Chat (Cookies and tea allowed in this room) Showing 1,951-2,000 of 2,926

[Kyra]

M wrote: "I don’t mind plot as long as it doesn’t interfere with the story."

LOL! That seems like a good policy to have.

[Guy]

Christa, it sounds like a thinker's (in the Jungian use of a 'thinker') approach to writing a story, which comes down to trying to make a logical construct out of something that is essentially an intuitive one.

We are essentially a society fixated on logical constructs. The university English classes I took were fundamentally about trying to deconstruct writing to figure out what makes something great. And in the process they kill that greatness, and create in the process writing that is without life. Try reading any current literary criticism and you will understand the definition of lifeless writing.

In a loose way, the arrangement above reminds me of how our science tries to figure out what makes life: kill it, then take it apart, with the hope of being able to reconstruct the deconstructions like Frankenstein.

Alternatively, it reminds me of the neo-classical movement in the 17th century. It became fixated on a notion of Greek writing summarized into the so-called three unities and resulted in dead writing. (See, for example, Dryden's play All for Love, which is one of the most horrid highly praised pieces of dreck I have read.)

So, I would say, very loosely, that the idea is a crutch used by people trying to intellectualize the creative process. I see it as having limited value from a truly creative perspective, although it may work as a means to create formulaic and somewhat popular pop fiction.

[Angie]

Hi everyone. I just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving :)

[Kymela]

Ack. Why do I always leave things for the last minute? I'm stuck on a craft essay about villain motivations. I managed to include the Joker. XD

[Garrison]

Quick announcement, guys. I may or may not be able to participate in next week’s contest because I’ll be on vacation with my family to Canada. I leave on Friday and return on Tuesday. The following Wednesday I have my volunteer job, so that just leaves Thursday to catch up on Z’s. I’m bringing my laptop with me to Canada, but that doesn’t necessarily guarantee anything since I won’t have my notes with me nor will I have the energy or time to get a story done. Thanks for understanding.

[Ryan]

No worries at all, Garrison. Have a magic trip and enjoy your break. Thanks for all your submissions over the past few weeks, you have definitely earned immunity. Enjoy, mate :)

[Garrison]

Thanks, Ryan. You've always been a cool guy. :)

[Garrison]

I'm back, guys! Great to see you all again! I'm going to go read this week's stories and poems soon enough. :)

[[deleted user]]

Welcome back Garrison! :)

[Garrison]

Thanks, Leslie! It feels good to be home. :)

[Ryan]

Welcome back, Garrison. How was your trip?

[Garrison]

It was a good one, Ryan. I love Canada. :)

[Ryan]

I'd love to go for a visit. I had a friend who just returned, her photos were AMAZING!

[Garrison]

Canada's an amazing place. You really should find some days off so you can visit there. Me and my family went to Victoria, British Columbia.

[Caitlan]

Canada is sooooo gorgeous.

[Garrison]

Clean water and pink skies: it doesn't get more gorgeous than that. :)

[Ryan]

It is a 20 hour flight for me...I may need to take a few more than a few days ;)

[Garrison]

Are you British, Ryan? Just curious.

[Ryan]

Nope, Australian.

[Garrison]

Yeah, that's a long way from Canada.

[Garrison]

I just thought of something. Since this group is very pirate oriented, we need an equally pirate oriented theme song. I've got just the thing: "Rhymin & Stealin" by The Beastie Boys.

"Pistol is loaded! I shot Betty Crocker! Delivered Colonel Saunders down to Davey Jones' locker!"

[C. J., Cool yet firm like ice]

Garrison wrote: "I just thought of something. Since this group is very pirate oriented, we need an equally pirate oriented theme song. I've got just the thing: "Rhymin & Stealin" by The Beastie Boys.

"Pistol is l..."

Or how about "Ooooooh... who lives in a pineapple under the sea?" Just kidding. ;)

[[deleted user]]

Spongebob Squarepants! :P

I'm not familiar with the song Garrison, I'll look that up, sorry :)

I'm glad you had a wonderful time. I haven't been to Canada, hopefully, one day.

Hi CJ!

[C. J., Cool yet firm like ice]

Hi Leslie! How are you doing?

[[deleted user]]

I'm good, trying to keep up with work :D And you?

[Garrison]

I like Spongebob's pet snail Gary. He's so cute! ^_^

[C. J., Cool yet firm like ice]

Leslie wrote: "I'm good, trying to keep up with work :D And you?"

I need to start looking for work to keep busy. Though this church program for Christmas is exciting and is good at keeping me occupied.

[[deleted user]]

What's the church program for Christmas?

[C. J., Cool yet firm like ice]

It's about the church looking like Bethlehem and telling the Christmas story. It is so exciting! Though it will be the last year it will be done in this way, I hope many will check it out!

[Garrison]

Good luck with your Christmas project, CJ! :)

[alessia]

*my head pops up at the door* Is this full already? Any free seats?

[Garrison]

Come on in! :)

[alessia]

Garrison wrote: "Come on in! :)"

*waves a little* Hello, Garrison. :) *tip toes over*

[georgiabread]

My my my what a delicioso cookie! I think I might have another or two....or 10000000000000000000000000000000000000

[georgiabread]

My my my what a delicioso cookie! I think I might have another or two....or 10000000000000000000000000000000000000

[Garrison]

Hi, Alessia! Nice to meet you! :)

[alessia]

Garrison wrote: "Hi, Alessia! Nice to meet you! :)"

It's nice to meet you, too! ;) So-*grabs a cookies and nibbles into it*-I've been wanting to ask this question for a long time. What's a poem? Is it just a text that rhymes?

[alessia]

An elephant's faithful 100% (GAB) wrote: "My my my what a delicioso cookie! I think I might have another or two....or 10000000000000000000000000000000000000"

*smiles* Whoah, take it slow, you might choke.



And leave one for me...if you haven't finished them all already. :P

[Garrison]

Not all poems have to rhyme, but they do have to conform to some kind of rhythm or pattern that proses normally don't.

[Guy]

[Smiles, chomps down two of the vanilla shortbread cookies he made the other day. Offers two to Alessia.] Tea? I have green sencha, organic. Or gingia assam.

Hello, my name is Guy. I am ambivalently known by some in the WSS as the madman.

Poem?
A poem, by any other name would smell as sweet. [Thinks. Shakes head.] That can't be right. Write? What I might mean is that a poem by any other write would be a wrong. Hmmm. Could be a wrong. And since two wrongs make a write, two up-right poems would likely still not be a poem unless the poetry legislators were to say otherwise.

[Sips tea. Masticates cookie. Gets distracted, wanders off. Comes back with a tipple of scotch.] What is a poem? [Laughs.] Yes. A question that has stumped the humanoids of the world since the beginnings of language. But here, within the upper bowels above the poop deck of the humble ship the WSS, it will be answered. [Smiles.] Snot. Snot likely.

[Scratches head.] Of course, across time, Shakespeare has been dismissed for being a bad writer. So, what is a poem, then, if the educated and 'proper' adjudicators of 'good' writing can, in their time, dismiss the greatest writer of English? [Laughs.] Intuitively it can inferred from that that a poem is simply words that convey meaning. [Pauses.] Really? Nah! Can't be. And when was the last time anything dismissed as being 'simple' was actually simple? A fool's tail's chase, lost chasing chaste tales?

[Chews on cookie. Sips more scotch. Wanders off to get the bottle. He sets it beside himself and the mouse. He looks at the mouse.] I know you are tempted, but alcohol will kill you. Mice don't handle booze well. One person's meaning is another person's nonsense. But then, if .... [Pauses.] Hmmm. I think it is time to get drunk. I think I have concluded that a poem is a collection of words that convey meaningless meaning. Or is that meaningful meaninglessness. OMG! And not once did my verbiage have any hint of rhyme or reason.

[Walks to his car.] I know! I'll drive to the US Border. I am sure that once I get there I will with ease and grace be able to procure the gun that will be able to poetically put myself out of the misery of poetical meanderings on the uselessness of delineating what comprises a poem. [But before he got there he was pulled over for being driven under the influence of bad poetry. He spends the night in a drunk tank. In the morning, hung over and oblivious to how he came to be jailed and stinking, he felt compelled by forces unknown to write on the wall:

A wall of wailers willing to wait while whittling wooden whistles
won't whistle stop the sot whetting his whistle with whiskey jacks
painted on white wine bottles whining all the while they wander with wonder
within the world of what words are worthy to be wound into a worthwhile verse.

[Guy the Madman throws up in the corner. He rubs the acrid puke from his mouth and facial hairs with an ease belying a lot of practice.] Yes. That was poetry in motion. [He sits in the corner, and falls asleep, only to dream fitfully of famous actresses telling him he indeed has had his way with words, but all of whom opt to kiss Ron Perlman instead of the dreaming madman.]

[Garrison]

I don't think I can come up with a response funnier than that prose, Guy. Hehe!

[Guy]

Thank you. What is a poem? Indeed, easier to determine the meaning of life.

[Ryan]

Merry Christmas to you all, crazy pirates :)

[Garrison]

Merry Christmas, Ryan! And a happy 2014! :)

[Guy]

Thank you Al and Garrison and Ryan. And a Merry New Year and Happy Christmas to all. And to all a bountiful night.

[C. J., Cool yet firm like ice]

Yes Merry Christmas to all! It arrived so quickly it's crazy. And Happy New Year!

[Garrison]

Since we're all in the Christmas spirit, I thought I'd share a nice, Christmasy video with you all! Wait a minute, is Christmasy even a word? Anyway, here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPRZ7b...

[C. J., Cool yet firm like ice]

Well I know of a funny video on Youtube. If you can excuse a "let's play" type of vid look up Markiplier and "Very Organized Santa" and I will probably stop talking about Markiplier now... :D

[Caitlan]

Heeeeeey, Markiplier! :D Alex is in love with him. *giggle*

[C. J., Cool yet firm like ice]

Hey guys! I'm surprised no one said it officially on here yet. Happy New Year 2014! :D