A question to the forum admin

Rubecula

I am not sure about others in here but I really do enjoy reading other people's work. It is a great joy to me to see how other people think.

Anyway the Arena gave me an idea. (I have not tried to take part in that as I enjoy reading the efforts of others)

The idea is as follows. So many talented people who in a few short words can express a great story. Why not combine them?

How do you combine them? Well how about this as an idea. Someone posts an original theme (Western, Romance, Sci Fi whatever.) Then posts about 600 words or less a short story. The next poster continues the story AS THEY SEE FIT with a further 600 word story, and so on until the story reaches a certain limit (not sure what limit we could set as yet Number of posts, number of words or whatever. Although a never ending story would be fine too if you can be bothered to read it all the way through.

If anything really magical comes up perhaps Boards.ie could sell it for charity or something. Every author would have to post on the understanding that their work may be sold in this way though.

It would be a way to work as a team, and to enjoy a spot of writing. I have read books that were written in this way.

Das Kitty

You wouldn't need mod approval for this (well, I shouldn't think you would).

It's something I've done before with one other person (over and back), and we came up with something half decent. I think what worked most about it was that our styles weren't a million miles away from each other and our ideas, whilst different, were in the same universe. :pac:

It can be fun, but I think people can have their own vision and try to steer the ship in one direction and the next person comes along and throws the ship onto the rocks.

I'd be interested, provided it's soon.

Rubecula

Gaah I just typed out a long meandering post in reply and then closed the page instead of posting. DOH!!!

Anyway Thank you DK

I was thinking that some ground rules would need to be applied to keep the story/stories making sense. They may just be linked in some way if folks wanted to try something different I suppose. Anyway so far I have thought of the following:

Type of story (fixed)
Main character (optional to mention main character but keep him/her in mind)
Do not change things simply for the idea of changing them (For example the story is about the Hurling final we don't want to suddenly be in a hospital ward dealing with an outbreak of rabies .... UNLESS it is based on the Hurling final)
Try not to contradict a previous post. (If it is a fine sunny day it can not also be pouring with rain or in the midst of a winter blizzard)

Any other ideas we could use?

Would you like to start it off as you have the experience or woul you like me to begin?

Das Kitty

We'll see if any more hop on board first.

Please don't let it be about GAA though. Torture. :pac:

Rubecula

I know nothing about GAA I was just using it as an example.

But yes I would like to have as many folks as possible join in.

El Guapo!

Bagsy not following Agent Weebleys input. :P

Rubecula

rofl

Agent Weebley

Er, that was me doing the sporadic "thanking."

I merely like the idea of an RPG in sheep's clothing - and to be quite frank, I don't think I'm up to writing the Spectacular Fails that Agent Weebley is so fond of teasing you with.

Agent Weebley

I felt bad about the paragraph I deleted when I last posted. I don't normally do that, but there were extenuating circumstances, which brings me to me hoping you're all enjoying the sunshine! We, on the other hand, had 126mm (5 in) of rain on Monday night, which played havoc with us "Torontonians" on Monday night and yesterday.

Agent Weebley was in the middle of momentarily leaving you Skyscrapers to go talk to another set of Skyscrapers. This could explain the jump in views (new people viewing your AbFab stories here on boards . . .as well as Lug Nutz.)

He is revealing quite a bit of information to Sheffielders about what we are doing here on boards.ie, the Sevenstone non-project, and his connection to Leah's Yard. OK Go (but come back after . . .)

smcgiff

Is it proposed that members put themselves forward for the next 600 words and -arena like- the most thanked gets approved for inclusion. That way you'd need two threads, one being the competition thread and the other being the accepted story thread which wouldn't allow other comments. Actually maybe another thread for suggested editing to the accepted story thread.

Or will be the case that the next 600 words are allocated to someone and accepted?

Das Kitty

I reckon keep it simple. This thread for discussion and logistics, a new thread for the story.

Keep it light and low pressure for participants I reckon. We should probably just take turns.

What thinks you, Rubecula? Want to get going? I'll go second if there are no dissenters. :pac:

Rubecula

Yes I was thinking the thread for the story will be purely for posting stories.

Right now I have the germ of a starter post. I want to put in a location or scenario that will accomodate as many styles as possible, humour, romance, historical, horror, fantasy, thriller, and so on. It is not so easy to come up with as I originally thought.

Would a medieval/renaissance style city do do you think? Possibly something a bit mediterranean? I think that could accept as many different genres as possible?

Obviously to avoid any restraints on the author the city will be totally fictional.

Everybody will be free to introduce their own main characters and to write a story in suiting with what they personally like writing. Such as the above list of genres.


Well that is the basic idea. Any opinions?

Agent Weebley

Rubecula wrote: »

Yes I was thinking the thread for the story will be purely for posting stories.

Right now I have the germ of a starter post. I want to put in a location or scenario that will accomodate as many styles as possible, humour, romance, historical, horror, fantasy, thriller, and so on. It is not so easy to come up with as I originally thought.

Would a medieval/renaissance style city do do you think? Possibly something a bit mediterranean? I think that could accept as many different genres as possible?

Obviously to avoid any restraints on the author the city will be totally fictional.

Everybody will be free to introduce their own main characters and to write a story in suiting with what they personally like writing. Such as the above list of genres.


Well that is the basic idea. Any opinions?

Hi Rubecula. I see you are back in fine form. Glad you're back.

How about Toboso as a city? Rather moorish, I know, but chivalry is alive and kicking last time I looked, and it would give the story a little skeletal help.

Das Kitty

Sounds good to me, Rubecula. Make it so!

Agent Weebley

Das Kitty wrote: »

Sounds good to me. Make it so!

Judging by the timing of your post, Das Kitty, I would assume thee was answering Rubecula, and not my humble post?

Rubecula

I will post an initial story tomorrow (Saturday)

Agent Weebley It looks promising but I do not wish to contravene copyrights. Especially as the rights to the story will be held by Boards.ie and I certainly don't want to drop them in the poo over it.

Anyway check the post tomorrow and see what you think then.

Agent Weebley

Rubecula wrote: »

I will post an initial story tomorrow (Saturday)

Agent Weebley It looks promising but I do not wish to contravene copyrights. Especially as the rights to the story will be held by Boards.ie and I certainly don't want to drop them in the poo over it.

Anyway check the post tomorrow and see what you think then.

Hi Rubecula,

What project Gutenberg says is alright by me . . . public domain

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/996

Ole!

Having said that, in no way would I want to do anything other than use the moorish mood of the reaction to Miguel's most curious and eerie parody of the all too common shallow knightliness of other writers at the time of his writing it. His depth of knightliness was sick . . . no, phat.

Speaking of phat: for example, one could change Sancho's name a tad, and have people go all "Poe's Law" on one's head over it, meanwhile . . . it was just a joke to be tied in at a later time when convenient, such as here.

And Miguel knew exactly how to combat copyright infringement . . . write part 2 and kill Don Quixote at the end!

But it was just a suggestion . . .

Rubecula

I have it worked out in my own head now anyway, but thanks Agent Weebley

Rubecula

Well that went well didn't it. I am sorry if it caused some problems I will keep my crazy ideas in the realms of fiction from now on

Das Kitty

Sorry, I got a bit ill over the weekend. Don't write it /me off yet.

Rubecula

Aw DK I may have made it a bit difficult .

Das Kitty

Rubecula wrote: »

Aw DK I may have made it a bit difficult .

Got it read this morning and I already have an idea for an approach.

Rubecula

DK it is more important you get well, a story is just a story and can be done anytime

Das Kitty

Rubecula wrote: »

DK it is more important you get well, a story is just a story and can be done anytime

I'm afraid the only cure for my affliction is birth. :P

I'm feeling grand, just need to sit down and write.

Rubecula

Congratulations DK I didn't realise you were expecting. I suppose it is due to spending most of my time in Oulwans & Oulfellas, (and Paleontology) We are all oul fossils in there.

Carry on YOUNG Skywalker, may the force be with you.

Das Kitty

Heh heh. Active fertility is tiring.

I've written a bit but I need to read back over it tomorrow with daytime eyes before I post it.

Agent Weebley

Since I have deemed that a statute of limitations has been reached with Rubecula's story, I can now satisfy El Guapo's request, and safely post the last excerpt of the story, which will hopefully be the beginning . . . of something great!

I promised Rubecula a few days ago that I would give him a little prezzie for the one year anniversary of his health emergency and subsequent rebirth. Luckily, I did not promise the "when" part of my promise. That night, my furnace failed, and had to try to heat our home with a gas fireplace sans fan in the basement, and a regular wood fireplace in the living room. That proved to be a difficult task, since we have 5700 square feet to heat and the weather was dipping below minus 20C all last week. We now have heat, so it's time for me to put on some wood (write the story continuation.)

The story will begin with a nomadic Waite that has travelled from King Henry VIII's now failing kingdom (now called Wales [boyo bach]) and has happened upon the walled city of Francon in the warm part of somewhere in the Mediterranean. My central characters are "John Span," "Maddy" (called "Mad" for some reason,) and Maddy's far-too-young-for-her close companion: 31 year old "Drakula." The theme is loosely based on change (money,) and how Markus Drakus needs a bit of a head shake on his "ideas" about change, as a continuation of Rubecula's most fantastic beginning.

This story needs legs, so I will begin with John Span walking just outside the gates of Francon.

Now, I write . . .

Rubecula

I can not find the thread with the story in anymore, has it been deleted?

Agent Weebley

Rubecula wrote: »

I can not find the thread with the story in anymore, has it been deleted?

Nope. It's right here.

I've been working on the story in my head the past few days, and also wanted to give the ARENA some breathing room, so I wasn't in a panic to post anything.

So far I've written nothing down, but when I do, it will be lengthy . . . it feels like a novella already.

Rubecula

Thanks Weebs

No idea why I couldn't find it.

Agent Weebley

Rubecula wrote: »

Thanks Weebs

No idea why I couldn't find it.

No probs, Rubes. I had a hard time finding it, myself, after deciding it was time to write the "last" excerpt.

I'm chomping at the bit to actually write it, but need to keep it to 1000 words, including just a little back story, strong connection to money, a little verbiage to break up the text, a connection to your characters and "popo" ending. I should also have a (should I say it) "galvanising" ending to my little bit . . . yet still leaving it open for you to continue.

There. By George I got it! I now have my beginning . . . a popo lead off.

Hopefully I can make something up and push the button in the next few days.

Rubecula

Have fun with it, that was the general idea when I started it. I wanted to set a scene ANYBODY could write into.