The Overlook Hotel

5:15 PM

Hey

Nex Terren

Heeey. So mind if I ask about this little event? I was pinged about it.

@NexTerren ask away. I got pinged too.

I'm not sure what the event is, however.

Apr 17 at 10:21, by BESW

@Randal'Thor [wave] Show up at the scheduled time, a topic is given, folks write into it for ten minutes and then share what they've written. All are welcome.

Oh, that. Writing exercise!

Apr 18 at 17:28, by Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@BESW We're not strict about the 10 minutes. I'm usually way over time. It's more of a "write something quickly" as opposed to "go home and spend a week on this"

5:25 PM

So where are the hosts of this event?

I believe @Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 is the main organiser.

Well, I'm here. What do we write-exercise about?

5:51 PM

I'm here too. Normally someone suggests a topic.

@KitZ.Fox @MattE.Эллен writing exercise?

@NexTerren As Rand al'Thor already mentioned: we often do a quick write on Tuesdays. Typically someone provides a prompt or topic and we write for 10-ish minutes.

Usually it ends up being flash fiction but you can write whatever you want or suggest a different kind of exercise.

in Nov some people just spend the time working on their Nanowrimo

So @NVZ, @NexTerren, @Randal'Thor, are you interested?

I'm game if others are.

Got a suggestion for a topic?

How specific a topic are you looking for?

anything that can prompt the exercise

past topics have been abstract phrases, whole sentences, specific words, specific dialogue....

6:06 PM

How about "am I the only one at this meeting?" as a theme. (Looks like nobody else bothered to join my tuesday teleconference.)

works for me

Writing Exercise 2016-08-23: 10 minute write, topic: Am I the only one at this meeting?

Starting now?

@NeilFein Yes.

Writing. 3 minutes left.

Okay, how are people posting their freewrites lately?

6:40 PM

@NeilFein I just dump the text into chat. Hopefully that's not too annoying; at least, nobody's told me off for it yet.

Am I the only one at this meeting?
----------------------------------
Her footsteps echoed loudly in the stone corridor. No hint of softness or luxury in this place - the castle had been built on the orders of the famously frugal King Fredrik the Fourth and was strictly utilitarian, designed for war and defence rather than luxury. Nor, at this time, was there any hint of the building being populated. She saw not a single servant or guard as she walked from her chamber in the tallest tower to the council hall in the centre. It was as though the entire population of the castle had simply disa…

@Randal'Thor I'm pretty sure I've told you off for it at least twice now.

@NeilFein I post a link to a google doc. Kit and Matt post on their blogs.

Am I the only one at this meeting?

I don't have a blog or a Google account :-/

We could always put the exercise on Meta, and people could post their contribution as an answer

@KitZ.Fox Would you rather have a short story dumped into chat or a hundred comment flags on ELU? :-P

6:43 PM

@Randal'Thor A google account is free if you create one, plus there are other sites where you could post stuff, just saying.

@Randal'Thor 100 comment flags. I can ignore those. :)

maybe he could post the story IN the flags

ooooh. cool idea.

He could thread the flags together with the flagged comment to make a meta story.

That would be awesome!

Wow! Good short stories, @Randal'Thor and @Mr.ShinyandNew安宇

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 That's a good idea.

6:45 PM

I can't write like that, I don't have the words.

@NVZ That's why we practice.

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 I'm not really very internet-savvy, I'm afraid.

@Randal'Thor Well, if you want help creating a google account, I can help. I have like a zillion.

There isn't much to it.

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 Ooh. Creepy.

Yeah... it's not finished... but I figured I was out of time.

6:47 PM

I'll try putting the text in chat.

@NVZ Mr. Shiny's stories are always good.

(Sorry, had to step away for a sec.)

There's nobody else in the small meeting room when I walk in. The lights are on, there are some bottles of water on a tray, and plenty of notepads and pencils placed on the side table. Nobody ever uses those, we all take notes on laptops or on our phones, but the admins keep providing them.

I've been worried about being nearly an hour late but perhaps I worried over nothing. I sit down and open a blank file for note-taking. And after a few minutes I realize that this is silly and open some reading material for while I wait. I may be late but I'll seem extra-prepared.

@Randal'Thor aw, thanks. They're not that good. I think they might be getting repetitive.

I did, however, scribble down a few lyrics, or something that rhymes. But now I'm too shy to post it here. Maybe next time, I'll try and write a few lines, at least attempt to, and post a short story here myself. :)

Reminds me to ask. What's a few lines of poetry called, when it's made up on the spot?

I guess I need to tell off Neil as well.

@NVZ poetry

6:51 PM

@NVZ doggerel, maybe

Uhm, not poetry precisely. Just something that rhymes and fits syllables.

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 yea, that's maybe what it is. :) Thanks!