Blog Tools
Edit your Blog
Build a Blog
RSS Feed
View Profile
« November 2004 »
S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30
You are not logged in. Log in
Entries by Topic
All topics  «
Links
NELSON'S BLARG
PIRATES OF PENSACOLA by Gus
Gus Openshaw's Whale-Killing Journal
Robyn's site
Ken
Sass
JCanuck
kj4ever
Rancette
More Links
Rance wuz here...
Wednesday, 3 November 2004

It's All Relative

And no, I'm not talking about the election. I'm referring to our new literary challenge.

It will be based upon the "Rashomon Effect". This term evolved from a Japanese movie entitled "Rashomon". The gist of it all is that everything is relative, including the truth. James Berardinelli noted that that movie "is not about culpability or innocence. Instead, it focuses on something far more profound and thought-provoking: the inability of any one man to know the truth, no matter how clearly he thinks he sees things. Perspective distorts reality and makes the absolute truth unknowable."

The new challenge is as follows, with the rules being subject to change as we go as this is new territory for me:

I will begin by writing a piece, or chapter if you will, of a story being that I can't write a complete story in one sitting. The goal then is for each of you to write this story from another character's perspective, either from a character I have already introduced or a character from your own creation that you can sensibly place within the story.

This will be a contest. The best entries will be chosen and put up. From there, the story will continue with a new chapter introduced here and there with new entries being accepted for those chapters. Who will write the centerpiece for each succeeding chapter will depend upon how things go. It is my goal to ask the best entrant from each chapter to write the starting piece for the next chapter and that hopefully they will accept.

As to time limits, I intend to let this flow at a comfortable pace, rushing no one. Obviously, it will depend upon the number of entries received as well.

On days between stories it is my intention to always have something up for discussion. Any suggestions or subjects or articles that any of you have will be welcomed. Just send them in. The more, the better.

Sincerely,

RDD

Note to all: Since my computer is still busted I am having extreme difficulty accessing my yahoo email account or replying to any emails there that I have been able to read. Annie, I wanted to let you know I did get to read yours and I thank you and will be taking you up on that.

Thanks,

RDD

Posted by captainhoof at 11:33 AM CST
Updated: Wednesday, 3 November 2004 2:29 PM CST
Post Comment | View Comments (16) | Permalink

Comments Page

Wednesday, 3 November 2004 - 12:45 PM CST

Name: Cheryl

RDD,
What a great idea. A book I am reading now discusses this very thing, but the author expresses the concept as being one of duality. The Western thought process seeks duality (right/wrong, truth/lie, black/white) and cannot tolerate gray, therefor, can't really learn, grow or be creative. All very fascinating. This is a great way to make the concept more concrete. Love it.

P.S. Duckie, nagging question from my dualistic Western mind.... Why two D's? R (rubber) D (duckie). What's the second one?

Reply to this Comment

Wednesday, 3 November 2004 - 12:56 PM CST

Name: Professor X

What a fantastic idea! I'm looking forward to the first piece.

Reply to this Comment

Wednesday, 3 November 2004 - 2:44 PM CST

Name: WendyinChicago

Sounds brilliant, I look forward to this. I may even work up the courage to enter this time. ;)

Reply to this Comment

Wednesday, 3 November 2004 - 2:52 PM CST

Name: Ken
Home Page: http://eyecreate.ods.org/blog/

This post is why Rance made a good choice in selecting you. I look forward to reading the entries.

Reply to this Comment

Wednesday, 3 November 2004 - 3:04 PM CST

Name: Ms Lauren
Home Page: http://www.livejournal.com/users/mslauren2930/

sounds interesting....I'm looking for a new diversion until my friend gets back to writing her story.

in the meanwhile, if I may, apparently there's to be an impromptu gathering of people who are unhappy with the outcome of the Presidential election. if you feel that you're also unhappy and in need of a place to comiserate, we'll be congregating in Lafayette Park behind the White House tonite, starting at 6.

oh, and for those you who need advice on how to survive a terrorist attack....from experience I can tell you, if you see smoke, turn and go as fast as you can in the other direction. saved my life....should save yours. and I know y'all are worried that the terrorists are coming for you next!

heads off to protest....sorry Rance....I did what I could to elect Kerry....I guess it wasn't enough :(

Reply to this Comment

Wednesday, 3 November 2004 - 3:08 PM CST

Name: Annie
Home Page: http://www.montannie.blogspot.com

Thanks for the note RDD - looking forward to hearing from you.

Reply to this Comment

Wednesday, 3 November 2004 - 3:08 PM CST

Name: john-r-w

I am definitely intrigued by this. I have been a great fan of the film Rashomon for some time, and I would definitely be interested in participating. count me in!

Reply to this Comment

Wednesday, 3 November 2004 - 3:44 PM CST

Name: Rubber Duckie

Reading? You better be writing mister....

Reply to this Comment

Wednesday, 3 November 2004 - 3:46 PM CST

Name: Rubber Duckie

You'll never know unless you try!

Reply to this Comment

Wednesday, 3 November 2004 - 3:47 PM CST

Name: Rubber Duckie

Welcome aboard john-r-w...

Reply to this Comment

Wednesday, 3 November 2004 - 3:54 PM CST

Name: feenxc

rdd, great idea, i will try this one out, and i am really happy about the relaxed time frames. not saying i would write better, but this one is going to take a lot of thought.

a topic for discussion: now remember, i'm not getting political here. i work in a store and see a couple hundred people a day. lots of them are regulars, but not all. yesterday, i was impressed! i'm talking election day; for months i've been listening to all the arguments, discussions, harsh words, retc., but yesterday was the total opposite. i live in pa, a "contested" state. it was like the biggest sigh of relief, that the election was upon us. the people talked, laughed, were pleasant, showed consideration for each other... one customer said it was like being at a block party. i had dreaded the day, thinking we were going to experience even worse fights in the store. believe me, there have been some doozies! but nothing, not one bad word, not one insult. it was probably one of the best work days i've had in a long time. thank you, to all those adults out there who proved they truly are grown up.

what was your part of the country like?

kisshugs

nastrovia

Reply to this Comment

Wednesday, 3 November 2004 - 6:40 PM CST

Name: Ken
Home Page: http://eyecreate.ods.org/blog/

I shall endeavour to contribute, schedule permitting that is.

Reply to this Comment

Wednesday, 3 November 2004 - 10:19 PM CST

Name: Rubber Duckie

Actually, my part of the country didn't begin to ease up until today. Even while in line yesterday evening waiting to vote people were tense and unfriendly. I'm glad it's over...

Reply to this Comment

Wednesday, 3 November 2004 - 10:31 PM CST

Name: Rubber Duckie

My full name is Rubber Dee Duckie, thus RDD...

Reply to this Comment

Thursday, 4 November 2004 - 2:38 AM CST

Name: Lady Jayne

How very postmodern of us...lovely. I have my own theory of truth - well, perhaps not only mine, but the position I hold. I look forward to the discussions and the stories.

RDD, if you're taking names, sign me up.

Reply to this Comment

Thursday, 4 November 2004 - 11:48 AM CST

Name: Bubba

Five Signs That Rance Hasn't Recovered From The Elections, Yet:

1. He's thrown so many empty bottles of beer at the t.v. that he had to buy a new one. (And it wasn't even on in the first place, he was quoted as slurring, "What are you looking at?" And then tossed a bottle at it. Luckily he hasn't taken the new one out of the box yet, or it would be broken too.)

2. He keeps calling his girlfriend Dick, and when she bursts into tears, he says, "Don't be such a Ralph." Upon waking up the next morning he never understands why she's so made at him. She tells him, and he remembers the results of the election, and then he bursts into tear, followed by excessive amounts of drinking. The cycle starts all over again.

3. When he goes out to eat with his friends they all want to get the same thing, which he does not agree with. He takes his time, trying to wait out the others, hoping they'll back down first, and order what he wants. In the end, he stands up and gives a speech of hope and affection towards his country, and then says, "Okay, I concede, I'll get the pepperoni..and three beers."

4. In a drunken stupor he went out and stole all of the newspapers in the dark of night dressed as a ninja. He replaced them with a paper that said, "Bush backs out of next term after it is discovered that he regularly eats babies." Once again, he remembers nothing the next morning, and thinks Ashton Kutcher is trying to Punk him when he finds the paper on his door step the next morning. He yells into his quiet street, "You can't get me that easily you Ralph!!" He then goes back inside to eat the rest of his beerios, and read's the paper.

5. He keeps calling John Kerry, and cries for an hour...and then babbles on about how Kerry never returns his calls anymore. "I thought we were so close, you and me. I thought that we were going to go fishing next week in Montana...Montana...(wahhhhhhh)." It's six hours later that Rance realizes that he's been talking to an automated message that repeats the phrase, "Your call is important to us, please hold, god bless America."

Here's a 6th one, just because: After days of hard drinking, crying, convincing his girlfriend to stay with him, and apologizing to the neighbors, Rance decides to go to McDonald's. He peels the sticker off the back of his fries and finds out that he's just won 20 dollars worth of merchandise from Best Buy. "Yes!!", he says jumping from his chair, "I'm a new man!!" He then goes out and buys Bon Jovi's Greatest Hits.


Hope he's still with us,
Bubba

Reply to this Comment
Comments Page
View Latest Entries