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  1. #1

    Default Re: General Discussion Thread

    I thought this assignment (5)was initially overwhelming... but once I found a character I was interested in myself, the details started rolling. I think listing the disconnects is an interesting way to break down a story into what a character is battling. I have had trouble coming up with ones in the past, maybe this is the excercise I need to do more frequently.

    Also, I had trouble knowing how much detail to put into the backstory, without actually starting to write the story. Overall though, I thought it was fun.

    I got a chance to read through everyone's assignment 4's. It seemed as if people were either really good at writing depressing settings or really good at writing exuberant ones. (I think TimsuptoNothin had a great happy one with his briefcase story!) -But I didn't see any that had two strong pairings (including me!) I think overall people wrote better as depressed. Why do you think that is? Or do you disagree? Maybe people notice their surroundings and other people when they are down, but when they are happy, just zip through life not taking time to notice the details? Maybe that's why the best writers seem to stuggle with depression or whatever issues. So, maybe the trick is (if you are not a naturally down sort of person) is to become more analytical during happy moments. I'm going to try this... I don't know if it will work.
    Maybe it would suck the happiness out.

    If I post again sounding very depressed, you will know not to try this at home. :)

  2. #2
    Cardinal Member Ironsword's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MountainTroll
    ...I got a chance to read through everyone's assignment 4's. It seemed as if people were either really good at writing depressing settings...
    Hah! In my case so true! I'm not really a depressed, miserable loner, but often I fall into the trap of believing that loss, pain, regret are more powerful than joy, love, excitement etc. I'm going to try and inject more of these 'happy' emotions in the upcoming assignments.

    -Also, I never listed my characters disconnects/conflicts in assignment 5, rather just tried to work them into the story. They are, in my mind at least as follows;

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    - No matter how good a craftsman he is, the empty shelf/lost urn, a metaphor for his family, will always remain so. Even his great skill cannot alter that.
    - To keep continuing, he must sell the timeline of pots he's crafted, thus he is faced with the choice between keeping both his happy and traumatic past or the uncertain future.
    - He needs closure of some sort, symbolised by the beard cutting and the repetitve nature of his days, but he feels unable to until he re-creates the urn that fills the empty shelf, which as mentioned earlier, is unattainable.
    - His skill, his greatest asset has made him a recluse in his pursuit of recreating his old happiness, yet if he took a moment to look outside his workshop, he might find that which he hopes for most; The church notice, the urn and hence closure.
    Last edited by Ironsword; 06-05-2008 at 12:34.

  3. #3

    Default Re: General Discussion Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by MountainTroll View Post

    I got a chance to read through everyone's assignment 4's. It seemed as if people were either really good at writing depressing settings or really good at writing exuberant ones. (I think TimsuptoNothin had a great happy one with his briefcase story!) -But I didn't see any that had two strong pairings (including me!) I think overall people wrote better as depressed. Why do you think that is?
    Having been pointed out as the exception I think I can answer this question. The modern human is conditioned to avoid being out of the ordinary, and the ordinary is something fairly close to depressed. Since it is automatic to seek evidence for whatever we have chosen to believe we see depressing things much more clearly than other things.

    As an experiment, commit for one week to answer the endless streams of 'how are you?' that we all meet with 'marvelous!' or 'excellent!' or 'terrific!'. You will stop traffic at the checkout line in the supermarket. Be prepared to be stared at. Be prepared for looks that clearly call you a liar. No one will want to believe you, because they want to believe that 'okay', or 'oh, fine I guess' is the best anyone is doing so they don't feel like they are missing out.

    If you yourself can't shake the feeling that you are lying for the sake of an experiment it probably won't work. The people you say it to will be left with 'that poor soul is so miserable they have to put on a front just to get through the day'.

    This is where I operate from every day. When someone says 'how are you today?' I don't take it as a request for a report on the day up to then, I take it as an opportunity to predict how the rest of my day will go. From there it is hard to ask for anything less than 'great'.

    The next step is to learn that it is up to you to make your prediction true. I would say 'good luck', but luck has nothing to do with it.

  4. #4
    Research Shinobi Senior Member Tamur's Avatar
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    Default Re: General Discussion Thread

    ...the ordinary is something fairly close to depressed...
    I know a lot of fairly-close-to-depressed people at work, and anti-depressant medication has been nothing short of a cultural phenomenon. So there's plenty of evidence that might point to what you're saying.

    However, I respectfully disagree - I don't think it's a universal truth. There are, for example, a lot of five-year-old children playing with friends who wouldn't qualify. I don't mean that flippantly. If you've been near five-year-old children anytime recently, you know that depressed is a term that can only be applied in rare cases. What turns a playful five-year-old into a depressed sixty-year-old?

    Anyone's guess is as good as another, and until I have a 10000 sample study, I'm not going to go out on any limbs! Interesting topic though.
    "Die Wahrheit ruht in Gott / Uns bleibt das Forschen." Johann von Müller

  5. #5
    Cardinal Member Ironsword's Avatar
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    After reading assignment 6, I think I've got too far ahead of myself in assignment 5...

    Still, i'll try and figure something out!

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tamur View Post
    I know a lot of fairly-close-to-depressed people at work, and anti-depressant medication has been nothing short of a cultural phenomenon. So there's plenty of evidence that might point to what you're saying.

    However, I respectfully disagree - I don't think it's a universal truth. There are, for example, a lot of five-year-old children playing with friends who wouldn't qualify. I don't mean that flippantly. If you've been near five-year-old children anytime recently, you know that depressed is a term that can only be applied in rare cases. What turns a playful five-year-old into a depressed sixty-year-old?

    Anyone's guess is as good as another, and until I have a 10000 sample study, I'm not going to go out on any limbs! Interesting topic though.
    I'm willing to go out on this limb. What turns playful five year olds into average anti-depressant popping adults is a steady stream of instructions to 'grow up'. 'Growing up', they are led to believe, includes NOT being playful, NOT standing out from the crowd, Not openly asking for what they want, NOT being overtly happy, or sad for that matter. It also includes NOT going out on any limbs, by the way.

    Five year old children hate to go to bed because they think they might miss something. They pop up in the morning as soon as their eyes open because they want to get on with life. Adults generally believe they get up because 'they have to'. If I ever let myself believe that again I'd just as soon die in my sleep.

  7. #7
    Research Shinobi Senior Member Tamur's Avatar
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    Default Re: General Discussion Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Timsup2nothin
    It also includes NOT going out on any limbs, by the way.
    Ha! Touché, good point.

    I think I agree with you. The social pressure for all these behaviours (more like lack of behaviours) is fairly intense. And that is interesting to think of how driven young children are to milk every last moment out of the day, and wake up as early as possible - how different from the usual office worker who can't stand the thought of the alarm clock going off.

    There's a story in there somewhere - or many thousands of stories more like.

    Well said, thanks for the thought food.
    "Die Wahrheit ruht in Gott / Uns bleibt das Forschen." Johann von Müller

  8. #8

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    To get back on topic here and away from my philosophy...

    I just read the next assignment and I have to say I've now been pushed from moderately surprised to outright dumbfounded.

    I saw this 'MHWS', and figured it would turn out as some sort of 'write a few paragraphs and pat each other on the backs' confidence builder. Not really much use to me since lack of confidence is not one of my notable weaknesses, but harmless and fun.

    I was wrong. I've paid for courses that did not cut so clearly into the heart of the matter as Tamur is doing here for free. I don't know where he came from, but I for one am really glad I lucked into being here when he came along.

  9. #9
    Cardinal Member Ironsword's Avatar
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    Default Re: General Discussion Thread

    Seconded.

    It's really given me some focus.

  10. #10
    Member Member WarMachine187's Avatar
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    Default Re: General Discussion Thread

    hey every body.I really love writing and i would love to be a part of this society.I really wanna get better and share with others writing and stories and i believe this is the perfect place to do it.I barely have time to think nowadays,im really busy getting ready for my brother whos coming back from korea on military leave.I got tons of Paintball tourneys and stuff so im not sure how much time i would have writing here.but all i know is that,with the little time i have,im gonna try my best to make a sizeable contribution.

  11. #11
    Research Shinobi Senior Member Tamur's Avatar
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    Default Re: General Discussion Thread

    hi WarMachine, good to have you along. Yes, feel free to join in! You've popped in at a good spot, where we're just launching into two or three weeks of work on plot, and onward from there. The lessons (generally) can be taken separately, so feel free to join in when you've the time.
    "Die Wahrheit ruht in Gott / Uns bleibt das Forschen." Johann von Müller

  12. #12
    Research Shinobi Senior Member Tamur's Avatar
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    My apologies everyone. It's been a very busy week, I've been feeling a bit of burnout in many areas of life, and needed a break. I should have seen this coming, but anyway...

    Things are much better now and I'm ready to finally, finally put up comments this evening. Again, very sorry... anyone want to suggest a punishment? Public flogging? A week in the stocks? Having to watch endless replays of the first 80 minutes of the Turkey-Croatia game?
    "Die Wahrheit ruht in Gott / Uns bleibt das Forschen." Johann von Müller

  13. #13

    Default Re: General Discussion Thread

    Better yet...imagine yourself as a Croatian and watch 120 replays of the last minute.

    Welcome back.

  14. #14
    Cardinal Member Ironsword's Avatar
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    Default Re: General Discussion Thread

    Hey Tamur,

    Welcome back! I hope everything's cool.

    Hmmm, I spent 120 mins watching Italy vs Spain last light. There's two hours of my life i'll never get back...

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