The air is finally beginning to feel like Autumn is on its way, truly on its way.  We've had a few cool days here in Kentucky, with the promise of more.  My doors and windows are open today and there's a healthy breeze blowing, causing the windchimes to do their tunes in rhythm.

Here on Section VII we have some things coming up.  PicFic is back from its summer hiatus, as well as Once Upon A Time later this month.  Song Story will return as alynwa gets settled into her new home out West.  Our Seven Days of Halloween will be coming up next month, so look for updates from mrua7.

On September 22 we will begin posting our Long Story Affair Challenge entries, commemorating the 55th Anniversary of the premiere of The Man from UNCLE.  I hope there are several whose plans are to be involved in this, although I know many will be fighting against time constraints with other life commitments.  Keep in mind that the 22nd is an opening date, you can post anytime after that.  Just include the tag long story affair.

I don't think anyone will deny there's less activity around the fandom now than in previous years.  We sort of ebb and flow, sometimes with more, other times with less.  Section VII continues to hold onto the premise that there are more stories to tell, and writers and readers who want those stories posted for all of us to enjoy.  I hope that those writers who have let their stories go unwritten for too long will make the time to share what's waiting within their imaginations.

Time can be limited, and I'll admit to letting that slow me down at times.  But once I sit down and let it all begin to flow, the satisfaction of a completed story far outweighs the inconvenience of time taken away from another activity.  A thousand words a day will soon be a completed story, and the times when you can commit more words to the page can only encourage you to write more.

MFU is a fandom of great depth, with wonderful people (cousins in our case), and terrifically talented writers.  Those who read and encourage are invaluable to this group, and I am ever mindful that you take the time to invest in what writers are willing to share.

I hope this season is starting out with all of the hope you need to journey farther into this last half of 2019.  I know there are other fandoms that might call out to you.  But consider this, that nowhere else can you call a fellow fan 'cousin', or share what has taken over 50 years to ferment and age into such a finely crafted fandom.  We are like that proverbial wine that gets better with age, and welcoming the variety of people, different generations and origins, all of it makes for a vintage of great value.  And, if you spend time on another MFU fansite, consider inviting them here to Section VII.  For those who love stories, this might be a treat for them.

As always, a big Thank You to everyone who makes Section VII work; the writers and readers, the self-named lurkers and the curious.  You make this community viable, you give it life alongside our heroes, Napoleon and Illya.

You make it worthwhile.

This is a topic that has come up on occasion, a discussion that touches everyone who writes and/or reads the stories that are posted here and elsewhere across Live Journal.  Well, everywhere actually.
First, let me ask a question of you:
If you attend a concert or a stage production, do you applaud the performance? Do you acknowledge in any way that you were in the audience?
( Read more... )

I was just thinking about doing the August calendar (which I never completed), and here it is time for a September calendar.  I will get that one up this week because we have a new slate of activity to anticipate.
PicFic will be back, which is always one of our top challenges as far as inspiration and participation.  I hope we'll have a bumper crop of stories for the new season.
We've talked about new challenges, old challenges and favorite challenges, but I'd like to hear again from all of you as to which ones you enjoy the most, any you'd like to see again or even suggestions for something new and different.
I'd also like to throw something out, especially for those of you who read, maybe even put yourself in the lurking category, and wonder if you could write a story for MFU... See, I knew you were there ;)
If you feel brave enough to come forward and comment, let me know if you'd be interested in a First Story Challenge; it would be for those of you who want to write that first story but have not had the confidence or nerve (whatever), to post anything.  We're here to help, and we'll round up a beta for you if you need one, encourage you and then offer some positive critiquing.
There is a community here on LJ that specializes in writing help, the mfuwss or Man from UNCLE Writer's Survival School. The platform is designed to help writers, offer critiques and let you have the benefit of the experience and knowledge of other writers.  I've been there, and received an eye opening critique from st_crispins that was immediately helpful to me.
I would say post in both places, but we'll get to that if we have some response to the idea of this challenge.
August is almost out the door, I hope you have plans to be here in September.

I know so many of us are devastated once again at the vicious attack on an unsuspecting crowd.  This time in Las Vegas, timed to the sound of a country music festival under an Autumn night, a lone gunman murdered and maimed as though engaged in a war.  Perhaps in his mind it was a war, but against whom we may never know.
A friend of mine had a theory back when Columbine occured; she conjectured that a person might be influenced by demonic forces that goad and encourage the lunacy and mahem of this type of attack, only to abandon the individual(s) to the recognition of their evil deeds, leading to the eventual suicides.  If you don't believe in demons and evil then  perhaps you can't conceive of this scenario, but I have to wonder what else can lead to such horrendous acts of violence.
Once again we, as a fandom of the peace keeping UNCLE, might ask ourselves if that organization could have helped in a situation such as this.
Probably not.  Who can predict the actions of a madman?
And so we will mourn and add our thoughts and prayers of comfort and condolences to those directly affected by this atrocity.  I know life goes on, it is cliche´ but a truth nonetheless.  For those in the Las Vegas area I don't suppose normal will return for quite some time.  For our country, we must once again face the inevitable question of why private citizens need a 'right' to possess military type weapons.  I believe in the inherent right, as we call it, to own appropriate firearms, but this nonesense concerning the kinds of combat ready artillary that this man used must be finally taken care of.  If the Federal government won't do it, then take it to the state level.
Today however, our concerns for those affected by this tragedy comes first.
Write your thoughts and post them if you like.  Express your anger or sorrow.
P.S... we also lost Tom Petty yesterday, adding to the sadness.