A cooperative novel? (Writing game for any number of participants)

by Emilie van Damm
1st September 2016

The default setting in Q&As is "Recent". However, by clicking on "Popular", I came across this (the most popular thread ever on this forum, with 88 replies):

https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/question/view/192

It seems to have fizzled out some years ago, but I thought that I might revive the idea for a new generation of users on this forum.

NEW RULE: To prevent total hijacking, each entry may be a MAXIMUM of THREE (3) sentences!

Even when this thread disappears from the most recent page(s), please keep it in mind and return to it again and again. Let's see if we can write a novel-length work of beauty and originality! At least set a new record for thread length.

Obviously, styles will change. Genres may also do so. I will try my best to keep it from sliding into a Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter OR Twilight clone. (THAT's a gauntlet thrown down for some of you fanatics! This could be fun!)

p.s. If it's interesting, I'll ask others at La Gr@not@ if we can publish it. Prepare your CVs!!!

I'll begin:

*************************************

Aisha wiped the mud out of her eyes before plunging her head in the almost-freezing mountain stream.

"That Jon!" she muttered (filling her mouth with water, the rash girl), "He'll pay for this!"

Shaking her head caused myriad waterdrops to fly out from her long, red hair.

(to be continued...?)

Replies

What looked like a branch actually had been a branch, though I’m intrigued by Ms. Fielding’s choice of adjective (“short”). It’s true that the main branch section was – indeed – short; but (excuse the repetition, but, really, what other gerund would be as descriptive here) branching out from it were six additional woody growths (smaller than trunks: larger than twigs, one of which broken halfway along its length, another with a lengthways crack) which had all, by the prehistoric application of heat, been curved upwards. The whole was, in fact, the “crown” of an ancient hatstand.

Profile picture for user wilhelmi_40676
Wilhelmina
Lyre
330 points
Developing your craft
Wilhelmina Lyre
02/10/2016

[This is a public serrvice announcement:

a) This thread has now reached the 118 reply point, giving it a substantial lead as the most "popular" thread EVER on this forum.

b) THE saga is reaching for the 8,000 word mark.

c) The THIRD "shared work" has been uploaded a few minutes ago. Entitled "The Return Of Tol Kien - THE saga Part III"], it can be found at https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/profile/emilie-van-damm/work/57ec63aa38714073728b4569

d) Parts I and II have just been renamed.

e) It's 03:23 here in Germany and I'm off to bed.

Profile picture for user emilie@l_41018
Emilie
van Damm
330 points
Developing your craft
Poetry
Short stories
Fiction
Autobiography, Biography and Memoir
Middle Grade (Children's)
Picture Books (Children's)
Comic
Business, Management and Education
Popular science, Social science, Medical Science
Practical and Self-Help
Romance
Speculative Fiction
Adventure
Emilie van Damm
29/09/2016

Aisha, as ever, did not notice the new arrivals amongst the crowd as she watched zombie Ronald delve deeper until he stopped and reached up holding what looked like a short branch. 'Alae, henig, harma', he cried, 'an ngell nin leithio nin tuulo sina du'. Aisha grabbed the artefact eagerly, clearly not a trained archaeologist, and acknowledged her handyman with a sassy 'whatever, nerd'.

[Apologies to any middle-earth linguists if my translation is laughable.]

Profile picture for user vickyjay_43963
Victoria
Fielding
270 points
Developing your craft
Fiction
Victoria Fielding
28/09/2016