New Competition?

[Bedford]

Okay, just some questions. Should we do a new short story compo sometime soon, and if so when and should we have themes? I remember someone talking about workshop kinda thingies, but that's in the past and all a bit fuzzy... :D

Anyway, just tell me if you're ready for another compo. Not much point in doing one if no one's going to participate, though the turnout last time was much higher than I expected. Not that I think you're a bunch of lazy sods... ;)

[bluevorlon]

Bed: wait until after all these 'awards' have been and gone... I was thinking about doing a competition/workshop thinger...

(check the event thread, (no i won't link it, use the search :P )) for more info...

[Bedford]

Dammit! The search engine doesn't appear to be working: someone should fix it. Now post the link... ;)

[bluevorlon]

:rolleyes:

http://forums.relicnews.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=609

[ionfish]

I don't suppose you mean this thread (http://forums.relicnews.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=609), do you? :rolleyes:



(originally posted by bluevorlon)
I was thinking about running a half competition- half writers workshop every month/two months...

Kinda like what used to happen on the Gallery forums,

As the short story competition helped us all learn to create a powerful story in a relatively small piece of writing, so each competition would test different areas of the writer's craft, most importantly it'll force you into writing situations and styles you've never tried before...

Related to this, I was trying out an interesting writing excercise the other day: the "One Hour Story". Essentially, you spend an hour – no more, no less – writing a story. Then you type it up (I write most of my stuff on paper prior to typing it; it's a lot easier to get into a creative slipstream that way, at least for me), and see what you have. It can produce some quite cool results – I'll post the one I'm doing now when I have time to type it up.

- ion -

[TheGeneral]

Ooh, I like the workshop idea! It has lots of potentail to make us all better writers, and have a bit of fun, too. I encourage it strongly, blu :p

TheGeneral

[Bedford]

I, to use a word that I haven't in a while, concur. Don't know if I've said that in publi yet (I'm tired...:o)

So yeah, it should go ahead. Question is, who runs it? One guy or a collection of a few? I favour the collection... as long as those in the collection get to take part as well and not become sort of 'Teachers' or 'Higher Learned Friends' or anything patronising like that...

I tried out the one hour writing thing, Ion, but in 20 mins instead. I didn't have a great deal of time to start with. If nobody mind's me posting in here, I'll copy and paste it. However, don't anybody forget the real reason for this post: the workshop idea.

Consider this as a taster more as of the task you may be asked to complete...




==========Tré-sedorr Galleons==========


The girl was beautiful.

He looked at her from behind mirrored shades; through green eyes grown at Ekudos. He wondered what she could be doing here, this pretty girl with blonde hair, on the Tré-sedorr galleon as it traced its course through the eddies and currents of air - dodging the floating isles of purple and grey rock: watching their rivers descend, drop down into the fathomless, never-ending ocean under the glittering gaze of a sun with slightly pinkish hue.

* * *

They sat together on the galleon's midriff, legs bare and toes wriggling over the edge of the deck. He told her jokes and she laughed. The noise was sweet to his ears, and he longed to be with her always. Sunlight stalled and shimmered in the gems hung around her neck, no larger than his fingernail. He watched the tiny flickerings of broken light play games upon the top of her bosom.

The braids in her hair told him how fragile the human body was, how easy it could be broken. He saw the look in her eyes, and didn't care. She was his Siren. She would catch no body else.

* * *

The galleon, Els Ambo by name, stopped at one of the floating islands that was no longer floating, and instead partly submerged in the rippling crystal sea. They were to fetch clean water, the two of them. They did that, and more besides. She showed him how she could be loved, and felt him: he probed her innards, seeking her heart.

* * *

Night came on, and the light was growing dim: this would be their first night together. They watched insects, lying with their bare backs upon the hard, warm decking. They watched the fleets of passing Commerçants, sails billowing in winds that raged and stormed above their own level: in the mesosphere. He sighed and turned to her. She laughed.

Red lines fell away, down towards the aft of the boat, as it tilted backwards like some pitiful, screaming animal - and rose to the heavens. They were going up to Selesna, the market city built into the red rock of a floating isle.

And her body fell downwards, toward the glassy sea - and then down, further, deeper: into the murky darkness to rest amongst whatever undiscovered creatures reigned there.

* * *

He stood at the bar, on Selesna. His mirrored shades were strapped to his face, near embedded into the sockets of his eyes. It was possible. He looked at her, the mysterious woman across the room. He wondered why she should be here, on this floating lump of rock. He watched her laugh, flick her blonde hair and saw the jewels encrusted in it sparkle in the light from several dim oil lamps.

He decided to set her free.

[bluevorlon]

So yeah, it should go ahead. Question is, who runs it? One guy or a collection of a few? I favour the collection... as long as those in the collection get to take part as well and not become sort of 'Teachers' or 'Higher Learned Friends' or anything patronising like that...

I don't mind running the thing,
Shouldn't exactly take much skills...

However, please send me your ideas for the workshop! I've already got great ones from Ion and bedford...

blu

(betting ends!)

[Bedford]

I'd be glad to help out too...

Like the new fridge, blu :)

>>

Bedford man, keep the sig pic to once per thread plz :)

- ion -