Is it time for a challenge?

[stephbg]

I've been enjoying myself on LJ at the expense of many innocent bytes for a number of months now. In the beginning I liked it for the freedom from discipline, but over time I've come to enjoy constructing posts. They're still quick and dirty although not as dirty as dalekboy's, but I believe my writing standard has improved to a point where perhaps I should try a new game.



I know I can write professional business and technical text to publication standard and to order. With a bit more editorial effort I think some of my better posts would be up to the standard of many newspaper columns. What I haven't tried is to write fiction or entertainment (as text rather than performance) to order.

The key here is to respond to an external challenge, so please do me a favour and chuck some scenes, situations, genres or characters at me to practice with for a couple of hundred words. I know I could chase up writing exercises and storyline generators, but I'd rather do this on the basis of a request from a human. I guess the 12 memory dumps I wrote about my friends were a start for writing to order, but they were all out of memory.

Warning: I'll probably only do it if it's fun. I doubt I'll stir myself to do much in the way of research (although I do have a black belt 9th dan in google). By my very nature I will most likely take the piss no matter how the assignment starts. Don't be expecting a serious treatise on the ethics of world trade, unless it somehow involves bunnies.


If you have any editorial friends who are inclined to encourage new blood please pass this on so I can get as broad a range of ideas as possible. Who knows where it might lead? Fewer cat stories I expect.

Comments

[stephbg.livejournal.com]

I was referring to The Second Novel, started with much fanfare three years ago and abandoned somewhat more quietly a few months later. At least this one is represented by piles of notes, New Scientist articles, some character studies and a whole chapter about Barry The Squid.

I *hope* you're not referring to the first The Novel which did at least limp to some kind of conclusion via a lot of bulk. I agree with Hemmingway when he said that all first novels should be thrown into the ocean. But hey, he liked the ocean.

[shrydar.livejournal.com]

If I understand you correctly, the entire first paragraph of the comment to which I am now responding to is about The Second Novel, which features Barry The Squid. (I did entertain the prospect of 'this' referring to a third, but decided that that was probably a misreading on my part).

Given that interpretation, you may safely assume that it is the Second Novel that I have been looking forward to.