Discovered the UK archaeology series Time Team. It originally ran 1994-2014 but they are now posting full episodes on their Youtube channel. It features a team archaeologists and related experts doing three day digs to investigate various sites around the UK. The host is actor-comedian Tony Robinson (who I know mainly as various incarnations of Baldrick in Blackadder) who seems to have done a lot of history stuff during that time period. Archaeology was a possible path for me back when I did my degree in classics (two of my profs, a married couple, were working archaeologists in their research semesters) so I enjoy watching archaeologists in action. It's like a mystery, finding clues and following the trail, but without the violence.
Some of my thoughts as I work through entries for "Cheers for 10 Years."
The biggest challenge I find is word limits, especially in this one where there is a built-in incentive to hit the limit dead on. I edit my stories to death as it is, but now every change I make often requires another change to keep the word count right. Break up a contraction and you gain a word that you have to lose somewhere else and that sort of thing. In more normal comps, the challenge is to rein in my tendency to verbosity. Long sentences and lengthy descriptive or expository passages are a problem when you can only have 500 or 1000 words. Comps have definitely taught me the value of editing and keeping my verbal diarrhea in check.
What I like about comps is that they often inspire writing that I might not otherwise do. I have written for stories for comps elsewhere that I would not have written absent the comp. Sometimes it is because of the theme catching my interest, sometimes it is just the challenge of doing something different.
I do probably edit more carefully on a comp entry, but the deadline forces me to balance that with making sure I finish it in time.
Tips?
Read the comp description carefully. If there are required words, make sure you use them and maybe CTRL-F (Find in MS Word) for them to make sure they are there.
If it is on a specific theme (the current one is not), look at how you can apply that creatively. I have done a couple for other sites' comps that stretched the theme a bit, hopefully without breaking it (they accept them, so I assume I did not). Obviously, a story about snow and skiing won't work in a summer-themed comp, but maybe a story about someone remembering summer as they are out in the cold will.
Everything comes to an end.
Hungry. Much as my messed up blood sugars make that hard, still easier to handle than thirst.
Play an instrument or sing?
What floor are we on? Given my fear of falling, climb out and escape only works on lower floors. So I guess stay stuck.
WYR play on a team or compete in an individual sport (e.g. golf or tennis)?
Thinking of Larry today. Hope his radiation therapy this week does the job.
Finished first and second drafts (much as I do drafts given how I tend to edit on the fly) for another story today. This will be a Flash entry, at the 873 word level. Will let it stew a bit before submitting. It's an idea I had when the comp was first announced but it took me a while to pull it all together in my head. Very celebratory so quite fitting for this comp. My full length entry is kind of on hold. I'll go back to it soon, though.
Off work today, back tomorrow for a few days, then more time off. October is being a bit chaotic that way. Gives me time to write, though.
I am thinking about a couple others to work on for the comps but haven't figured out what lengths they will go in. I'll probably start writing them and see where they want to go.
Hey, for some of us tea is life. Or at least what keeps us alive.
Shopping this afternoon for me, too. And maybe a flu shot if the store's pharmacy has stock and isn't too busy.
Hey Xander, nice to see you here. It's Scott. I suspect you'll recognize the avatar. Welcome! Pop by Inspirations, our coffeehouse. You'll know some of the regulars and the ones you don't are good folk, too.
Land the plane safely please.
Pleasure, though prizes are always a nice bonus.
WYR write poetry or prose?
We just finished a competition not long ago and are now in the throes of one of the most complex competitions I have ever been involved in. It is all great fun here, but can be a serious way to get the creative juices flowing and maybe get some notice for your stories (not to mention some prizes).
Some of us have experience in competitions from here or other sites; Some of us are new to writing for a competition.
What tips do you have for writing in a comp?
What do you want to know about writing for a comp?
What lessons have you learned from writing for comps?
Do you approach a competition entry differently from a regular story?
Let's talk competitions, folks.
The star blazed through the viewport, illuminating the sobbing astronaut.
So what have you found that could prove useful or inspirational to writers?
Going through the ultra-shorts today while I let my Full Length Story stew for a bit. Meanwhile, I dashed off a poem that clocks in neatly at 40 words after some careful work so that will probably beat the full length story to press. Letting it stew a bit, too, while I look for a suitable cover image.
Bit of a grey day here with showers. Had a consultation with a dental surgeon who works out of my regular dentist's practice about getting an implant to fill the hole on my left side where a molar had to be yanked in the summer. Anyone here had to choose between an implant and a bridge? The implant seems better (if pricier) on paper, but the thought of having a titanium steel screw put into my jaw gives me the willies big time.
Indoor generally has better acoustics, at least around here, so that.
Big concert hall or intimate venue?
I AM happy that I might have filled the vacancy on my work team.
Lawn seats, I think. Stadium seats can be bloody uncomfortable.
Dance to the music or just enjoy it.
