Thursday, May 11, 2006
How To Play
In the beginning there was a picture. A picture of the reflection of a woman walking in front of a high-end department store. One lovely woman by the lovely name Calliope suggested the creation of "Short Story Saturday". Many other lovely people thought this was a great idea, but left it up to me to organize. Since I don't blog on Saturdays with any regularity I was left in a bit of a quandary: how do I organize something that I can't count on myself being able to participate in? The answer, after many trials and much agony, came to me as if a messenger had delivered it from a far-off land. Remove the Saturday portion of the idea. Make it something that people can work on all week, and post at their leisure. Create a new blog and link all the stories together so everyone can read them as they wish. Call it The Scheherazade Project.
And so the project began.
Here's how I envision it will work.
Every Monday a theme will be posted here. It may be a word, it may be a picture, it may be a phrase or a paragraph. Regardless of which form it will take, it will be posted on Monday. (ETA: Ok, Ok, I can't do it every Monday. I just can't write a story every week. So, so I'm not urging people to do what I can't do myself, it'll now be every OTHER Monday. Maybe as we get more participants where even if people don't do it every week there's still enough interest every week, I'll change it back. But for now, look for a new theme every TWO weeks. -- Trista)
Take the theme and run with it. Run far, cradling it in your arms the entire way, or take a few steps, toss it to the gutter, and continue of your merry way. I don't care, just write and then post it on your blog (or other website) with a link back to the specific theme-post that inspired it. If you link back here, then people should be able to find your story through the "links to this post" link at the end of the entry.
And let me know, too, by emailing me (starsandjars at gmail dot com) the URL of your individual story post (NOT the URL for the homepage of your blog). I'll go back and make sure that your story is showing up in the backlinks and if not, edit the theme post and include links at the bottom to the individual stories inspired by the theme. (ETA: Ok, I really suck at getting the particpants posted on the theme page. So, like your story to the page like above so it'll show up in the backlinks, and then put the url in the comments. That's where the action's at. In the comments) I'll also (ETA: eventually) post your blog in the "Seducers of the Muse" blogroll in the sidebar.
If you would like constructive criticism of your writing, let people know and we'll try to give it to you. If you don't want constructive criticism, say nothing, and people will give only praise and other non-critical comments. (Side note to this: if you're reading a linked story and they don't say that they want constructive criticism DON'T give it. Though I (and, I know, others) like criticism on my writing I don't want people who are shy or unsure of their abilities to refrain from participating for fear of criticism.
If you don't get to a particular theme during its week, it's ok, go ahead and write your story on the theme you wanted to do. I'll still post the link to you, and if the theme isn't too old, people will probably still see it.
Your story can be fiction or non-fiction. Micro or Macro. Any sub-genre or none. Though I might post themes that will guide participants into a particular sub-genre, if you can resist that guidance, more power to you and your imagination!
Everyone and Anyone is welcome to participate. If a story has material that I would deem possibly objectional (such as graphic violence or sex) I will still post a link, but I'll let people know to expect possibly objectional material. Fair?
And so the project began.
Here's how I envision it will work.
Every Monday a theme will be posted here. It may be a word, it may be a picture, it may be a phrase or a paragraph. Regardless of which form it will take, it will be posted on Monday. (ETA: Ok, Ok, I can't do it every Monday. I just can't write a story every week. So, so I'm not urging people to do what I can't do myself, it'll now be every OTHER Monday. Maybe as we get more participants where even if people don't do it every week there's still enough interest every week, I'll change it back. But for now, look for a new theme every TWO weeks. -- Trista)
Take the theme and run with it. Run far, cradling it in your arms the entire way, or take a few steps, toss it to the gutter, and continue of your merry way. I don't care, just write and then post it on your blog (or other website) with a link back to the specific theme-post that inspired it. If you link back here, then people should be able to find your story through the "links to this post" link at the end of the entry.
And let me know, too, by emailing me (starsandjars at gmail dot com) the URL of your individual story post (NOT the URL for the homepage of your blog). I'll go back and make sure that your story is showing up in the backlinks and if not, edit the theme post and include links at the bottom to the individual stories inspired by the theme. (ETA: Ok, I really suck at getting the particpants posted on the theme page. So, like your story to the page like above so it'll show up in the backlinks, and then put the url in the comments. That's where the action's at. In the comments) I'll also (ETA: eventually) post your blog in the "Seducers of the Muse" blogroll in the sidebar.
If you would like constructive criticism of your writing, let people know and we'll try to give it to you. If you don't want constructive criticism, say nothing, and people will give only praise and other non-critical comments. (Side note to this: if you're reading a linked story and they don't say that they want constructive criticism DON'T give it. Though I (and, I know, others) like criticism on my writing I don't want people who are shy or unsure of their abilities to refrain from participating for fear of criticism.
If you don't get to a particular theme during its week, it's ok, go ahead and write your story on the theme you wanted to do. I'll still post the link to you, and if the theme isn't too old, people will probably still see it.
Your story can be fiction or non-fiction. Micro or Macro. Any sub-genre or none. Though I might post themes that will guide participants into a particular sub-genre, if you can resist that guidance, more power to you and your imagination!
Everyone and Anyone is welcome to participate. If a story has material that I would deem possibly objectional (such as graphic violence or sex) I will still post a link, but I'll let people know to expect possibly objectional material. Fair?
