Let me clarify this. A story is a literary work that encompasses several important structural components such as a theme, an idea, and some other ones, which are the reflection of a writer's outlook on life, the system of his or her values and convictions, his cultural roots as a prism through which he or she sees the world and what makes the world tick.
That's why two stories with a similar plotline could be extremely different in their writing style, the underlying idea and overall cultural impact. That relates to a short story and even to a greater degree, it relates to a novel.
In a story and even more so in a novel, the plotline is a device to expose the author's views, his esthetic, cultural, philosophical and often political position on the current issues or on the eternal issues.
The main difference of a soap opera from a novel and a story is its absence of any philosophical conclusion, of that prism that allows a reader to evaluate the writer's ideas and values. It is just one endless chain of the various plotline void of any underlying philosophical meaning.
The exercise that we do here is a fair challenge for a writer. The author of the prompt presents an amorphous (I think deliberately amorphous) writing sample with many embedded clues, allowing each participating writer to move the story in his or her unique direction. It's a springboard, an opportunity for each author to develop his or her own vision on the startup circumstances. Thus the resulting stories could be very much the creation of those authors.
However, once we have five-minute writeups by different people, it never adds up to a complete story and becomes just a writing exercise voided of any meaning. In other words, it becomes a miniature soap-opera.
Well, I wouldn’t say that a five minute freewrite has no meaning 😉 In many ways the we-writes are really meant to be a fun exercise. Don’t get me wrong, I love a long story when it’s done well, and definitely appreciate the effort that goes into longer endings. But not everyone might have the time to write one, and not every piece of writing needs a philosophical or deep meaning. Short endings/continuations have their merit, too 😊
As a side note, I don’t think the prompts are “amorphous”. I do have to be open-ended to allow writers more freedom in their endings, so my aim is to create a situation with characters that people want to elaborate on. Still characters I wrote, mind you, but I try to cut the story at a point where it could go in different directions. Launching into a bunch of backstory or personal opinions probably wouldn’t make for a fun prompt 😅
Well, I don't think freewrites are a crime in any shape or form. In fact, a freewrite could become a complete literary piece.
My contention is that if we extend the prompts to a Choo-Choo train, let's say of 5 extensions of a story one after another one, then it cannot be a complete story as it will become a mixture of different writing styles, convictions, and philosophical views. This type of assemblage could, in my view, only be maintained on the plot level. In other words, it will become a mini soap opera. Actually, there is no harm in soaps as well. It's just not my cup of tea.
As for prompts being amorphous, it is in no way a derogatory evaluation. They should be amorphous and ambiguous as far as the theme and idea of the piece is a concern because they should allow multiple possible developments by writers of a different background, cultural values, and philosophical stands.
So you are cool and thank you for those challenges!
Okay, thank you so much for explaining now I understand why you made the remark. You gave me the idea it was wrong to finish the story (although you do it with @bananafish).
Might be the 5 minute freewrite can not be a complete story but that all depends on how you work or... think.
If you start writing after you read the prompt you probably write about the first thing you think about. You will not if you read the prompt first, write later if you have time... it gives the time to think out the story already and you just need to type it down.
I have no problem with finishing the stories. I do this all the time. For that matter, there is nothing wrong with participating in Choo Choo trains as well.
I just saw samples of your writing and think that you are completely capable of expressing your own ideas and standing up for your own values.
Since I have no idea what you mean I better not answer this.
Let me clarify this. A story is a literary work that encompasses several important structural components such as a theme, an idea, and some other ones, which are the reflection of a writer's outlook on life, the system of his or her values and convictions, his cultural roots as a prism through which he or she sees the world and what makes the world tick.
That's why two stories with a similar plotline could be extremely different in their writing style, the underlying idea and overall cultural impact. That relates to a short story and even to a greater degree, it relates to a novel.
In a story and even more so in a novel, the plotline is a device to expose the author's views, his esthetic, cultural, philosophical and often political position on the current issues or on the eternal issues.
The main difference of a soap opera from a novel and a story is its absence of any philosophical conclusion, of that prism that allows a reader to evaluate the writer's ideas and values. It is just one endless chain of the various plotline void of any underlying philosophical meaning.
The exercise that we do here is a fair challenge for a writer. The author of the prompt presents an amorphous (I think deliberately amorphous) writing sample with many embedded clues, allowing each participating writer to move the story in his or her unique direction. It's a springboard, an opportunity for each author to develop his or her own vision on the startup circumstances. Thus the resulting stories could be very much the creation of those authors.
However, once we have five-minute writeups by different people, it never adds up to a complete story and becomes just a writing exercise voided of any meaning. In other words, it becomes a miniature soap-opera.
That's all I wanted to say.
Cheers!
Well, I wouldn’t say that a five minute freewrite has no meaning 😉 In many ways the we-writes are really meant to be a fun exercise. Don’t get me wrong, I love a long story when it’s done well, and definitely appreciate the effort that goes into longer endings. But not everyone might have the time to write one, and not every piece of writing needs a philosophical or deep meaning. Short endings/continuations have their merit, too 😊
As a side note, I don’t think the prompts are “amorphous”. I do have to be open-ended to allow writers more freedom in their endings, so my aim is to create a situation with characters that people want to elaborate on. Still characters I wrote, mind you, but I try to cut the story at a point where it could go in different directions. Launching into a bunch of backstory or personal opinions probably wouldn’t make for a fun prompt 😅
Well, I don't think freewrites are a crime in any shape or form. In fact, a freewrite could become a complete literary piece.
My contention is that if we extend the prompts to a Choo-Choo train, let's say of 5 extensions of a story one after another one, then it cannot be a complete story as it will become a mixture of different writing styles, convictions, and philosophical views. This type of assemblage could, in my view, only be maintained on the plot level. In other words, it will become a mini soap opera. Actually, there is no harm in soaps as well. It's just not my cup of tea.
As for prompts being amorphous, it is in no way a derogatory evaluation. They should be amorphous and ambiguous as far as the theme and idea of the piece is a concern because they should allow multiple possible developments by writers of a different background, cultural values, and philosophical stands.
So you are cool and thank you for those challenges!
Okay, thank you so much for explaining now I understand why you made the remark. You gave me the idea it was wrong to finish the story (although you do it with @bananafish).
Might be the 5 minute freewrite can not be a complete story but that all depends on how you work or... think.
If you start writing after you read the prompt you probably write about the first thing you think about. You will not if you read the prompt first, write later if you have time... it gives the time to think out the story already and you just need to type it down.
Happy Sunday 💕
Happy Sunday to you, sweetheart!
I have no problem with finishing the stories. I do this all the time. For that matter, there is nothing wrong with participating in Choo Choo trains as well.
I just saw samples of your writing and think that you are completely capable of expressing your own ideas and standing up for your own values.
Cheers!