July Stories
Inspiration surrounds us every day if we look for it—the happy face of a sunflower, a child’s laughter, a refreshing shower. Allow this inspiration to blossom into wonderful stories.
By the third Tuesday of the month at 11:59 p.m. ET, post your story in the comments section below. You must include a message in the comments box for the upload to work.
Your story should:
- be no more than 1,250 words
- be formatted using a twelve-point font in Times New Roman, Cambria, Calisto, or other fonts with serifs.
- be double-spaced
- include page numbers
The following day, return to this page to learn who your feedback partners are, download your group’s stories, and begin reviewing their stories.
If you miss the deadline to upload a story and register for Feedback Group, you will not be assigned to a group. However, you can still attend and bring your story to the feedback session, read it aloud, and receive verbal feedback. You will be placed in a group with other “walk-in” attendees.
This is also a place where all Life Writers can come to enjoy fellow members’ stories. Then, if you care to, leave the authors a note of encouragement.
A story from my time in Germany. This has been written, rewritten, and edited several times. I’m happier with it, but I’m not sure I’m totally happy with it.
That was a thought provoking piece, Dave with good description and colorful characters. I felt like I was there.
Your point about the Germans knowing what they were doing and why they did it made me do some research.
There had been antisemitism in Germany since the 1800’s with Germans thinking the Jews were deceitful and powerful.
Author Christopher Browning said there was peer pressure to carry out orders in the military or you would be seen as weak. Most of the soldiers chose to follow orders.
He wrote Ordinary Men if anyone wants to read about it further.
Thanks for your kind remarks. One thing in the piece I’m not happy with is that I havent addressed the fact that Hemplfing was just one of a whole generation who followed and bought into the antisemitism, which, as you pointed out was brewing for a while. How do you react when they’re all culpable? And would we succumb to the prevailing thought? People outside of the military don’t understand the desire to follow orders. It is all peer pressure. U.S. military members can refuse unlawful orders on paper, but in real life, an enlisted guy is never gonna be… Read more »