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Journal Shadow Wrought's Journal: Constrained Writing Exercise 42

Journal by Shadow Wrought on Thursday January 05, 2006 @01:42PM

For the writers in the circle:

This should be a fun and quick exercise. What follows below are ten words randomly generated, you must them all in your work, though not necessarily in the order in which they are listed (though you do get bonus points if you do;-). The limits on the writing is simple:

For prose, no more than 5 paragraphs.
For poetry, no more than 20 lines.
For a play, TV script, or screenplay, no more than a single brief scene

I will post my submission tomorrow in a new JE, and I would encourage you to post yours in a JE as well. On to the words!

Spacecraft
Parasite
Refugee
Volcano
Boiler
Generator
Jam
Photograph
Boxer
Onion

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Constrained Writing Exercise

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Ugh (Score:2)

by Allen Zadr ( 767458 ) * writes:

Ten is a little lofty for a super-short. If the constraints were larger, or the words less - this would be much easier.

The "random" sampling you've used is only out of 100 possible words, so - that also skews the randomness of your result set.
- Re:Ugh (Score:2)
  
  by Allen Zadr ( 767458 ) * writes:
  
  There [slashdot.org] ! Not one to back down from a challenge, I give you a short story (my medium of most frequent choice).
  - Re:Ugh (Score:2)
    
    by Shadow Wrought ( 586631 ) writes:
    
    The randomness will change, and, as I posted to your story, I think you did very well with it;-)
    - Re:Ugh (Score:2)
      
      by Alioth ( 221270 ) writes:
      
      Allowing 'jammed' to fulfil the 'jam' requirement though is a bit dubious :-)
- Re:Ugh (Score:2)
  
  by turg ( 19864 ) * writes:
  
  The "random" sampling you've used is only out of 100 possible words, so - that also skews the randomness of your result set.
  
  Well, regardless of the size of the set of possibilities, the words really aren't randomly generated, just randomly chosen.
Here goes (Score:2)

by FidelCatsro ( 861135 ) * writes:

OK when I first read the title I thought it was some form of BDSM literature game...
anyway here goes

The spacecraft launched the parasite plague
The refuges were either died or enslaved
The volcanos erupted the boilers did blow
The generators Jam and the world turns to snow
The Photograph of the end is all that we have
The Boxers fist smashes the onion in hand
- Re:Here goes (Score:2)
  
  by Shadow Wrought ( 586631 ) writes:
  
  When you finally publish your poems I will be the first one at the signing wanting your autograph;-)
  - Re:Here goes (Score:2)
    
    by FidelCatsro ( 861135 ) * writes:
    
    ;) ebay eh
    - Re:Here goes (Score:2)
      
      by Shadow Wrought ( 586631 ) writes:
      
      Why? What have you heard... :-)
      - Re:Here goes (Score:2)
        
        by FidelCatsro ( 861135 ) * writes:
        
        Selling my name is worth money :D
        
        Re:Here goes (Score:2)
        
        by Shadow Wrought ( 586631 ) writes:
        
        Com'n... when was the last time a Communist Dictator wrote a book of poetry;-) You could even tour with Jewel [amazon.com]...
        
        Re:Here goes (Score:2)
        
        by FidelCatsro ( 861135 ) * writes:
        
        Noooo poets who try to be hip NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
        Poets are meant to be socially inept introverts , with no friends or alcoholic womanisers with multiple STDs and a tragic history of abuse;)
        
        Re:Here goes (Score:2)
        
        by Shadow Wrought ( 586631 ) writes:
        
        Wow, that really is 90% of the poets, ain't it? Damn, and I don't fit into either:-( Oh well, I always knew I'd never be a famous poet...
        
        Re:Here goes (Score:2)
        
        by FidelCatsro ( 861135 ) * writes:
        
        you could be the dull , sits around the house and has no life type .. or the ex-con gone straight expressing himself type .
        Or even the troubled writer who has too much stress and will eventually have a nervous breakdown type
        GOTTA cathc-em all Poetmon
I'll post mine tomorrow (Score:2)

by RailGunner ( 554645 ) * writes:

I've already got a fairly decent idea.
- Re:I'll post mine tomorrow (Score:2)
  
  by Shadow Wrought ( 586631 ) writes:
  
  Sweet. I'm looking forward to it;-)
Question (Score:1)

by StalinsNotDead ( 764374 ) writes:

Can you use the plural form of those words, or is it limited to the word as it appears in the list?
- Re:Question (Score:2)
  
  by Shadow Wrought ( 586631 ) writes:
  
  Plural is fine;-)
Erm (Score:2)

by nizo ( 81281 ) * writes:

I think you need a better random word generator; there are three words that are the same as three of the words from last time [slashdot.org]. Either that or you have a really small dictionary of words :-)
- Re:Erm (Score:2)
  
  by Shadow Wrought ( 586631 ) writes:
  
  NExt time I won't be using the free randomizer- it'll be the point to a word on a page;-) That plus I have a pretty good idea for the next exercise...
Random Word List Generator (Score:1)

by GeckoFood ( 585211 ) * writes:

If you like, I could put together a utility to generate random words from a dictionary file... I would have to look for a dictionary file of some sort, but I am sure there are some free ones out there. That way, it saves you all the work. Specify the number, turn the crank, and presto! Random words.

I'll post a response to the exercise in the morning, after I have a chance to think about it a bit.
- Re:Random Word List Generator (Score:2)
  
  by Shadow Wrought ( 586631 ) writes:
  
  That would be awesome;-) I was going to just do the ol' page-flip-and-pick-a-word bit next time, but, this being slashdot, a technical solution is always preferred;-)
  Congrats on the bowl, too. That sounds like a terrific find.
That was fun! (Score:2)

by bethanie ( 675210 ) * writes:

Since you don't have me friended (which doesn't bother me in the least, BTW -- it's just a journal subscription status label, not a statement of social status), I just wanted to report that I did one [slashdot.org], too. That was a blast! :-)

....Bethanie....
- Oh, face it bethanie... (Score:2)
  
  by rk ( 6314 ) * writes:
  
  You know you're crying... on the inside. The pain is only too plain to see.
  
  For the love of God, Shadow Wrought, friend bethanie and spare her this pointless suffering!
  
  Don't mind me, I've had way too much coffee and seeing the apartment virtually barren after leaving it chockful of stuff this morning is making me weirder than my usual levels of weirdness.
  - Re:Oh, face it bethanie... (Score:2)
    
    by bethanie ( 675210 ) * writes:
    
    No -- there's no need for Shadow to friend my account. My JEs are definitely NOT to everyone's taste, and I am perfectly at ease with that.
    
    ....Bethanie....
    - Re:Oh, face it bethanie... (Score:2)
      
      by Shadow Wrought ( 586631 ) writes:
      
      Well, there is a very good reason why I have not friended you yet... I thought I already had! I'm horrible at noticing the little friend dots, so I didn't notice that the friending did not actually take place and, just to add ot the embarressment, this was like 3 months ago. D'oh! I am very happy to have it rectified now, and will popping over to read your work;-)
      - Re:Oh, face it bethanie... (Score:2)
        
        by bethanie ( 675210 ) * writes:
        
        Well, all right -- if you must. But only if you really want to.
        
        :-)
        
        ....Bethanie....
    - Lordy, gal! (Score:2)
      
      by rk ( 6314 ) * writes:
      
      You know I was just being a goofball, right?
      
      I haven't known you for long, but I've known you long enough to know that you're secure enough in yourself that you don't need approval like that.
- Re:That was fun! (Score:2)
  
  by tomhudson ( 43916 ) writes:
  
  Mine's here [slashdot.org].
Meh (Score:1)

by IamBMETammy ( 789629 ) writes:

I did one [slashdot.org].
my try (Score:1)

by eglamkowski ( 631706 ) writes:

http://slashdot.org/~eglamkowski/journal/125859 [slashdot.org]
Done (Score:2)

by Kymermosst ( 33885 ) writes:

Here. [slashdot.org]
- Re:Done (Score:2)
  
  by Shadow Wrought ( 586631 ) writes:
  
  Very well done. I liked the reminescent tone that you had throughout and its slice-of-lifeness.
For those who read /. at -1 (Score:2)

by britneys 9th husband ( 741556 ) writes:

PARENTAL ADVISORY: EXPLICIT CONTENT [slashdot.org]

(if you're easily offended, this one will offend you, and by the way the lameness filter likes this useless text since it's all in lowercase)
- Re:For those who read /. at -1 (Score:2)
  
  by Shadow Wrought ( 586631 ) writes:
  
  Of all the ways in which I was thinking this could be incorporated- a GNAA paraody was not one of them;-) Thanks for the laugh.
Re: (Score:2)

by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) writes:

Comment removed based on user account deletion
- Re:Ok (Score:2)
  
  by Shadow Wrought ( 586631 ) writes:
  
  There are no disqualifications for writing. I enjoyed the dramatic irony of these guys on a deserted island trying to create technology to "survive." Well done.
Poetry (Score:2)

by The Fun Guy ( 21791 ) writes:

Your spacecraft launches our spy satellite
That sucks at the Earth like a parasite,
Listening, listening, listening -

to the refugee on a borrowed cell phone,
to the telemetry from every volcano,
to the pressure of every boiler in Beijing.

Like the steam that drives the generator,
Like the jam that drives the rave,
We provide the grist that justifies the mill.

We listen, we read, we photograph, we analyze
Everything we should and everything we shouldn't.
Because we were ordered to, and because we love to.

And Barbara B
- Re:Poetry (Score:2)
  
  by Shadow Wrought ( 586631 ) writes:
  
  Yeah for poetry! And this, We provide the grist that justifies the mill, is an extremely insightful line. I also enjoyed the Barbara Boxer reference- she always annoyed the hell out of me when I lived in CA.
My go at it: (Score:2)

by laughingcoyote ( 762272 ) writes:

Here. [slashdot.org]
My feeble attempt (Score:2)

by Alioth ( 221270 ) writes:

My feeble attempt is here: http://slashdot.org/~Alioth/journal/125967 [slashdot.org]
Another excersise! (Score:1)

by BrenBren ( 940202 ) writes:

I honestly didn't think I was up to the task, but tomhudson encouraged me to give it a shot. You can find it in my Journal: http://slashdot.org/~BrenBren/journal/125988 [slashdot.org]

Let me know what you think!

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Constrained Writing Exercise More Login

Constrained Writing Exercise

Ugh (Score:2)

Re:Ugh (Score:2)

Re:Ugh (Score:2)

Re:Ugh (Score:2)

Re:Ugh (Score:2)

Here goes (Score:2)

Re:Here goes (Score:2)

Re:Here goes (Score:2)

Re:Here goes (Score:2)

Re:Here goes (Score:2)

Re:Here goes (Score:2)

Re:Here goes (Score:2)

Re:Here goes (Score:2)

Re:Here goes (Score:2)

I'll post mine tomorrow (Score:2)

Re:I'll post mine tomorrow (Score:2)

Question (Score:1)

Re:Question (Score:2)

Erm (Score:2)

Re:Erm (Score:2)

Random Word List Generator (Score:1)

Re:Random Word List Generator (Score:2)

That was fun! (Score:2)

Oh, face it bethanie... (Score:2)

Re:Oh, face it bethanie... (Score:2)

Re:Oh, face it bethanie... (Score:2)

Re:Oh, face it bethanie... (Score:2)

Lordy, gal! (Score:2)

Re:That was fun! (Score:2)

Meh (Score:1)

my try (Score:1)

Done (Score:2)

Re:Done (Score:2)

For those who read /. at -1 (Score:2)

Re:For those who read /. at -1 (Score:2)

Re: (Score:2)

Re:Ok (Score:2)

Poetry (Score:2)

Re:Poetry (Score:2)

My go at it: (Score:2)

My feeble attempt (Score:2)

Another excersise! (Score:1)

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