The Write Way

21 January 2005

Into the Blogosphere!

Greetings,

Many moons ago, I started a little page called the Never-Ending Story. This is something I'd had fun with when I was younger and then something my own kids also used to enjoy, so I thought, why not? You know how it works ... you write a couple of lines of a story and then the next person has to add more and so on. It's a great way to entertain kids of all ages on long trips. Even teens can have fun with this, and although they'll complain that it's far beneath their dignity to start with, they'll soon see the creative possibilities!

The idea is to maintain a theme and logical thread to the story. It's perfectly acceptable to introduce new characters and settings, but you need to have a jolly good reason to lurch from one historical period to another and then back again (and dreams don't count!) 

My original Never-Ending Story related the adventures of our central character, given the name Dr Morgenes by an early contributor. It was inspired (if that's the word to use here!) by E.G. Bulwer-Lytton's book called Paul Clifford, which is remembered for its appalling opening sentence that broke nearly every rule of good writing!

"It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents - except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness."

Now that cyberspace has expanded (or shrunk?) to include the blogosphere, I thought it was time to winkle our intrepid hero out of his comfort zone and launch him into the 21st century! So come now with Dr Morgenes, his luscious wife Maria, his unnerving mother-in-law, the enigmatic Father Wetherly, the actress and adventuress Virburnia Hedgerow, her sister the lacy-gloved Lavinia, the evil Giant Gerbil and Elvis as they begin their latest adventure, which opens, funnily enough, in exactly the same way as their first:

"Doctor Morgenes drew his cloak high upon his shoulders and paused momentarily before stepping abruptly from the building's entrance into the storm. Without a backwards glance he hurried into the gloom, anxious to be away from this place, to be in the warmth and comfort of his own chambers. The Doctor considered the bleakness of the night. No-one walked the streets. The only sound was ..." 

This first sentence comes from Nick in Brisbane (Australia).

Your turn! Add your tuppence worth here: http://write101.blogspot.com

There are five simple rules to follow:

1. Please give your first name, city and country after your contribution

2. Add to the story whenever the Muse so moves you (bookmark the page and check back regularly)

3. I know it will be an effort, but limit yourself to 5 lines or fewer

4. It goes without saying that the story that unfolds will be top quality (i.e. play nicely, boys and girls)

5. Always leave the next writer somewhere to go with the story ...

Ready?

Here's the URL again: http://write101.blogspot.com (Use the Comments button at the end of the entry to add your contribution.) I'm sure Pam from San Diego, Camilla from Perth, Paul from London and other regular contributors will be happy to renew their friendship with the good doctor and his pals.

So we'll see if Dr Morgenes still has what it takes to create interest ... his move to the blogosphere may be fleeting!

Games such as this one give you the opportunity to use some of your favourite words ... You know, those words you can't normally toss into a business conversation or use with your three-year-old. Words like ... absquatulate, footle and my personal favourite: mammothrept.

In this week's Little Something Extra, writer Susan Letham asks:  What is the most ridiculous word you can think of?

Well? 

What is it?

Add yours to the posting in my Blog here: http://write101.blogspot.com Just click on the Comments link below the post, and as always, feel free to invite your inventive friends to participate!

This week's quiz:

Since we were chatting about ridiculous words ... try some of these!

absquatulate, oneiric, footle, scatology, mammothrept, abligurition, eschatology, marcid, objurgate, ukase

1. act foolishly, as by talking nonsense 

2. to scold or rebuke severely

3. branch of theology that is concerned with the end of the world or of humankind 

4. withered or damaged 

5. run away; usually includes taking something or somebody along 

6. any order or decree issued by an authority; an edict 

7. the study of faecal excrement, as in medicine, palaeontology, or biology 

8. prodigal expense for food; extravagance in cooking or serving food 

9. a child brought up by its grandmother; a spoiled child 

10. of, relating to, or suggestive of dreams 

I know we haven't been discussing punctuation specifically this week, but Ginnie Paisie (a 7th grade language arts teacher in North Carolina) reminded me about this classic little exercise in punctuation ... see if you can punctuate this!

Larry where Joe had had had had had had had had had had had the teacher's approval.

(Answer at the end of this week's newsletter.)

Thank you for your votes in the current Preditors and Editors Readers Poll. I really appreciate your support. Feel free to mention Write101 to your friends ... tell them to browse the archives and then ask if they'd also like to vote.

Remember, all you have to do is click the link, scroll down till you see my name (or Write101.com) and then enter your name and email address (your privacy is protected and details are not shared or sold). You'll need to confirm your vote by clicking on a link in the email you'll be sent. 

Nonfiction magazine/e-zine: http://www.critters.org/predpoll/nonfictionzine.shtml 

Magazine/e-zine editor:  http://www.critters.org/predpoll/zineeditor.shtml 

Writer's Resource: http://www.critters.org/predpoll/writerinfo.shtml 

And if for some reason those links don't work, click on the main voting page and scroll to find the above categories: http://critters.critique.org/predpoll/ 

Important: Once you've voted in a category, any future votes over-ride previous ones ... so you can't vote for more than one entrant in each category.

Thanks again!

Last week's quiz:

All these words have been borrowed from our Japanese friends over the years:

origami, soy, bonsai, futon, karate, sushi, tsunami, kimono, honcho, tycoon

1. a huge destructive wave (especially one caused by an earthquake) - TSUNAMI

2. a very wealthy or powerful businessman - TYCOON

3. protein-rich vegetable crop - SOY

4. a loose robe - KIMONO

5. rice (often with raw fish) wrapped in seaweed - SUSHI

6. decorative object made by folding paper; art or process, of folding paper into shapes representing flowers and birds - ORIGAMI

7. system of unarmed combat; sharp blows and kicks are given to pressure-sensitive points on the body of the opponent - KARATE

8. a person who exercises control over workers - HONCHO

9. a dwarfed ornamental tree or shrub grown in a tray or shallow pot - BONSAI

10.mattress consisting of a pad of cotton batting that is used for sleeping on the floor or on a raised frame - FUTON

I know that many of you write for a living and would like to increase your earnings, and I know that January is the time we all make promises to work harder and smarter so we can afford to retire, sit under a tree and read what other people have written ... Right?

And you know that I occasionally pass along links to resources that will help you improve your writing skills (and that some of them are affiliate programs I'm associated with ... Hey, we all have to eat!), so here's a t'riffic one to get 2005 off to a winning start. It's from my old mate Yanik Silver (actually, he's not old ... in fact I blush to admit that he's the same age as my son!)

I met Yanik not long after I went online ... way back in the Olden Days when cyberspace seemed much smaller, and I've followed his career with great interest ever since. We've communicated regularly in the intervening years and I signed up as one of his first affiliates, so whenever he emails me about something new he's written, I like to pass it along. 

His latest offering is physically impressive ... it weighs around 14 kgs (that's 30 lbs) and consists of 3 huge 3-ring binders, 12 DVDs, and a pile of CDs and extras. All up, there are at least 1400 written pages of material ... enough to keep all of us happily engrossed!

Just to help you make up your mind, you can get your sample ebook of the course when you visit the site: http://www.write101.com/letters/copyshop.htm  

This package is not for everyone, but if you're prepared to invest in your writing business, I'd recommend it. And if you enter this coupon code, you'll receive an excellent discount on your purchase price! But please don't tell anyone else the code ... (Sshhh ... OK ... entering the Cone of Silence now ... here it is: UCWX200)

Yanik always offers (and honours) a full money-back guarantee for his products and has a very special guarantee with this one, so confident is he that it will help business writers ... http://www.write101.com/letters/copyshop.htm  

If you received this little missive from a friend, click to receive your very own copy, all bright and perky every Friday morning:  mailto:WritingTips-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

I know I say this every week, but it really is wonderful to read the comments from people from all over the world ... Have you made your Mark on the World yet? No? Then stop by our Map of the World and read the messages. (Just click List) and add your mark: http://pub37.bravenet.com/guestmap/view.php?usernum=3170114826  

A Little Something Extra

Susan Letham has some super ideas to help get those little grey cells whirring again after the Silly Season ...

Wordwork: The Perfect Choice
by Susan J. Letham

As a writer, one of your ongoing tasks is to improve your
command of language and increase your wordpower.

Below you'll find thirty wordwork prompts. Your challenge is
to think deeply about each of the questions or statements,
use your dictionary and thesaurus to explore the ideas
presented, and select the perfect word in each case.

There are no right or wrong responses to this activity, but
you'll benefit most by thinking carefully about the many
alternatives open to you and by avoiding clichés. The more
you put in, the more fun you'll have thinking about words,
and the more you'll gain from the process.

1.  What is the most ridiculous word you can think of?
2.  What is the most intimate word you can think of?
3.  What is the most exotic word you can think of?
4.  What is the most romantic word you can think of?
5.  What is the most childish word you can think of?
6.  What is the most sacred word you can think of?

7.  Find one word for the night sky.
8.  Find one word for the most lovely music you know.
9.  Find one word for the purpose of pain.
10. Find one word for the way your lover looks at you.
11. Find one word for everything you have lost.
12. Find one word for the joys of your childhood.

13. What is the prettiest word you can think of?
14. What is the longest word you can think of?
15. What is the funniest word you can think of?
16. What is the saddest word you can think of?
17. What is the dirtiest (swear) word you can think of?
18. What is the emptiest word you can think of?

19. Find one word for the deepest darkness you know.
20. Find one word for the brightest shade of red you know.
21. Find one word for the power of poetry.
22. Find one word for the comfort of coming home.
23. Find one word for the soul of a person in mourning.
24. Find one word for the flight of a child's kite.

25. What is the most beautiful word you can think of?
26. What is the most poetic word you can think of?
27. What is the most hurtful word you can think of?
28. What is the most hopeful word you can think of?
29. What is the most harmonious word you can think of?
30. What is the most esoteric word you can think of?

When you've completed the activity, write thirty poems or
paragraphs so you practice using your wordpower choices. If
memories arise as you search for words, or if you have story
associations, write about them. Everything you think and do
can be material for your stories and poems, including these
wordwork exercises.

© 2004 Susan J. Letham

Susan J. Letham is a British writer, creative writing tutor,
and owner of http://www.Inspired2Write.com . Sign up for
writing classes and competent author coaching. Pick up your
no-cost subscription to the Inspired2Write Newsletter at:
mailto:Inspired2Write_Newsletter-subscribe@yahoogroups.com 

Word of the week: Aboulic (adj) abnormal lack of ability to act or to make decisions

I wasn't sure whether to use this word or not this week ...

Oxymoron of the week: almost done

This week's Latin phrase fits perfectly with our theme of the ridiculous:

Te audire no possum. Musa sapientum fixa est in aure. (I can't hear you. I have a banana in my ear.)

And who among us won't find a use for that one this weekend?

Here's the answer to the punctuation:

Jennifer

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Copyright 2004 Jennifer Stewart

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