| Author | Message | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6845 Registered: 8-2001 |
I sometimes send friends a short story I don't especially like or expect them to like. It doesn't have useful information & I'm not looking for a chance to discuss it with them. But I expect them to be glad to have received the story & most are. How come? | ||
| Dbw (Dbw)
New member Username: Dbw Post Number: 57 Registered: 6-2011 |
What kind of stories... Are these news stories? Fiction? Non-fiction? How are they sent... Do you email them? Mail? Fax? Carrier pigeon? Do you always send the story to the same group of friends? More than 10 people? Are there any family members in this group? How long are the stories... do they usually fit on one page? Are the friends LTPF members? Are the stories lateral thinking puzzles? Are these "stories" in the sense of floors of a building, or are they actual pieces of prose? | ||
| Potato (Potato)
New member Username: Potato Post Number: 888 Registered: 7-2010 |
Is it always the same story? Or do you send several stories? Any of these relevant: The author? The time when it was written? The time when the story takes place? The way the characters interact with each other? The way the characters speak? The way things are described? The message of the story? The way the story is constructed? A very unexpected ending? The way the story is written? If the latter is the case, is it because of ...the language in general? ...the sentence structures? ...rhethoric figures? ...any kind of hidden messages within the story? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6848 Registered: 8-2001 |
Dbw (Dbw) New member Username: Dbw Post Number: 57 Registered: 6-2011 Posted on Thursday, June 30, 2011 - 8:35 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) What kind of stories... Are these news stories? Fiction? Non-fiction? fiction, although some nonfiction would work as well How are they sent... Do you email them? Mail? Fax? Carrier pigeon? irrel. (Actually, I tie them to my cat's tail & set him out on the road Do you always send the story to the same group of friends? no More than 10 people? irrel & ot variesAre there any family members in this group? yes but irrel How long are the stories... do they usually fit on one page? irrel Are the friends LTPF members? no Are the stories lateral thinking puzzles? no Are these "stories" in the sense of floors of a building, or are they actual pieces of prose? the latter Potato (Potato) New member Username: Potato Post Number: 888 Registered: 7-2010 Posted on Thursday, June 30, 2011 - 8:45 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Is it always the same story? yes Or do you send several stories? no Any of these relevant: The author? no The time when it was written? no The time when the story takes place? no The way the characters interact with each other? no The way the characters speak? no The way things are described? yes The message of the story? no The way the story is constructed? no A very unexpected ending? no The way the story is written? yes If the latter is the case, is it because of ...the language in general? no ...the sentence structures? no ...rhethoric figures? no ...any kind of hidden messages within the story? no | ||
| Potato (Potato)
New member Username: Potato Post Number: 891 Registered: 7-2010 |
The things that are described: The scenery? What things/characters look like? What characters feel or think? The atmosphere? Events taking place prior to the actual plot? Are things described very detailed? Are things described so that one can easily imagine what things look like or what characters feel? Are things described very curtly? Not at all? Does the story consist of descriptions only? Does the author use very long sentences? Very short ones? Relevant? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6850 Registered: 8-2001 |
Potato (Potato) New member Username: Potato Post Number: 891 Registered: 7-2010 Posted on Thursday, June 30, 2011 - 9:38 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) The things that are described: The scenery? yes What things yes/characters no look like? What characters feel yes or think somewhat? The atmosphere? yes Events taking place prior to the actual plot? no Are things described very detailed? see next answer Are things described so that one can easily imagine what things look like yes or what characters feel? yes Are things described very curtly? no Not at all? no Does the story consist of descriptions only? no Does the author use very long sentences? irrel Very short ones? irrel Relevant? no | ||
| Doriana (Doriana)
New member Username: Doriana Post Number: 1612 Registered: 12-2010 |
Are they stories you have written? Do you send out the final version? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6851 Registered: 8-2001 |
Doriana (Doriana) New member Username: Doriana Post Number: 1612 Registered: 12-2010 Posted on Thursday, June 30, 2011 - 10:33 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Are they stories you have written?It's just one story (see above) & I didn't write it Do you send out the final version? I send out the published story | ||
| Dbw (Dbw)
New member Username: Dbw Post Number: 63 Registered: 6-2011 |
Is it gross? Grisly? Depressing? By Edgar Allan Poe? | ||
| Yatin509 (Yatin509)
New member Username: Yatin509 Post Number: 12 Registered: 6-2011 |
Are you a postman? Do you believe everybody in the world is your friend and you send these stories to anonymous addresses ? | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1122 Registered: 2-2011 |
I do hope your cat has satnav is it relevant what prompts you to send the story out? is sending out the story some sort of coded message? like an invitation? or an indication that you're OK? do you ever send the story out to the same people who've received it before? is the location in which the story is set relevant? | ||
| Peter365 (Peter365)
New member Username: Peter365 Post Number: 3508 Registered: 1-2007 |
Hee Hee surely that would be CatNav. Is your intention to cheer these people up? Does the particular story have an uplifting message? Do you send the story on a certain date? to celebrate a birthday or anniversary of something? Do the recepients ever send you stories? | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1124 Registered: 2-2011 |
Peter365 - you have been warned, on more than one occasion! | ||
| Potato (Potato)
New member Username: Potato Post Number: 900 Registered: 7-2010 |
Does the story make people see the beauty of life? The beauty in little things? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6853 Registered: 8-2001 |
Dbw (Dbw) New member Username: Dbw Post Number: 63 Registered: 6-2011 Posted on Friday, July 01, 2011 - 2:04 am: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Is it gross? no Grisly?Depends on your viewpoint, but I'm not sending it to be grisly Depressing?Depends on your viewpoint, but I'm not sending it to be depressing By Edgar Allan Poe? no Yatin509 (Yatin509) New member Username: Yatin509 Post Number: 12 Registered: 6-2011 Posted on Friday, July 01, 2011 - 8:15 am: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Are you a postman? no Do you believe everybody in the world is your friend and you send these stories to anonymous addresses ? no Shez (Shez) New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1122 Registered: 2-2011 Posted on Friday, July 01, 2011 - 9:46 am: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) I do hope your cat has satnav huh? is it relevant what prompts you to send the story out? yes is sending out the story some sort of coded message? nolike an invitation? no or an indication that you're OK? no do you ever send the story out to the same people who've received it before? yes is the location in which the story is set relevant? yes Peter365 (Peter365) New member Username: Peter365 Post Number: 3508 Registered: 1-2007 Posted on Friday, July 01, 2011 - 10:24 am: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Hee Hee surely that would be CatNav. Is your intention to cheer these people up? yesish Does the particular story have an uplifting message? no--I don't do uplifting messages Do you send the story on a certain date? yesish or yope to celebrate a birthday or anniversary of something? no Do the recepients ever send you stories? irrel Shez (Shez) New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1124 Registered: 2-2011 Posted on Friday, July 01, 2011 - 1:41 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Peter365 - you have been warned, on more than one occasion! Potato (Potato) New member Username: Potato Post Number: 900 Registered: 7-2010 Posted on Friday, July 01, 2011 - 6:33 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Does the story make people see the beauty of life? no--I don't do "uplift" The beauty in little things? ditto | ||
| Dbw (Dbw)
New member Username: Dbw Post Number: 69 Registered: 6-2011 |
You say it doesn't have useful information... but does it have a useful lesson? Is it longer than 500 words? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6857 Registered: 8-2001 |
Dbw (Dbw) New member Username: Dbw Post Number: 69 Registered: 6-2011 Posted on Friday, July 01, 2011 - 7:19 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) You say it doesn't have useful information... but does it have a useful lesson? No--I don't send around stories to teach lessons Is it longer than 500 words? yes | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1127 Registered: 2-2011 |
do you send it because you wish to remind people about something? is the location a specific country? a school? place of work? imaginary place? the beach? an island? is the location somewhere you have been? where the recipients have been? | ||
| Dbw (Dbw)
New member Username: Dbw Post Number: 78 Registered: 6-2011 |
Do you send the story because of the quality of the writing? Is the author famous, e.g. does s/he have a Wikipedia page? Is the story in the first person? Was the story ever published in a bound book? Does the story involve crime? Death? A group of people? Are there any animals in it? Is it set in the present? Is it set in a particular historical era? | ||
| Fionakelleghan (Fionakelleghan)
New member Username: Fionakelleghan Post Number: 8 Registered: 7-2011 |
Is the story you send out always in precisely the same words, or are you referring to a TYPE of story. For example, is it an obituary? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6861 Registered: 8-2001 |
Shez (Shez) New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1127 Registered: 2-2011 Posted on Friday, July 01, 2011 - 11:17 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) do you send it because you wish to remind people about something? yesish or yope is the location a specific country? yes a school? no place of work? no imaginary place? nothe beach? an island? no is the location somewhere you have been? no where the recipients have been? usually not Dbw (Dbw) New member Username: Dbw Post Number: 78 Registered: 6-2011 Posted on Saturday, July 02, 2011 - 3:47 am: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Do you send the story because of the quality of the writing? yesush Is the author famous, yes e.g. does s/he have a Wikipedia page? yes, although many obscure people have Wikipedia pages Is the story in the first person? no Was the story ever published in a bound book? yes Does the story involve crime? no Death? yes A group of people? yope Are there any animals in it? yes Is it set in the present? no Is it set in a particular historical era? yesish Fionakelleghan (Fionakelleghan) New member Username: Fionakelleghan Post Number: 8 Registered: 7-2011 Posted on Saturday, July 02, 2011 - 4:00 am: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Is the story you send out always in precisely the same words, yes or are you referring to a TYPE of story. no For example, is it an obituary? no | ||
| Kdoc (Kdoc)
New member Username: Kdoc Post Number: 1195 Registered: 7-2001 |
are you sending it as an example of some sort? an example of a style of writing? do you send it to people because they are interested in writing? are writers themselves? do you send it in reponse to something they say? a question they ask? are you sending it to help them? are you asking their opinion? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6864 Registered: 8-2001 |
Kdoc (Kdoc) New member Username: Kdoc Post Number: 1195 Registered: 7-2001 Posted on Sunday, July 03, 2011 - 6:54 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) are you sending it as an example of some sort? an example of a style of writing? do you send it to people because they are interested in writing? are writers themselves? no to all!! do you send it in reponse to something they say? a question they ask? are you sending it to help them? are you asking their opinion? no to all!! | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6865 Registered: 8-2001 |
BLOOOOOOPERRRRRRR ALERTTTTTTTT!!!!!!are you sending it to help them?no The answer should be yes | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6878 Registered: 8-2001 |
HINT: Find out how I think the story will help people. Also: it's a famous story--I bet many of you have read it. | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1156 Registered: 2-2011 |
is it an uplifting story? are you hoping to cheer them up? remind them of their dreams? their origins? their ambitions? their promises? do some or all of these people know each other? do they have something in common? nationality? health issues? addiction? some kind of adversity? school? work? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6886 Registered: 8-2001 |
Shez (Shez) New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1156 Registered: 2-2011 Posted on Thursday, July 07, 2011 - 6:26 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) is it an uplifting story? no--I don't do uplift are you hoping to cheer them up? yes remind them of their dreams? no their origins? no their ambitions? notheir promises? no do some or all of these people know each other? irrel do they have something in common? yes nationality? no health issues? no or maybe noishaddiction? nosome kind of adversity? yes school? no work? no | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1163 Registered: 2-2011 |
had they all had some tragedy in their life? a death? had they all survived a natural disaster? a trauma? 9/11? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6889 Registered: 8-2001 |
Shez (Shez) New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1163 Registered: 2-2011 Posted on Thursday, July 07, 2011 - 7:23 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) had they all had some tragedy in their life? no--the adversity is much less extreme & much more mundane a death? no--much less extreme had they all survived a natural disaster? no, but you're ORTish a trauma? only of a mundane & mild sort 9/11? no | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1165 Registered: 2-2011 |
a plane crash? train crash? car crash? some kind of epidemic? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6891 Registered: 8-2001 |
Shez (Shez) New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1165 Registered: 2-2011 Posted on Thursday, July 07, 2011 - 8:05 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) a plane crash? notrain crash? no car crash? no some kind of epidemic? no | ||
| Doriana (Doriana)
New member Username: Doriana Post Number: 1628 Registered: 12-2010 |
Is the adversity related to their health? To an event in their lives? To their jobs? their family? Getting a divorce relevant? Children relevant? Was the story written in the [LTPF list of centuries]? By a man? woman? Do you add a personal message when you send out the story? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6903 Registered: 8-2001 |
Doriana (Doriana) New member Username: Doriana Post Number: 1628 Registered: 12-2010 Posted on Saturday, July 09, 2011 - 12:31 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Is the adversity related to their health? noish To an event in their lives? yope To their jobs? notheir family? Getting a divorce relevant? no Children relevant? no Was the story written in the [LTPF list of centuries]? 20th century By a man? yes woman? no Do you add a personal message when you send out the story? yes | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1207 Registered: 2-2011 |
had these people been through the same experience at the same time? was it a fairly common experience? something which most people might go through at least once in their life? is it relevant which country this happened in? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6904 Registered: 8-2001 |
Shez (Shez) New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1207 Registered: 2-2011 Posted on Saturday, July 09, 2011 - 5:29 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) had these people been through the same experience at the same time? no was it a fairly common experience? nosomething which most people might go through at least once in their life? no is it relevant which country this happened in? the country isn't relevant bur the location is: Alaska (before it became a state) | ||
| Fionakelleghan (Fionakelleghan)
New member Username: Fionakelleghan Post Number: 109 Registered: 7-2011 |
The Alaska region, eh? Is it an excerpt from Jack London's writing? Does the piece describe mountains? shorelines? forests? snow? igloos? Oh good lord - if it isn't uplifting, please tell me it isn't about polar explorers. | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1211 Registered: 2-2011 |
had they had frostbite? got caught in a blizzard? got lost in the snow? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6906 Registered: 8-2001 |
New member Username: Fionakelleghan Post Number: 109 Registered: 7-2011 Posted on Sunday, July 10, 2011 - 4:34 am: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) The Alaska region, eh? yes Is it an excerpt from Jack London's writing? yes--It's the short story "To Build a Fire" Does the piece describe mountains? shorelines? forests? snow? igloos? snow--see above Oh good lord - if it isn't uplifting, please tell me it isn't about polar explorers. it's not, but you're ORT | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6907 Registered: 8-2001 |
Shez (Shez) New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1211 Registered: 2-2011 Posted on Sunday, July 10, 2011 - 9:49 am: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) had they had frostbite? yesgot caught in a blizzard? no got lost in the snow? yesish or yope: he freezes to death. Now all you have to do is figure out how I am helping my nice, non-sadistic friends by sending them a story about a man who gets frostbite & them freezes to death. | ||
| Fionakelleghan (Fionakelleghan)
New member Username: Fionakelleghan Post Number: 123 Registered: 7-2011 |
1) Nimue sends the story to friends up north who are complaining about snowfall, possible power outages, etc. 2) Nimue sends the story to friends in the south, like here in Miami, where it's steamy hot for 11 mos/yr and where we can use the reminder that at least we can weather-control our environment. Until the power outage, of course. So I'm guessing that you write to them along the lines of, "Hey, it could be worse! Here's how!" | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6909 Registered: 8-2001 |
Fionakelleghan (Fionakelleghan) New member Username: Fionakelleghan Post Number: 123 Registered: 7-2011 Posted on Monday, July 11, 2011 - 4:48 am: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) 1) Nimue sends the story to friends up north who are complaining about snowfall, possible power outages, etc. no 2) Nimue sends the story to friends in the south, like here in Miami, where it's steamy hot for 11 mos/yr yes and where we can use the reminder that at least we can weather-control our environment. no Until the power outage, of course. So I'm guessing that you write to them along the lines of, "Hey, it could be worse! Here's how!" no But this is close enough for me to declare a ********** SPOILER *********** As an inveterate complainer, I never tell other complainers that things could be worse. But I send people, "To Build a Fire," a story about a man who gets frostbitten & later freezes to death, because it makes them feel COLD--a welcome feeling in the summer. (For winter, there's the story "The Conventional Wisdom," by Stanley Elkin. Part of it is set in hell & it makes readers feel HOT. Please feel encouraged to check out my new puzzle at the bottom of the page.) | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6911 Registered: 8-2001 |
Want to feel cold? Here's a link to the story. (Save it for January if you live in the Southern Hemisphere.) http://www.jacklondons.net/buildafire.html |
