Summer is here so it's time for a Wee picnic!
My goals with this project are to involve new Gather members/project characters,to introduce a long-term project, to promote interaction between characters, to add flexibility for the summer months, and to incorporate description with character building. Those who already have characters may use those characters, or create new characters for this project. I invite everyone who has not participated in the past but would like to join us now to create characters and jump in.
First, we need to choose a date and location for our picnic. This week, have your characters tell us where they would like to have this picnic and why. When you have finished your post, please leave a link in the comment section below so that everyone can read all submissions and then vote on the location their character would most enjoy.
After choosing a location, your characters will have to decide what they will wear, how they will get there, where they will stay, and what games they would like to play. It will also be interesting to read their thoughts on the idea – are they excited? Dreading the whole thing? Nervous about meeting strangers? Will they get involved, or maybe bring books and laptops to keep them busy because they don’t think they’ll have much in common with the others? Depending on interest and schedules, you may do what you want with this - create one post that includes all of the above or many posts addressing each aspect in detail.
We can have fun playing off one another’s posts. For example, if a character suggests volley ball and your character used to coach a volleyball team, your character might write a post about his/her past experience and offer to support the other by helping to organize teams and schedules. If volleyball causes your character to have nightmares, s/he might write a post explaining the horrible reaction s/he might have if anyone mentions the game and beg others not to support this idea.
Invite Gather members who have not participated, as well as writing friends who are not yet Gather members.
I look forward to seeing the interesting locations your characters come up with this week!
TAGS: FuntuePicnic, WeeWe, interactive writing project
GROUPS: Gather Writing Essential, Wee WE, Your Character group
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Comments: 44
Sounds great, Sandy. It's going to be fun to write this for Nicki, my new gal, and heck, I might even trot out old Leona.
I'm anxious to see what you do, Vicky. If you can deal with Leona, I'll bet there might be some good stuff she can stick her nose into at the picnic.
Vicky,
Um...Leona moved to Fla...LMAO
Leona can fly in from Florida.
I think Dixie might volunteer to have it at Uncle David's farm, as long as we can get the remnants of body parts off the lawn in time.
That's what I'm hoping for, Donna. We can have lots of fun with this project. There might be a few characters willing to help remove the body parts. And a few who will see an opportunity to bury some new ones there.
GAK! Ha ha ha ha ha
Cool, sounds like fun. Sorry I didn't do the sports prompt. Barb is so apathetic about sports, she didn't even want to ask Launa.
Heck, Barb, I only used "swimming" in my title to slide in under the radar..lol
Hee hee
Barb, don't feel obligated to do every exercise. This is supposed to be fun, not a job or an obligation.
I haven't had the energy or the muse assistance to do a character, sandy, but sure do enjoy those that create..especially Donna F and Barb C....sheesh, they could get a best seller out of theirs!!
Penni, I'm glad you have enjoyed reading what others are doing.
If you read something that makes you want to create a character for the picnic, please join in.
Interesting theme, but I don't do group writes. For me, it would take the shape of a poem....
Alison, I hope you'll take Lynn's suggestion and peek at what others have done here. This is not the typical add-a-line cooperative story. Each character has a personality and story of his/her own. The interaction is to encourage writers to maintain their own voice and character while dipping into the lives/stories of the other characters.
Taking a tangent to a personal note:
I am very excited about the way my metafiction is winding out. In just a few more pages the first draft, after all these years, will be done.
http://caelastory.blogspot.com
Yes! I'm happy to see this, Libra. I will check that out (probably not today, but I'm saving the link in my favorites.
Want to bring a character (or few) to the picnic?
sure, what should we bring?
I'm kinda hoping someone will bring watermelon, a deck of cards, a tent for shade, and a date for me. But you can bring anything you want if those don't suit your characters.
On a serious note, Libra - I hope you will bring your novel characters into this game. I hoped these exercises would work to help people create new characters and get to know them, and to help novel writers get to know their characters better. People who have their manuscripts close to complete could also use this as an opportunity to introduce them to the public. Once we get to know them through these exercises, we will surely want to buy the books when published.
Okay, here is Launa's take on a picnic: Launa and Tia talk about a picnic.
Persephone and Celia had a picnic, but it was in October:
I drove on, stopping at a roadside farm stand advertising organic produce and fresh-baked pies.
I love October, the colors and smells and tastes of harvest. I love the crunchy orange and red leaves, that go so well with my hair. I still jump into leaf piles to feel the soft embrace to my feet and hear them snap, crackle, pop. Migrating birds are a marvel, in proud formation. Gaggles of geese land resplendent making ordinary parking lots into festivals of honking and flapping and launching into resumed parades of flight.
Celia and I enjoy our fresh organic pie with our thermos of tea and packed sandwiches in a pile of leaves under a brilliant old tree, protected from the damp by our unsnapped rain ponchos brought for the occasion or in case of sudden rain, laughing about silly old memories of other autumns.
Then, much later, Caela and her family:
It is a brightly sunny day. They are outside Caela and Singer's cabin in impromptu picnic formation. Felicity, of course, moving about dramatically, striking poses, flourishing her arms, then flopping down close to share an intimate giggle. Maea more languid, lies on her stomach in soft weeds shaded by a large, wide-leafed tree. Caela sits beside her, back leaning comfortably against the living wood.
You can suggest October and your location, Libra. Sounds good!
Mystie only revolves around in my head and doesn't make it to words. I am reading Kerouac's 'Kharma Bums' to help work on her mind set. Maybe only her spirit will be at the picnic and that way she won't have to try to think of soething interesting to say. She doesn't do well with any small talk--probably chemical brain damage
Chemical brain damage? :-) I want Mystie there! I can already guess what she might bring in her picnic basket.
Isn't that "Dharma Bums"?
Ok, The picnic plans are going well, but Dixie needs some of you folks to donate the door prizes. 'Cmon, Don't Make me beg!
Will be there soon. I bought printer ink and reams of paper yesterday. That might help.
Sandy,
Darlin', the posters are already in store windows all over town...come see my post.
Ping Bong
Awwww, Sandy, I shall miss the old icon, it was charming. This one will take some getting used to.
Wish I could write. I don't like picnics. Too many bugs want my food.
This prompt reminds me of a picnic (sort of a picnic) we had many moons ago when I was a wee slip of girl in the then new Womens Army Corp. (WAC's). Hot, sweaty Alabama sun and starving young WAC's, after a ten mile hike they fed us. It's the only picnic I can remember enjoying and it was only because we were starved and thirsty. Brought back memories, maybe I should try and write about them. Nah, I'll just keep on being the reader. Now, I gotta go read some picnic stories.