Writing Exercises Proposal

[Omra]

I wanted to throw this out there to see if anyone would be interesting in engaging in some writing exercises here on the forum. Here are a few suggestions-

Writing Relay:

A story is started and each writer takes turns posting the next segment, handing off each post like a relay race. versions of this could be...

Serious- Each writer puts their own touch into the story but does not try to take it over or deliberately try to trip up the following writer.

Wacky- Just for laughs, the story gets progressively weirder as each writer introduces weird twists and turns, as well as puns and inside jokes.

Card game style- Each writer deliberately tries to figure out where the others are trying to take the story and does their best to sabotage their efforts. This could get ugly...

The Wrench- Every two weeks either a commenter or a member of the Crue gets to use a 'wrench'. They are allowed to throw a wrench into the story, in other words they get to influence the story by causing something to break down, or cause a reversal of events or some other such thing.

Prompt of the Month:

A simple exercise. Each month one of the writers presents a 'prompt' from which everyone will write a short little story or presentation. It can be a picture, a piece of music, or a nugget of an idea, or something as simple as a piece of dialog.

Exploring a World:

A writer creates a world that will become the others sandbox so to speak, and will also set all of the rules and parameters. Everyone will create a character to use in this world and then post little segments from within this world via your characters perspective. Once everyone's characters are established the world creator will then introduce the 'Event', something which will vastly effect each character.

Invasion, natural disaster, political turnover of power, war... whatever. Now we get to see this event unfold from multiple viewpoints and how it effects each character differently, as well as how they deal with it.

If any of these sound interesting or if you have an idea of your own please let me know. Thank you!

[Starsaber]

Sounds fun. Hopefully it'll get me back to doing more writing than I have been recently

[ThotFullGuy]

Omra, this may have been before you joined the forum, but there was this fun running thing we had for a while: Three Word at Time Story

http://forum.galacticwatercooler.com...5635#post15635

And then we took that and expanding the ideas from that story into prose:

http://forum.galacticwatercooler.com...6265#post16265


And then there was:

Three Word at a Time Game - Anything goes!

http://forum.galacticwatercooler.com...377#post121377

Fun times.

[Omra]

Alright I guess it will be just me and Starsaber to start, maybe after some of the others see the exercises and our results others will want to join in. I will start us out with something simple, a prompt.

Prompt one:

Within a short piece, work descriptions of a ship into it. in a way that gives it character and personality. Examples- tired, old, majestic, fierce, glamorous, sleek, etc. Bring it to life in a way that makes it rival the people within it.

It can be any type of ship, spaceship, airship, sailing ship. And of any size. There is no limit on the number of submissions, but they must all be in by the 20th the next exercise will be on the 21st.

Now go write!

[Kiki Rowan]

Hi omra, this sounds fun. Especially like the idea of a wacky relay story. I'm going to try to find time to write up something for the 1st exercise.

[Omra]

Hi omra, this sounds fun. Especially like the idea of a wacky relay story. I'm going to try to find time to write up something for the 1st exercise.

Cool, I look forward to it.

[Omra]

Part One

Leaning against the cool polycarbonate window I watched the ship slowly glide into its docking moorings, I had been waiting 6 days for this old frigate to arrive at the dilapidated station I have been stranded on. I was bored angry and depressed, things along the rim were much different from my usual postings within the core worlds, out here far from the usual trade and supply routes one had to learn to do with less; and I do mean less, and even more importantly how to improvise. Take this ship for instance, it has so many modifications, patches and non-regulation upgrades it is hard to even tell what ship class it was originally.

Back in the core the naval vessels are sleek and shiny works of art, like an edged weapon forged by a master sword maker. This compact and rugged vessel has all the visual aesthetics of a pair of spiked brass knuckles, its purpose is chillingly clear and it makes no attempts to hide what it is.

As the clamps latch onto the ship the maintenance scaffolds swing out to embrace it and the work lights switch on exposing all of its many blemishes. Whereas the ships I am used to seeing are more like swords, elegant weapons which hide their true lethality. This brute is more like a mace, it is no flagship; nor is it a ship for parades, formations or diplomatic missions. It is not a pretty ship you send to impress politicians or foreign diplomats, this is a ship you send to scare away people who may have bad intentions.

It is not a dapper and well groomed young soldier in dress uniform who stands guard at a gate or doorway. This is a hardened and grizzled veteran who wears its battle scars and patches the way an old soldier wears his medals and campaign ribbons.

Its configuration seems similar to some of the ships I remember in the historical vids I viewed back at the academy, whatever the case I am sure I will find out the history of the ship soon enough. Captain’s love to drone on about their ships lineage and history, and this old warhorse is my ride to even further out on the rim. Stepping back from the window I pull out my transfer papers, hoping against all reason it will say something other than what it said last time, but no; it still says ‘Bifrost Station’; what god did I piss off to get this posting? Sighing dramatically to no one I pick up my duffel bag and leave the empty viewing room, time to report to the Fenris.

[Omra]

Part Two

I handed my papers to the scruffy looking LC at the forward docking umbilical, he sniffed indifferently as he snatched them up and held them in front of his weary pot marked face. He lazily scratched at his beard while he read my orders with bloodshot and uninterested eyes. He snorted loudly and lowered the papers to get another look at me, his judgmental eyes took me in slowly from head to foot and then after apparently seeing nothing obviously wrong he looked back at the papers again. Something I have done many times myself lo these many days, often followed by a ‘this can’t be right.’ He chuckled and handed the papers back whilst grinning slyly, “Bifrost Station heh? Who’dya piss off to get that assignment?” I sheepishly collected the papers and avoided his accusing gaze; I really was not in the mood to discuss my unwelcome career change with a smelly unkept officer on the outer edge of civilization. After an awkward silence he slapped me on the shoulder, “Oh never mind kid, we’ll have plenty of time latter. It is a long trip to Bifrost Station and there are very few places to hide on a ship this size.” Oh joy. He sniffed and rubbed his nose with great relish, I did my best to hide my disgust, he finally and mercifully stopped and uttered, “Go see Reardon, he is the Logistics Officer on this tub. He’ll set you up with a room and a guest account so you can access the Mess Hall and the Rec Room, you will probably find him supervising the resupply in the cargo deck.” He pointed down towards the massive umbilical clamped onto the belly of the frigate, “It will probably be quicker if you go straight into the cargo bay from there instead of wandering through an unfamiliar ship,” he picked up an antique mike off of a mount on the entryway wall, “I’ll call ahead and let him know you are coming,” he winked, “good luck squirt, and don’t get run over by a loader OK? The paperwork is a bitch.” His laughter followed me halfway down the access way, it was as cold and unsympathetic as the metal panels around me. I hope the ships smells better than he does.

Reardon was another story; he was a picture of efficiency and professionalism. Unlike the LC he was clean shaven and his uniform was crisp and starched, his speech and movements were both kept to a minimum, he was a poster child for ‘Conservation of Energy and Movement’. I would hate to be his bunkmate, he reeks of OCD and likely has every item in his locker perfectly spaced and inventoried. The ideal person for this job I suppose… He disconnects and hands my PDM back to me with a precision of movement that would make an assembly line robot envious, “Here I have added your unit to the ship’s computer; you can use it as an access key to move about the yellow and green zones, and also to get meals from the mess hall. I even added a map to help you get around and marked your room as well, I suggest you introduce yourself to the Captain as soon as you get settled; he likes to meet all new arrivals and show them around. Welcome aboard Midshipman.” And with that he whipped around before I could even utter a response or offer a salute and started barking at a man driving a forklift, I shrugged as he scurried after the wayward forklift and its confused driver. I headed for the nearest door and looked down at the map on my PDM while feeling anything but welcome. Such is life in the Navy, be all you can be my ass...

[Omra]

Part Three

As the days passed I developed a grudging respect for the old frigate. It was not a comfortable ship to be sure, but then it was never designed to be. This was a warship, cranked out en mass during a time of war; it was designed to be easily constructed, rugged and lethal. And decades after the war she was built to fight, she was still lethal. Her weapons, engines, software and hardware constantly having to be upgraded to try and keep up, she will never be a ship-of-the-line but I would never want to be on the wrong side of this baby's hell-lances.

She may not much to look at but again she was not designed to be aesthetically pleasing or like some of those core ships a glorified luxury liner with guns mounted on her, this was a tireless guardian patrolling the dark and unruly outer edges of the federated world’s realm.

The Fenris was a lot like her crew, an old cantankerous veteran with a checkered past and surly attitude that would not fit in among the core worlds. Or the politically correct brass who sat in their ivory towers polishing their medals and counting the days until they could retire with full benefits. This heavily armored and scarred beast is just what is needed out here, she is not afraid to charge in and trade blows with the nasty and opportunistic types that thrive out in the shadowy reaches beyond civilized law. Doing the work that is needed to keep the colonies and trade routes safe and secure, the kind of things civilized folk would rather not know is going on. They can sleep safe at night because ships like this one are out there keeping vigil.

I leaned back on the pillow which rested against the thick hull plate, closed my eyes and allowed the gentle vibration and hum of the bulkhead to sing me to sleep.

[Starsaber]

Crap didn't finish mine.