A Conversation for Chain Stories - A Game
Writing Workshop: A756614 - Chain Stories
Catwoman Started conversation May 25, 2002
Entry: Chain Stories - A756614
Author: Catwoman - U166251
Okay, what else do I need? It's a bit short really, but it's really fun to do.
Does anyone else find writing in 3rd person really hard?
A756614 - Chain Stories
Spiff Posted May 26, 2002
Hi there CW,
I saw your comment in the 'HtbF' thread and ! Thought someone better come over and see what your chain stories piece was up to.
Well, quite interesting but in particular very nicely written. I like the style much more than the content. I guess this just isn't a subject which picks me up by the shoulders and drags me in. Sorry.
one practical suggestion: have you ever heard a version (mostly for kidsd I think) called 'And the world said...' or 'And the world's conclusion was...' or something like that.
Basically same principle as what you have described but it is all on one piece of paper which is passed around each of the players in turn until they reach the bottom of the page.
Before the game starts, someone writes, 'One fine day...' at the top left, and 'And the world said...' at the bottom left. The first player fills in the rest of the opening sentence and folds the paper so that the next player can't see what was written. The next player writes in a sentence, folds the paper and passes it on. And so on until someone fills in a conclusion (What the world said).
Thinking about it, i can't remember if there is some system for keeping things more or less coherent (like naming certain elements at the beginning or starting the next person's sentence for them. Actually, I think it might be the latter; you just give them 3 or 4 words to follow on from)... maybe.
Do you plan to work this up to edited guide material? I don't really think it is as yet, though purely for content reasons. The subject just doesn't seem one that you would find in Britannica, if you see what i mean. Not that this is the *only* kind of article we should see in the guide, far from it! Just not sure this one is hitting the spot, *yet*.
Well, maybe others would disagree. I think you could afford to hit PR with this if you like. The writing is definitely of good quality, and that in itself will be appreciated. Others will give you feedback about subject-matter and content, I'm sure.
Just go for it. As you have discovered, it's not that easy to get feedback in the WW. A shame, but that's the way it is, right now. They are even talking about scrapping it, which seems a shame. But if the horse ain't breathin', there may be no point in flogging it.
Best of luck with this and all future writings,
seeya
spiff
A756614 - Chain Stories
Catwoman Posted May 27, 2002
What you're describing sounds a bit like 'consequences' (what we used to call it). It went:
met
at
he said
she said
the consequences were
This was really just a bit of practice, I'd like to write somehting for the edited guide but I have no idea what to write about. I just need to remember how to write in 3rd person again.
The actual game is something I did while I was supposed to be doing physics at school. We came up with some interesting stuff, actually.
Oh, and why are you MP? I'm guessing it's not the political sort.
A756614 - Chain Stories
Spiff Posted May 27, 2002
Yeah, consequences, that'd be it!
the MP is for Merry Prankster - nothing special really. I adopted it as a role in the Agg-Gag pages. er... link? ...
AGGGAG
The Merry Pranksters were the original travelling hippies in a psychedelic bus! Ken Kesey and co. I just kinda liked the idea of being a Merry Prankster, I guess.
seeya
spiff
ps, i wouldn't worry to much about writing in the 1st person too much. If you try to avoid 'I' and otherwise write naturally, you shouldn't have too many probs.
People in PR will help you to find ways to get the effect you want without 'pleading the first', too.
A756614 - Chain Stories
FABT - new venture A815654 Angel spoiler page Posted May 27, 2002
the paragraph....Constant Chracters: Characters may only be removed by the participant who created that character - this stops people removing your character before they've had a chance to do anything interesting, but remember that too many character battling for attention never looks good. .......has two typos. in case you care.
i used to play consequences with my bro MaW
we did,
female name
wearing
met male name
wearing
at
time
she said to him
he said to her
and the consequence was
always good for a laugh.
nice entry, maybe you could bung in a few links to party games, i'm there are lots around the guide.
well done
FABT
A756614 - Chain Stories
Catwoman Posted May 28, 2002
Thanks, have (hopefully) fixed the typos, I really should learn to type properly.
Is there an entry for consequences? I'll have to look.
But how will I find party games, as they might not say that that's what they are.
A756614 - Chain Stories
FABT - new venture A815654 Angel spoiler page Posted May 28, 2002
i think there is a big entry ON party games....and btw, why is noone replying to the chain story at dead man's?
or have i missed it?
to check
A756614 - Chain Stories
Catwoman Posted May 28, 2002
Who/what/where? Who is this dead man, why is he dead?
Have now done consequences too (wrote it earlier, just had to check was not duplicating). These are my tactics for avoiding revision.
A756614 - Chain Stories
Catwoman Posted May 28, 2002
Oh, and while I'm asking people about their names, is FABT initials, a word, or a weird acronym?
A756614 - Chain Stories
FABT - new venture A815654 Angel spoiler page Posted May 28, 2002
sorry, should have explained http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/classic/F87537?thread=178545&latest=1 is a rather promising chain story that has ground to a halt FABT
A756614 - Chain Stories
Catwoman Posted May 30, 2002
Ok, I have nothing better to do with my time. Except revision, but I don't knwo if that really counts as "better".
A756614 - Chain Stories
the_lyniezian Posted Mar 15, 2004
We have a game in our family which is a cross between 'Chain Stories' and 'Consequences' (well, sort of a cross anyway), in which one person begins the story, gives it to the next person who reads what the first person has written, folds the first bit over and passes it on to the next person etc. Thus what you get sounds a little bit like a chain story but is (almost) as wacky as Consequences...
A756614 - Chain Stories
the_lyniezian Posted Oct 17, 2005
And of course, everybody laughs hysterically at theend when we read them all out, as they are usually quite funny. Things can get over the top, in our family, tho'.
Key: Complain about this post
Writing Workshop: A756614 - Chain Stories
- 1: Catwoman (May 25, 2002)
- 2: Spiff (May 26, 2002)
- 3: Catwoman (May 27, 2002)
- 4: Spiff (May 27, 2002)
- 5: FABT - new venture A815654 Angel spoiler page (May 27, 2002)
- 6: Catwoman (May 28, 2002)
- 7: FABT - new venture A815654 Angel spoiler page (May 28, 2002)
- 8: Catwoman (May 28, 2002)
- 9: Catwoman (May 28, 2002)
- 10: Catwoman (May 28, 2002)
- 11: FABT - new venture A815654 Angel spoiler page (May 28, 2002)
- 12: Catwoman (May 30, 2002)
- 13: the_lyniezian (Mar 15, 2004)
- 14: the_lyniezian (Oct 17, 2005)
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