h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi there!

Lanzababy brought you to my attention. She knows I am on the lookout for people with good ideas for creative 'challenges' to set the community as part of this project here: U14992038

Next month, ie December, I was hoping we could do something which would get people using the AWW more, with more creative writing focused tasks. And because I like themes and Dmtri has just set up this great new workshop: A87717720 I was thinking the theme could be Science Fiction and science. It would run for one month, although individual tasks could be shorter.

So, I was wondering if I could prevail on you to write us a page describing the 60 word story challenge and a/some science/science fictiony type prompts, and sort of host it? I noticed in the convo, you were describing an ongoing long running thing, and a method for making it fairly self sufficient. That's cool, but it doesn't have to be: we could make it an occasional task that pops up every now and again (and I wouldn't expect you to host it every time! Unless you wanted to!). Whatever you like really.

Also if you have any other ideas for challenges/ tasks do please let me know - even if you'd rather supply them as ideas not take them on as projects yourself.

Well, that was longer than 60 words..

Hi Sol I'll look into this over the weekend if I've got time, I'm a bit pushed with work at the moment.

*I was thinking the theme could be Science Fiction and science.*

I left behind SF a long time ago and I'm not much interested in it these days to be honest.

In the 60 worders that we used to do we had no overall theme, no particular style it was just what ever the monthly winner decided on so it could be headings like these: Brand New, Darkness+Light,As far as the eye can see, Stubbed, Geezus, look at that! Waxed, She winced...

I hope you see what I mean here. The judging of the entries was done by the entrants and it took some time to arrive at this method and if memory serves there was some disatifaction with it but to my eyes it seemed to work. Of course if you didn't like someone then your not going to vote for them.

I think finally what happened was that the entries where posted without the author's name on them(a blind tasting if you will) and they stayed up on site for two weeks and then you had a week of voting and then the winners were announced.

Comments were enabled too I think on each entry.

Now if that is something you wish to start up then it seems fairly simple to my mind to do so but as this is a new site with new owners, I don't know how things run here.

Bedtime for me down here in Oz.

Cheers

Well, ideally, you'd start it rather than me. *grins*

I appreciate the fact that time pressures might put paid to that, and if so, I would shamlesssly steal your idea.

I'm not sure the prompt(s) would have to be too obviously linked to sci fi per say. Sort of more inspired by. The stories themselves could be anything people wanted, not necessarily sci fi either. It's more an excuse to run the game. Tenuous connections r us.

I think if we (*cough* you *cough*) wanted to run the task long term then the mechanism you describe to decide, basically, who picks the next prompt is cool, but if I'm honest, from the pov of Create, I'm trying to avoid things like picking a best in show, so as to make it more, I dunno, collaborative.

Mind you, I'm always open to exceptions, and I have to say it might be worth it to recognise outstanding creativity in 60 words. 60 words is not a lot!

Anyway, no hurry yet. Got until Dec to mull it over.