[Discussions] WOW #4 - June 2016

[Ignis]

Well, my idea is more of many people making their writings from the same source, so it's more of 'finding out how the destinations can differ'...? (Technically, it's not my idea either, since I used to get those kinds of questions for compositions in my English exams :P)

Hmm, what kind of source would this be? Do you have an example in mind? Is it like making a complete story based on a given premise, something like this, maybe?

A was a thirteen-year-old orphan who had lost his parents three years back due to a civil war. While the war had now subsided, A was having problems getting by. He'd rather not stay at the nearby orphanage because he saw in there some people who had been involved in the siege on his town. He turned to a band of thieves and cutthroats to make a living. Give A a name and personality, and expand on his life.

 

[srebro]

Oh, do you happen to know about my biases? Have I ever made them public somewhere?

I know nothing, aside from everything I've read nyah~

Spoiler: Mou!

 

[Ignis]

I know nothing, aside from everything I've read nyah~

Spoiler: Mou!

It may be hard to believe by the avatars I tend to use, but I actually am not so much into moeblobs ;) Chibi yes, moeblobs no.

It's not the kind of bias that you can easily insert in a short story that contains just words, anyway. At least not without making people wonder whether you're a bilingual Japanese expatriate or just a weeb :P

---

More importantly: I've changed the poll entirely as I'm still not sure what we should have for the next round. To regurgitate the poll description, we've got four options:

1. Make it like usual. I'll decide the theme, but of course, I welcome all suggestions. Don't be shy to speak up if you've got an idea.
   
   
2. Go with Jaxx's suggestion. I'll decide not just the theme but the premise. I'll write a short paragraph that you can either directly incorporate into your story as the starting paragraph or rephrase and expand it to better fit your own style. Please see the paragraph in italic I wrote two posts above for an example.
   
   
3. No theme. Freedom! Feel free to write whatever you want as long as it's fiction (doesn't have to be fictional if you so choose, but fiction as in the genre) and conforms with the other rules (no hot-button topics, etc).
   
   
4. Something entirely different. Got ideas?

Whichever way it is, there'll be no word limit from now on. At least as long as I'm the host.

I'm sorry for nagging your attention, but can I have your opinions and/or votes once more? [MENTION=35259]Leggy[/MENTION]; [MENTION=65000]ancer_nyaa[/MENTION]; [MENTION=125499]8Laelia8[/MENTION]; [MENTION=125617]Gamerguy[/MENTION]; [MENTION=8332]samyeung46[/MENTION]; [MENTION=122350]Velenora[/MENTION]; [MENTION=97625]JaxxBlaxx[/MENTION]; [MENTION=87]Frankincense[/MENTION]; [MENTION=116555]Rain Summerfields[/MENTION]; [MENTION=21095]pingtoryan[/MENTION]; [MENTION=126035]Holler[/MENTION]; [MENTION=93615]aienma[/MENTION];

 

[Ghost Kitty~]

[MENTION=2]Ignis[/MENTION]; No votes but says I already voted ;p

 

[Ignis]

[MENTION=2]Ignis[/MENTION]; No votes but says I already voted ;p

Derp. Sorry. Guess that's what happens when you edit an existing poll. Redid from scratch―try again, please?

 

[Frankincense]

Anything is fine with me. But you seem to have already thought of a theme for the next one, so I'll go with 1.

I like the idea of having a predefined character or setting as a theme instead of a keyword. Maybe we can have that some time in the future. Just have to be careful not to decide too many things for the writers.

Option 3 would give the writers the most freedom, but a contest without a governing theme wouldn't be as fun, and I assume it will be hard for the judges too. We can have it but maybe only once in a big while, like once a year.

 

[pingtoryan]

My friend who taught me to draw told me to compose a story from a predefined character once...in something like 15-30 min. I did cranked it out. Could be interesting to be done from time to time...

But on second thought...I think sticking with the usual might be a better idea at the moment...

 

[Ignis]

Yeah, we can always have different styles from time to time, like a normal round next month and a premise-based round the month after. I'll just see how the poll goes for now and make the majority votes the style for the July round.

Anything is fine with me. But you seem to have already thought of a theme for the next one, so I'll go with 1.

Actually, no, I don't have anything fixed in my mind yet. I've thought of several possibilities, yes, but I'm nowhere near decided.

 

[Ghost Kitty~]

Similar thoughts to frank with a mix of the three. The free write should be the rarest of the three though perhaps more than once a year. The essay format might be more difficult to write poems for than a theme, so perhaps that should also appear less.

 

[Velenora]

I do prefer the usual, but similarly to what Frank and Samy said, it'd be interesting to incorporate all three options into WOW, with option 2 and 3 only occurring once in a while. I'm kind of curious as to how the no theme one would be judged though, since the past WOWs have been judged on how well we represented the theme in our entries.

 

[JaxxBlaxx]

Hmm, what kind of source would this be? Do you have an example in mind? Is it like making a complete story based on a given premise, something like this, maybe?

A was a thirteen-year-old orphan who had lost his parents three years back due to a civil war. While the war had now subsided, A was having problems getting by. He'd rather not stay at the nearby orphanage because he saw in there some people who had been involved in the siege on his town. He turned to a band of thieves and cutthroats to make a living. Give A a name and personality, and expand on his life.

I was initially thinking more on the simple terms of constructing a story continuing from a single sentence - something like: "Write a story starting/ending with the following sentence: 'What lies beyond my eyes was surely something that exceeds man's imagination.' "

A premise is also a good idea, but I think it may be slightly more restricting (which is good in its own way too). I feel that a mix, as others have suggested, is a nice way to go.

 

[srebro]

Ignis, I'm not one to have negative opinions on people unless they prove to me they deserve to be punished.

So for a second I actually thought you were like king Arthur who summoned the knights of Camelot to this thread but then I thought…

Derp.

Ignis is definitely just a dopey and gullible sensei. Hmmm…guess I’ll never know, my imagination doesn't run that wild.

Well I'm eagerly waiting on what the result and theme will be for the new month, in the mean time while I'm being unproductive and not studying for exams I'll go cause trouble and procrastinate elsewhere.

Hayaku dopey sensei~

 

[Ignis]

Thanks for all the input! Based on your suggestions so far, it seems like most would rather have the regular style as the routine with options 2 and 3―seemingly considered interesting but more difficult or limiting, like a challenge of sorts―appearing once in a while.

The essay format might be more difficult to write poems for than a theme, so perhaps that should also appear less.

True. A premise-based format isn't really intended for poems unless you intend to write a story in the format of a poem like my entry for the previous round. Whether or not it's more difficult, it's definitely less poem-like.

Thanks for participating again!

I'm kind of curious as to how the no theme one would be judged though, since the past WOWs have been judged on how well we represented the theme in our entries.

I'm thinking of going with a system not unlike movie reviews with focus on things like plot and characters. Theme consideration is going to be one of those, and I can simply exclude that for the rounds that'll have a free theme.

I was initially thinking more on the simple terms of constructing a story continuing from a single sentence - something like: "Write a story starting/ending with the following sentence: 'What lies beyond my eyes was surely something that exceeds man's imagination.' "

Ah, I see. Fair enough; it's less limiting than what I proposed. However, it's not much different from the usual. You know how in the entry threads I (followed by KK) write a catchphrase first and then blabber a bit before then declaring the theme? Everything is meant to give a picture of what the theme's like, with the catchphrase (the first sentence in red, not the quotes from famous writers) in particular acting like the rhetoric part of an allegory.

Ignis is definitely just a dopey and gullible sensei. Hmmm…guess I’ll never know, my imagination doesn't run that wild.

Of course I'm not Arthur. For one, I have no intention to 'save' England, whether in a medieval era or in the current political climate. :P I don't know what image you initially had of me, but me being derpy isn't very far from me in real life. I'm not proud to admit it, but I can be a real klutz at times.

Entry for #4 now closed~

 

[Velenora]

I'm thinking of going with a system not unlike movie reviews with focus on things like plot and characters. Theme consideration is going to be one of those, and I can simply exclude that for the rounds that'll have a free theme.

Oh okay, that makes sense. Thanks for clarifying :)

 

[Leggy]

Hi all!

Sorry it so long to get back. The short story is that I haven't had a computer for over two weeks. The long story is found in the Discussion Forum, in Computer Nightmares!

Short story, long story... here's the poem.

My computer died,
I cried, I cried,
Now I'm back,
And that's a fact.



Seriously, if it's not too late, The normal format is fun. Give us a theme, and let us explore it, each in our unique way.

 

[Ignis]

Sorry to hear what happened to you. I think it's something most people have had and can relate to. Hope everything's okay now.

Seriously, if it's not too late, The normal format is fun. Give us a theme, and let us explore it, each in our unique way.

Nah, it's not too late. The new round's up now (I'll have the appraisal/judging post up sometime later), but I'll keep this thread open in case those I mentioned but haven't seen it want to give an input or vote on the poll. For normal discussions, though, please head to the new discussion thread.

What you said was helpful―putting it this way makes me see the charm in the usual format. Thanks! You're right: that each person explores and interprets a theme differently according to her own spectacles is itself interesting.

 

[srebro]

To open our perceptions and views as well as learning, perhaps Sensei or the winner of WoW can set a little side quest (non-compulsory or whatever) for all the participants to complete for every month.

For example:

- If you haven't been to the museum find something peculiar and tell us why you find it interesting.
Or
- Go buy your favourite snack and tell us why you like it.

Bonus points for pics or it didn't happen, but respecting everyone's privacy they don't need to take pics. Anywho just a suggestion to make it physically fun

 

[Ignis]

To open our perceptions and views as well as learning, perhaps Sensei or the winner of WoW can set a little side quest (non-compulsory or whatever) for all the participants to complete for every month.

For example:

- If you haven't been to the museum find something peculiar and tell us why you find it interesting.
Or
- Go buy your favourite snack and tell us why you like it.

Bonus points for pics or it didn't happen, but respecting everyone's privacy they don't need to take pics. Anywho just a suggestion to make it physically fun

I'm... not sure. That sounds like totally outside the scope of the competition. I can see how it could be fun, but it's something that belongs more in the realm of general chat/discussions with other members, like in the LPW or just ordinary threads. I take it your goal is to create a venue for people to improve their writing skills based on everyday occurrences or common experiences. If that sounds familiar to anyone, that's because blogging has been around for several millennia now. :P

 

[srebro]

I'm... not sure. That sounds like totally outside the scope of the competition.

...I take it your goal is to create a venue for people to improve their writing skills based on everyday occurrences or common experiences. If that sounds familiar to anyone, that's because blogging has been around for several millennia now. :P

No no Sensei! Shall my girl heart tell you what it really wants to say?

Spoiler: Mindless Gibberish

Honestly, because I felt a bit miserable with the new topic and being couped up with many other things. I felt my mind was being very closed minded and isolated from the world. So the suggestion really is a ‘non-compulsory’ challenge that someone can set, we don’t necessarily have to write about it as long as we’ve experienced it, that’s what matters.

To grow a person one should challenge themselves. Writers may come at a road block because they stay within their comfort zone. It would be nice if someone could set a challenge that someone has not experienced before. To engage participates they can choose to discuss it in the WoW discussions as opposed to taking the fun away to another thread. I feel it takes away the interest from WoW when you want to grow it.

Growing comes with new experiences, so I would hope someone would set a peculiar side-quest that would make me go out and see the world through their eyes.

Doesn’t Sensei like bittersweet things? How much more bittersweet can viewing something through someone else’s eyes be?

Technically yes, you got one of my venues right but interpretation of the mien not really. So why do I feel so crushed?!

/me runs away like a little girl but will hopefully come back.

But enough with my girly persuasions, I guess I’ll go read some blogs as you suggested *winks~

 

[Ignis]

Doesn’t Sensei like bittersweet things? How much more bittersweet can viewing something through someone else’s eyes be?

Yes, though not really in that sense. I don't see "viewing something through someone else's eyes" as inherently bittersweet. If that something involves the person whose eyes I'm seeing through enjoying a glass of parfait at a nice café, then it's just sweet, not bitter. :P

Also, I don't know what you've read about me, or how much you've stalked me, or what conclusions you've drawn about me, but I've been noticing you make all those "girly" references―are they supposed to be some winky winky nudgy nudgy of some sort?

In any case, feel free to do so, really. I'm not really the type that enjoys telling others about myself or my life, and I'd rather not instruct others to do what I myself don't enjoy doing (unless they're my slaves, of course). If you'd like to write something based on anything outside the WOW itself, feel free to. We can discuss it extensively if you wish in or outside the discussion thread.

 

[srebro]

[MENTION=2]Ignis[/MENTION];

One only makes girly references if they are a girl.

Like all other people, the winking was a bribe to make you agree with my suggestions.

My suggestion was an earnest idea worded in a way to miscontrue. It referred to other participants not just yourself.

Like all suggestions they aren't made to be set in stone.

In terms of stalking you I just read your profile, assumed you were a boy and played games with your mind.
I have no interest in being a stalker although playing mind games, yes I don't mind.

But I guess I see your point, jokes get old so I will stop.

 

[Ignis]

One only makes girly references if they are a girl.

[...]

In terms of stalking you I just read your profile, assumed you were a boy and played games with your mind.
I have no interest in being a stalker although playing mind games, yes I don't mind.

But I guess I see your point, jokes get old so I will stop.

Are you saying that you're a girl, then? If so, good―if not, that's also equally good :)

I'm a man. There's a whole world of difference between the two. :P Anyway, in case there was any confusion, I didn't mind the jokes. I was just curious as to where you came from as it felt like you were making references, winking and nudging and hinting at something, something I wasn't sure what. That's all.

For your suggestion, it's not a bad one at all. As I stated, I can see how it could help people improve (and probably also get themselves to know each other better in the process, that sort of thing?), just like how blogging can help (and, from what I've read, has helped many) improve writing and communication skills. If someone (you?) decides to start something like that with relation to the WOW, I may join in; I just won't count on myself to start it. Sorry if there was any misunderstanding.

 

[srebro]

Are you saying that you're a girl, then? If so, good―if not, that's also equally good :)

Am I? Did I forget to mention I'm a devious Joker who likes to speak in riddles?

Like most authors who go by secret pen names we can leave it to the reader to decide who the author is or what gender they are, it makes the reader less pretentious that way.

Theoretically I think my suggestion is actually a bad idea. Let's say I proposed that everyone try invoke a childhood memory by climbing a tree. Who knows how tall the tree may be or if the branch will break. Not to mention they might be an incompetent climber and get detained for being a public nuisance

Besides my point I don't see myself taking any initiative right now, I was actually relying on someone else to do my bidding. I'm actually tired of making suggestions for now zzz...

In terms of where I came from, I actually got bored spamming in other threads before I stumbled upon this thread. I was just contributing a writing piece because it seemed sad this competition would disappear. After a while I thought I'd be a little mischievous and try influence you into giving me one of those shiny diamonds.

Anyway, things are to be expected when you word things into silly sentences to test a grown man's patience. So I must apologise because I caused the misunderstandings to come about in the first place.

In reality you will never get me to apologise so easily, so now we're even.

 

[Ignis]

Am I? Did I forget to mention I'm a devious Joker who likes to speak in riddles?

Like most authors who go by secret pen names we can leave it to the reader to decide who the author is or what gender they are, it makes the reader less pretentious that way.

Theoretically I think my suggestion is actually a bad idea. Let's say I proposed that everyone try invoke a childhood memory by climbing a tree. Who knows how tall the tree may be or if the branch will break. Not to mention they might be an incompetent climber and get detained for being a public nuisance

[...]

Anyway, things are to be expected when you word things into silly sentences to test a grown man's patience. So I must apologise because I caused the misunderstandings to come about in the first place.

In reality you will never get me to apologise so easily, so now we're even.

That could be a selling point; though, much like how pedantry rarely helps make friends, phrasing words in a convoluted manner on purpose isn't something I'd recommend in everyday interactions. Unless, of course, you happen to make a living as a speech writer or a corporate fast-talker. :P

The problem with having people invoke their memories relating to certain subjects is that we don't know what kind of memories they have on a given subject. Taken to the extreme, your example of tree-climbing activities could've been a traumatic experience for someone in the past. Even without that, everyone has bad days every now and then, on which it's probably better for them not to write about how their day was, as it could easily devolve into something more resembling or a blog or social media post.

That's what I meant by my "blogging has been around for millennia" comment earlier.

Anyway, don't worry about that. Miscommunications are quite common, especially on the Internet where people are reduced into text and emoticons. As long as they're actually miscommunications, all is well. (If they were deliberately orchestrated, though, you probably picked a wrong target. :P)

 

[srebro]

phrasing words in a convoluted manner on purpose isn't something I'd recommend in everyday interactions. Unless, of course, you happen to make a living as a speech writer or a corporate fast-talker. :P

What!! How'd you know my secret to success?!

Anyway for me, I don't really need a predefined list to know a friend from a foe, much like how I don't use flattery in forming relationships.

Aside from my random flattery in spam.

In reality I am already a social butterfly of the corporate world. I have no lack of pompous soirees in this world that I actually prefer being alone sometimes. It's quiet refreshing speaking with you as you are (sometimes), because it's like I'm reading a dictionary. There's just truth and openness for interpretation. But then again don't let my corporate debauchery and hypocrisy fool you.

For some reason all this feels like Deja Vu... anyway thanks for your clarification on your point of view.

I'll give you credit for you advice though because one of the old ladies in my office likes my poetry, I won't deny it was a pleasant feeling to witness happiness on another person's face when they read my writing. I no longer have a desire or fascination for that diamond as I have a better reward than a piece of rock.