Welcome, transients, shades, shadows, goblins, wisps, and anything else that does its best to elude substantial description. While you may not be the most invigorated bunch of ghouls, I've decided to try this here instead of a more trafficked forum.
It is finals week here and I'm feeling a fit of procrastination coming on, but that doesn't mean I can't make distraction work in my favor. I have never been a large fan of freewriting as a technique for breaking writers block or generating inspiration, but I am fond of games, specifically "creative writing exercises." I would like to introduce you to, or reacquaint you with, one of my favorite group exercises.
The game is simple, the host (me in this case) will post a series of related questions (we will start off with five for this first round, due to the expectation of a low turn-out). One user, who has yet to reply to a question, will post their reply. The reply will be added to the first post and the question will be crossed off the list (one question= one answer from one source). You are not required to answer the questions in order.
For our first game, we will say replies can be up to two sentences. Normally I would prefer one sentence, but I'm trying to compensate for what is expected to be a low turnout. You can reply however you wish (feel free to be a cheeky bugger), but answering the question in some fashion is the preferred method.
I would like to stress that you need not be a creative genius to answer or participate (Lord knows I won't take credit for having even a modicum of creativity). This is supposed to be a bit of light-hearted fun with the intention of improving our skills, not practice in critically analyzing our abilities. Please, feel free to participate no matter where you estimate your own skill. With that being said, criticism aimed at anything less than constructive will not be tolerated.
Here is what the first stage of the game looks like:
1. What is your favorite brand of cereal?
User_Bob's answer: Shredded Wheat
2. Where is your favorite place to eat cereal?
User_Jill's answer: In a box, with a fox.
3. Etc., etc.
Once all the questions have been answered, the goal will be to construct a story out of the answers. Stories are not required to be coherent, but if playing with things like conjugation and continuity is your style, go for it. There is something to be said for the challenge of keeping the original reply relatively intact though. Any user may participate here, even ones that did not submit a reply to a question. Each user will write their own text. Asking for advice or criticism is fine here.
Standards/Assurances for your text:
You must incorporate all replies
You may only have up to two sentences that do not include concepts from the replies between each sentence based on a reply (this includes dialogue!)
You may combine replies into one sentence
You may incorporate the replies into a text of any genre, e.g., poetry, blog post, flash fiction, grocery list, letter to your distant aunt
There is no length requirement (They can be as short as little blurbs or as long as you think you can get away with)
First, second, or third person is acceptable
Example of synthesizing replies into text
T'was a dark and stormy night. Awake at an ungodly hour, Bob was rummaging through his pantry to find a bit of comfort in his favorite cereal, shredded wheat. It had become his favorite cereal due to an experience he shared with a fox in a box during his youth. etc., etc.
Play with the information, experiment by stretching the replies. Take it and make it your own.
Why should you participate? Besides gaining my undying affection and a possible write up of my adulation for your text, you should participate because you want to: write in a stress free environment that fosters the creative process, have fun, and because the winner of each exercise will host and select and the questions for the next round. That's right there is a bit of competition!
A week after all questions have been answered, all stories will be due for voting. The host will then create a thread specifically for the voting and discussing of all stories submitted. The poll will last an additional week and after that, the host must contact the winner to let him/her know that they have won and will now have the honor/burden of hosting the next thread.
Hosts may not submit a text that is eligible for competition, although I would encourage hosts to participate for the sake of fun.
If you would like your text withheld from contention, just post a bold reminder at the beginning of the original post you write it in (or in the title of your post). There is no shame in abstaining, as the goal of this exercise is fun.
To be honest, the goal of the competition is to make it so, in the eventuality that this game has any sort of longevity, I am not stuck hosting it every time. This part of the game of course requires the kind people of the forum to pick up this game and run away with it. ; )
So without further delay, here are this rounds questions:
1. What is your name?
Zelderex's reply: "I am the Great Giljulio." 2. Are you a barbarian or are you aristocratic?
Gelf's Reply: It is clear that you are a barbarian to ask such an ill-bred question! I do not think I could be described as either barbarian or aristocrat, for it is all relative you see? To the barbarian I am a resplendent aristocrat, privileged with wealth beyond imagining. To the aristocrat I am but a filthy barbarian, merry in my squalor with naught worth having to my name. No sirrah! I am neither, but you may know me as a bard, if it suits you to place me into such a limiting category. 3. What kind of weapon do you wield?
BlippyTheSlug's reply:
A need for weapons, I have none
I make do with silver tongue
And rapier wit
Should situation fit
Music hath charms to soothe a savage beast
Be merry! Drink! Feast! 4. From where do you hail?
Crusible's Reply: I hail from the sky, like boulders of ice, crushing all beneath me! 5. How many people have you slain?
Ophidian Eye's Reply: None, but I sat on a donkey once.
Reply: It is clear that you are a barbarian to ask such an ill-bred question! I do not think I could be described as either barbarian or aristocrat, for it is all relative you see? To the barbarian I am a resplendent aristocrat, privileged with wealth beyond imagining. To the aristocrat I am but a filthy barbarian, merry in my squalor with naught worth having to my name. No sirrah! I am neither, but you may know me as a bard, if it suits you to place me into such a limiting category.
Since it has been a week, I am invoking my emergency powers as host (that I totally didn't just make up) to answer the last question so we can move onto the next phase.
Question Five: How many men have you slain?
Answer: None, but I sat on a donkey once.
Then next phase of this process is to synthesize all the answers into a text. Submissions will be posted in this thread. After one week, I'll create a new thread that links to the stories for voting.
Happy writing : )
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It is finals week here and I'm feeling a fit of procrastination coming on, but that doesn't mean I can't make distraction work in my favor. I have never been a large fan of freewriting as a technique for breaking writers block or generating inspiration, but I am fond of games, specifically "creative writing exercises." I would like to introduce you to, or reacquaint you with, one of my favorite group exercises.
The game is simple, the host (me in this case) will post a series of related questions (we will start off with five for this first round, due to the expectation of a low turn-out). One user, who has yet to reply to a question, will post their reply. The reply will be added to the first post and the question will be crossed off the list (one question= one answer from one source). You are not required to answer the questions in order.
For our first game, we will say replies can be up to two sentences. Normally I would prefer one sentence, but I'm trying to compensate for what is expected to be a low turnout. You can reply however you wish (feel free to be a cheeky bugger), but answering the question in some fashion is the preferred method.
I would like to stress that you need not be a creative genius to answer or participate (Lord knows I won't take credit for having even a modicum of creativity). This is supposed to be a bit of light-hearted fun with the intention of improving our skills, not practice in critically analyzing our abilities. Please, feel free to participate no matter where you estimate your own skill. With that being said, criticism aimed at anything less than constructive will not be tolerated.
Here is what the first stage of the game looks like:
1.
What is your favorite brand of cereal?User_Bob's answer: Shredded Wheat
2.
Where is your favorite place to eat cereal?User_Jill's answer: In a box, with a fox.
3. Etc., etc.
Once all the questions have been answered, the goal will be to construct a story out of the answers. Stories are not required to be coherent, but if playing with things like conjugation and continuity is your style, go for it. There is something to be said for the challenge of keeping the original reply relatively intact though. Any user may participate here, even ones that did not submit a reply to a question. Each user will write their own text. Asking for advice or criticism is fine here.
Standards/Assurances for your text:
Example of synthesizing replies into text
Play with the information, experiment by stretching the replies. Take it and make it your own.
Why should you participate? Besides gaining my undying affection and a possible write up of my adulation for your text, you should participate because you want to: write in a stress free environment that fosters the creative process, have fun, and because the winner of each exercise will host and select and the questions for the next round. That's right there is a bit of competition!
Hosts may not submit a text that is eligible for competition, although I would encourage hosts to participate for the sake of fun.
If you would like your text withheld from contention, just post a bold reminder at the beginning of the original post you write it in (or in the title of your post). There is no shame in abstaining, as the goal of this exercise is fun.
To be honest, the goal of the competition is to make it so, in the eventuality that this game has any sort of longevity, I am not stuck hosting it every time. This part of the game of course requires the kind people of the forum to pick up this game and run away with it. ; )
So without further delay, here are this rounds questions:
1. What is your name?Zelderex's reply: "I am the Great Giljulio."
2. Are you a barbarian or are you aristocratic?Gelf's Reply: It is clear that you are a barbarian to ask such an ill-bred question! I do not think I could be described as either barbarian or aristocrat, for it is all relative you see? To the barbarian I am a resplendent aristocrat, privileged with wealth beyond imagining. To the aristocrat I am but a filthy barbarian, merry in my squalor with naught worth having to my name. No sirrah! I am neither, but you may know me as a bard, if it suits you to place me into such a limiting category.
3. What kind of weapon do you wield?BlippyTheSlug's reply:
A need for weapons, I have none
I make do with silver tongue
And rapier wit
Should situation fit
Music hath charms to soothe a savage beast
Be merry! Drink! Feast!
4. From where do you hail?Crusible's Reply: I hail from the sky, like boulders of ice, crushing all beneath me!
5. How many people have you slain?Ophidian Eye's Reply: None, but I sat on a donkey once.
Reply: I am the Great Giljulio
Join the Poetry Running Contest!
Reply: It is clear that you are a barbarian to ask such an ill-bred question! I do not think I could be described as either barbarian or aristocrat, for it is all relative you see? To the barbarian I am a resplendent aristocrat, privileged with wealth beyond imagining. To the aristocrat I am but a filthy barbarian, merry in my squalor with naught worth having to my name. No sirrah! I am neither, but you may know me as a bard, if it suits you to place me into such a limiting category.
I hail from the sky, like boulders of ice, crushing all beneath me!
like pen pencil computer
sometimes prolific
sometimes a neuter
Question Five: How many men have you slain?
Answer: None, but I sat on a donkey once.
Then next phase of this process is to synthesize all the answers into a text. Submissions will be posted in this thread. After one week, I'll create a new thread that links to the stories for voting.
Happy writing : )