Ceramic DM - Spring 2005 (Late Bloomer) - We have a winner.
- Thread starter BSF
- Start date
BSF
Explorer
reveal said:Congrats Berandor!
So when's the next Ceramic DM, since it's already Summer?
This is a good question! I would love to have the opportunity to run another one. But I think I had better wait until the SAP implementation I am working on is complete.
Perhaps Mythago will be ready to run one soon? Does everyone think before or after Gen Con?
Rodrigo Istalindir
Explorer
Walter Mitty was a fictional character with a vivid imagination. I can't believe you've not heard of him after reading your story.
Rod Serling was the host of the Twilight Zone, the canonical 'wierd things' TV show.
Rip Van Winkle was a character in a fable who fell asleep and slept for 20 years, only to be reawakened and amazed at how the world had changed.
Rod Serling was the host of the Twilight Zone, the canonical 'wierd things' TV show.
Rip Van Winkle was a character in a fable who fell asleep and slept for 20 years, only to be reawakened and amazed at how the world had changed.
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Rodrigo Istalindir
Explorer
Forced to read? Bah. A pleasure to read. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty might be the pinnacle of the short-story art form. Up there with "The Outcasts of Poker Flat" and "The Ransom of Red Chief ".
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Berandor
lunatic
Well, there's a difference in how you perceive fiction that you have to read for school and such that you read on your own. for example, I'm not a great fan of Salinger, whereas I read Goethe on my own and... well, hated it, but the point still stands
I think the fact that I haven't read "Mitty" (I'm printing the story right now, though) has more to do with other things:
- In Germany, short stories are not held in big regard, seen mostly as a stepping stone on the way to greater things, so you don't treat them very extensively in school
- Furthermore, it takes a while for English lessons to contain literature other than school-book-prose (being a foreign language and all)
- Finally, most of what you have to read for school is by design some "important" piece of literature that may, in fact, be not very good or at least hasn't aged well. I guess that's so those who like to read can continue to feel superior to those who don't, as not many pupils are inclined to read more after "Effi Briest".
I think the fact that I haven't read "Mitty" (I'm printing the story right now, though) has more to do with other things:
- In Germany, short stories are not held in big regard, seen mostly as a stepping stone on the way to greater things, so you don't treat them very extensively in school
- Furthermore, it takes a while for English lessons to contain literature other than school-book-prose (being a foreign language and all)
- Finally, most of what you have to read for school is by design some "important" piece of literature that may, in fact, be not very good or at least hasn't aged well. I guess that's so those who like to read can continue to feel superior to those who don't, as not many pupils are inclined to read more after "Effi Briest".
Rodrigo Istalindir
Explorer
Not terribly surprised you hadn't read him. It's not obscure, but not something I'd expect a non-English major to have stumbled across unless they were a fan of short fiction. I thought you might have run across the movie at some point, which was pretty popular, although it is fifty years old, now. I'm sure my comment will make perfect sense once you read it, though
It's one of those works that has been copied so many times it has almost become a cliche, especially on TV shows.
It's one of those works that has been copied so many times it has almost become a cliche, especially on TV shows.
Berandor
lunatic
Ahh, I know what you mean!
I didn't really choose the way I wrote the story, though. Much like my second-round entry, I simply had the idea, the story, and the way to write it was never in question for me - it's just the way it had to be. I think one of the dangers and benefits of Ceramic DM is that you have to follow your instincts on such things. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
By the way, I found a good short overview on critiquing fiction that might help judges and authors alike: http://www.crayne.com/howcrit.html
I didn't really choose the way I wrote the story, though. Much like my second-round entry, I simply had the idea, the story, and the way to write it was never in question for me - it's just the way it had to be. I think one of the dangers and benefits of Ceramic DM is that you have to follow your instincts on such things. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
By the way, I found a good short overview on critiquing fiction that might help judges and authors alike: http://www.crayne.com/howcrit.html
BSF
Explorer
So who is going to Gen Con this year?
I wanted to plan for it, but I got sucked into a project at work. Odds are good that I will be working sometime on that weekend.
Berandor - Looks like a good link. I felt like a lot of my critiques were rushed. I really like to set aside time to focus when I begin a critique. That's probably one of the reasons why I don't do many critiques as a spectator. I don't always have the time to really go through the stories. As a Judge, I had to focus a lot more and stop worrying about being at the 'perfect' point of critiquing. But the checklist in the link is a good one to follow.
I wanted to plan for it, but I got sucked into a project at work. Odds are good that I will be working sometime on that weekend.
Berandor - Looks like a good link. I felt like a lot of my critiques were rushed. I really like to set aside time to focus when I begin a critique. That's probably one of the reasons why I don't do many critiques as a spectator. I don't always have the time to really go through the stories. As a Judge, I had to focus a lot more and stop worrying about being at the 'perfect' point of critiquing. But the checklist in the link is a good one to follow.
BSF
Explorer
Definitely! I find that when I get focused on a story I start to get myopic. I lose sense of what the story might look like to everybody else. Stepping back and trying to re-examine it is a good thing to do. You might not catch all the problems, but you will probably see a few.
Of course, in Ceramic DM I don't always have time to do that.
Of course, in Ceramic DM I don't always have time to do that.
BSF
Explorer
Apparently Sialia had time to edit her huge stories. She kept talking about the stuff she would cut in edits. I also get the impression that Mythago is able to edit most of the time. Heck, she even goes for smack talk in the middle of the writing window.
Always makes me feel bad when I am sweating it down to the line. But it shows. Look at how many spelling/grammar errors I have compared to either of them.
Always makes me feel bad when I am sweating it down to the line. But it shows. Look at how many spelling/grammar errors I have compared to either of them.
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