We're Game For Anything
If a genie appeared and said you could be anyone you wanted, whom would you choose? One reader wanted to go back in history and meet his ancestors, one wanted to be Maria in `The Sound of Music', someone else wanted to be a smarter version of Tom in `Tom and Jerry'. This was the new game I started on Saturday and you can see the wide range of heart-warming responses at Rite of Reply.
And by the way, you can still have some fun and add to the Passing Sentence Game, `Goosey In The Sky With Diamonds', at Passing Sentence Game. We only need five sentences before the challenge reverts to me, in order to wrap up the story.
If you'd like to introduce either of these games on your own blog, you're most welcome. Just let me know by leaving a comment here.
Showing posts with label Passing Sentence Game #2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Passing Sentence Game #2. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Critique Of Passing Sentence Game #2
Harried Houdini: Superhero As An Ex-Cape Artist
This critique of the Passing Sentence Game #2, which you can read at These Booths Are Made For Walking , is by Nirmal Ghosh, the Thailand-based foreign correspopndent, author, photographer and award-winning film-maker. And I’d like to thank the popular blogger McGlinch for the accompanying doodle. Here’s Nirmal’s review ….
The most interesting part in this exercise is the element of unpredictability, which tests each subsequent writer's inventiveness. It brings out the child in many ways, I would say. And the challenge is not only to be inventive and pose a quirky challenge to the next writer, but to keep some semblance of the story line alive as lifeline, so to speak.
It seems to work here, though the story line of course is a bit basic (have to keep it that way in the first experiment, otherwise with more complex stories one would need the moderator to step in at some point maybe, to nudge it back to some kind of sense, so one of course one can't expect War and Peace on the first round!).
It is exhilarating to read, because the imagery comes in an unpredictable rush. It is impossible to say whether some of the sentences were the product of deliberation, or of spontaneous creativity. The very fact that one knows they were written by different people at different times in different parts of the world is exciting. Also, the sentences are well matched. Congratulations to the writers on achieving this apparent seamlessness.
Try an experiment: edit out the credits and read the whole thing in one shot and see how it comes off.
I can think of some variations in the formula. Try rhyme for instance. Or nonsense prose? Keeping a story line alive and kicking for any length of time would be a challenge, and you can make it as easy or difficult as you like. Another question : how long can this be sustained until a reader loses interest/track? 25 sentences? 50? 100? 1000? Whew, exhausting.. just think of the prospect of a collectively written novel perhaps? The mind boggles.
On the whole, great stuff, and a great start. Most importantly, it makes one smile :) and that's good enough for me!
This critique of the Passing Sentence Game #2, which you can read at These Booths Are Made For Walking , is by Nirmal Ghosh, the Thailand-based foreign correspopndent, author, photographer and award-winning film-maker. And I’d like to thank the popular blogger McGlinch for the accompanying doodle. Here’s Nirmal’s review ….
The most interesting part in this exercise is the element of unpredictability, which tests each subsequent writer's inventiveness. It brings out the child in many ways, I would say. And the challenge is not only to be inventive and pose a quirky challenge to the next writer, but to keep some semblance of the story line alive as lifeline, so to speak.
It seems to work here, though the story line of course is a bit basic (have to keep it that way in the first experiment, otherwise with more complex stories one would need the moderator to step in at some point maybe, to nudge it back to some kind of sense, so one of course one can't expect War and Peace on the first round!).It is exhilarating to read, because the imagery comes in an unpredictable rush. It is impossible to say whether some of the sentences were the product of deliberation, or of spontaneous creativity. The very fact that one knows they were written by different people at different times in different parts of the world is exciting. Also, the sentences are well matched. Congratulations to the writers on achieving this apparent seamlessness.
Try an experiment: edit out the credits and read the whole thing in one shot and see how it comes off.
I can think of some variations in the formula. Try rhyme for instance. Or nonsense prose? Keeping a story line alive and kicking for any length of time would be a challenge, and you can make it as easy or difficult as you like. Another question : how long can this be sustained until a reader loses interest/track? 25 sentences? 50? 100? 1000? Whew, exhausting.. just think of the prospect of a collectively written novel perhaps? The mind boggles.
On the whole, great stuff, and a great start. Most importantly, it makes one smile :) and that's good enough for me!
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Passing Sentence Game #2
These Booths Are Made For Walking
Can 15 different sentences – written by different bloggers – make a good story? There’s only one way to find out. As we did last week, I’m going to write the first sentence and I invite you to contribute the next sentence, in sequence. Just leave your sentence as a comment, and I’ll keep adding them here on this blogpost. Now you can see why I call this ``passing sentence''. Here goes the first sentence …
``The most powerful enemy of us Superheroes is not the forces of Evil, it’s cell phone technology; because here I am, desperate to find a phone booth so I can change into my SuperBlogger costume – but there’s only one phone booth and the bloke in there is in no hurry; mate, there used to be twenty phone booths here, but because every man and his dingo has a cell phone now, the authorities have removed most of the phone booths.''
Time elapsed: 56 minutes. We have the second sentence, from US-based Bart, of Bartraeke fame. Here it is …
``Heck, I'd even hold my nose and use a Port-a-John in a pinch like this, but I can't seem to find one of those in eyesight, not even a revolving door to pull that neat-o quick change through a quickly spinning revolving door that Superman does; guess I'm going to have to find a changing room, how quaint.’’
Time elapsed: 10 minutes. We have the third sentence, from UK-based BTBear, of Bob’s Diary fame. Here it is …
``I know! Debenham's! I'll nip in there and head for the lingerie department. No one will worry about me running around in my pants in there! Why, I might even dispense with me cloak!’’
Time elapsed: 1hr 24 minutes. We have the fourth sentence, from UK-based Carol Cooper, of Shrink Wrapped Scream fame. Here it is …
``Oh-oh, who is this security guy, does he really need to call the police, and as for this strip-search lark, they're having a laugh, aren't they?’’
Time elapsed: 24 minutes. We have the fifth sentence, from Portugal-based Terry Fletcher, of Terry’s Sandbox fame. Here it is …
"Jumping jock-straps,", lisped Dobbin to Taffman as the duo minced into Debenham's, intent on sampling the whole of the make-up department, "there's SuperBlogger running around in his skivvies, being chased by a rather dishy security guy, and it's not a pretty sight!"
Time elapsed: 14 minutes. We have the sixth sentence, from Canada-based Cecilia Mercado, of Dance With The Sun fame. Here it is …
``As SuperBloggger ducked behind the first counter, camouflaged by scarves and shawls, he found an umbrella on the floor and pointing it at the chasing watchman, he yelled "Splapp-me-do!!" and promptly gets his superhero costume.’’
Time elapsed: 22 minutes. We're already past the halfway mark with the seventh sentence, from US-based Chewy, of The Back Of My Headboard fame. Here it is …
"Officer, I can prove I'm SuperBlogger, but this darn costume has no pockets for my wallet and ID."
Time elapsed: 3hrs 45 minutes. We have the eighth sentence, from US-based cartoonist Doug, of Scooter Guy fame. Here it is ...
``Yeah right..That's what the last guy said too. Tried to convince me he was Lingerie Man. Shoplifters and the lies they tell!''
Time elapsed: 15 minutes. We have the ninth sentence, from Singapore-based OzLady. Here it is ...
"Oh you should do what we do,'' chimed in Taffman, being one of those superheroes that are always around when you're in a sticky situation, "we have ours tattooed on our buttocks: it keeps our identities secret, but is always there for those awkward moments.''
Time elapsed: 7 hours 8 minutes. We have the tenth sentence, from India-based Sam, of Thoughts of a Confused Mind fame. Here it is …
"Ach!! I wish you had given me this idea earlier, wouldn't have been in this mess now, would I?", SuperBlogger snapped. Looking totally helpless, he asks for help from Taffman!
Time elapsed: 5 hours 10 minutes. We have the eleventh sentence, from India-based Gautham Manohar, whose photography can be seen at I Hate Rush Hour. Here it is …
Taffman cringed; a superhero saves sweet little children crossing roads and sends bad guys into oblivion, but the manual never said anything about rising to the defence of a tattooless hairy butt; but he recalled what his da' used to say when he was a wee boy - "Listen son, every bum needs a chum.... "
Time elapsed: 2 hours 36 minutes. We have the twelfth sentence, from Muskoka, Canada-based photographer and blogger Allan Cook. Here it is ...
Taffman called in Tattoo-Man, super tattoo artist/crime-fighter, but immediately there was a problem: SuperBlogger's butt, already super-strong in too many ways, had become so calloused from too many hours of sitting in front of the computer that it was completely unable to have a tattoo needled into it.
Time elapsed: 8 hours 28 minutes. We have the thirteenth sentence, from New Delhi, India-based blogger Cuckoo, of One From the Cuckoo's Nest fame.
Aah! SuperBlogger looked for a hot water tub to dip his butt ... heck, couldn't find any ... oh, he lay down showing his butt and in went the giant needle held by Taffman and Tattoo-Man together and out came a Superscream, ``Aaaaaaaaaa....''
Time elapsed: 2 days. Okay, so I thought I'd dive in and contribute the penultimate sentence. Here it is ...
When the tattoo was done and the pain had started to subside, Dobbin and Taffman paid heed to Tattoo-Man, who commanded them to bring a mirror so SuperBlogger could see what now adorned his calloused backside - ``Noooooooo,'' keened SuperBlogger, ``you've tattooed a Hit Counter - and it has the permament number 000,000 on it; that's just being cheeky.''
And to round it off, I thought I'd provide the last sentence:
Then SuperBlogger, being a nerd, saw the funny side of it, so he borrowed the Taffphone and dialled the Technorati number; when they answered, he asked if they could verify his new Technorati Authority and Technorati Rank, based on the number tattooed on his derriere; the Technorati bosses conferred and said: ``That's really rank, but we'll have to christen you the new, permanent Number One - because not even Dame Elizabeth Taylor's controversial $15 million prized painting, the Van Gogh artwork seized during World War II, has more zeroes.''
Can 15 different sentences – written by different bloggers – make a good story? There’s only one way to find out. As we did last week, I’m going to write the first sentence and I invite you to contribute the next sentence, in sequence. Just leave your sentence as a comment, and I’ll keep adding them here on this blogpost. Now you can see why I call this ``passing sentence''. Here goes the first sentence …
``The most powerful enemy of us Superheroes is not the forces of Evil, it’s cell phone technology; because here I am, desperate to find a phone booth so I can change into my SuperBlogger costume – but there’s only one phone booth and the bloke in there is in no hurry; mate, there used to be twenty phone booths here, but because every man and his dingo has a cell phone now, the authorities have removed most of the phone booths.''
Time elapsed: 56 minutes. We have the second sentence, from US-based Bart, of Bartraeke fame. Here it is …
``Heck, I'd even hold my nose and use a Port-a-John in a pinch like this, but I can't seem to find one of those in eyesight, not even a revolving door to pull that neat-o quick change through a quickly spinning revolving door that Superman does; guess I'm going to have to find a changing room, how quaint.’’
Time elapsed: 10 minutes. We have the third sentence, from UK-based BTBear, of Bob’s Diary fame. Here it is …
``I know! Debenham's! I'll nip in there and head for the lingerie department. No one will worry about me running around in my pants in there! Why, I might even dispense with me cloak!’’
Time elapsed: 1hr 24 minutes. We have the fourth sentence, from UK-based Carol Cooper, of Shrink Wrapped Scream fame. Here it is …
``Oh-oh, who is this security guy, does he really need to call the police, and as for this strip-search lark, they're having a laugh, aren't they?’’
Time elapsed: 24 minutes. We have the fifth sentence, from Portugal-based Terry Fletcher, of Terry’s Sandbox fame. Here it is …
"Jumping jock-straps,", lisped Dobbin to Taffman as the duo minced into Debenham's, intent on sampling the whole of the make-up department, "there's SuperBlogger running around in his skivvies, being chased by a rather dishy security guy, and it's not a pretty sight!"
Time elapsed: 14 minutes. We have the sixth sentence, from Canada-based Cecilia Mercado, of Dance With The Sun fame. Here it is …
``As SuperBloggger ducked behind the first counter, camouflaged by scarves and shawls, he found an umbrella on the floor and pointing it at the chasing watchman, he yelled "Splapp-me-do!!" and promptly gets his superhero costume.’’
Time elapsed: 22 minutes. We're already past the halfway mark with the seventh sentence, from US-based Chewy, of The Back Of My Headboard fame. Here it is …
"Officer, I can prove I'm SuperBlogger, but this darn costume has no pockets for my wallet and ID."
Time elapsed: 3hrs 45 minutes. We have the eighth sentence, from US-based cartoonist Doug, of Scooter Guy fame. Here it is ...
``Yeah right..That's what the last guy said too. Tried to convince me he was Lingerie Man. Shoplifters and the lies they tell!''
Time elapsed: 15 minutes. We have the ninth sentence, from Singapore-based OzLady. Here it is ...
"Oh you should do what we do,'' chimed in Taffman, being one of those superheroes that are always around when you're in a sticky situation, "we have ours tattooed on our buttocks: it keeps our identities secret, but is always there for those awkward moments.''
Time elapsed: 7 hours 8 minutes. We have the tenth sentence, from India-based Sam, of Thoughts of a Confused Mind fame. Here it is …
"Ach!! I wish you had given me this idea earlier, wouldn't have been in this mess now, would I?", SuperBlogger snapped. Looking totally helpless, he asks for help from Taffman!
Time elapsed: 5 hours 10 minutes. We have the eleventh sentence, from India-based Gautham Manohar, whose photography can be seen at I Hate Rush Hour. Here it is …
Taffman cringed; a superhero saves sweet little children crossing roads and sends bad guys into oblivion, but the manual never said anything about rising to the defence of a tattooless hairy butt; but he recalled what his da' used to say when he was a wee boy - "Listen son, every bum needs a chum.... "
Time elapsed: 2 hours 36 minutes. We have the twelfth sentence, from Muskoka, Canada-based photographer and blogger Allan Cook. Here it is ...
Taffman called in Tattoo-Man, super tattoo artist/crime-fighter, but immediately there was a problem: SuperBlogger's butt, already super-strong in too many ways, had become so calloused from too many hours of sitting in front of the computer that it was completely unable to have a tattoo needled into it.
Time elapsed: 8 hours 28 minutes. We have the thirteenth sentence, from New Delhi, India-based blogger Cuckoo, of One From the Cuckoo's Nest fame.
Aah! SuperBlogger looked for a hot water tub to dip his butt ... heck, couldn't find any ... oh, he lay down showing his butt and in went the giant needle held by Taffman and Tattoo-Man together and out came a Superscream, ``Aaaaaaaaaa....''
Time elapsed: 2 days. Okay, so I thought I'd dive in and contribute the penultimate sentence. Here it is ...
When the tattoo was done and the pain had started to subside, Dobbin and Taffman paid heed to Tattoo-Man, who commanded them to bring a mirror so SuperBlogger could see what now adorned his calloused backside - ``Noooooooo,'' keened SuperBlogger, ``you've tattooed a Hit Counter - and it has the permament number 000,000 on it; that's just being cheeky.''
And to round it off, I thought I'd provide the last sentence:
Then SuperBlogger, being a nerd, saw the funny side of it, so he borrowed the Taffphone and dialled the Technorati number; when they answered, he asked if they could verify his new Technorati Authority and Technorati Rank, based on the number tattooed on his derriere; the Technorati bosses conferred and said: ``That's really rank, but we'll have to christen you the new, permanent Number One - because not even Dame Elizabeth Taylor's controversial $15 million prized painting, the Van Gogh artwork seized during World War II, has more zeroes.''
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