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SGInc "Short" Story Workshop 2.4 NOW ON!

16 Mar 2006 03:42 #4939 by WhitePaw
Rest assured. Iffing anybody's handing out migranes this round it'll be ME! :twisted: I have a bit of a psionic reputation to maintain it seems.

To those ends I've already submitted "Tight1". Today I submitted "Hijack". Good, notzoclean fun. :roll:

Lookit the time! 10 more daze? I should be able to fire off a third by then--easy. Goin for the tripple. :wink:

As always, they're all posted early and linebreak jerrymandering free at my yahoo group iffing anybody carez.

So....who's bringing the morphine this round?

Wuv,
-Whitepaw

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16 Mar 2006 05:11 #4942 by YAGS
I wish I could write that fast. My problem is that I think too much while writing, and I'm constantly re-reading and editing as I go. I think I'd make a good editor, but I don't consider myself a very good writer. On the up side, the first step in solving any problem is acknowledging it, so at least I know what I need to improve.

That said, my story is taking longer than expected. I've got over 400 words written, and I know generally where it's going, but the devil's in the details. Actually, this is the second time I've written a story where I've written the beginning and the ending, then sat there wondering exactly how to write the middle. The plot bits are easy for me. It's the "action" in getting from one plot point to another, which should be the interesting part, that's tough for me.

I'm determined to actually enter a workshop for once, though, and there's still plenty of time, so I should have it done in time.

YAGS

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16 Mar 2006 06:31 #4943 by YAGS
Replied by YAGS on topic Odd
Hmm, this seems to be becoming a habit for me. Once again, I posted something about having trouble writing a story, right before trying to go to bed. Then I couldn't sleep because I was thinking about the story. So I get up, head back to the computer, and start putting my ideas down "on paper", so to speak.

I should gripe about my writer's block more often. That seems to be how I get over it. :P The down side is that I keep doing this at midnight or later on weeknights, so I'm going to be a zombie at work again tomorrow. I always said I was nocturnal. Does that count as a superpower?

YAGS

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16 Mar 2006 21:18 #4952 by WhitePaw
No worries, Yags. I'm only inspired to write every once in a while. Once every couplea weeks or so. I can pound out those stories in an hour, but I'm bone stoopid dry inbetween. I don't worry 'bout it as I've enough experience to know not to force it in my dry times. Another one's always coming, even if I've no idea what it'll be before it comes onto me.

I do most my writing on lunchbreaks. I zombie a shift here and there, but for other reasons...mostly ;) Until that deadline passes, there's always tomorrow's lunchbreak. Get some sleep. You write better awake later.

That, and I'm a short-story gunwriter. Much past 2000 words and my clockwork crumbles to cacaphony. But at 1000 words? You'll see. I'm getting better with practice and reading all of everybody elses.

And yeah, the middles of mine are always torture too as you're forced to commit to things and torque down on all the wonderful potential of your beginnings along the way. Most middles I just have to grit teeth and bulldog against my will, confessions to be made.

Endings suck for me too. I salute whatever endings you're able to write in advance. You're ahead of me there. When I try writing endings first my middles miss the mark--wide. "Hijack", for example...500 words of what I expected...then it zags to left field and beyond.

Write on.
-White Paw

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16 Mar 2006 22:35 #4953 by YAGS
Lunch breaks? I think I remember those. That's where you actually get to leave your desk and stop working while you eat, right? Not at my job...

As for writing out of order, my first story was 9 chapters and an epilogue (about 14,000 words). I wrote the first two chapters, then the epilogue, then chapter 3, then I jumped around quite a bit, writing most of the ending chapters at the same time as chapters 4 and 5. Chapter 6 was actually the last part I wrote. This worked because I knew EXACTLY where I wanted the story to go and what the major plot points would be in advance. It was just a matter of writing the fun stuff in between that was tough.

I guess with shorter stories, it should be easier to just sit down and write once you have an idea. That's how I wrote most of "The Pool Toy", although even then, I knew basically how I wanted it to end.

I guess that's one of the characteristics of my story telling style. I don't start writing a story until I know what story I want to write, which means knowing the major plot twists and ending in advance. It's just the details that I make up as I go. Although I do have ideas for a couple of "ongoing" stories, that will theoretically never end. One of these days, I'll set up my own web site, so I can post all my stories in one place, and just add chapters as I get to them.

In the case of this workshop story, the ending that I wrote in advance was only 33 words, so it wasn't that big a deal. I like my start to this one. I'm still working out all the details in between, but I'm much closer now than I was. Hopefully, tonight and this weekend I'll have time to finish.

YAGS

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23 Mar 2006 04:29 #5012 by YAGS
Replied by YAGS on topic Deadline extension?
Well, you know it always comes down to this, right before a workshop deadline. Since the deadline is on a Friday, any chance of getting an extension through the weekend? Real life has gotten in the way of my writing for most of the past week. I'm free on Saturday and part of Sunday, though, so I should be able to finish over the weekend. If not, I can try to finish tomorrow evening, but I'd hate to sacrifice quality by rushing.

YAGS

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23 Mar 2006 04:34 #5013 by ace191
I will second that plea!!!!

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23 Mar 2006 04:34 #5014 by ace191
I will second that plea!!!!

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23 Mar 2006 06:44 #5015 by YAGS

I will second that plea!!!!

And apparently third it, all by yourself. :P

This is becoming redundant. This is the second time in a week that I haven't been able to sleep because I was thinking about this story when I went to bed. So I kept getting up and running to the computer to write things as they pop into my head. This may stop me from needing the time extension after all, but I may have to resort to sleeping pills tomorrow to get anything done at work on Friday.

YAGS

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23 Mar 2006 20:31 #5022 by argonaut
How about it, admin?

I wrote a story, then decided to change the names and save it for one of my longer projects. Had an inspiration for another story just a couple of hours ago. With a few more days, I think I could turn it into a workshop entry. Considering that I was the one who chose the theme for this one, I'd hate to be a no-show!

Please? :)

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24 Mar 2006 11:33 #5028 by admin

How about it, admin?

Please? :)

Oh, alright then. Deadline extended for Argonaut (and any other late-runners) until Wednesday.


admin.

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24 Mar 2006 13:20 #5029 by argonaut
Much appreciated. I wrote the first draft last night. Came in just under 1000 words. With a little tweaking and polishing, it should be ready for submission sometime this weekend.

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24 Mar 2006 15:23 #5032 by YAGS
Thanks for the extension. I'm already at around 780 words, but I'm a slow writer, especially since I keep re-reading and editing what I've written so far. As I mentioned earlier, I'm a much better editor than writer. But Saturday's pretty much free for me, so I intend to spend a few hours on this, which should be enough to finish.

I told you all this would be the first workshop I actually enter, and I meant it.

YAGS

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24 Mar 2006 17:11 #5033 by ace191
Thank you! I have mine nearly finished. I'm at 880 words which leaves me wth 120 to put the finishing touches on.

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28 Mar 2006 07:06 #5050 by YAGS
Replied by YAGS on topic Stupidest question... ever
When submitting a story, do the title, by line, disclaimer (since this one has some very definite sexual content), etc count towards the 1000 word limit? I think I may be ok even if it does, but I'm still making final edits, so I can probably cut a couple of words here and there, if necessary.

YAGS

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28 Mar 2006 09:33 #5052 by admin
Replied by admin on topic Re: Stupidest question... ever

When submitting a story, do the title, by line, disclaimer (since this one has some very definite sexual content), etc count towards the 1000 word limit?


No.


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28 Mar 2006 17:19 #5054 by lfan
Mine's in.....

Thanks for the extension. I'm already at around 780 words, but I'm a slow writer, especially since I keep re-reading and editing what I've written so far. As I mentioned earlier, I'm a much better editor than writer. But Saturday's pretty much free for me, so I intend to spend a few hours on this, which should be enough to finish.

I told you all this would be the first workshop I actually enter, and I meant it.

YAGS

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29 Mar 2006 02:25 #5065 by ace191
So is mine. I sent it in two days ago.

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29 Mar 2006 04:49 #5066 by argonaut
Finished mine. I'll wait until Wednesday to send it, just in case I want to make any last-minute changes.

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29 Mar 2006 05:09 #5067 by YAGS
Replied by YAGS on topic I'm in!
I promised I'd finally enter a workshop, and I did. Just submitted my 984 words.

Oddly, the rough draft was exactly 900 words, but there was a large section that I just wasn't happy with. I ended up replacing it with something very weird, stylistically. I'll be curious to see what you all think.

YAGS

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30 Mar 2006 14:58 #5080 by admin
OK, so we received a total of 14 entries to SGInc Workshop 2.4. A big thank you to everyone who submitted.

You know the drill: read the stories here: www.superwomenmania.com/storybank/index-d.html and then vote for your favourite/post comments here: www.superwomenmania.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5078 in the "SGInc Story Workshop 2.4 Poll and Comments" thread.


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