Katzaniel Posted December 8, 2005 Report Posted December 8, 2005 Anyone here remember those little puzzles where you started with one word and then made another, one letter at a time? COLD COLT COAT MOAT MEAT HEAT My thought was that I would write a circle of these things, depending on how many people wanted to be a part of this, and then each person would write a poem or story or essay or whatever they desired, as long as it 1) was about that concept or had that word in it or somehow incorporated the meaning of the word I gave them and 2) Did the same for the word "Circle". There are many different ways to interpret that word, so I hope that's inspiring rather than confining. I'm thinking it would be fun to do this by PMing me rather than signing up here, so that over the next little while stories and poems will pop up and no one will no which ones have anything to do with this. You may sign up more than once; perhaps we'll have more than one circle. On Thursday the 15th (a week from today, and the day after my four finals) I will send you your word(s). Hopefully by the end of January or so I will be able to post the complete circle(s) with links to each post. Remember, if you want to ask any questions or to sign up, PM me. I'll answer any questions here, though, so that everyone can see the answer.
Katzaniel Posted December 8, 2005 Author Report Posted December 8, 2005 (edited) Question: Do I write one piece with both the word and a circle, or two pieces, one with each? Answer: One piece, please. I think the best way to describe what I'm after, here, is that if you're not sure whether your idea successfully encompasses both, it probably does. For example, if your word is COAT, you may say that someone's coat is red, or say that their jacket is red, or have them fiddling with the buttons on their parka. You may have a teacher telling them how to spell the word "coat" but not have the item itself appear anywhere. Do the same with "circle". You could have poeple playing with hula hoops, or discussing the concept of time circling back on itself, or singing a song with the word in it, even if you never directly quote the line. It's as if I've given you each two words/concepts that you must fit into the piece, but one of them is entirely your own and the other will be a thread to keep them all related. Any way you can think of to include a coat and a circle, either materially or otherwise, into the story is fine. What I suspect will be the most interesting part about this activity is the different ways in which everyone decides to implement it. Edited December 8, 2005 by Katzaniel
Katzaniel Posted December 9, 2005 Author Report Posted December 9, 2005 Question: Do I need to be a member to play? Answer: No. (But, I suspect that no one would mind if you used this to inspire you for an application piece, if you haven't written one already...) Question: Would it count if I - Answer: Yes! Whatever you were about to say, unless it equates to really not even trying to include the two elements, can count. Seriously. I look forward to seeing the creativity and variety with which these are implemented.
Katzaniel Posted December 14, 2005 Author Report Posted December 14, 2005 ... One more day, and though we'll sorta have a circle (though, if you want to be technical, we don't actually have enough members for a real circle) but it's relatively measley as the moment. Anyone on the tip of joining ... consider again, 'k? (It doesn't have to be anything long!)
Katzaniel Posted December 15, 2005 Author Report Posted December 15, 2005 Closed! If anyone missed this and really really wants in, you'll have to form a circle all by yourself.
Katzaniel Posted January 30, 2006 Author Report Posted January 30, 2006 (edited) Well, it's nearly the end of January, and the circle is less than halfway full. Not that I am placing blame, mind you... if I had done my own piece, we'd be at 4/7 instead of 3/7. However, I'm posting this as a bit of a reminder, and also to give credit to those who are done: TOLL ???? POLL FOIL PALL FAIL ???? Cheers! EDIT: 5/7 Edited February 20, 2006 by Katzaniel
Katzaniel Posted January 30, 2006 Author Report Posted January 30, 2006 PS, if you did post one and I missed it, just PM me and I'll fix that.
Gwaihir Posted January 30, 2006 Report Posted January 30, 2006 Eep, I'll do mine I promise-just don't hit me on the head yet.
Patrick Posted January 30, 2006 Report Posted January 30, 2006 Talk about completely forgetting something...sowwy Put it on my to-do list now. Will be done by tomorrow, I hope.
Tanuchan Posted February 19, 2006 Report Posted February 19, 2006 (edited) Katz, a question... in spite of this not being technically completed (since there are elements still missing), are you planning on doing the activity again? I enjoyed both writing for it and reading the results - I've read each separate work at the time of their posting, liked them, and never noticed they'd be part of your challenge!! edit: typo Edited February 19, 2006 by Tanuchan
Sweetcherrie Posted February 19, 2006 Report Posted February 19, 2006 *wholeheartedly agrees with Tanny*
Katzaniel Posted February 20, 2006 Author Report Posted February 20, 2006 Well, it seems a little soon to do exactly the same activity again. But I liked seeing things pop up around the Pen and then later discovering that they belonged here, too. Perhaps I'll think of something similar to post in the next little while.
Katzaniel Posted February 26, 2006 Author Report Posted February 26, 2006 Behold! A new challenge hast come forth! Okay, basically the idea is that I shall come up some number of lines, and everyone who wants to join will be given two: One with which to start your piece, and one with which to end it. Your pieces can, as before, be poems, stories, RPs, essays, or only part of something else... whatever you wish to do. Furthermore, there will a sort of common theme going through the circle, and as each of you signs up I will tell you your incarnation of that theme. This one does not require signing up ahead of time; simply send me a PM if/when you wish to receive your challenge. When you post, please don't indicate on the post that it's part of this challenge... but PM me with the link so that I can post the circle when it's complete. The proposed due date is Sunday, April 30th. Okay, I feel your confusion coming on. Example! * At some point before May, you think, "Okay, I've got time, and I would like to try that." * You PM me. * I send you a first sentence, a last sentence, and one theme for the piece. * You write and post your piece. It sits for a while in its own right, a lovely little piece. * You PM me the link. * On May 1st, or whenever after that I have a majority of the pieces, I'll post the circle comlete with links. * We all sit in awe of the circle. Well, we may or may not do the last one. But... Katzaniel throws a gauntlet to the floor... EDIT: PS, Did I mention that each ending line will become the next person's starting line, and that when everyone's done I plan to write a story/poem/etc to connect the last and first?
Katzaniel Posted February 26, 2006 Author Report Posted February 26, 2006 Okay, when I actually started to write these I realized how hard it is to write lines that will sound good in any medium. So they're kind of geared more toward stories. But I've decided that you're allowed to alter them slightly for tense, or rhyming, or some such... but only slightly, please. Or maybe I should have two circles - one for poetry, one for prose? This one is geared a little more to prose, but you can use them with poetry if you wish. If I get enough people interested in another, I'll write more lines geared more toward poetry. Or maybe I'm crazy and you'll all do just fine with them. PS. I plan to post leftover lines when we're done, so anyone who wants can use them.
Katzaniel Posted February 26, 2006 Author Report Posted February 26, 2006 Question: Can I split the line into more than one line? Answer: For sure, if you need to. Especially in poetry, I recognize this will probably have to happen. Question: I can't think of anything to write for this line. Can I have a replacement? Answer: Yes. In general, the point is to inspire you, so I'll work with you to give you something you can use. And let you change it a bit if you have to. And whatnot. Just, warn me soon-ish so that I can make sure we end up with a full circle in the end, and don't change it too much, again for the sake of the circle. Question: Is it like last time, where you don't actually have to say the word (of the theme)? Answer: Yes. Include it however you wish; though hopefully more than passingly mentioned. Still, doesn't have to be the theme of the whole piece, just a theme.
Katzaniel Posted March 24, 2006 Author Report Posted March 24, 2006 Why, yes it is. I have 5 participants so far (though only one, as far as I recall, who has written the story and linked me to it). The due date isn't for another month, though, so I'm not concerned. (It's so far away because I know I'm going to be very busy immediately before and after finals, so the end of April is the soonest I can work on writing the connecting piece).
Tanuchan Posted June 12, 2006 Report Posted June 12, 2006 Katz, sorry... is this still alive in some way? *curious*
Katzaniel Posted June 14, 2006 Author Report Posted June 14, 2006 Erm, yes. A few people still owe their pieces, including myself. It's on my list of Pen-To-Do things. To be perfectly honest, it's probably going to take me a couple of weeks more, at least...
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