Hey Finalists, come here, I wanna tell ya somethin

hapsburg

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We should have a thread that we can confer amongst eachother in. Let's face it, we all have our work cut out for us. Most, if not all of us, have day jobs and other writing activities and projects and now we have one week to produce a new unpublished work on a certain theme. One week to go from someone else's theme to a tightly realised piece of writing, I think we all can agree, is a challenge.

Add to that that we are all clearly good at what we do and ar in competition with one another. Pressure.

JDKIGGANS made an insightful remark in another thread about the number of views with no entries. None of us are stupid. Why enter early when we can have extra time to polish our craft? Why enter early if we might gain insight or inspiration from reading others works ahead of time? It makes sense to me and I'm sure I'm not the only one of us aware of that advantage.

So here's what I'm propossing. First and foremost I hope we can all support one another and treat this more as the opportunity that it is rather than a competition. Second, the readers are the voters, we're writing for them and should do our best work for them.

Along those lines, here's what I'm gonna do. I'm going to admit that I finished one possible entry last night, and I'm also going to tell you all other ideas I had for entries to maybe help you churn out some ideas of your own. You don't have to share your own thouhts on the theme, but you're welcome to read, comment, or even use mine.

"Crossroads" is pretty much the extent of our theme. I toiled with it in my mind for several days before it occurred to me how open that theme was. In any genre and in any form we need to show someone faced with a "major decsiion". It could be a carreer choice, it could be a choice of mates, it could be a first home purchase etc.

My first idea was based on a recent experience. Someone is faced with the decision of placing an elderly parent in a new home because that parent can no longer care for themselves. Its easy to relate to and has all kinds of opportunity for sentimentality and emmotional draw strings. I may return to that idea but for the moment have doubts about my ability to effectively and convincingly execute such an emmotional piece.

There are a number of "crossroads" in our local media, Terri Shivo or abortion for instance, but as a writer we're more likely to offend more people than we please, and it would be difficult to execute without coming off as heavy handed and moralistic, which readers often resent.

Horror, Sci-Fi, and fantasy have numerous possibilities for decisions with dire results, but because of length restrictions it would be difficult, i think, to invent a proper setting and host of characters while still having enough space left for the decision. Horror would be the most accesible of these three I believe, but its not the right theme for me, personally, to delve into horror at.

In daily life settings we could compose any number of scenarios with strange or coincidental or prolific consequences. the decision to not drive with your drunken friend at the wheel, or let them drive for instance. Many of these ideas are so common though that you have to strain your brain to avoid being cliche and actually surprise the reader. If I told you my piece was about almost deciding to drive drunk, would it come as any surprise to anyone in the free world that the ending of the piece will have some moralistic lesson about the dangers of drunk driving and possibly some emmotional experience of almost dying or losing a friend? (Don't get me wrong, it's a powerful and worthy message, but everyone says and knows it)

So I settled, (at this point in time) on a decision so simple it is almost unconcious for those that make it, with a main character so deluded he doesn't realise how obvious (to the rest of the world) the extreme and bizarre consequences will be that follow (consequences which are, themselves surreal if such a decision would or could be made).

I may return to the elderly parent idea. It touches me and I think it could make for good reading. But Im so tired and so busy this week I may stay with what I have. It's 2300 words waiting for a little more polishing before I hit submit.

How are you guys coming? I'm interested in your thoughts...
 

firehorse

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Hapsburg - thanks for starting this thread! I've been thinking the same thing - a support thread of our own - but I didn't have the guts to start one. There's been so much snarkiness on other threads that I love the idea of having one that's supportive of each other.

To be honest, though, I'm wary of sharing specific ideas. I think it's possible to support each other without revealing our trade secrets. In other words, maybe I'll tell you my brainstorming process, but I might not tell you all the ideas I came up with. Then again, I just posted a stream-of-consciousness brainstorm in another thread. It was SF/Fantasy oriented, and I... am not. I'm a Gemini. I'm going to change my mind constantly.

I'm pretty much down to two possibilities, but I've definitely got rabbit in the headlights syndrome. I've promised myself I will write a draft today, rather than just scribbling notes. One is an essay that would be easy to write, but a) I just wrote an essay, and b) it doesn't lend itself to a good structure. The second choice is a short story - an area in which I'm a total novice - that would be harder to write but would likely (if I can do it) be a stronger story. On the other hand, essays are my strong suit, so maybe I should play to my strengths...

I PMd Jenna to suggest that the voting be blind; we could each send our entries to a volunteer who would then post them without our names. Granted, we have distinct voices, but I'd really like to see this not turn into a popularity contest. What do you think about that?

Are any of you thinking about strategy? (Obviously, you don't have to answer) I find myself thinking about the demographics of the readers - age, gender, political leanings, etc. As you said, addressing controversial topics is a risk, but the topics themselves are so rich.

Acting teachers often tell their students to make a choice, commit to it and go at it wholeheartedly. We don't have a lot of time to start over if the initial commitment turns out to be weak, but I'm trying to follow that advice. GO FOR IT (I'm reminding myself and telling you guys!)

Cheers,
Sarah
 

DJP

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Hapsburg,
I like what you said. I'm all for a work together attitude instead of a compete against one. I'm definately not used to writing under pressure, and I know we all probably have busy lives. Some of your ideas sound great, and I'm intrigued by the mystery of your piece. I too, have a few ideas. I am worried about how 'common' they are, and I hope I can bring something new to them. I just started fleshing one out, but haven't finished the first draft. Some of my ideas include:
- a couple with different ideas about expanding their family
- a terrified mother trying to decide if she should homeschool or send her child who has a life threatening allergy to public school
- from a child's point of view, something about deciding to steal or not, lie or not, or something along those lines
- a cancer patient deciding to take or not take chemo
If anyone else has any suggestions they aren't using, please feel free to toss them out for us scavengers! If someone is interested in one of my ideas, please let me know so I don't do the same one. Thanks. -Darla
 

hapsburg

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Firehorse, I like the blind voting idea. Somewhere someone mentioned possible favoritism in the auditions. They likely meant it jokingly but I'm of the school of thought: where there is smoke there must have been a fire. IE they might trully feel that way to a certain degree. It was an ironic comment for me to come across, because this comp has been the primary outlet by which I am meeting people on the board. Prior, I only knew 2 members on the board, and neither were judges.


I've thought about strategy, but only briefly. i don't know enough about the demographics of our readership, and there's no idea whether that demograph will be the one that votes. I'm attempting to keep my piece something that will be accessible to nearly everyone I can. As to your dilema over essay of fiction: I'd say stick to your strong suit but try to do it differently than you did in your audition. I can't write romance so unless the theme demands it, I'm not going to take that risk. I'm going to try to keep what I write as something I enjoy writing.

DJP, I like your first two ideas best. The second about the allergy child is particularly interesting to me. It's not something I know enough about to write, but I would be interested in reading it.
 

hapsburg

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3-7, you must be a massochist. First judging and now this? :-O That's some serious dedication...
 

William Haskins

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just thought i'd pop in and say "hey"

cletus.jpg
 

firehorse

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William Haskins said:
"If you want to get rich from writing, write the sort of thing that's read by persons who move their lips when they're reading to themselves." - Don Marquis
:roll: :roll: :roll:
So sad, but so true!
 

pepperlandgirl

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The past few days have been so bizarre for me. First, I wrote about 1,000 words on an idea that blossomed from an on-going obsession. My husband told me the writing was fine, but would it really capture anybody who isn't me? He has a point. It's specialized enough that other people probably wouldn't find it as interesting as me, and people who might also care about this topic would probably just think of all the reasons why I clearly suck, so...

I switched ideas to something autobiographical. I am at a major crossroads in my life, and I have no idea what the hell to do with myself. I planned on going to grad school, but I've been rejected by all of them. It never occurred to me that I needed a job, it never occurred to me I'd still be living here come September, it never occurred to me that my dreams would die one by one. But then, that sort of thing would be fascinating to me...but to everybody else? So...

I came up with an idea that was based on traditional folklore surrounding the crossroads--that you could meet the devil there. It would have been metaphorical, about a writer. Semi-autobiographical, I guess. Nothing wrong with that idea, but I didn't get a chance to start it before something else came up.

In my creative writing course yesterday, we did a simple exercise. We looked at a painting and wrote the story or narrative of the painting. I liked the painting, I liked the page I finished, and decided to continue it. So I'm writing along, la la la, and all of a sudden, I think, "Holy ****! I don't know what it's about!" Now this is fine when I plan to write 80,000 words, not so good with 2,500 words. So I let my mind wander and...

I found my story. A story that I had initially planned last July and subsequently abandoned because I couldn't figure out how to start it. I had characters, a basic plot, a history, etc etc, all sitting around, uselessly.

This is not my typical MO. Now I'm torn between posting the story right away because OMG I'm so impatient, and sitting on it for as long as possible, because what if it really sucks and I just need a few days to see it?
 

jdkiggins

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I like the idea about blind postings as well. On the other hand, if one does decide to write a memoir and the name is in the piece, anonymity wouldn't work.

I've been battling with the crossroads; I'm not sure which direction I'll take.
Joanne

EDIT: I do have 1025 words so far, and I'm not changing my theme. :)
 

three seven

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William Haskins said:
"If you want to get rich from writing, write the sort of thing that's read by persons who move their lips when they're reading to themselves."

It shouldn't surprise anyone to learn that I do that. Can't concentrate otherwise.
 

William Haskins

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dissenting opinion

far be it for me to play devil's advocate, but i'm not particularly enthused about posting a significant chunk of writing on the internet without a by-line.

i won't fight it if everyone else wants to do the blind voting, but i would further suggest that, in similar fashion to american idol, as the weeks go by people form impressions based on the body of work, on the cumulative dynamic of the combined weeks.

and it would be hard to assess that if all works are posted anonymously.

just my initial thoughts. i may well have different opinions once my other personalities wake up from their nap.

-william
 

pepperlandgirl

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I agree with William. For good or bad, I would rather post under my name; however, I'm just stating my opinion, I'm not going to fight for this or anything. If the Powers that Be (or the majority of the finalists) choose to post blind, it's fine with me.
 

jdkiggins

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William Haskins said:
far be it for me to play devil's advocate, but i'm not particularly enthused about posting a significant chunk of writing on the internet without a by-line.

-william

William,

You're so good at being a devil! I said I liked their idea because of their concern of it turning into a popularity contest. I don't like to change rules in the middle of things, but I don't like to argue with people about it either. I'm flexible with most anything, so I tend to agree hastily. IMHO, I thought the finalists and HM lists were picked because of writing.

I would hope that our general public would vote with this same thought in mind. I don't consider myself popular. Hell, I leave dead threads everywhere I post. Having a thread to talk between finalists is great, but let's leave the personalities out of it. I'd lose for sure. :)

I also agree with William about the nature of fresh work having a byline.

Joanne
 

pepperlandgirl

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Heh, Joanne, we're all too polite and flexible for our own goods....

As for popularity--well, judging from post count, you're at least 10 times more recognizable than me! ;)
 

firehorse

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jdkiggins said:
IMHO, I thought the finalists and HM lists were picked because of writing.
I agree, but Sara, Three and Richard had no time (or motive) to think about anything but the writing itself.

jdkiggins said:
I would hope that our general public would vote with this same thought in mind. I don't consider myself popular. Hell, I leave dead threads everywhere I post. Having a thread to talk between finalists is great, but let's leave the personalities out of it. I'd lose for sure. :)
Oh, no, Joanne! I'm Typhoid Typist. I swear, I post to a thread and it dies. It's odd, because I perceive you as very popular. Me, not so much. I'm actually feeling extremely insecure on that front.

jdkiggins said:
I also agree with William about the nature of fresh work having a byline.
Also a good point. I hadn't thought of that. Depending how long the voting will take, though, could we balance the risk of having nameless pieces up for a day or two (after which our names would be attached to the pieces) versus the concern of personality-voting? If our names were attached after the voting, members could follow our body of work, albeit a week behind. Also, if anyone tried to rip off our material, we've got about 1500 witnesses who know that we created it. We could even do something like give AW the copyright for a week - maybe that doesn't make sense, but I'd bet there's a way around it.[/QUOTE]

Joanne, you are correct that blind postings might not work for essays/memoir (one of my ideas is very clearly mine); in addition, we each have identifiable voices. However, I'd still be more comfortable having the work stand (or fall) on its own. I do think there's a way to work around the byline issue.

I feel pretty strongly about this, but I'll go with the consensus, or lacking that, with Jenna's decision.
 

William Haskins

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another option:

we could check into having jenna hack all of our skulls open, throw our brains into a barrel and swish them around, and then stick them back in randomly.

just throwing ideas out there.
 

rhymegirl

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This is really a tough call. I want the judging to be as fair as possible. I want the readers to cast their votes based on the quality of the writing. Period. If that would mean blind voting, I'd have no problem with that.

On the other hand, when you think about it, the finalists on the show American Idol are not anonymous. The audience sees them, hears them, knows who they are. The voters are supposed to base their decisions on the quality of the singing. But as we all know, sometimes other factors are at work. Some American Idol voters may be influenced by someone's looks or personality, etc. I'm not saying that's fair; it's just the way people are.

So whatever the consensus is, it's fine with me.
 

three seven

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I actually also agree with Haskins (there's a first time for everything.)

I'm no expert in these matters, but wouldn't the copyright issue be avoided by virtue of the fact that a named and traceable copy of each entry would be lodged with AW anyway?
 

BlueTexas

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I've read the posts in this thread, each until it mentioned specific ideas, only because I don't want to be influenced until my entry's done, or tempted to change my mind about what I've begun (1200 words so far, btw).

I think this is a great idea for a thread. Just because we're competing doesn't mean we can't be friends ;) I thought about starting one this afternoon, but was also chicken.

I can see both sides to the anonymous postings...I thought it was a great idea until I read what William wrote about large chunks of new writing and the body of work. I'll go with the consensus.

I had a soul-sucking day at work today, and I have to tell you, the supportive spirit of this thread really made it better. Win or lose, I'm better for having been here. And for having a husband who saw my face when I came home and offered to go get dinner!

As to my entry, I've been so involved with my WIP that I can't get away from one character. So I spun him off and am giving him a 'crossroads' back story. Tomorrow I'll probably change my mind and do a personal essay about career changes!
 

jdkiggins

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William Haskins said:
we could check into having jenna hack all of our skulls open, throw our brains into a barrel and swish them around, and then stick them back in randomly.

just throwing ideas out there.

:roll: :hooray: I'm for that William. Sure then the body of my writing would still be there with no recognizable face or brain attached. But, then again, there is nothing recognizable in my brain. :) And the face--let's not even go there!
 

jdkiggins

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Quote:
Originally Posted by jdkiggins
IMHO, I thought the finalists and HM lists were picked because of writing.
posted by firehorse said:
I agree, but Sara, Three and Richard had no time (or motive) to think about anything but the writing itself.

Sarah, they took time extra time because they paid close attention to the writing itself.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jdkiggins

I would hope that our general public would vote with this same thought in mind. :) [/quote]

posted by firehorse said:
Oh, no, Joanne! I'm Typhoid Typist. I swear, I post to a thread and it dies. It's odd, because I perceive you as very popular. Me, not so much. I'm actually feeling extremely insecure on that front..

You finaled, why would you feel insecure about your writing now? I don't understand what good writing has to do with popularity. If someone doesn't like what I've presented in the weekly challenge, I don't expect or want his/her vote. I want each person to judge my writing, not me as a person. If I were capable, I would run around these boards acting very rude and obnoxious to people, in order to relieve your insecurities, but I'm not that way.

Sarah, your audition was wonderful. Don't begin doubting yourself at this point.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jdkiggins

I also agree with William about the nature of fresh work having a byline. [/quote]

posted by firehorse said:
Also a good point. I hadn't thought of that. Depending how long the voting will take, though, could we balance the risk of having nameless pieces up for a day or two (after which our names would be attached to the pieces) versus the concern of personality-voting? If our names were attached after the voting, members could follow our body of work, albeit a week behind. Also, if anyone tried to rip off our material, we've got about 1500 witnesses who know that we created it. We could even do something like give AW the copyright for a week - maybe that doesn't make sense, but I'd bet there's a way around it.
Joanne, you are correct that blind postings might not work for essays/memoir (one of my ideas is very clearly mine); in addition, we each have identifiable voices. However, I'd still be more comfortable having the work stand (or fall) on its own. I do think there's a way to work around the byline issue.
I feel pretty strongly about this, but I'll go with the consensus, or lacking that, with Jenna's decision..

Sarah, your audition stood on its own in the audition. Why can't it stand on its own now? You competed with 306 other entrants and now you're worried about 9? I don't understand.

I considered dropping out of this competition after this thread, because I don't want this to be a personality or popularity contest or have it made into one. After further consideration, I've decided to forge forward. I've worked too long and too hard not to write every day. I'm proud of every word I write not because I think it's always good, but because it takes heart, blood, sweat, and tears for me to write.

If the rules change now, so be it. I'm proud to be here and I'm proud and surprised I made the cut.

Hapsburg, you had a great idea in this thread.
To go along with your idea of working together, I thought I'd let you all know, I will be writing a memoir, and my name will be in it, so, if the decision is not to post bylines, then Jenna will need to decide if my entry will still qualify.

I don't have it in me to worry about this. Someone PM me when a decision is made, please.

Joanne
 

hapsburg

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Vig~ I feel like I'm missing something everytime I read one of your posts. I can't tell if you're serious or if I'm not in the loop on a joke.


As to voting, I can go either way.

Copyright doesn't concern me. I feel safer with it here than anywhere because here, not only is my authorship proven but the time of creation as well. Not to mention no one is going to bother to steal my work. they're not looking for it and they couldn't handle the rejections and would be too lazy to do the market research.

As to style/image. I see the point in as much as following a particular writer's style etc., but as to the American Idol thing, that's not annonymous because they're judging them on more than their voices, such as stage presence etc; whereas here, as I understand it, we're being judged on just writing.

I really have no preference though. Both arguments are valid to me.
 

hapsburg

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Joanne~


You posted during my last post. Don't you dare think about dropping out. You had a great piece, all of you did. I don't care how it's voted, whether its annonymous, or who wins, I'm in it to have fun and to practice the craft of writing and to learn as much as I can from you guys.