New Topic

Sadly, no one posted a new topic (no worries!). For efficiency's sake, I will post a replacement topic.

Inspired by the time of the year, I would like people to create a holiday-themed piece.

Next topic date will be 12/15/07.

Best of luck!

TOPIC OF THE WEEK

Alright, my simian brothers. I thought long and hard about this topic -- and then I talked with Lane and Jack and realized that my initial plan was, well, rather flat.

What I had originally intended to do was roughly as follows: "Write a story that takes place only in one enclosed area (e.g., a room)." But it turned out that a lot of people have been doing that after a fashion, and I didn't want things to be too repetitious.

So I thought. What was something we haven't done yet? What seemed far enough out of everyone's comfort zones to be actually useful?

And then it hit me -- something from way back when, when I was obsessed with DragonBall Z and RIFTS. I'm loathe to admit it, but I think I may have something of a headstart on you all.

So here is this week's topic: You are to write a fight scene.

That's all. And when I say "that's all," I'm serious -- don't bother wrapping the scene with set-up, denouement, or flashback. I just want a fight, visceral and primal. Who are the combatants? What are the fighting with? Why would things come to blows in the first place?

Remember, a fight has to be two things: impactful and elegant. That is, it needs to showcase some kind of change or climactic event; and it needs to do it in a way that is easy for the reader to imagine. Drawing diagrams means the reader can't imagine anything; just saying they, I don't know, shot some bullets until one of them died, that's just boring.

So there you have it. As your bloodthirsty taskmaster, I only have this to say to you: WRITE, MONKEYS! WRITE!

Zach's Topic

Just as a reminder, barring a new member, Zach is next in line to pick a topic this upcoming Monday (11/5/07).

Next week's topic

I was talking to hemp this weekend and he told me that it was my turn to pick a topic. Personally, I told him that I didn't that would be very fair of me since I have been so busy that not only have I not had time write in weeks, but I haven't even had time to read any of the stories. (I will eventually though, I promise.) Given that, and the fact that I'm not even sure if I'll have enough time to write this week either, he told me to post a topic.

Often times some of the greatest heroes and villains to to ever be written about are real people who are or were actually alive. My assignment is to take an obviously famous historical figure (one that everyone has , or should have, heard of) and write a historical fiction piece that stars that character, good or bad.

Next topic: A Dilemma

This is a generic topic, but the dilemmas we face throughout our lives often tell us who we really are. We put ourselves or are put into situations where there are multiple ways to go, but none of which are truly ideal. Write a brief story, fictional or real, that centers around a dilemma -- moral, romantic, any kind you want.

Next Topic

Topic: Modernize, rewrite, or reboot a myth.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Examples include:

Cupid:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupid_(TV_series)

Hercules in New York:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hercules_in_New_York

Michael:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_%281996_film%29

Paradise Lost:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradise_Lost

Odyssey:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Brother,_Where_Art_Thou%3F

Thor:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thor_(Marvel_Comics)

King Arthur:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Arthur_(film)

Is it my turn already?

Hello all, sorry for being awol, I've been a little preoccupied lately, but I'll try to turn in my late stories soon. I hear it's my turn to pick a topic, and I don't want to leave you guys hanging there, so here goes:

Some, if not all, of us have probably read the famous short story by Frank Stockton, "The Lady, or the Tiger?"
For those who haven't, or need a reminder, here's a plot summary (courtesy of Wikipedia) followed by a link to the full story if you want to read it:

The "semi-barbaric King" of an ancient land utilized an unusual form of administering justice for offenders in his kingdom. The offender would be placed in an arena where his only way out would be to go through one of two doors. Behind one door was a beautiful woman hand-picked by the king and behind the other was a ravenous tiger. The offender was then asked to pick one of the doors. If he picked the door with the woman behind it, then he was declared innocent and as a reward he was required to marry the woman, regardless of previous marital status. If he picked the door with the tiger behind it, though, then he was deemed guilty and the tiger would rip him to pieces.

One day the king found that his daughter, the princess, had taken a lover far beneath her station. The king could not allow this and so he threw the suitor in prison and set a date for his trial in the arena. On the day of his trial the suitor looked to the princess for some indication of which door to pick. The princess, did, in fact, know which door concealed the woman and which one the tiger, but was faced with a conundrum. If she indicated the door with the tiger, then the man she loved would be killed on the spot; however, if she indicated the door with the lady, her lover would be forced to marry another woman and even though he would be alive she would never be with him again. Finally she does indicate a door, which the suitor then opens.

At this point the question is posed to the reader, "Did the tiger come out of that door, or did the lady?". The question is not answered, and is left as a thought experiment regarding human nature.

http://www.classicshorts.com/stories/tiger.html

Now, my assignment is this: I would like you to write a short continuation of Stockton's story, not necessarily in Stockton's style, feel free to make it your own, of course. Perhaps reveal what happened when he opened the door, and where you think the story would go from there.




Let me know if you don't like, I do have backups. :) For what it's worth, with a little creativity, I see potential in this topic for enshrining Hemp's greatness. ;)

Steph's Topic

Following the path laid out by our forefathers, Steph is next in line to pick a topic. Thus, Steph will be choosing the writing assignment on 10/1/07. Remember the unwritten rule (which is now written), every other topic must enshrine Hemp's greatness.

Good luck.

The topic

To clarify, there is a picture of a smoking monkey... write the scene, or short story that begins with a smoking monkey. or ends with the smoking monkey. or just find away to write a story where the smoking monkey is an important character or concept.

Next weeks Topic

HAHAHA Write Monkeys, Write!

Aharon's Topic

Having posted a story, Aharon has now earned the right to choose the next topic. As we previously noted, Pete and I wanted to avoid repetition in the writings topics. However, other than that suggestion, the decision is 100% Aharon's call.

next week's topic

I don't care much about the fiction/nonfiction boundaries -- any good exercise should really work for both (besides, obviously, those genres which can not exist in one or the other), and it should be up to the writer to alternate between the two (for example, if for "sin" I had written about the greed of, oh, I don't know, the CEO of Enron -- obviously I'd have to fictionalize some of it, but it would've still fallen well within scope of the exercise).

I personally hate research, so I'll avoid non-fiction as much as possible ;)

Anyways, I do think certain exercises are more fun than others, and after several weeks of essentially "write a short story," we'll change things up a bit. Everyone knows about Hemingway's six word story?

Well, I think six words is not enough, but I love the concept. So, this week, we'll use fourteen (twice one more than six, chosen mostly at random). Tell me a story in fourteen words. And have fun with it, kay? If more than one pops up, go right ahead -- they're short, so theoretically they should be easy, right? (right? Riiiiight?) Also, these can be non-fiction (see Shatner's six word story) too, if you're clever enough.

edit: because they're so damn fun, I demand five stories each. Please?