Writing Exercise 2 Responses

[nice90sguy]

FYI Use the "Mask" icon to do inline spoilers (click on the three vertical dots first to show the extra row of icons)

 

[TarnishedPenny]

I asked. I didn’t know how, that’s all.

 

[StillStunned]

What's the point of masking? Clearly, everyone is groping in the dark.

So that when the lights come on you can't immediately tell who's groping you.

But it's a fair point. When @nice90sguy first posted the stories it was a courtesy for those who hadn't read anything yet and still had to make up their mind. And we probably thought we'd be better at guessing. We were wrong.

 

[SimonDoom]

I think masking is a good idea so as not to influence other people's guessing.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

I think masking is a good idea so as not to influence other people's guessing.

Ten bucks say that there isn't a single participant in this thread who didn't click to see other people's guesses. Curiosity is just too strong.

 

[SimonDoom]

Ten bucks say that there isn't a single participant in this thread who didn't click to see other people's guesses. Curiosity is just too strong.

Good point!

 

[samhasstories]

I for one appreciated the masking. I was curious to see how people were responding to the exercise before I'd had a chance to read all the entries, but I didn't want guesses to influence mine. Not that I have much hope of getting any right, but the guesswork was part of the fun for me.

 

[StillStunned]

I just had an idea! Instead of @nice90sguy announcing who wrote what, why don't we all confess to our own creations?

 

[TheRedChamber]

I just had an idea! Instead of @nice90sguy announcing who wrote what, why don't we all confess to our own creations?

If we want to extend things a bit (not saying we do) we could announce if anyone has guessed our story correctly (assuming at least two different votes) or if anyone has not yet guessed correctly (to avoid the likely issue that someone has guessed correctly and we missed it, we say which stories we've seen votes for)

For example:

The only vote for me is story 17. That is not my story.

 

[nice90sguy]

I just had an idea! Instead of @nice90sguy announcing who wrote what, why don't we all confess to our own creations?

Frankly, the less I have to do, the better lol

As of right now 11 people have confirmed my list is correct. I can check the remaining 7 against the PM's, so I'm pretty sure that I can post a correct list tomorrow. But I think letting the contributors themsleves decide when enough people have guessed them correctly to divulge which is theirs, is a nice idea.

As a bit of a logic puzzles fanatic, and I'm sure @Bramblethorn would agree, I could make it like the board game "Mastermind", and just report how many of people's guesses were correct, when they post a list. Then this thread could go on for AGES....
Example (this doesn't give real answers away):

I guess:

1. Boddingon
2. Erezotta
3. gunhil

-- 2 right

She guesses:

1. Erezotta
2. Boddingon
3. initm8

-- 1 right

He guesses:

1. Tlan
2. TheRedChamber
3. initm8

-- zero right

From the above, we know that 3 must have been gunhil's entry.

 

[TheLobster]

Alright, so if the list is posted tomorrow, then I can take the original (longer) version of my entry, edit it to reach 750 words, and publish it as a standalone piece on Thursday or later

 

[intim8]

Alright, so if the list is posted tomorrow, then I can take the original (longer) version of my entry, edit it to reach 750 words, and publish it as a standalone piece on Thursday or later

Or we could all do that instead of posting the answers.

Since I and my scene have been the subject of almost no speculatiom here, I'm ready to fess up.

 

[StillStunned]

If we want to extend things a bit (not saying we do) we could announce if anyone has guessed our story correctly (assuming at least two different votes) or if anyone has not yet guessed correctly (to avoid the likely issue that someone has guessed correctly and we missed it, we say which stories we've seen votes for)

For example:

The only vote for me is story 17. That is not my story.

I've been credited with stories 5 (Watch Me), 7 (Diddler), 8 (Writing for Lit), 16 (Demon Blood) and 17 (Pineapple Pizza). And much as I'd love to claim any or all of them, I can't.

 

[intim8]

Ok, I'm going to at lest give clue.

I'm pleading the shrinkage excuse. I was swimming in the icy cold waters of the original 250 word limit, so mine isn't as rich and compelling as it normally would be.

<george costanza meme>

 

[TarnishedPenny]

I've been credited with stories 5 (Watch Me), 7 (Diddler), 8 (Writing for Lit), 16 (Demon Blood) and 17 (Pineapple Pizza). And much as I'd love to claim any or all of them, I can't.

Oh, dear! There goes Mama's chemotherapy money!

 

[Bamagan]

I'd recommend waiting until at least Wednesday. It will give people plenty of opportunities to read more stories and post their guesses. By that time most who are interested probably will be done with their reading feedback and engagement and the thread will be moving on to stupid bear comments and Bamagan GIFs.

I'm not saying I never derail a thread, but my usual MO is to wait for the thread to be taking a curve at speed, and then nudge it off the tracks.

This one seems to have stayed quite on the rails.

I'm afraid I don't have any guesses to add. While I've read at least one thing by about half the list, I don't think I've read enough from most to hazard a guess as to hallmarks of style, with one or two possible exceptions. Plus, I didn't do more than glance at the 'contest entries' since there were so many.

 

[samhasstories]

I believe the only vote I've gotten so far is for #5, which is not correct.

Ok, I'm going to at lest give clue.

I'm pleading the shrinkage excuse. I was swimming in the icy cold waters of the original 250 word limit, so mine isn't as rich and compelling as it normally would be.

<george costanza meme>

Same.

 

[Jackie.Hikaru]

I'm absolutely stumped on the vast majority... but at least its making me read stories I normally wouldn't!

 

[nice90sguy]

To be honest I'm sick to death of all 18 authors by now

 

[StillStunned]

To be honest I'm sick to death of all 18 authors by now

Well, I for one appreciate all your efforts, from thinking of the challenge to organising it to answering everyone's questions to posting the stories and answering more questions. And you don't even have a story of your own in the challenge!

 

[TheLobster]

Well, I for one appreciate all your efforts, from thinking of the challenge to organising it to answering everyone's questions to posting the stories and answering more questions. And you don't even have a story of your own in the challenge!

What if these are all actually stories by @nice90sguy, and we are simply all complicit in his ruse?

 

[THBGato]

Bloody hell, this is so difficult. To put this in context though, I've read pretty much everything Margaret Atwood and Donna Tartt have published and I don't think I could tell them apart. Ditto distingusihing Austen from a Brönte. Hell, I even had to think about some of the lines on that Swift or Shakespeare quiz that was doing the rounds recently.

Ok, I've changed my mind, I think no 9 is @Jackie.Hikaru and number 13 is @TheRedChamber (whom I've been reading and enjoying lately).

Other than that I've got no ideas. And I'm probably wrong about my guesses so far.

However, I have really enjoyed reading all these excerpts, despite many being waaaaay outside my interests, and there's a few I would be interested in reading more of.

(Mine already expanded to 13,000 words and change.)

To be honest I'm sick to death of all 18 authors by now

Thanks again so much. You really live by your name.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

I’m going to say they’re all by @Jackie.Hikaru. That way, I have one chance in 16 of being right.

 

[Erozetta]

I’m going to say they’re all by @Jackie.Hikaru. That way, I have one chance in 16 of being right.

Okay, I was gonna respond with a joke as a clue earlier and backed out, but with that guess, I'm going to make the stupid joke:

I can guarantee that one story attributed to Jackie is not hers.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

Butler did it!