Conference thebay::joyoflex

    Just a side note, if I may...
    
    Anyone who wants a copy of IWADSN II, sparsely editted so as to
    flow a little bit smoother, send me mail at STAR::HUBER by Thursday,
    8/18/88, by noon Eastern Standard Time.  THose who replied previously
    will receive one automatically.

    Now, back to the topic...
    
    Maybe we could just start a new one with a predefined main plot
    line, and a request that all entries make some attempt to advance
    the plot.  Silliness, subplots, etc. would still be allowed so long
    as they relate to the plot in some way.
    
    Just a thought.

    You may be surprised to know that writing chain novels is a fairly
    common activity of groups that have a weird sense of humor, some
    interest in words, and some time on their hands.  Women's church
    groups, common-interest clubs such as bridge clubs and chess
    clubs, and people who commute together are all prone to write
    chain novels. 
    
    Generally when writing a chain novel, one defines a set of rules
    each writer must adhere to.  For instance, a particular group
    might specify no violence and every third chapter must have a sex
    scene while another group requests no sex and lots of violence.
    
    Frequently there is a set of characters whose general background
    and behavior is defined before the tale starts.  Minor characters
    can be added and, er, deleted more freely.

    A common rule of chain novels is that whatever you write must work
    toward some kind of climax -- the quest for the perfect mustard,
    who killed Roger Rabbit, that sort of thing.  The group may also
    specify that the individual contributions adhere to a particular
    genre --  romance, adventure, and mystery are probably the most
    common, but this group seems to have a bent for the surrealist.
    In many cases the idea of the reply was to try to be as bizarre
    and disconnected from the previous entry as possible. 

    Oh, and ending each piece with "when suddenly" is an invitation
    to the sort of bizarreness we produced.  If we just left each
    section hanging at the end of a sentence, we'd have more liberty
    to continue in the same vein rather than associating freely
    and bizarrely.    

    --bonnie

    Yes, well, do we start over, with a framework or what???  Can anybody
    think of a good one?

     By the way, there is an entire notes conference devoted
     to this, at VAXUUM::STORYMAKER (1772 in EASYNOTES.LIS).
     A single topic in WORDS::FRIENDS, 309.*, is also a running
     story, but where most replies are only a few lines long.
     
     Dan

    Anyone read Italo Calvino's "If on a winter night a traveller"?
    
    Frustratingly true to IWADASN genre, with suitably sophisticated
    twists. Demonstrates how you can stick to a story AND take it where
    you like.
    
    Richard.

    G'day,
    
    
    Yerst... Apart from having gotten busy for a while, I must confess
    that dasn had gotten down a cul-de-sac of a rathole that belied
    _my_ imagination (such as it is) to think of a new direction. I
    found it fun, tho - trying to put a litery feature into each page
    - hence the sets of puns(?) , cliche's, malapropisms et seq. it
    will be difficult to do another without remembering 'James' and
    'them Grinches....' :-|
                       
    
    I'll have a think about a new one.... perhaps one that starts..
    
    It was a dark and stormy night in Tulgey Woods. Mole had emerged
    from the back alley and, detecting the inclement clime, decided
    that a bowl of hot acorn soup was the order of the day. Joe Stoat's
    Cafe is the place to be; a chance to meet other members of the
    FurryFriends Benevolent Club.
    
    
    djw
    
    
    

    as we ferret around looking for a theme ?
    

    G'day,
    
    You badgering me for a story? I couldn't bear to start one, for
    I might roo the day. Indeed, 'owls of derision might occur so I
    otter not do it. Possumbly, some other turkey could start a fowl
    story, but that is ducking the issue, as doggedly I avoid a
    cat-astrophe. This all sounds too fishy. 'Eel 'ave to go' they'll
    say, but he has beavered away there on his perch, so we've a bird
    for him. Indeed? Yup, Ostrich a tale and make Cass a wary of it
    all! What a dodo! Mind you, if one can do it, toucan! 
    
    
    so there!
    
    
    djw 

I have another suggestion. This discussion is starting to become a bit
philosophical (;^)), and I had an idea yesterday. Right in time: the 18th of
August has always been an inspiring day for me....

Why not start a topic by giving, say, ten words, and everybody is invited to
write a story in which these words occur? You can give some extra restrictions
such as:
- they must be used in that order
- story not longer than 30 lines
- etc
I am sure Steve Kallis can come up with ten *very* rich words! Or shall we take
some out of 396? ;-)

Arie

     Re .-1
     
>>                                                   Right in time: the 18th of
>> August has always been an inspiring day for me....
     
     That's my birthday. :-)

    well, hippo birdie two ewes!
    
    

    Re .9: "roo the day"? I thought 'roos were animals. "Rue" is the
    verb (as long as you're not in France :-)

    Re .9 and .13 
    Roo days are the Australian version of dog days.           :-)