Snippetsville: General Discussion

[Guest]

Re: Issue Order

ps
Stat Update
Rating/Vote/View
Christmas Issue
4.33 - 21 - 2145
(25 votes are needed)

Ya'll have another vote now.

Great stories, everyone. I was going to leave a public comment, but you haven't turned the function on yet. I'll just say what I was going to say on there on here instead. It's a rare treat to be able to read some high quality short pieces, all varying in style and content, but each one of equally high quality. It's like sitting down to eat a box of chocolates and enjoying each tasty mouthful, instead of pigging out on a big slab of one particular variety. (Apologies for the chocolate analogy, I have an addiction. )

If I get the time later I'll come back and comment on each individual tale.

Thanks guys, I can see why Laurel gave it an 'E', I only wish the voting reflected the quality of the contributions. If I were to root for any submission to win, this would be it.

Lou

P.S. Let me know when you activated the public comments and I'll head back over there and say my bit.

 

[jon.hayworth]

Update Christmas Issue 4.29 and 23 votes we still need another 2 votes just to cross the counting line - we really need about 10 5s to push us way up.

jon

 

[wildsweetone]

Hi Lou, Thanks so much for taking the time to come on over and comment. The Public Comment option has already been activated (I'm presuming Alex did it at some point today/yesterday).

I love your chocolate analogy! And though I might be just a little biased, I agree with you!



Jon, I think that the top story archive is not as current as the profile, thanks for helping out by putting it up though.

Update now:
Rating/Vote/View
Christmas Issue
4.38 - 24 - 2291

 

[jon.hayworth]

I think I have just found Snippetsville's twin town

Yep the damn place exists in Garrison Keillor's LAKE WOBEGON DAYS

Location Mist County Minnesota and surprise surprise Wobegon Lake has on occassion been known as Green Lake.

Just thought I'd share that with you all

jon

 

[Alex De Kok]

The Christmas Special is still sitting on 24 votes. If any of you haven't already voted, please do so. Pretty please, that is. Just use the banner link below to get there!

Alex

 

[wildsweetone]

Statistics Update

WAHOOOOO! Look for the SECOND RED H near us!

Well done everyone!


Issue/Rating/Votes/Views

1. x.xx - 00 - 12628
2. 4.45 - 31 - *8707
3. 4.30 - 23 - *4585
4. 4.31 - 29 - *6646
5. 4.64 - 22 - *4566
6. 3.80 - 41 - *7448
7. 3.89 - 28 - 10195

Christmas Issue
**4.50 - 28 - 2802

(the * are to help align the figures)

 

[champagne1982]

I hope I played some small part in that red H .. I took the liberty and advertised the issue on the "New Story Advertisements" thread on the Story Feedback forum as well as the Winter Holiday Contest Announcement thread in the Author's Hangout. As well I'm sure the signature links and banners worked wonders.

edited to delete a face reddening entry..

 

[wildsweetone]

Carrie, thanks so much for your advertising. I had no idea about the New Story Advertisements in the SF Forum! Thank you!

 

[Alex De Kok]

Get your feedback here!

The Group has received some tremendous feedback on the Christmas Issue and with the author's permission I'm sharing it with you all here -

Dear Snippettsville Group,

I find your premise interesting and I enjoyed the Christmas issue. I think it is
a good opportunity for writers to get together and improve their craft. I think
the possibilities are endless. But even though it is a great chance to express
different ideas, I think the strength of the concept could also prove to be it's
downfall. Too much of a good thing which in this case is good self-contained
stories.

Before I elaborate I'll express my thoughts on the Christmas issue first because
"let's face it, as writers we all love feedback".

I thought Wildsweetone's ending was hilarious but the protagonist's motives were
unclear to me. I wondered why was Liz willing to have sex with a bartender she
earlier dismissed as disgusting. Was it because she was really horny waiting for
Harold? Why are she and Harold getting together? Why is she so impatient and
anxious? I need to understand a character more if I'm to be interested in her
story. The ending, though amusing, would affect me more with a stronger context.

"A Jessop Christmas" felt like a warm Christmas card. It was like I was peaking
into the family's life and living that moment with them. It was a true Snippet
of their life. But all too soon it was over and I was left wondering. Will I see
more of this family? Will Cheri's love blossom? I was left wondering what else
the characters were thinking. It felt too cramped. This is the sort of story
that shows Snippettsville's greater potential. Other chapters can show other
glances into the Jessop family; watch Cheri get married, Mr. and Mrs
Jessops erotic anniversary, etc. etc. So far the Snippettsville series is too
disjointed

Seattle Zack's work sums up what I've come to understand from Snippettsville. A
self contained, one-time story, taking place in a small town. In "Christmas
Spirit", I'm introduced to a character, his motives, a bit of his personality
and life history while he's put into an interesting situation. The story
couldn't be simpler. It could easily be flushed out to stand on it's own but it
works well in the smaller context. Zack's character was a means to an end and
Tyler served the story's needs well. But he's still an ephemeral character;
meant to be used and thrown away.

"Christmas In The Woods" is arguably my favorite. Again it feels like I'm given
a chance to spy on characters and watch their life. PierceStreet introduced the
players, and slowly revealed their situation and the history behind it. It only
made sense at the end. I liked the technique. But the character's were referred
to as merely "the grandfather", "the father", "the Wife" and so forth. Sometimes
I was lost as to the perspective and who was there. Then I think about the comic
strip "Calvin and Hobbes" and how the parents were never given names because it
doesn't add or detract from the real story. I still felt like it was a little
impersonal though.

"No Place Like Home for the Holidays" by BadBombshellBabe is another favorite.
All of these different stories untied by the central theme of Christmas in a
small town made a colorful tapestry. It added a nice dimension to the chapter
and hinted at a larger picture. I was left wondering what will happen next, thus
making this an effective Snippet. It also emphasized that all of us readers are
just outsiders and we'd never expect meeting "Maria" upon reading the series.
Are the other town's folk aware of the joke? Will other visitor's fall victim to
"Maria"? Will some of the townsfolk? What prominent town figure could be caught
with him. Once again it added a new dimension that adds to the character of the
town.

I enjoyed unwrapping Sue along with the protagonist of Gift Wrapped. It was an
arousing situation but I didn't get attached to or invested in the characters.
Alex de Kok mentioned that the character Tom hasn't gotten far with Sue but all
to soon they're getting it on. In a longer story there is enough time to flush
out the lust between to characters, the disappointment when they stop before it
gets too heavy, the anticipation of them getting together and the full
satisfaction when they finally do. A larger story isn't even needed, just the
understanding that a smaller story needs stronger drive in a smaller space. Use
more "schmaltz" and over-emphasize their emotions because there is little time
to work up the reader. The stories are "quickies". In this story the characters
feel disposable like single serving characters on an airline flight. They're
just a means to an end and there enough reason to care about them, what they do
and why.

Holiday Shift had interesting character and the greatest untapped potential of
all of the stories but felt like it was missing much. The story was easy enough
to fallow but again I didn't connected with the characters. Perhaps if
Quasimodem used a third person limited omniscient point of view, the characters
would have drawn me in. I needed to feel what what they felt. There straight
forward narration felt more like like a news report and less of a story. Sure
Archie slammed the heads of the brawlers together in anger but what was going
through his head? Is being that aggressive part of Archie's character? His
comment at the end, "with just enough brawling so we're still gainfully employed
next New Year's Eve," implies that nothing much happens in the town and he just
cares about getting paid. Why would he become and officer? What about Jenifer
and Mrs. Gorngath? Are the Gorngath's regular problems for the police
department? Is that why Jenifer didn't seem too concerned wit!
h Mrs. Gorngath? And what was going through Chief Holt's mind? Does he have a
family he wants to go home to or does he hate the holidays? The story felt too
straight forward to me.

I like the premise of Snippettsville and I liked the Christmas chapter. I think
it could be an interesting challenge for writers and is full of possibilities. I
have never heard of anything like it. But if it is to be a "chain story"
shouldn't there be something more connecting the snippets other than them being
in the same town? The novelty of some shows like Picket Fences, Twin Peaks, and
Six Feet Under is that the town AND it's inhabitants become the character.

I can't help but think back to the Steven King novel called Needful Things. In
it, the store becomes a nexus for the diverse cast in the town of Castle Rock.
They all have different histories, personalities and motivations but they are
united by their individual desires; different things they "need" that can only
be provided by this store. They're lives also become intermingled by the things
they're willing to do to each other in order to get what they want.

A play a friend of mine was in also comes to mind called Office Space. In it,
the six actors got into mixed groups of three over six different scenes that
were all united by the same looking office. It was basically about the odd
everyday events that happen in mundane office-life. The acts are self-contained
and stand on their own but occasionally made subtle references to each other. In
one scene a man makes a passing reference to an affair he's having and several
scenes later some one tells a shrink he thinks his wife is cheating on him. The
shrink and the adulterer were played by the same actor and my friend played his
own gay lover.

Is what I'm trying to convey making sense? I feel that Snippettsville can be so
much more exciting. If it's just a collection of individual stories that may
have reoccurring characters, there will be little reason for me to visit the
town. If I just want to read unrelated stories I can just brows Literotica. This
time they were tied together by Christmas but other chapters could have an
underlining theme. For example, lets say a minister catches the mayor having an
affair with his wife. The gossip will spread among the town.

Undoubtedly one of the police will have to respond to a disturbance call and
stop the minister from killing the mayor. Archie could humorously retell the
story to Chief Holt and Jenifer. One couple may hear through the grapevine that
the minister's wife was having anal sex and the couple decides to try it for the
first time. Jack could want to use what happened as inspiration for a story.
Maybe Ethel helps him right it. Maybe they don't get to finish it as they make
love on the floor. Maybe some husband after hearing the news decides to come
clean and admit to his wife about an affair he once had and they deal with the
ramifications. And some one will have to undoubtedly write about how and why the
minister's wife had the affair (not to mention what exactly was happening before
her husband walked in). The story of how she first fell in love with the mayor
can take place in one chapter and they could get caught in the next.

Do you understand what I'm trying to convey? It could be so much fun to be
reading stories about this town and it's inhabitants. It would be even more
interesting if the different writers each took a stab at a central characters,
like Hannah, The Jessops, the police department, the bartender and even
Jack/Alex de Kok. A place like a diner is a great place to meet new characters
who interact with Hannah. One local tavern could take on the traits of Moe's or
Cheers where local characters converge. Or you could do the exact opposite;
random, seedy low-lifes could pass through this bar and we can follow them from
there. Make sure "Maria" frequents this bar often. The police characters can
show up in so many different stories in so many different contexts. That's at
the core of most television shows; all of these different characters have
separate lives but they're all strung together somehow. A show like Law and
Order only shows Snippets of the character's lives and you never ha!
ve them dwelling on one character for too long.

I'm not trying to tell you how to run your town but you did ask for opinions. In
the interest of fairplay, I'll leave my name so you can make rebuttals.
Snippettsville feels too fragmented for me. Then again I'm unfamiliar with chain
stories but that's exactly what any television show is; different groups of
writers come and go behind the scenes and the all try to write for the various
characters and the show as a whole. Good luck, keep writing and maybe I'll drop
by Snippettsville again sometime.

Sincerely,

Judas C

anyone wishing to reply should e-mail

chijudas@yahoo.ca

e-mail address quoted with writer's permission.

Alex

 

[champagne1982]

My reply to Judas

I sent this emailed response to Judas's feedback:

Dear Judas,

Thank you for your compliments on my Christmas Snips. I intended it to be a teasing glimpse at my characters. A first look at Cheri and Randy is offered in the 'Tales' issue #7, in the story Abbreviated Shower. Shortened Breath will follow in issue #13 and you've already seen A Jessop Christmas.

I borrowed characters from the other Snips contributors for my Christmas story; Constable Archie McDougall from Quasimodem, the Presbyterian Minister, Rev. Niles, from PierceStreet and The Oates Family from Wantonica. The Lazy Snips Dude Ranch will be introduced in the Masquerade Ball Special issue, story titled Cowboys and Elaine.

I agree, 600 words is not enough to develop characters and a detailed plot, but part of the challenge of Snips is to try to contain the episode as a self-supporting story as much as possible. That way if you never read another Snips Issue you're not left hung up and waiting for the next. Personally, I'd prefer to have my readers panting for the next episode, that's why I try to make connections and suggestions in each one. I like to think that you'd be back for more.

Thanks again for your excellent feedback.

 

[Guest]

 

[Alex De Kok]

'Tales' number 8 has been posted

We only have one vote so far, for an average of 1.00! The fact that we also had 13 views (when I checked) seems apt . . .

Someone doesn't like us!

Alex

Later: 3.67 from 9 votes - pity about that '1'

 

[dr_mabeuse]

I've been looking in on the doings at Snippettsville on occasion, and have thought about getting involved, but I have to tell you this is the most complicated little set-up I've ever seen, and basically all these rules and maps and character lists makes it seem that you people are engaged in a private game in which other people really aren't welcome. Or at least aren't encouraged to get involved.

I mean, really, if I want to knock off a little 500-worder story for this, do I have to wade through these pages of rules and maps as well as read all the stories? I mean, it's nice to have some consistency, and I know how much fun it is to make up your own little universe, but I half expect to see Snippetsville bus schedules and school-board meeting minutes here. It makes it all but impossible for other people to get into it without a hell of a lot of work.

Anyhow, that's just my opinion.

---dr.M.

 

[gauchecritic]

Well said Mab. I've been here since the beginning and never realised just how complex Snipps had become.

However, when I wrote my first story (it was just an exercise at that point) I merely introduced my own character (as we all did at the start) and made him interract with already drawn character.

This is still happening. They don't have to be complete strangers, they can be long lost children, a twin that no one speaks of, a distant cousin or simply visitors.

All that we really ask is that, when a new character interracts the writer is mindful of established characters and should an established character be murdered or jailed for rape or somesuch then permission would be a good idea.

(Not speaking on behalf of Editors or others, just my understanding)

Gauche

 

[Guest]

I felt like Mab. did some time back and even felt dismissed when I protested a couple items in the earlier discussions. It was only the collaboration with Gauche that got me involved finally. Not sure what to do now though.

Mab.'s issues are what drove MG away too. I know I can write more Snipps if I keep my character(s) to myself or make only slight refs to others, but then it makes wonder how readers will take the whole.

I wanted to collaborate with SWP too but then Vas had problems with 'ambience' and I got pissed off.

Not sure what I'll be doing next, or if. I apologize for the negativity here, but it's how I feel and I hope it's allowed given the nature (general discussion) of this forum.

Perdita

 

[Guest]

 

[Guest]

 

[jon.hayworth]

Hi,
I was not one of the originators, but I think it is important to set Snippetsville in its historical context when looking at the tight settings.

Cast your minds back a few months ago to Wildsweetone's short story challenges in the Author's Hangout - if I recall correctly (and as I am slightly inebriated I cannot raise ther energy to go look-see) there were 100 word story challenges 200 word and 500 word. All of which sort of chrystalised into the 600 word Snippetsville Tales. So yes Snippetsville is designed to challenge your ability as a writer - you have to be able to fit your tale into the general context of this little town.

Usually if you write a story for Lit it is is free-ranging you can read through your creation and decide what category it fits into. - (believe me this has little relationship to writing in the real world, where the author has to conform to the publishers and editors parameters. Snippetsville is a challenge if you want to take part you have to make your story conform - or alternatively you have to do some subtle remodelling to make it conform.

jon

Have a Very Merry Christmas.

 

[wildsweetone]

Mainly to dr.M.,

The Snippettsville Group grew quickly into a group of 18 authors from around the world. The necessary five ‘rules’ were made as everybody knows that give one person one thing to do and they’ll do it their way, give 20 people one thing to do and they’ll all do it their own way.

It was necessary to have one place (the SDC ‘sticky’) where all the main information could be found to do with Snippettsville. Both Alex de Kok and I have been contacted by authors since the first Issue was published. Some have joined the ranks of the SG, some have chosen not to. The ‘sticky’ was created for the benefit of all existing Snippettsville Group authors and for the benefit of new authors wishing to join. We needed one place where all information could be stored and the ‘sticky’ was the most available position.

With any fiction story, continuity and unity are the most important aspects of writing. Without either of those, there is no common ground for a group of authors to work in when you are looking at a created township containing a mere 2,000 people.

As has previously been stated, Snippettsville has been a complex creation. In fact, it’s as simple or as complex a township as each person intends it to be in their stories.

If you wish to enter the group with a couple of characters of your own, then you’re always more than welcome. All that is asked, is that you adhere to the five simple rules as stated in the ‘sticky’ in the SDC.

The maps were drawn up with continuity in mind. A consistency of setting, a consistency of climate etc. (when 18 authors are involved, one could be writing about an alien invasion, one could be writing about a hill country station, one could be writing about fishing in Alaska... anything is possible.)

Frankly, Snippettsville is a small township where families reside. The majority of workers travel to the nearest town to work, some stay behind and have smallish businesses to run.

As has already been stated, the word length of our flash fiction stories began as a 600 word thread in the Author’s Hangout. The skill of writing flash is directly related to the word count limit. There is an easement of 585-605 words. Therefore, a 500 word story will not be formally submitted with the SG stories for publication on Literotica. All stories that make it to Tales of Snippettsville, go through an editing process if only for grammar and punctuation.

Ambience of Snippettsville was decided by a core group of SG authors and some other AH authors who helped us create Snippettsville. There were wide examples given in order to make a decisive choice as to how we wanted Snippettsville to appear to our readers. Reading the stories already published in Issues 1 to 8 will give a reader/prospective author, an exact idea of the ambience in our township.

There is no problem with authors using the SG project as a learning curve. There are many skills used when writing flash fiction with a group of authors from around the world and when writing about a town that has been created from nothing but a smear of an idea that was thrown into the ring for debate.

Those people who do not belong to the SG and who read about our town are learning a little about the lives of those inhabitants who live relatively ‘real’ lives like we do. Those readers do not know anything of the background of the work that needs to go into each story from its conception, to the point where it appears on a website in front of them to read (complete with illustrations).

The background workload is a lot, to be frank, however I have not minded keeping things together. If it weren’t for a few other serious authors helping out and Alex de Kok’s huge input into the background of the running of the SG, then the SG would simply not exist in the way it does today.

Now that we have a solid foundation for the town and a population we are all getting to know the more we write about them, it’s time to take stock of where we are and where we would like to be.

I liked reading Soupwarsproject’s ideas about different ‘events’ Snippettsville could partake in next year. Over the next couple of weeks, I hope to have a little time to sort through the ideas and to present a possible list of events for the year.

At present, it may be possible to include a series of stories for Valentines Day to coincide with the Literotica competition. Other stories based around specific events will need a decent lead up time in order to have the editing and proofreading completed without any of us busting our guts to get it done. I think that the way we’ve been doing the editing and proofreading has worked well (though there is one group that has a couple of members down, but we’ve managed to keep it going okay).

Dr M, it would be easier to explain to you, if 18 authors submit one 600 word story each, then there are 18 stories that need proofreading/editing, somebody has to do that. The best way was to spread that job out among us all.

Stories have been declined for varying reasons. Soupwarsproject and I have discussed the reasons for a series of her stories being declined on the SG. We are both happy with the decision. Soupwarsproject is more than welcome to continue submitting flash fiction to the SG and has done so. At the moment, other committments keep her busy.

Hopefully, I was able to discuss the reasons with her in an amicable manner (unlike editors in the publishing world who simply send back a manuscript saying ‘rejected’).

The recent stories by Doffy will not be included in the Snippettsville Tales as the author has not replied to any of my numerous PMs.

Several other story rejections have occurred. (Please note, it is the stories that have been rejected, and not the authors.)

Which brings me to another thought.

One of the most difficult areas has been stories written in series. Whilst a couple of stories that follow on from each other are relatively easy to place within the SG Issues, larger combinations are not so easy to place. So, next year we are looking at minimising the latter.

I think, that for the township we have in existence and its population, we have the correct ambience. I also think that authors are more than welcome to write other stories for other areas, or other towns that they have created. I have no wish to stifle any authors creativity, in fact, I wish to encourage it.

With the latest advent of jon.hayworth’s Massage Parlor into Snippettsville, it is possible, we will see the gradual change of Snip ambience, however, that is yet to be seen.

Lastly, all authors are welcome to join the Snippettsville Group. No matter their colour, creed, or writing ability, there are those of us who help new authors out and those of us who give suggestions if writing doesn’t fit with the existing ambience.

Basically, dr.M., if you turn a corner and discover a Snippettsville bus schedule, then we as SG authors have been doing our job properly.

I’d like to take this chance to thank you for your posting. You have reaffirmed my own thoughts for this project. Should you wish to join the SG, you will be more than welcome, and should you wish for a mentor to help you understand further how the project works, please do not hesitate to contact either myself or Alex de Kok.

Regards, and Happy Holidays
wildsweetone

 

[wildsweetone]

Welcome to the SG Lancelot Knight. Glad you made it and I look forward to reading your stories after the New Year.

I hope you have a Happy Holiday.

wildsweetone

 

[wildsweetone]

Which brings me to another thought.

One of the most difficult areas has been stories written in series. Whilst a couple of stories that follow on from each other are relatively easy to place within the SG Issues, larger combinations are not so easy to place. So, next year we are looking at minimising the latter.

wildsweetone

Belatedly, I realise my skills are limited here and I need to throw this thought open to everyone and ask for help.

I would like to be able to include stories written in series.

These things need to be taken into consideration:

We have 18 authors.

There is a limit of 4 stories per Issue (a limit agreed upon with Laurel).

The stories need to be included in the correct order.

They need to be intermingled with other author's stories.

There needs to be a reasonable mixture of dialogue and narration within each Issue (I am still learning this one).

Please post your ideas here. Any idea is worth mentioning at this point. Hopefully we can come up with some good ideas that we can look at in detail in the New Year.

 

[Guest]

 

[wildsweetone]

PierceStreet, that's a great idea. Some authors have given me lists of the order of their stories which has been helpful.

Also helpful has been the notation at the top of the stories saying 'Christmas story'... I'd like any stories pertaining to the Massage Parlor to state they belong with the Massage Parlor at the top too.

The difficulty lies with intermingling the series stories with the non series stories in such a manner as to be fair for all authors and also to be a good mixture for readers.

 

[Guest]

If it helps, Gauche and I are finished with our series. I may write another story or two for Sian. Don't have plans for more serial stories.

Perdita

 

[wildsweetone]

Perdita, I'm looking forward to reading more of your Snips stories. Sian is an interesting character.

Not writing more serial stories is one answer... I'd prefer for authors to be able to write the serial stories though, so if you can think of any way at all that would make publishing them through Snips a little 'easier' please post here.

Perhaps if we altered other things?

If we added more stories into each Issue (if Laurel allowed it), but I don't think that helps with the serial stories...

There has got to be a better way than the one I've been using, it's just that for the life of me, I can't think of one.

Does anybody have any ideas?


I'm off for my Christmas break now. I'll try and check in from time to time. I hope everyone has a lovely holiday break and a safe New Year. Take care. - wso

edited to add: I have received a couple of 'thoughts' PMs with regards to my previous Snip Group PM, thank you to those people. When I have a substantial amount, I'll post them here.