My fiction response to "Writing Challenge: Texture, Tone, and Style" from page 61 of "Wonderbook The Illustrated Guide To Creating Imaginative Fiction" by Jeff Vandermeer.
A painting (Scott Eagle's cover for Vandermeer's City of Saints and Madmen) is given as an example of a collage. The challenge is then to create something similar using words.
(Part 1) ARDOR SAUCE: a Pastiche
This was created from public domain sources I found by searching for a term I chose arbitrarily "mushroom."
I sampled phrases containing this term, as well as any nearby phrases that caught my eye
-the pastiche was created by shuffling phrases from these four sources
-then references to "mycelium" or "mushroom" were replaced with one of:
-- "compulsion", "fixation", "whim", "ardor", "craving", or "longing"
-- a very few other minor alterations to text or changes in punctuation were included
Public domain works used:
-MUSHROOMS: How to Grow Them. A PRACTICAL TREATISE ON Mushroom Culture for Profit and Pleasure. BY WILLIAM FALCONER
-STUDENT'S HAND-BOOK OF MUSHROOMS OF AMERICA by Thomas Taylor
-Mushroom Town by Oliver Onions
-The Whitehouse Cookbook by Mrs. F.L. Gillette
(Part 2) Alchemical Remix
After completing Ardor Sauce, I wanted to tie its various samples together a bit more tightly without changing them too drastically, so I added an "alchemist training manual" through-line, then reshuffled and pruned them to more closely approximate a time sequence.
The cover image is used via Creative Commons share-alike license.
It was posted by Dan Molter https://mushroomobserver.org/observer/show_user/439
It was taken from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hygrocybe_psittacina_54130.jpg
The image is cropped to fit size requirements, but otherwise unaltered.
I make no other claim regarding the image.
The One-shots revolve around the journey of a devoted single father navigating the complexities of parenthood and his deepening bond with his sons.
Each story highlights the unique challenges and heartwarming moments they share, capturing the essence of love, resilience, and the unbreakable ties of family.
If you are interested, please check it out. I hope you enjoy it.