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Ascriber / Writers Eyes Workshop - 3.
Small is Beautiful
Skip the Workshop take me straight to the submissions
`And now for something completely different.'
We are asking for literally a very short piece of writing from this workshop and as examples we actually had a very quick go ourselves.
Prose writers
We want a mini saga! For the uninitiated, this a complete story with a beginning, a middle and an end written in exactly 50 words, plus no more than 17 words in the title. Our rules are that regular abbreviations, for example; `did not' written as `didn't' count as one word. A half word (as in the first example) also counts as one word. Careful manipulation of the title can be used to tell part of the story for example the setting but don't forget, it is meant to be a title. One little bit of advice do not believe the word count on your word processor, but hand count your words.
Examples from the team:
Suckers of the World Unite
"Free home trial," the man says as he demonstrates the latest in computerised vacuum cleaner technology. "Sit back, watch as it controls itself."
I sit and try it. It gobbles dirt from the carpet, then the man, my dog, and looks at me. I look at it. "Where's the swi..
* * *
Every Witch Way
My old friend Joe Clutterbuck always loved adventure and went to live with the pygmy witch doctors, eventually becoming their spiritual leader. On returning, he hired somebody to write his life story and invited me to meet his ghost writer. It did seem strange shaking hands with a Ouija board!
* * *
Pleasant Feelings Upon Completion of a Mini Saga
"Finished at last, just one more count. One, two, three, looks good, four, five, six, where was I? seven, eight, two more is ten and five is fifteen. Good story, should be, it took long enough. Five is thirty, or is it twenty? three lines of ten, then one. Oops!"
* * *
Friends Beneath The Surface
Young men, energetic, full of fun, their lives just started left home to meet young men, energetic, full of fun, their lives also starting. They met, they fought, they died, they were left behind. The fields are flat but beneath lie young men, energetic, full of fun, their lives departed.
Poets
Have you tried Haiku, the traditional Japanese Poetry - and we mean as written by the 17th century Japanese poet Basho.
It is written (for the uninitiated) in three lines with five syllables in the first line, seven in the second and five in the third. Traditionally the poetry also refers to a season of the year but we'll waive that if you wish.
With modern haiku we tend to change the syllable rule to accomodate Western languages but tough, the idea of this workshop is to make you think so we want 5 - 7 - 5.
Examples of Basho's Haiku :
On high narrow road
old traveller clears wide swath
tiny scythe glinting.
Old and quiet sound
suddenly a frog pops in
a deep water sound.
If you happen to be a poet who prefers rhyming poetry then we've got a special challenge for you:
Write a rhyming poem of three lines with three words in each (don't worry how many syllables).
Here's some we prepared earlier:
Black bat flies
through darkened skies
aurally replacing eyes
With fixed scowl
on woodland prowl
silent assassinating owl
We have got a few more but we daren't display them!
So there you are e-mail your submissions to our writing group submissions address and we don't mind if you attempt both prose or poetry.
Limitation:- No more than three mini saga's and no more than five poems.
Submissions are from:
Click here for 'No Trespassing' by Eleanor Dixon
(Mini saga)
It was Logical by John Williams
(Mini Saga)
The Queens Secret by Stuart McDonald
(Mini Saga)
One More Step... by Janis M. Robertson
(Mini Saga)
End Game by Wilson Irving
(Mini Saga)
Eyewitness by Karen Deaton
(Mini Saga)
Haiku by Stuart McDonald
(3 Poems)
Haiku by Janis M. Robertson
(2 Poems)
Haiku by John Ryley
(4 Poems)