Science Fiction Microstory Contest discussion
*MAY 2016 MICRO STORY CONTEST - COMMENTS ONLY
"Merriam-Webster defines trope as a "figure of speech." For creative writer types, tropes are more about conveying a concept to the audience without needing to spell out all the details."Examples:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php...
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php...
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php...
etc.
Also a good list of overused ones here:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php...
Well, sure, but I was kinda hoping for something a bit easier on us geek types, like a required synopsis on quantum chromodynamics.
Well all of us already use them constantly without realizing it.I thought it would be good practice as writers to use them consciously.
Jeremy, I love this theme, but can you give us an example of a story *without* a trope? lol
All stories either use them or subvert them. Often the author doesn't realize though.
Perhaps we should highlight our drops- like HIGHLIGHT
Sorrrrry tropes that we DROP INTO stories. I'm not sure that I can write without throwing in a SHAKESPEARO OR TWO. Writing without words with expressive BAGGAGE might be HARDER.
Well, Paula said it. I've got my idea already - the thing is, there's like three tropes and I haven't written a single word. I'll have to focus on the Starring Trope - tying it closely to the theme, methinks. Mehopes...Gotta say I love it too, Jeremy. This could be a lot of fun! :-)
@ Richard - too funny. Or tracked to GR by the Linkedin Trope -seeking vengeance on a certain group that heartlessly abandoned it.
@Richard you could try using underlines or bold text. Unfortunately they don't allow us to use background colour.
Well for anyone who still hasn't quite got their head around this month's challenge, this should clear up any WTF moments still lingering around the contextual home of Tropes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUhGn...
@Heather, taking up singing? I apologize if I've made anyone sing the blues!
Yep- that really clarifies things Heather!
"Everything Makes Sense To Someone!" is the fundamental trope this life has taught me lol And geez what a journey one has to go on to learn that that's basically all there is - apart from getting out of the way quick when someone has a "makes sense to me!" moment that just happens to also be a threat to the well being of oneself and/or those one cares about.
I for one call dibs on the redshirt trope. no one else will be hurt in the making of this micro story. Just the guy in the red shirt. He was literally asking for it.
Sounds like a cop out, Jeremy! A mere 'red shirt.' I thought you might rise to the occasion with a story that incorporates the complexities of the tropism in the link I gave above. Check out "Lesson 2" there, where facial expressions form part of the trope (calling out a word and breaking into a wide cheesy grin at the same time!) I'm just hoping 'the other Jeremy' is going to pay the psychiatric care bills that this challenge may well give rise to!
Phshaw!We're all going to LEVEL UP this month!
Mod
I knew picking the best stories was gonna get progressively more difficult but this is ridiculous. With only 3 out, as of now, I predict a difficult voting month. I think some people are Hugo Award Winners in disguise. :-)
I'm feeling like a preschooler with water wings in this pool of talent! Great stories!
Heather we shall see, not to worry,as usual I will endeavor to add in perhaps too nuanced thematics with some gallows humor thrown in there for good measure.
Reading the TV tropes links above, I got to wondering if a list of what is not a trope might be shorter ...
You're doing better than me Jeremy, with your red shirt and black humour. The best I've got so far is: "I dreamed I was washed up on a trope-ical island where the surrounding sea for as far as the eye could see was ... well, trope-ical as was the fruit. But hope of hopes, I just saw a minnow in the water ... but it must be ... a nazi ...fish? Why else would it have the letters 'S.S.' floating in front of it? But I was just wondering what it would be like to have such gill(igan)s to breath underwater with: when I woke up and discovered it was all just REALITY!"
No? Oh well back to the drawing board! Actually I just watched a TED talk on you tube saying that procrastination is good for creativity. So the drawing board can wait!
EDIT: actually I think I might continue that paragraph-style (but change it to exactly 75 words instead of its current 'more than 80.' Then repeat to get a total of 10 x 75 word paragraphs = 750 words - with each paragraph's task being (like in a poem) to tease out more.
And in this case that 'more' will be 'exploring more on the nature of the relationship between tropism and reality and the artist's role in an increasingly trope-ified reality.' (And why is that? and are Reality TV Shows really just tropisms, for example?)
I'll call the whole thing "Once Upon A Time On A Dark And Stormy Trope-ical Night."
Now all I've got to do is get the other nine (75 word) paragraphs together; not just nine more random examples of the nature of tropism and reality inter-relating ... but nine progressively making-more-sense-of-tropism's-role (yikes!) paragraphs ... while not forgetting the virtue/vice theme ... nor the overall s/f one either .. nor that it has to be in 'story-form' itself! And what will make or break my story?: how well I can get that paragraphal progression to flow ... and make sense to (at least) someone (following the lesson that was sheeted home to me by the Tricks Of The Trope video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUhGn... viz., 'everything makes sense to someone!') and (perhaps the most important of) the artist's job is to find the devices (of which 'tropism' is one) that 'ring as universal a sense-making as possible.'
Food for thought or: why 'trope' is "the worst word in the world"http://www.indelicates.com/trope/
(I think the person who wrote that article could be a distant or not so distant relative of Richard - lol - the piece being acerbically and refreshingly 'to the point'; like a lemon soda with an extremely overly generous serve of the lemon component! But I like it.)
EDIT: and here's another good - but entirely differently perspectived article on trope(s) http://www.irosf.com/q/zine/article/1... eg here's an interesting point the writers of the article makes:
"When familiar tropes are missing or unfamiliar tropes present, this can lead readers to reject a story outright."
That's a worthwhile piece of awareness (for me) to have when mulling over a story idea (that might seem to others to have come) from 'too unusual a perspective'; how to solve the issue of inadvertently 'turning the reader away if a familiar thing they expect isn't there or an unfamiliar one is' ... without compromising one's own perspective on the story idea?
The article addresses this question in depth ... which the article's authors sum up as follows:
"... when literary writers adopt science fictional language, while still employing their core emotional tropes, the result is often oddly unsatisfying to genre readers. Kirstin Bakis' Lives of the Monster Dogs (1997), Michel Faber's Under the Skin (2000), Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife (2003), and Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow (1996) are examples of this trend. Reading them with genre expectations impedes the transmissibility of story because the tropes are misaligned. An experienced genre reader has expectations of genetic engineering, time travel and alien body snatcher stories. Excellent as these books are, those expectations are not met in them.
The story is transmitted to the reader at least in part because of the tropes. Some are emotional, some are external. The transmissibility of story is both enabled and restricted by the tropes of the genre within which the story—and the reader—are functioning." - by Jay Lake and Ruth Nestvold.
Interesting and iconoclastic article, Heather. [the first one]I have been struggling to understand what exactly a trope is (in the modern sense) apart from a familiar plot element or dramatic cliché (like the redshirts).
The article has a similar view:
"It no longer means what it meant to classical rhetoricians. It’s hard, in fact, to pin down exactly what people do think it means as it is used so widely by so many so badly. The closest two definitions I can attempt are:
1. Anything at all which has been in at least two fictions and
2. A Cliché."
Actually, that leaves the options pretty open.
@Heather, another example I recently tried reading was Inside a Silver Box, by Walter Mosley. A fabulous writer, but didn't work as SF at all.@Andy, I don't disagree entirely. I'm personally hoping to be able to thread the needle between those two definitions, somehow. Still haven't written mine, which sucks because I want to read everyone's stories already.
"Anything at all" as a definition of what something is! lol Andy, I like that. It reminds me of when I was growing up. If I ever asked Mum what something meant, she'd often answer me along the lines of "whatever you want it to mean!"It is a great theme for being thought-provoking, Jeremy! It's helping me to begin to understand something I've been trying to figure out ... viz., how to 'be with' the fact that science fiction storytelling 'seems like' it should be a good vehicle for exploring unknowns (eg Future Consciousness, which interests me) because the restriction of staying within 'normal reality' isn't there in s/f BUT also that science fiction 'tropes' (as I am now learning to call them, {or 's/f's tropism'}) do/does bring a set of rules of their/its own and some reasonable degree of following those 'rules' is a very important factor in determining whether or not a story works as s/f/! (as you also noted with that book you mentioned.)
I'm now hoping no-one uses the title "Utropia" for their story title before I get mine finished and posted as I think I want to 'bags' it. (Do You-On-The-Other-Side-Of-The-World say 'bags'? or just 'put dibs on'? - to reserve something in advance.)
Andy, I wasn't sure either after setting down, I think mine covers both 1 and 2 with a dollop. I had about 4 complete tales come to me then thought, "Perhaps I'm confused about the meaning."Oh Heather... "Utropia"...so close.... best get in there quick. :-)
But I just found out it's not original, J.J! Damn!! lol I just googled "Utropia" and its already the name of (at least) a movie and a university (somewhere in Germany) student newspaper! Oh well, it seemed like a good idea for a moment there. But apparently there's a party already underway (even as we speak) in every suburb (in the whole universe) that just happens to be called Utropia. I think I don't get out enough! Back to the drawing board. Again! (Maybe I could still justify using it if I think of it as its being 'a trope' - a title trope! That'll do!)
Heather - not original...? Let me know when you find an original trope. ;-) I think my story has tropes that stretch all the way to um.. Utropia. Very difficult to avoid more than one, as Paula has intimated.
I like "Utropia." Or "Uhopia." Or. . .Some very very fine stories already.
And Jack and Justin both, you got me laughin' in the aisle.
Is "trope" the new word for "cliche" or "expression"? Like "noodles" and "pasta".
I saw an article where it was basically called the new "buzz word," John. I don't think it is ''the new word'' or ''the new buzz word'' for 'cliche' or even 'expression' though. I think it is the new buzz word for "CATEGORY" ("standard, expected, or even demanded-by-the-reader, categories," that is; so that the reader can navigate their way through the story easily enough to still be able to enjoy it.)
So, yes, to me at least, its looking more and more as if 'a trope' just means 'a category - including sub-catgories and sub-sub-categories etc - of things specific to a genre' (or, can be specific to, more broadly, 'literature.') So in s/f 'futuristic weaponry' is an 'item trope.' (whereas in 'historical fiction' genres different items of weaponry would be expected to feature. And then there's 'character tropes' and 'plot tropes' ... and ... etc, sometimes very specific to the different genres)
Also it looks like such categories are permitted to contain only one thing, if they want. e.g., "a dark and stormy night" is the only 'thing' in the category (or trope) that covers 'the single most famous-and-derided opening line ever!' If writers were still game enough to use it then it would fall into the sub-category (sub-trope) of 'cliche.' So cliche, as far as I can see, is not exactly the same as trope, but rather a sub-branch of a trope (when that trope gets over-used. But when aren't they over-used? So maybe it is only cliched when the genre's readers get sick of it, or, when it moves even further out into 'cult-trope' status, where it becomes acceptable again?)
Heather, I'm glad I read your article link after I'd written my story. It cracked me up. But I think it's safe to say my story was already full of trope.
Refresh, mine eyes - refresh!
@JJ - "full of trope", lolHeather, maybe there needs to be a new word for the trope-cliché, like troché.
I can't bear the ending trochés in so many action/thriller/horror films, where everyone is picked off one by one until only the hero and chief villain are left standing - how does that always happen? Then they both, heavily wounded, lock into vigorous hand-to-hand combat in an unlikely setting, usually at the top of somewhere. Only not at the top of creative originality.
And this may be linked with the troché where the villain is done for, but then makes a sudden return, only to be finished off by the victim of his evildoing who rescues the hero.
I would like to include these in my story, but there wouldn't be room for a beginning and middle, only the end.
Brilliant Andy - shame you can't copyright ... My most hated troché is anything to to with meeting the killer.Tracking them down alone without a weapon, having told no one - or worst lied to everyone about your plans.
Telling the most experienced person in the kick-ass martial arts team you can handle it on your own. You can't.
Telling the killer you know they're the killer.
Asking them to confess.
Telling them you're going to confess for them.
Crying when they try to kill you.
Killing the killer, dropping your weapon and turning your back for more crying in a corner.
And yes, you're about to die for your stupidity - as is only right and just - when the killer suddenly drops dead because.... (to be continued by someone else who's got the energy...)
I agree with JJ, Andy ... that is a brilliant new word: "troché" (to mean a 'trope-cliché.')Also, could we go so far as to say that there is even a (man-made) troché for 'story structure': one that has conditioned readers to want "a beginning, middle and an end" (instead of just an 'end' ... or any other 'component part of structure')?
OR
is it just an (inherent) feature of our brains that we seek patterns ... and even specifically seek to match 'certain patterns' to 'certain structures' ... eg 'story' structuring is different to 'poem' structuring.
Might this be in the same realm as the way we, for example, seek different patterns when recognizing the tangible structure of (something, eg) the faces of our family to when recognizing the abstract structure (within something, eg those patterns) we might rely on in order to recognize the emotional (or other such) structure of our family?
Paula wrote: "I like "Utropia." Or "Uhopia." Or. . .Some very very fine stories already.
And Jack and Justin both, you got me laughin' in the aisle."
Thanks Paula! Once I overcame my trope-o-phobia with some well-worn clichés, I was in utropia with the completion of my second submission. :)
I also nominate Heather to begin a dissertation on the history of tropes, the use of tropes in developing nations, phototropism, and distropian science fiction.
@Paula - laughter is good! I was laughing when I wrote it.
So, the first time use of a clever phrase is originality.The second time is plagiarism.
The third time is a trope.
The fourth time is a cliche.
Works for me.
and the 5th is you hope fora --and, J.J., you forgot-- and then she crawls up from behind her boulder through the hot hot sand in the broiling desert sun and throws her dying self across his dying self
and it is said there in the desert is a rose grows only once a year and. .
Justin wrote I also nominate Heather to begin a dissertation on the history of tropes, the use of tropes in developing nations, phototropism, and distropian science fiction.Yikes! Justin must have hacked my computer. That's exactly what my 'story in progress' is about :) ... except you left out 'tropeical weather systems', Justin! lol
And the title: Trope Springs Eternal ...
** COMMENTS ONLY **
The theme* for the month follows this note from the competition's Creator/Director, Jot Russell:
To help polish our skills and present a flavour of our art to other members in the group, I am continuing this friendly contest for those who would like to participate. There is no money involved, but there is also no telling what a little recognition and respect might generate. The rules are simple:
1) The story needs to be your own work and should be posted on the Good Reads Discussion board, which is a public group. You maintain responsibility and ownership of your work to do with as you please. You may withdraw your story at any time.
2) The stories must be 750 words or less.
3) The stories have to be science fiction, follow a specific theme and potentially include reference to items as requested by the prior month's contest winner. The theme for this month is posted below.
4) You have until midnight EST on the 22nd day of the month to post your story to the Good Reads Science Fiction Microstory Contest discussion. One story per author per month.
5) After, anyone from the LI Sci-Fi group or the GR Science Fiction Microstory Discussion group has until midnight EST of the 25th day of the month to cast a single private vote to Jot Russell () for a story other than their own. This vote will be made public once voting is closed. Voting is required. If you do not vote, your story will be disqualified from the contest. You don't need a qualifying story to cast a vote, but must offer the reason for your vote if you don’t have an entry.
6) To win, a story needs at least half of the votes, or be the only one left after excluding those with the fewest votes. Runoffs will be run each day until a winner is declared. Stories with vote totals that add up to at least half, discarding those with the fewest votes, will be carried forward to the next runoff election. Prior votes will be carried forward to support runoff stories. If you voted for a story that did not make it into the runoff, you need to vote again before midnight EST of that day. Only people who voted in the initial round may vote in the runoffs.
7) Please have all posts abide by the rules of Good Reads and the LI Sci-Fi group.
8) Professional comments and constructive criticisms are appreciated by any member in either group and should be posted to the separate thread that will be posted at the end of the month and all voting is complete to avoid any influence on the voting. Feel free to describe elements that you do and don't like, as these help us gain a better perspective of our potential readers. Remarks deemed inflammatory or derogatory will be flagged and/ or removed by the moderator.
9) The winner has THREE days after the start of the new month to make a copy of these rules and post a new contest thread using the theme/items of their choosing. Otherwise, the originator of the contest, Jot Russell, will post a new contest thread.
______________________________
*Theme for the May 2016 contest:
Theme: Virtues and/or Vices (interpret however you wish)
Required Elements: A trope (see http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php... for examples)
Stories thread is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...