2015 Halloween Story Comments

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Robert Gray

Well-Known Member
The first installment is very good. As an opening, it is a great hook. Not only does it set a slightly offbeat funny tone, it brings the theme and setting in as well. My own visits to Tombstone, Arizona come to mind. I would swear the author drew upon that tourist trap for inspiration. You want to know more about Cold Silver because it is funny, and nobody could read that and not want to know more about the missing body. My only regret is that our limit on words prevented the first author from getting to establish the main character a bit more in this same style.
 

skimom2

Just moseyin' through...
Oct 9, 2013
15,683
92,168
USA
The first installment is very good. As an opening, it is a great hook. Not only does it set a slightly offbeat funny tone, it brings the theme and setting in as well. My own visits to Tombstone, Arizona come to mind. I would swear the author drew upon that tourist trap for inspiration. You want to know more about Cold Silver because it is funny, and nobody could read that and not want to know more about the missing body. My only regret is that our limit on words prevented the first author from getting to establish the main character a bit more in this same style.

GNTLGNT chose this length, Robert. I promise, he wasn't prevented from doing anything :) It's a punchy 443 words, don't you think?

Congrats, Mr. Scott--you have 'em talking already :D
 

Dana Jean

Dirty Pirate Hooker, The Return
Moderator
Apr 11, 2006
53,634
236,697
The High Seas
Scott did an excellent job with the opening.

And just a reminder, this is a community exercise. That includes skilled writers as well as people who may not have ever written a word of fiction in their life. This isn't meant for professional publication, it's for fun. And all the little quirks and missteps and false starts and stops is what gives these stories their charm.

As Spidey keeps saying over and over and over again. This is stone soup. Some stones are rough, some stones are smooth, -- big, small, heavy, light! But they are every single one a part of the big fun picture.
 

Kurben

The Fool on the Hill
Apr 12, 2014
9,682
65,192
59
sweden
Scott did an excellent job with the opening.

And just a reminder, this is a community exercise. That includes skilled writers as well as people who may not have ever written a word of fiction in their life. This isn't meant for professional publication, it's for fun. And all the little quirks and missteps and false starts and stops is what gives these stories their charm.

As Spidey keeps saying over and over and over again. This is stone soup. Some stones are rough, some stones are smooth, -- big, small, heavy, light! But they are every single one a part of the big fun picture.
I love me some GROWL (gravel)..........
 

Moderator

Ms. Mod
Administrator
Jul 10, 2006
52,243
157,324
Maine
Scott did an excellent job with the opening.

And just a reminder, this is a community exercise. That includes skilled writers as well as people who may not have ever written a word of fiction in their life. This isn't meant for professional publication, it's for fun. And all the little quirks and missteps and false starts and stops is what gives these stories their charm.

As Spidey keeps saying over and over and over again. This is stone soup. Some stones are rough, some stones are smooth, -- big, small, heavy, light! But they are every single one a part of the big fun picture.
:clap: Exactly this. There have been times in the past when not only was all the fun taken out of the process but it turned people away from ever participating again and that's not something I would want to see happen.
 

Dana Jean

Dirty Pirate Hooker, The Return
Moderator
Apr 11, 2006
53,634
236,697
The High Seas
I am telling you right now, some of the best and greatest stories went off on these wild chases down rabbit holes with a cast of a bazillion characters and situations being thrown at you that you have to somehow work into the story. I have never had so much fun as when we used to write these with absolutely NO idea what was coming our way. There were no discussions. AT ALL. No laying out what the story was going to be about. You had one night to get your part written. No time to over think or over work. And although each piece was brilliant in my book, sometimes the connection between the segments was very very very thin. And that was great! And it was a challenge to your writing skills to try to work all these props and situations and characters and settings into your segment. And most times, people would and then they would totally throw a wrench in there and take the story to a hard left.
 

Spideyman

Uber Member
Jul 10, 2006
46,336
195,472
79
Just north of Duma Key
First and for most- congrats Scott. What an awesome start to our "soup". You had me hooked!
Second- as Dana Jean has said- it's a community story. Each throwing their own piece (talent) into the big pot and what comes out at the end is the most wonderful tasting soup ever produced---the SKMB 2015 Halloween Story!
I well remember those early stories- a bike, later to be a horse. It's not English 105- an academic writing course. It's all for fun.
 

Dana Jean

Dirty Pirate Hooker, The Return
Moderator
Apr 11, 2006
53,634
236,697
The High Seas
and just thinking about this makes me laugh. There were times the person before me would send their piece to me when it was my turn and I would think, "What the hell am I supposed to do with THIS?" haoheohaoheaohohaaa! And that's not saying what they wrote was bad, I loved it! I just didn't know how I was going to do the story justice with my part.

It was all a learning experience. Flaws and all.
 

Dana Jean

Dirty Pirate Hooker, The Return
Moderator
Apr 11, 2006
53,634
236,697
The High Seas
First and for most- congrats Scott. What an awesome start to our "soup". You had me hooked!
Second- as Dana Jean has said- it's a community story. Each throwing their own piece (talent) into the big pot and what comes out at the end is the most wonderful tasting soup ever produced---the SKMB 2015 Halloween Story!
I well remember those early stories- a bike, later to be a horse. It's not English 105- an academic writing course. It's all for fun.
:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

and every segment had a new character who somehow ended up in a completely different place!! good times. good times.
 

Rrty

Well-Known Member
Jun 4, 2007
1,394
4,588
I really enjoyed the opening segment. It felt fun in the same way that the prologue to Needful Things was fun. I too wanted more as someone else said, to find out about the character, but I think the length worked. I like how there is mention of the walking dead, and of a mystery with the dead animals. I'm glad, too, that Dana gave a primer on what this is supposed to be and what to expect -- I have only checked out some of the stories in the past and have not read them from the beginning. I agree -- I will go with the flow, as they say, and not hold any preconceived notions as to what I will receive. I will just enjoy the Halloween atmosphere and the art of SKMB improvisation.
 

Sundrop

Sunny the Great & Wonderful
Jun 12, 2008
28,520
156,619
:clap: Exactly this. There have been times in the past when not only was all the fun taken out of the process but it turned people away from ever participating again and that's not something I would want to see happen.
This is what happened with me......

I'm glad that it has turned back around. Scott did a most excellent job, and this year's story looks like it's off to a fun start!
 

Dana Jean

Dirty Pirate Hooker, The Return
Moderator
Apr 11, 2006
53,634
236,697
The High Seas
I really enjoyed the opening segment. It felt fun in the same way that the prologue to Needful Things was fun. I too wanted more as someone else said, to find out about the character, but I think the length worked. I like how there is mention of the walking dead, and of a mystery with the dead animals. I'm glad, too, that Dana gave a primer on what this is supposed to be and what to expect -- I have only checked out some of the stories in the past and have not read them from the beginning. I agree -- I will go with the flow, as they say, and not hold any preconceived notions as to what I will receive. I will just enjoy the Halloween atmosphere and the art of SKMB improvisation.
yay! good job!