Weekly Creative Writing Class (WCWC)

lumberjim · 03-23-2004, 11:58 AM

Certain contributors to the cellar have demonstrated a decided eloquence with prose when they endeavor to impress or express. Therefore, I present you a rare opportunity to throw down with these gunslingers of the written word. These Men and Women of Letters. Each week on Thursday, I will post a new thread in this forum. The first post in each thread will be a creative writing assignment for you to complete at your leisure. There are no time limits, and grading is optional. You are welcome to critique the other writers, but be prepared to receive your lumps in turn. Suggestions for topics can be PM’d as they occur to you, and if I like it I will use it. I might even credit you.

Clodfobble · 03-23-2004, 01:11 PM

There was a book my mother had at some point called "A Wedding Cake in the Middle of the Road" or something like that. The premise of the book was that all these famous (or just published at some point, really) authors were asked to write a short story that could be in any style or about anything, as long as at some point, somewhere, it involved a wedding cake in the middle of the road.

It was a very enjoyable book, which I can directly attribute to two things: 1.) there was a length limit, which usually requires more skill than going on and on with one's adverby self, and 2.) the assignment was open enough that you could have very different and interesting takes on the same theme.

Supposing that those two things will be true of this thread, I would be very interested in reading it (maybe even writing, but I make no guarantees.)

lumberjim · 03-23-2004, 01:22 PM

Yup, fobble, that's the general idea. The first topic is up and ready.

jaguar · 03-24-2004, 10:33 AM

We need voting.

lumberjim · 03-24-2004, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jaguar
We need voting.

on what?

jaguar · 03-24-2004, 10:49 AM

Best entry on each thread. Then I realised that's kinda hard. If UT would allow me I could probably code something up to do it (needs a custom SELECT call, I'm not too familiar with VB but I doubt it's that different to every other package).

Maybe run it for a week, close it, then allow voting or something.

lumberjim · 03-24-2004, 11:04 AM

I'm on the fence about the whole grading, voting thing in here. It's so subjective. If you like a story, tell the writer so, if you hate it, blast them. I think you can start threads in this forum if you want, so if you'd like to start a poll or two about who is the best writer, go for it, but you might stir up some bad blood. I just hope people like this idea. There is not a lot of fiction being written in the cellar ( apart from the occasional embellishment) and I'm sure youz guys are capable. I some times get weary of politics and current events, and look forward to the stories people tell. They are typically personal experiences, and that's great, but fiction can be so much more fun. It depends upon people being comfortable enough to share their creativity, and having the time and energy to compose original works.

Think of it as a free way to have your work published.

maybe we could do other types of fiction, too. have at it.

Undertoad · 03-24-2004, 12:03 PM

We're going to be moving to vBulletin 3 sometime, and I'm guessing the tables will all change and any bolt-on code will break, so I would rather not get fancy with this.

lumberjim · 03-24-2004, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Undertoad
We're going to be moving to vBulletin 3 sometime, and I'm guessing the tables will all change and any bolt-on code will break, so I would rather not get fancy with this.

ok, that's two hints i've seen about vb3. is there an ETA for this?

What can you tell us about the "forumy goodness" that you mentioned?

Undertoad · 03-24-2004, 01:05 PM

It's a very nice improvement over what we have now, but it's still in beta testing and last I looked they weren't saying when it would actually be a proper release. One forum that I visit regularly uses it in Beta:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/index.php

So you see, it's not a revolution of features, mostly just nicer-looking.

lumberjim · 03-24-2004, 02:44 PM

another question.

last one, i promise.....maybe

When you make the switch, will all of the threads and posts carry over to the new software?

Undertoad · 03-24-2004, 04:23 PM

Most definitely

lumberjim · 04-14-2004, 04:07 PM

i'm very impressed with your talent. Interesting angles, excellent imagery. Thank you for contributing.

Griff · 04-14-2004, 07:30 PM

dear brother
I'll never understand
the life you took away
but the hurting and the tears
will leave me soon, now any day

I will recover
and this too will pass
if only you'd realised
in this life, nothings lasts

I will one day forget everything
I will forget every fact
I'm going to push you so far away
for such a selfish act

if in my dreams you haunt me
I wont recognise your face
you'll be a ghost without a name
and a love that's been replaced

She nailed this one, really painful.

lumberjim · 05-13-2004, 06:29 PM

WCWC DISCONTINUED DUE TO LACK OF INTERST

it's coming up on summer, and i expect that people's time ( including mine) is not as free for indoor activity as it is in the summer.

If you want to, go ahead and post a topic to write about, but i 'm kind of out of ideas at the moment. so i'm just letting you know that i will not be posting new assignments over the summer.

class dismissed. see you next school year.

03-23-2004, 11:58 AM	#1
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	Weekly Creative Writng Class (WCWC) Certain contributors to the cellar have demonstrated a decided eloquence with prose when they endeavor to impress or express. Therefore, I present you a rare opportunity to throw down with these gunslingers of the written word. These Men and Women of Letters. Each week on Thursday, I will post a new thread in this forum. The first post in each thread will be a creative writing assignment for you to complete at your leisure. There are no time limits, and grading is optional. You are welcome to critique the other writers, but be prepared to receive your lumps in turn. Suggestions for topics can be PM’d as they occur to you, and if I like it I will use it. I might even credit you. __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

03-23-2004, 01:22 PM	#3
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	Yup, fobble, that's the general idea. The first topic is up and ready. __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

03-24-2004, 10:33 AM	#4
jaguar whig Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 5,075	We need voting. __________________ Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life. - Twain

03-24-2004, 10:49 AM	#6
jaguar whig Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 5,075	Best entry on each thread. Then I realised that's kinda hard. If UT would allow me I could probably code something up to do it (needs a custom SELECT call, I'm not too familiar with VB but I doubt it's that different to every other package). Maybe run it for a week, close it, then allow voting or something. __________________ Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life. - Twain

03-24-2004, 11:04 AM	#7
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	I'm on the fence about the whole grading, voting thing in here. It's so subjective. If you like a story, tell the writer so, if you hate it, blast them. I think you can start threads in this forum if you want, so if you'd like to start a poll or two about who is the best writer, go for it, but you might stir up some bad blood. I just hope people like this idea. There is not a lot of fiction being written in the cellar ( apart from the occasional embellishment) and I'm sure youz guys are capable. I some times get weary of politics and current events, and look forward to the stories people tell. They are typically personal experiences, and that's great, but fiction can be so much more fun. It depends upon people being comfortable enough to share their creativity, and having the time and energy to compose original works. Think of it as a free way to have your work published. maybe we could do other types of fiction, too. have at it. __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

03-23-2004, 01:11 PM	#2
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	There was a book my mother had at some point called "A Wedding Cake in the Middle of the Road" or something like that. The premise of the book was that all these famous (or just published at some point, really) authors were asked to write a short story that could be in any style or about anything, as long as at some point, somewhere, it involved a wedding cake in the middle of the road. It was a very enjoyable book, which I can directly attribute to two things: 1.) there was a length limit, which usually requires more skill than going on and on with one's adverby self, and 2.) the assignment was open enough that you could have very different and interesting takes on the same theme. Supposing that those two things will be true of this thread, I would be very interested in reading it (maybe even writing, but I make no guarantees.)

03-24-2004, 12:03 PM	#8
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	We're going to be moving to vBulletin 3 sometime, and I'm guessing the tables will all change and any bolt-on code will break, so I would rather not get fancy with this.

03-24-2004, 01:05 PM	#10
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	It's a very nice improvement over what we have now, but it's still in beta testing and last I looked they weren't saying when it would actually be a proper release. One forum that I visit regularly uses it in Beta: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/index.php So you see, it's not a revolution of features, mostly just nicer-looking.

03-24-2004, 02:44 PM	#11
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	another question. last one, i promise.....maybe When you make the switch, will all of the threads and posts carry over to the new software? __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

03-24-2004, 04:23 PM	#12
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Most definitely

04-14-2004, 04:07 PM	#13
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	SunSparkz i'm very impressed with your talent. Interesting angles, excellent imagery. Thank you for contributing. __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

04-14-2004, 07:30 PM	#14
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	dear brother I'll never understand the life you took away but the hurting and the tears will leave me soon, now any day I will recover and this too will pass if only you'd realised in this life, nothings lasts I will one day forget everything I will forget every fact I'm going to push you so far away for such a selfish act if in my dreams you haunt me I wont recognise your face you'll be a ghost without a name and a love that's been replaced She nailed this one, really painful. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

05-13-2004, 06:29 PM	#15
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	WCWC DISCONTINUED DUE TO LACK OF INTERST it's coming up on summer, and i expect that people's time ( including mine) is not as free for indoor activity as it is in the summer. If you want to, go ahead and post a topic to write about, but i 'm kind of out of ideas at the moment. so i'm just letting you know that i will not be posting new assignments over the summer. class dismissed. see you next school year. __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

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