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Hello Chiara darling, here for the fairy reviewng event, I've heard so much lovely wonderful things about this collection, i couldn't wait to get more time on my hands to come and check it out.
Thoughts of solitude and loneliness and all that stuff is something that haunts me often, and I like delving into the subject, and I can already see here with the first drabble that your grasp of language here is very good - light yet poignant, and the feeling this one evokes in me is like some kind of conditioned longing and a sense of loss for something you're not even sure you want, and how these emotions others push upon you can rearrange some things in your soul, and i am honestly awed how complex this actually is. amazing job
Eli for Snow Foxes
Author's Response:Eli! Thank you for coming to check out this collection! <3
Solitude and loneliness are concepts that are on my mind a lot, too... but I suppose that's obvious... :P I'm so glad you liked the language in this first one, and the conflicting emotions... I love how you put it, longing for something you don't really want because the need is sort of thrust upon you by others... I think that's pretty much the point, yes...
Thank you so much for the lovely review! <3
"He records an instant that tastes like eternity." That's precisely how I feel in nature. I love that you captured it here. And I love that this collection ends with an image of solitude as peace and eternity and beauty. Sure, it can be something lonely, but it can also be something grand.
This collection was so well written and so wonderful, Chiara. I'm so happy you entered my challenge and took the time to write such beautiful drabbles. You did an amazing job and really embraced the theme you chose. I'm so impressed. :D
The results of the challenge will be out either today or tomorrow! Yours was the last set I had to R&R before considering the results and posting them.
Great job, my dear. I had a wonderful time reading these.
Best,
Emily
Author's Response:So glad you enjoyed this last one, too, and another more light-hearted expression of solitude! Glad you liked the peace and the idea of eternity in this one! :D
Thank you so much again for hosting such a great challenge, I had a blast writing for it and coming up with all these different ideas (it's been a struggle at times, let me tell you... but so worth it in the end! <3)
Lots of love and snowball hug!
Chiara
Ooh, I love the last line of this!! "It's time to start running," is such a vivid way to think about life. The subject of this drabble was so original too. The thought of YOLO as something that indicates solitude was something I hadn't ever considered. You captured the dissonance between the carefree attitude that YOLO brings to mind and the inherent fear of being the only one left behind. Great job!
Author's Response:I mean, sometimes I feel like I'm wasting so much time and missing so many opportunities, so this was a way to encourage myself to live my best life, I suppose... :P
I'm glad this worked within the general theme and that you could feel the dissonance between YOLO and the fear of being left behind...
Thank you so much for another amazing review! <3
This is actually the second entry in my challenge to use "xenophobia" as the X word. It's something so solid and hurtful, so reading about it is definitely difficult. But you did such a good job of showing the absurdity of Othering people who in so many ways are the same as those born in a place. I suppose we all just have to do our best to accept those who join our communities and to encourage others to do the same.
Author's Response:I couldn't really think of another X word that could fit the theme, to be honest... :P But yes, I read Jacqueline's entry and I was like, ah, yes, me too! :P
It is horrible that xenophobia exists, that people feel the need to judge other people based on what they look like or where they are from... it makes no sense and it's just so hurtful... I'm glad you felt I wrote this well! And yes, we need to do our best to be welcoming and accepting and encouraging others to do the same, that's pretty much all we can do!
Thank you for the lovely review! <3
Ooh, I really love the last line in this, "They'll tell you it's wrong, that you need to be down to earth. But what they can't see is, you belong in the sky." That is so pretty and such a lovely depiction of artistry and free-spirited thought. I love the parallels you drew to Wonderland and Neverland. This was a great piece, especially for FFT writers to relate to. <3
Author's Response:I'm so glad you liked this one! And yes, I think all of us on FFT can relate at least a little bit... we all need to escape to the worlds of our imagination from time to time, right?
Thank you so much for another lovely review! <3
Oh man, what a throwback to high school. I had a bad breakup when I was 17 and I was totally devastated. You did a great job of describing the feelings that proximity bring up, when you want to talk to someone or touch them, but you can't. This was a lovely drabble. And you did such a good job using repetitive v-sounds that emphasized the challenge prompt!
Author's Response:That's exactly the kind of situation I was trying to portray, so I'm glad it seemed to work well and that the emotions came through the right way. I'm glad you appreciated the "allitterations" as well... I've tried to make it so every drabble also started with the prompt letter... I'm not sure if anyone noticed it, but I have tried to keep the sound of the letter into each drabble, and it's nice that you're mentioning it here! :D
Thank you so much again for sharing your thoughts! <3
Nope nope nope. Thinking about the vastness of the universe is a surefire way to make me feel so infinitesimally small that I start wondering if there's any point to our brief, brief lives at all. I loved the middle "paragraph" of this—"After all, what is life, if not a sequence of fortuitous occurrences? What are you, compared to immensity of the sky and stars above?" And then the ending really shook me. The idea that this was actually addressed to some Other being, someone far away with no idea of our existence here...yikes.
Wonderful job with this one!!
Author's Response:Ah, I know, it does make you feel so infinitesimally small, thinking about the vastness of the universe... :/
I'm glad I surprised you with the twist at the end! I've always thought that there must be other lives somewhere in the universe, and why wouldn't they have our same wonders about it? I thought it would be a fun perspective... :P
Thank you so much! <3
Oh. Oh. The repetition of days is so upsetting. And this captured it perfectly. I especially loved the lines: "The evening seems to drag on forever, tick after tick after tick, through the neverending conflict between the desire to do something and the lack of energy, the will to be with people and the peace of being alone, the lure of a new day and the need to cling to this one just a little bit longer. The days are eternal, yet the weeks slip away like a swollen river."
That last one hit me so strongly. It was definitely something that made me feel as if I was living this character's experience.
One note for revision: In the passage I quoted above, you've got a typo where "conflict" is written as "coflict."
Other than that, wonderful job!
Author's Response:I often feel this way... like time never passes, but then you look behind and so much has passed and you hardly noticed... and yes, it's hard... living our routinary lives and feeling like we're getting nowhere... I don't know, maybe it's just me...
Thanks for the typo... I'll keep it in mind if I ever go back and edit... :P
Thank you for another great review! <3
I love this one so much. I recharge in the moments I get on my own, and this really embraces the importance of those quiet times. I love the second "paragraph," especially the line "you find the peace of your spirit. You find yourself." And then I love the last part—"you find the strength to start again." Wow wow wow. I love that so much. It's exactly how I want to feel after I've taken the time to calm and breathe and be alone for a bit. This was wonderful. Well done.
Author's Response:Glad you could relate to this one, too... taking some time to be alone for a little while can truly be regenerating.
Thank you for another wonderful review! <3 <3 <3
I love rain so much. And this really captures the peace of watching it. It's such a calming thing, to watch rain fall from someplace warm and cozy. You really showed the sounds and sights of this scene perfectly. Well done, as always.
Author's Response:It can be so peaceful and relaxing watching the rain fall... so glad you liked the way I described it in this one as well! <3
Holy shit, Chiara. This is precisely my experience of quarantine. I'm absolutely shocked that you were able to put my life into these words. I'm not kidding. This is exactly my experience.
Sometimes I can't believe we've been in quarantine for almost a year. It feels like time is passing in such strange ways. Days bleed together because the location is the same and the actions are the same and the routine is the same. It's almost like time has stopped. But, of course, it hasn't.
Incredible job capturing this strange, strange time to be alive. <3
Author's Response:I basically described my lockdown experience here... I imagine many people would relate to this... time in quarantine is so hard to keep track of, it does feel like it stopped, almost... glad this one resonated with you! <3
This is really lovely, Chiara. The way you're able to invoke through words the different volumes in a piece of music is so impressive. I love that I can almost feel the rise and fall of the notes. And the image of the character's fingers on the keys...lovely. Well done!
Author's Response:So glad you liked the imagery and descriptions in this one, too, and that you could almost hear the music! Thank you so much again for the review! <3
Stunning.
This really captures my feelings when I'm at the ocean. There's something terrifying about its vastness, but as you write, "so vast, uncontainable, unstoppable, but at the same time so quiet and peaceful and stable." That's the perfect description. I love it so much.
Your ability to craft imagery so perfectly...wow. Great job, my friend.
Author's Response:I'm so glad you liked the descriptions in this one, and that you thought I captured the feeling of the ocean well! It is one of my favourites! <3
Thank you for another lovely review! <3
Oh shit. This one scared the hell out of me. One of my biggest fears is losing the people closest to me, and forgetting them is horrifying. You did so well showing the character's frustration with their amnesia. And the second-person POV again was such a good choice. It made me feel like I was the one who couldn't remember. Which is terrifying and so cool that you could achieve that.
Author's Response:I really, really enjoy writing second person because it does create this empathic link with the reader that other perspectives just don't... I'm glad you liked the choice for this drabble.
Yes, amnesia must be so terrible to experience... and so frustrating, too... I'm sorry if this was a bit triggering for you, but glad you thought I wrote it effectively! <3
I love this one so much. It's so peaceful and soft. I can imagine myself in the character's shoes. This made me desperately want to go to a museum. ...I wonder if they're open right now. Hm. I feel like museums are made for social distancing. And I'm definitely going to check on that now.
The fact that this drabble is enough to inspire me to see if I can leave the house is honestly so impressive. Because I don't go out at all these days. (Quarantine is important.) But to think of something that actually could be a safe thing to do...that's really amazing.
Wonderful job making me feel like I was in this moment. <3
Author's Response:I hope you managed to go visit a museum since writing this review... :P yes, museums are actually good places for social distancing (I feel your pain, btw... I've been staying mostly at home for the past year and a half...) Glad this drabble felt relatable and that it inspired you in a way! <3
Oh baby-child. This was so cute and sad. I remember being lost as a kid once, and there is definitely that moment of abject horror when you think you've found your parent, and it's someone else entirely. How terrifying!
You captured the panic of this child and his frantic thoughts so well. Great job!
Author's Response:Being lost as a child is a terrible sensation, it's absolutely terrifying! And yes, that moment when you think you've found your parents, but then it turns out to be a stranger, is so scary, too! :/ Glad you thought I captured the child's emotions and thought process well! <3
I love that you used the second-person point of view in this drabble. It brings readers right into the moment. I could almost smell the ingredients as the character began their process. And I could see the kitchen and a warm afternoon—but not too warm—and a peaceful moment. I loved the line, "every worry dissolves like dandelion seeds in the wind." And then the final line really hit me. Wonderful job with this one, Chiara.
Author's Response:Glad the second person pov helped bringing you into the scene and that you could feel the atmosphere of the baking process. Glad you liked the dandelions line! And yes, sorry about the bittersweet closing... Thank you so much again for another lovely review! <3
Oh man. The wanderlust this drabble inspires is so severe.
I've always wished I was brave enough to travel alone—when I was younger or even now—but I'm really paranoid. My younger sister, though, is absolutely the type to get on a bus and go off on an adventure. You show the juxtaposition between fear and excitement so well in this drabble. The character knows his journey will be something he enjoys, but every adventure holds a bit of risk. I love that he's got that introspection.
Author's Response:I've never had the courage of travelling alone either, even if I do find the idea appealing. I think it would be totally natural to feel that mix of fear and excitement, jumping into something unknown like this. So glad you liked this one, too!
Oh man, I've been in this position! I barely made it to any parties in college because I was just way too introverted to enjoy them. I like people, actually, and if it's a group I'm comfortable with, I like parties. But in big crowds of strangers? No thank you.
You do a great job showing that solitude doesn't have to be lonely. Great job!
Author's Response:All of us introverts have been there, I think. A big crowd of strangers? Thank just scary! :P
Solitude can be many things, which is kind of the point of this collection... :P And no, it doesn't necessarily equal to loneliness! ;)
Thank you! <3
This one made me smile so much!! I absolutely loved hide-and-seek as a kid! I have so many memories of it. As a really little kid, I played with my sisters and I was really flexible and could fit in small spaces—but my ankles clicked when I ran, so if I wanted to leave my hiding place, I had to be sure I was alone! Then my friends and I played outside when I was a bit older (age 10–14-ish) and we would combine it with a game called flashlight-tag. And even into high school (15–18), my friends and I would play in my parents enormous house.
This drabble makes me want to go back to those days. I love the way you've captured such a nostalgic childhood memory. It was so clear in this drabble that it took me right back to being a kid. Wonderful job.
Author's Response:So glad this one amused you and brought back childhood memories. :) Hide and seek is fun, we used to play it a lot too in the communal garden when I was little :D
Thank you so much!!!
"Another sunset on the evening of her life."
Chiara, why do you do this to me??? This was so lovely. I could see everything you described, and I could almost smell the flowers and feel the breeze. It made me long for warmer weather.
There's something so melancholy about visiting a cemetery alone. It makes you long for the person you're "visiting," but it also makes you long for the company of those who are still alive. I don't know...it's a hard thing to balance.
Lovely imagery here, my friend.
Author's Response:This one was definitely meant to be melanchonic. Not sad, exactly, but... yeah... I'm glad you found it touching, and that you liked the imagery/descriptions and that you could visualize/feel the scene.
Thank you so much for another lovely review! <3
Oh. Oh no. This one really struck me. In a dark and visceral way. Because...like. The juxtaposition of the carnival with the character's internal thoughts was so jarring. I'm really impressed with how much this drabble showed a type of solitude that almost hits like a hammer. A carnival/funfair is no place to be alone. It's just not the same as being with friends or family. And this character clearly knows that but has no other option. Just...really good job here.
Author's Response:I'm glad you liked this one, and the contrast between the character's solitude and the fair environment, which is meant to be the exact opposite... this is definitely a hurtful kind of solitude!
Thank you so much for the lovely review! <3
This one is such a different mood from previous entries in this collection, yet you did an amazing job with it as well! It's so impressive that you can write about loneliness/solitude in so many different ways. There's such darkness in this entry, so much bitterness about being alone. The emotions really come through, and it's almost eerie how the narrator thinks of those around them. Wonderful job.
Author's Response:This one is kind of darker, I guess, yes... or at least, the protagonist is darker, I suppose... I think envy as an emotion is very isolating, because you feel rejected by the people around you in a way? I'm so glad you liked this one as well!
Oh dear. This was so visceral. The way it was written really showed the frantic feelings the dancer was experiencing. And you were able to capture the inevitability of her failure, even as it became clear that she was trying her best. Really well done. And I loved the line, "The rhythm is pressing, always more pressing."
Author's Response:Glad you liked this one too, and that you could feel the pressure and the inevitability of it all...
Thank you so much again for your thoughts! <3
Oh. Oh. This one hit very close to home.
There's something profoundly disturbing about realizing that each person around you is living a whole life with joy and pain, worries and triumphs, goals and disappointments...and you'll never know about them. It's so strange to think of everyone you pass on the street as a person who's living a life just as encompassing as your own. This drabble makes me think of that.
I really love the last few lines, especially: "You're an invisible being among invisible beings, corporeal but blurring, with nothing in common and everything to share. Or maybe the opposite."
Author's Response:We cross so many people in our lives, and each one of them has their own life and struggles that we just know nothing about, and it can be... overwhelming, I guess? actually stopping to think about it... I'm glad this gave you something to reflect about.
So glad you liked that line in particular, it is one of my favourites! :)
Thank you so much!
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