINGRUD
DECEMBER 27: TWO DREAMS ON TRAINS - ELIZABETH BEAR
DECEMBER 28: THE MARTIANS CLAIM CANADA - MARGARET ATWOOD
DECEMBER 29: UNDER THE WAVE - LAUREN GROFF
DECEMBER 30: MR. SALARY - SALLY ROONEY
DECEMBER 31: A/S/L - EMMA CLINE
come to my blog!
May 27, 2017
9 pages. 2,000 words. And one of the most hauntingly beautiful stories I have ever read.
September 13, 2017
That is one of the best short novellas I have ever read. The emotional relevance, the characters, and most of all - the ending. Wow, the ending. You can't end something like that!! You can't do it!!
It was hugely interesting and compelling, but I don't want to spend time talking about it. Honestly, just go read it. You can find it here!!
It was hugely interesting and compelling, but I don't want to spend time talking about it. Honestly, just go read it. You can find it here!!
April 30, 2023
“What's my dancer like?”
Oh, I'm crying...
http://www.marklawrence.buzz/story/du...
Oh, I'm crying...
http://www.marklawrence.buzz/story/du...
May 19, 2020
Incredibly short but heart touching
July 5, 2019
WELL DONE super short story!
2000 words of brotherly love....loss....overwhelming heartache....and magic for one special gifted child who can see through an imaginary world of dancers.
AMAZING.....So much expressively revealed in so few words!
September 12, 2014
Incredibly light, beautiful and delicate all at the same time. It is so small but so bright and quite simply an extraordinary way to spend five minutes because I think I'll remember it for the rest of my life....and what a trade that is. This is a gift to yourself and your imagination. Thanks for sharing Mark.
July 27, 2019
A very cute, albeit also sad story of a young boy who lost his little sister young.
Sammy and Me-me live in the slums. But that doesn't stop the little girl from being a delightful ray of sunshine and seeing the good in the world. Everything is interesting and colourful to her. Through her positive attitude, she makes life for everyone around her more bearable.
It's a very emotional story about the impact a child can have on the world around her. It's also about the world this child sees, whether what she sees is imagined or not.
Despite the story being so short, I could feel why so many people would instantly love this girl, which is why what happens hit me and made me sad. Not easily accomplished so kudos to the author - also for quoting Oscar Wilde, that gave me goosebumps!
You can read it for free here: http://www.marklawrence.buzz/story/du...
Sammy and Me-me live in the slums. But that doesn't stop the little girl from being a delightful ray of sunshine and seeing the good in the world. Everything is interesting and colourful to her. Through her positive attitude, she makes life for everyone around her more bearable.
It's a very emotional story about the impact a child can have on the world around her. It's also about the world this child sees, whether what she sees is imagined or not.
Despite the story being so short, I could feel why so many people would instantly love this girl, which is why what happens hit me and made me sad. Not easily accomplished so kudos to the author - also for quoting Oscar Wilde, that gave me goosebumps!
You can read it for free here: http://www.marklawrence.buzz/story/du...
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