Kill this Thread

[Philip Overby]

Yeah, call this thread anything productive that actually encourages people to write and it will die.

Let's call it "The Thread that is Actually Productive and Encourages People to Write."

Nevermind. I like it as it is.

Boogers!

For the sake of all that is holy, can we finish the MFMA tournament?

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

I think your weekly prompt is perfect for the challenge section. It prevents the thread from just sitting on hold. If you can't make the deadline, no biggie, catch the next one.

I've been thinking of a party-based RPG-type challenge which combines elements of Endless Hunt and Shenoka Shadows. But my MFMA experience taught me not to force a thread to depend on long-term commitment. (That's my mistake.) I think the Weekly Prompt is my answer. That is, you can play or not play, but if you do play, you need to post during that week. If not, you can always catch the next quest.


"Quest of the Week" coming soon...

 

[Devor]

That's a great idea, Sidekick. Each week the prompt could build on the last one but still be fairly independent.

 

[Caged Maiden]

That's what I was trying to do with Shenoka. Add some different elements from time to time. But it's turned more into a RPG than a challenge, but as long as everyone's having fun, that's good.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

That's a great idea, Sidekick. Each week the prompt could build on the last one but still be fairly independent.

An excellent suggestion!

 

[Philip Overby]

Whatever works. I think the idea of weekly challenges or games that enable people to come in and out is better than something someone needs to commit to.

 

[Caged Maiden]

<- needs to be committed.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Whatever works. I think the idea of weekly challenges or games that enable people to come in and out is better than something someone needs to commit to.

It also means having to post quickly if you're in--and once, so it's not such a big commitment. With your prompts, as soon as I have an idea, I go for it. If I have more to say, you see a Director's Cut Ending. (Like in a real Director's Cut, the scene is good on its own, but the story as a whole is better without it.)

 

[Devor]

Just keep up a mix of challenges. The Trigger challenges have been successful for a reason, so are Phil's challenges. So will these. There's plenty of room for several challenges at once, but not when they're all the same kind.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

I agree.

I'm also thinking a sub-forum for the weekly stuff might be worth asking for. If Phil and I do this regularly, and maybe others start making their own weeklies... that's a lot of threads! I don't want to knock triggers and other long challenges off-screen.

 

[Philip Overby]

Yeah I think after Sidekick's successful Triggers, others were interested in following suit. The unfortunate thing was a lot of really great challenges all cropped up at the same time.

Most of my early challenges were just sort of "post if you want" type deals. I hope the Weekly stuff picks up more and maybe other people can post their own weekly type of things.

I like how this thread has actually sort of become productive. It's like a sounding board for the challenges.

I burned it pretty bad but it's got uber-troll strength. Fire doesn't work.

 

[Devor]

I'm also thinking a sub-forum for the weekly stuff might be worth asking for. If Phil and I do this regularly, and maybe others start making their own weeklies... that's a lot of threads! I don't want to knock triggers and other long challenges off-screen.

No, no, no. The challenges need an Archive. A place where just completed story threads are moved. So weekly challenge? Challenge forum. End-of-week? Moved to archive (maybe a little wiggle-room so people can post late). And a special index thread could point to just the big Trigger challenges.

That way people can go and just read through the stories there.

 

[Philip Overby]

I think the Archivists haven't been activated yet, but I like the idea of having all the Challenge stories collected somewhere without having to read all the other banter.

 

[Caged Maiden]

I copy all the Shenoka entries into a big running word doc in the event a place ever becomes available. It begins with my introduction, and then it just runs through all the story posts in order with their individual titles. Is quite a nice effect. I'd be really excited if we could archive the entries for the challenge.

 

[Devor]

I think the Archivists haven't been activated yet, but I like the idea of having all the Challenge stories collected somewhere without having to read all the other banter.

I don't really know what they're going to be up to, but there's only a handful of story threads right now. If a subforum existed, you could have the threads moved and an index up in fifteen minutes (and the index wouldn't be necessary until the archive got really full).

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

@anihow, I should do what you're doing and archive my own entries for the Weekly Prompt. I'm pretty proud of my Oompsa Daisy song, even if I did totally rip off the Oompa Loompas.

I'm mostly proud because I stopped myself from making a third verse. Usually, if I write lyrics I get carried away then hate myself for not taking the time to learn six different instruments (or any) so I can play the tune.

 

[Caged Maiden]

@ Sidekick. I just noticed recently that most of my books include songs, poems or stories I wrote... hmm... I wonder if that reads as tedious or is clever... I like songs and poetry and stories... they make things fun.

Also, I keep a whole folder of all my miscellaneous writing I do for challenges and other things. You never know, one day when I'm looking for a character, I might pull out someone I invented on a whim. Ranieri the notorious Bravazzo from Brazelton, Claudia the pretty assassin of Kanassa, Dzurick and his team of wreckers, Juliette the bounty-hunter, or maybe even Gideon the gullible captain of the city guard.

That's the best part of these challenges.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

So does my one huge novel. And since I was ripping off Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in my Weekly Prompt entry, we can safely say what we're doing has been done in a proven classic; therefore, it's not wrong. I'm not busting the idea of throwing songs and poems into a story.

At the same time, one of my first-time-writer mistakes was to not know when to just end the damn scene! These short, spontaneous challenges (including yours which I plan to post to soon whether The Cleaner has a mission or not) are great for me. I'm fine-tuning a less-is-more approach in the hopes that my writing is more interesting for the reader if I cut the scene when I should... and frankly, that only makes it easier for me to write.

Winner: everybody!


EDIT: still @anihow, one of those characters could join the Quest of the Week.

(coughs in a way that sounds like the word "hint")

 

[Philip Overby]

Yeah I plan on posting in the Shenoka challenge/game. And the Quest of the Week. And any other challenges that look cool. I'm glad some of the ones that have been on here forever are winding up.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Ailith + Phil + anihow (cough hint again) = unbeatable party!