I had an idea for a one-off competition. I have noticed how much action people try to cram into their 13 lines to make them exciting and therefore hooky. My feeling is that it would be good to start a story a little slower than we sometimes do when competing in the usual 13 challenge (may it live for ever!). My experience is that you often don't start a story that fast, or include the actual conflict that will be the crux of your story so early on. Often you use another hook and your prose.
Therefore I suggest a one-off competition whereby the hook is much subtler and is implicit within the prose and not within loads of action or some immediately impossible situation.
The posting rules are such:
1) Thirteen lines as usual. 2) Post it yourself on the other thread I will start, or as a Hatrack buddy to post for you--that way noone is certain who posted what. 3)You have 7 days to write and post...then voting begins--say next Thursday.
Situation:
A man/woman (the protaganist--you, if it is 1st person) waits for someone/something outside a bar/truckstop/cafe somewhere in the world (city, village, middle of nowhere, etc). He watches someone else doing a day-to-day activity (you choose) while he waits, but observes something about it/the person that is interesting (but not relevant to the actual story) because you make it so with your prose.
WRITING RULES:
Your protaganist is allowed to do the normal things anyone would do sitting outside. He can blink, turn, wipe his face, drink etc., but he can't interact with anyone or talk. He can think and observe, obviously. You are allowed one SUBTLE hook-worthy action/thought near the end of the 13 lines, that may suggest the real direction of the story and or identify it as speculative.
This may sound boring, but I am looking for characterisation of the protag through his observation of the event/person and also everything else that will make a reader read on. I hope by making this constrictive it will make people work differently.
Good luck--give it a try.
[This message has been edited by skadder (edited August 27, 2008).]
Posted by annepin (Member # 5952) on :
What's "one-off" mean?
Posted by skadder (Member # 6757) on :
It means I am only running this competition once, e.g. not weekly.
Posted by philocinemas (Member # 8108) on :
Are we supposed to start voting sometime? I wasn't sure - there's been a whole lotta bumpin' goin' on.
Posted by skadder (Member # 6757) on :
As stated above (in the rules) people have until Wednesday (today) to post entries; voting begins tomorrow. When you do vote, please don't vote for yourself...
Posted by philocinemas (Member # 8108) on :
Sorry, I should have read more carefully.
Posted by skadder (Member # 6757) on :
Voting is open. When you vote please take into account the rules for the exercise, also factor in how hooky your feel each is.