DreamCasters Agenda,
August 2024

08-11-2024 | 1:00 pm ET via ZOOM

Opening Statement

Welcome to DreamCasters, a DreamForge discussion group devoted to helping our members improve their writing and storytelling through discussion and sharing expertise.

DreamForge News

DreamCaster Dates for 2024

Here are the dates and guests for the next three months.

• September 8^th, Sunday – Danny Hankner of Story Unlikely
• October 6, Sunday – Marie Brennan (Fantasy Author)
• November 3, Sunday – Chris Pasetto (Computer Game and Film Writer)

DreamForge Kickstarter

The DreamForge Kickstarter was successful, and we’ll be publishing for a 6th Year!!  We should be opening for stories in a month or so!

Member Accomplishments

Triangulation: Hospitium was released at the Confluence Conference in Pittsburgh on July 27^th. Parsec Ink’s 21st anthology of SF/F/H centered around the Greco-Roman concept of hospitality rights and obligations. Two of our DreamCasters made it into the Anthology:

• K.Z. Richards with “Don’t Feed the Leptonian Mist Monster”
• Carolyn Cay with “A Demon for Tea”

Stephen Sottong has a story in the “Terrific Tomorrows anthology.”  In Stephen’s tale, “Heading Home,” a man docks an ice asteroid in orbit with Mars and returns to his family to watch the light show as the ice is dropped into Mars’ atmosphere.

David Hankins is launching a Kickstarter later this month. “My Kickstarter for Death and the Dragon, sequel to Death and the Taxman will launch on August 27^th. Link below.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/davidhankins/death-and-the-dragon?ref=2brlnn

Follow David and support his Kickstarter if you can.

The full DreamCaster gallery of published stories is online at Airtable.

Let us know about any new publications, awards, or accomplishments you might have. If you get news to me at Scot.Noel@DreamForgeMagazine.com, I’ll make sure to mention it.

Our Program – Mary Soon Lee

Mary Soon Lee was born and raised in London, but has lived in Pittsburgh for thirty years. She writes both fiction and poetry, and is a three-time winner of both the AnLab Readers’ Award and the Rhysling Award. Her latest books are from opposite shores of the poetry ocean: “How to Navigate Our Universe,” containing 128 astronomy poems, and “The Sign of the Dragon,” novel-length epic fantasy, winner of the Elgin Award.

One of our favorite works from Mary is “Elemental Haiku: Poems to honor the periodic table. Several of Mary’s poems have appeared in DreamForge, as well as one short story, “Wrong Turn” in DreamForge Magazine # 3.

In addition to meeting Mary and learning about her craft, we’ll talk about the use of language in poetry and prose and how to think like a poet, no matter what you’re writing.

Giveaway This Month!

This month one of our attending DreamCasters will win a print copy of Mary Soon Lee’s “Elemental Haiku.” A fascinating little illustrated series of 118 haiku about the Periodic Table of Elements, one for each element, plus a closing haiku for element 119 (not yet synthesized).

Originally appearing in Science magazine, this collection of haiku inspired by the periodic table of elements features all-new poems paired with original and imaginative line illustrations drawn from the natural world. Packed with wit, whimsy, and real science cred, each haiku celebrates the cosmic poetry behind each element, while accompanying notes reveal the fascinating facts that inform it. Award-winning poet Mary Soon Lee’s haiku encompass astronomy, biology, chemistry, history, and physics. Line by line, Elemental Haiku makes the mysteries of the universe’s elements accessible to all.

In September

In September our Guest will be Danny Hankner, Editor-in-Chief of Story Unlikely. Danny Hankner began penning stories about himself and his idiot friends as a teenager. Now, masquerading as an adult, he lives in Davenport, Iowa with his wife and three children, working as a master electrician for his own company. In his spare time, Dan rides and builds mountain bike trails, scrapes infinitely spawning cat hurl off the basement floor, and runs Story Unlikely, an award-winning literary magazine where he floats around self-important titles like ‘Editor-in-chief’. His work has besmirched the good reputation of many a publisher, garnering tens of thousands of reads in more countries than not.

According to Danny: “We are the underdog stepping up to the plate, David gathering stones in the river, the meteor hurtling towards the barren deserts of our literary landscape, and this is our anthem: Find great writers; Publish great stories;Build a yuuuuge audience!”

################

Story Prompts

Science Fiction— Imagine a future in which robotic surgery systems have become highly advanced. One such system makes a mistake, and the patient dies. A specialist is called in, not to examine the machine’s mechanics, but to interview it for psychological fitness. There is a possibility the machine will need to be reset to its default values, which will wipe out its sense of self. The machine is afraid for its “life.” The specialist has done this before and is guilt ridden because he/she believes the reset is indeed a death sentence for a sentient being. The story is the tale of their interaction and the final decision.

Fantasy— The Waking Worlds. Imagine Quantum Leap, but instead of jumping from body to body, the protagonist of this tale falls asleep each night only to dream of a new life, one that they awaken into the next morning. At some point, they realize that the worlds they dream are being brought to life by the power of this strange somnambulant journey. In one dream they meet another dreamer; they recognize one another as dreamers. The other is convinced they can end the trap of their endless dreams if they work together – but do they have the right. Every night they bring a new universe to life… perhaps the one you’re living in right now.

Disclaimer: These ideas may or may not be original, convergent ideas are common. DreamForge makes no copyright or monetary claim on these story prompts. Have fun.