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offline

jezz

3,337 posts

Farmer

Posted September 24, '10 7:02pm UTC

Well! What was originally going to be my own little poetry challenge has turned into a major competition! Please read every word in this opening post very carefully as everything I say must be adhered to. I don't know if you know this, but I am very strict with my rules and regulations...

The general point of this competition

A few of us users have come up with a list of 50 themes which can be found below. The aim of this competition is to write a poem or a piece of short prose for each theme, just for fun! There are no deadlines (as of yet) for the submissions because I don't want the pieces to be hurriedly written, so don't let that put you off participating. Everyone is welcome to participate. There's no pressure to submit all 50 pieces, take your time, have fun!

Please remember to follow the basic rules of the AMW. All work must be your own. No flaming, trolling, spamming, etc. Only provide critique on a user's piece if they have asked for it specifically. Keep general discussion on this thread to a minimum so as to remain at least a little bit on topic.

Submissions

A list of rules that (hopefully) cover everything you need to know about submissions. Read carefully. If you have any questions, contact me on my profile.

*You do not need to submit the pieces in order. You may start with whichever theme you like.

* Once you have written and revised a piece, submit it!

*You may submit more than one piece at a time, although submitting too many at once will seem as though you've rushed them.

*I will keep track of how many submissions each participant has entered on my profile, so take a look once in a while.

*Only short prose pieces are accepted. Nothing too longwinded please. I am going to include a word limit of 1,500 words.

*There is a certain structure to submitting a piece in order to keep the thread nice and tidy:
- Your piece must have the theme name and number as the title in bold. You may also include your own title in brackets next to it.
- You must state which form you have written your piece in, for example, haiku, short prose, sonnet, standard verse, etc.

Here is an example post;

51. Insanity (Two Minds) - Haiku

Come here; don't be scared
I am confined in both minds
Stay away from me

List Of Themes
1. Innocence
2. Entombment
3. A Forgotten Name
4. Rising Tide
5. A Broken Picture
6. Leaves Falling In Autumn
7. Birth
8. Falling Into The Abyss
9. Near-death Experience
10. Beautiful Sunset
11. New School
12. Describing Colour To A Blind Person
13. Home Alone
14. Nightmare
15. Dreams
16. Inner strength
17. Self-Hatred
18. Martyrdom
19. Political Corruption
20. Self-Completion
21. Genius
22. Thanksgiving
23. Halloween
24. Christmas
25. Guilt
26. Daydreams
27. Orange Leaves In Autumn
28. A Shy Person In The Middle Of A Crowd
29. Unrequited love
30. Kraken
31. Memories
32. Revolution
33. The Shining Auroras
34. Poverty
35. A Hero Among Evil
36. An Entity Who Shows Itself
37. The 5th Dimension
38. Berserk Wildlife
39. A Light In The Black
40. Trial And Error
41. A Creation
42. Two-Faced
43. Disillusionment
44. Regular/Ordinary
45. The Mind Of A Villain
46. Someone Who Lives To Watch The World Burn.
47. Old Age
48. Something For The Girls
49. Something For The Boys
50. Go Crazy

And now for the fun part...

I am going to include a few features similar to Strop's 'erks and penalties' idea in the WoM. Some of them are preeeetty difficult, so good luck with that. Once you've completed one, I'll stick your name on my profile.

Here they are:

1) Theme-a-Rama!: Mention 15 separate themes in one piece.

2) Sonnet 130: Write a mock sonnet which relates to love and one other theme.

3) Total Overkill: Use the theme title 6 times in one piece.

4) Like a Freight Train: Be the first to complete the first 10 themes.

5) In The Dank And Dark Recesses Of The Mind...: Be the first to complete themes 8, 14, 17 and 46.

And there'll be more coming your way!

Lets get started!

Well! What was originally going to be my own little poetry challenge has turned into a major competition! Please read every word in this opening post very carefully as everything I say must be adhered to. I don't know if you know this, but I am very strict with my rules and regulations... :)\r\n\r\n[b]The general point of this competition[/b]\r\n\r\nA few of us users have come up with a list of 50 themes which can be found below. The aim of this competition is to write a poem or a piece of short prose for each theme, just for fun! There are no deadlines (as of yet) for the submissions because I don't want the pieces to be hurriedly written, so don't let that put you off participating. Everyone is welcome to participate. There's no pressure to submit all 50 pieces, take your time, have fun!\r\n\r\nPlease remember to follow the basic rules of the AMW. All work must be your own. No flaming, trolling, spamming, etc. Only provide critique on a user's piece if they have asked for it specifically. Keep general discussion on this thread to a minimum so as to remain at least a little bit on topic.\r\n\r\n[b]Submissions[/b]\r\n\r\nA list of rules that (hopefully) cover everything you need to know about submissions. Read carefully. If you have any questions, contact me on my profile.\r\n\r\n*You do not need to submit the pieces in order. You may start with whichever theme you like.\r\n\r\n* Once you have written and revised a piece, submit it!\r\n\r\n*You may submit more than one piece at a time, although submitting too many at once will seem as though you've rushed them.\r\n\r\n*I will keep track of how many submissions each participant has entered on my profile, so take a look once in a while.\r\n\r\n*Only short prose pieces are accepted. Nothing too longwinded please. I am going to include a word limit of 1,500 words.\r\n\r\n*There is a certain structure to submitting a piece in order to keep the thread nice and tidy:\r\n     - Your piece must have the theme name and number as the title in bold. You may also include your own title in brackets next to it.\r\n     - You must state which form you have written your piece in, for example, haiku, short prose, sonnet, standard verse, etc.\r\n\r\nHere is an example post;\r\n\r\n[b]51. Insanity (Two Minds)[/b] - [i]Haiku[/i]\r\n\r\nCome here; don't be scared\r\nI am confined in both minds\r\nStay away from me\r\n\r\n\r\n[b]List Of Themes[/b]\r\n1.  Innocence\r\n2.  Entombment\r\n3.  A Forgotten Name\r\n4.  Rising Tide\r\n5.  A Broken Picture\r\n6.  Leaves Falling In Autumn\r\n7.  Birth\r\n8.  Falling Into The Abyss\r\n9.  Near-death Experience\r\n10. Beautiful Sunset\r\n11. New School\r\n12. Describing Colour To A Blind Person\r\n13. Home Alone\r\n14. Nightmare\r\n15. Dreams\r\n16. Inner strength\r\n17. Self-Hatred\r\n18. Martyrdom\r\n19. Political Corruption\r\n20. Self-Completion\r\n21. Genius\r\n22. Thanksgiving\r\n23. Halloween\r\n24. Christmas\r\n25. Guilt\r\n26. Daydreams\r\n27. Orange Leaves In Autumn\r\n28. A Shy Person In The Middle Of A Crowd\r\n29. Unrequited love\r\n30. Kraken\r\n31. Memories\r\n32. Revolution\r\n33. The Shining Auroras\r\n34. Poverty\r\n35. A Hero Among Evil\r\n36. An Entity Who Shows Itself\r\n37. The 5th Dimension\r\n38. Berserk Wildlife\r\n39. A Light In The Black\r\n40. Trial And Error\r\n41. A Creation\r\n42. Two-Faced\r\n43. Disillusionment\r\n44. Regular/Ordinary\r\n45. The Mind Of A Villain\r\n46. Someone Who Lives To Watch The World Burn.\r\n47. Old Age\r\n48. Something For The Girls\r\n49. Something For The Boys\r\n50. Go Crazy\r\n\r\n[b]And now for the fun part...[/b]\r\n\r\nI am going to include a few features similar to Strop's 'perks and penalties' idea in the WoM. Some of them are preeeetty difficult, so good luck with that. Once you've completed one, I'll stick your name on my profile.\r\n\r\nHere they are:\r\n\r\n1) [b]Theme-a-Rama!:[/b] Mention 15 separate themes in one piece.\r\n\r\n2) [b]Sonnet 130:[/b] Write a mock sonnet which relates to love and one other theme.\r\n\r\n3) [b]Total Overkill:[/b] Use the theme title 6 times in one piece.\r\n\r\n4) [b]Like a Freight Train:[/b] Be the first to complete the first 10 themes.\r\n\r\n5) [b]In The Dank And Dark Recesses Of The Mind...:[/b] Be the first to complete themes 8, 14, 17 and 46.\r\n\r\nAnd there'll be more coming your way! \r\n\r\nLets get started!

202 Replies

offline

Cenere

13,658 posts

Jester

Posted October 11, '10 3:15pm UTC

Because good endings are over-rated:

#29 - Unrequited love (part two)
"Will you marry me?"
She laughed, then awkwardly grew silent when he did not join in.
"Seriously? You are being serious about this??"
"Well, I am down on one knee, holding a ring, promising to stay with you forever... I don't think I could be more serious right now..."
"Really...?"
If he had gone deaf at that moment, he would have been happy. He didn't.
"No..."
"... So, I have a project to do, so I will leave you now. Okay, bye!"
"CenCen? Ceen? Co... Can... F***."

Now I feel much better writing to fit the lost Sai in the WoM.

offline

wakabakawaka

51 posts

Nomad

Posted October 11, '10 7:19pm UTC

[b]#8 - Falling Into The Abyss

We have become
What we have feared
Our father's eyes
Are red and teared

We were ment to be
So much better than this
Now we've fallen so far
Into the Abyss

How do we climb out?
How do we come back?
Our inner demons
We must attack

Across our chests
This battle slashes
But we must again rise
Rise from these ashes

And live

offline

jezz

3,337 posts

Farmer

Posted October 11, '10 7:28pm UTC

N'awww Cen.. I like your short stories. They remind me of the type of stuff I used to write.

I had a poem, but I couldn't find a theme to fit it into.

offline

Cenere

13,658 posts

Jester

Posted October 12, '10 8:28pm UTC

They remind me of the type of stuff I used to write.

How so?
Also, conclusively I am feeling lonely and kinda depressed.

I was thinking of making a short story for the "regular"-theme. But then I concluded that I should ground myself from the internet, writing non-assignment things and that I am too bleh to function.
So yeah.
Anyway, thanks for the compliment. Sorry for not being able to take it.

offline

jezz

3,337 posts

Farmer

Posted October 12, '10 9:33pm UTC

Cen, you've been concluding far too often.

How so?

Oh they just... do. I'll have to post one later this week.

I keep writing stuff that doesn't fit any of the listed themes! It's becoming increasingly arrgghh!

offline

waluigi

1,948 posts

Shepherd

Posted October 13, '10 10:33pm UTC

24. Christmas

It was 4 o' clock in the morning, and all seemed silent. Not even the pet dog, which usually woke the family at around this time, was barking. then, footsteps. It was the child of course sneaking down the stairway. He had not fallen asleep at all that night and was somewhat worried that "santa" had not come, as he had not even heard a thump all night.
He was careful coming down the stairs avoiding the 5th and 9th stairs as they were the two the creaked when stepped on. He got down without waking anybody, but now came another challenge; he had to get through the kitchen without waking the dog.
he tip-toed his way into the kitchen, hoping the dog would not notice. He almost blew his cover when he ran into a chair. The dog stirred, but then began snoring again. After the close call, he made no more mistakes, and headed into the living room.
The room was lit with brilliant colors, all raiding for the lights on the tree. He looked down toward the bottom of the tree, and saw what he had come for. Overwhelmed with joy, he screamed at the top of his lungs:
"MOM, DAD, SANTA CAME, SANTA CAME, SAAAAAAAAANTA!"
The parents stirred slowly from the slumber and came into the living room. The child was able to open all his presents, all of which were what he wanted. The rest of the day he spent playing with his toys, and he would later remember it as the best Christmas ever.

[b]24. Christmas[/b]\r\n\r\nIt was 4 o' clock in the morning, and all seemed silent. Not even the pet dog, which usually woke the family at around this time, was barking. then, footsteps. It was the child of course sneaking down the stairway. He had not fallen asleep at all that night and was somewhat worried that "santa" had not come, as he had not even heard a thump all night. \r\n     He was careful coming down the stairs avoiding the 5th and 9th stairs as they were the two the creaked when stepped on. He got down without waking anybody, but now came another challenge; he had to get through the kitchen without waking the dog. \r\n  he tip-toed his way into the kitchen, hoping the dog would not notice. He almost blew his cover when he ran into a chair. The dog stirred, but then began snoring again. After the close call, he made no more mistakes, and headed into the living room. \r\n   The room was lit with brilliant colors, all raiding for the lights on the tree. He looked down toward the bottom of the tree, and saw what he had come for. Overwhelmed with joy, he screamed at the top of his lungs: \r\n     "MOM, DAD, SANTA CAME, SANTA CAME, SAAAAAAAAANTA!"\r\n   The parents stirred slowly from the slumber and came into the living room. The child was able to open all his presents, all of which were what he wanted. The rest of the day he spent playing with his toys, and he would later remember it as the best Christmas ever.

offline

BlackSkullDragon

161 posts

Peasant

Posted October 13, '10 10:39pm UTC

47. Old Age

To the past
I look back.
Why did it happen so fast?
Of youth, I'm the lack.

Ageing happens to everybody
That's all they can tell me
But they still have young bodies
And that's why they can't get me.

My mind takes a ride
Through the road of my memories
I've had some nice times
That's what I must remember.

Any critique would be highly appreciated.

offline

waluigi

1,948 posts

Shepherd

Posted October 14, '10 1:45am UTC

43. Disillusionment

Mike was just eleven years old when he became disillusioned for the first time in his life. It all started on his way to school one day. He had always thought that everyone's life was just as good or better than his. As he walked past the alley between the market and some apartments, he noticed a man sitting in there. Mike decided to walk up to him and talk.
"Hi there, mister."
"Whadda you want kid"
"I just wanted to ask what your doing."
"Just tryin' to survive"
"But whadda you mean?"
The man began to explain that he did not have a home and often had to dig through trash or beg to get food. Mike responded, "Well everybody's got to have a home, right?"
The man responded, "That ain't always true son, there are tons of people just like me in this town."
Mike decided it was time to leave, he was puzzled. How could it be that a man did not have a home, and even just struggled to stay alive? After school, Mike asked his dad about this.
"Well son, there are some people who just don't get a fair chance in the world. They are forced to live in the streets, beg for food and money, and sometimes even resort to stealing."
Finally, the significance of this sunk in, and that night he cried for all the people who had to suffer though this. He vowed that when he grew up, he would help to find homes for all the people who didn't have one. he fell asleep peacefully after making his resolution, but before doing so, he decided the first man he'd help was the man he met earlier that day.

[b]43. Disillusionment[/b]\r\n\r\n   Mike was just eleven years old when he became disillusioned for the first time in his life. It all started on his way to school one day. He had always thought that everyone's life was just as good or better than his. As he walked past the alley between the market and some apartments, he noticed a man sitting in there. Mike decided to walk up to him and talk. \r\n"Hi there, mister."\r\n"Whadda you want kid"\r\n"I just wanted to ask what your doing."\r\n"Just tryin' to survive"\r\n"But whadda you mean?"\r\n   The man began to explain that he did not have a home and often had to dig through trash or beg to get food. Mike responded, "Well everybody's got to have a home, right?"\r\n  The man responded, "That ain't always true son, there are tons of people just like me  in this town."\r\n  Mike decided it was time to leave, he was puzzled. How could it be that a man did not have a home, and even just struggled to stay alive?  After school, Mike asked his dad about this.\r\n  "Well son, there are some people who just don't get a fair chance in the world. They are forced to live in the streets, beg for food and money, and sometimes even resort to stealing." \r\n  Finally, the significance of this sunk in, and that night he cried for all the people who had to suffer though this. He vowed that when he grew up, he would help to find homes for all the people who didn't have one. he fell asleep peacefully after making his resolution, but before doing so, he decided the first man he'd help was the man he met earlier that day.

offline

waluigi

1,948 posts

Shepherd

Posted October 14, '10 1:55am UTC

I am very sorry for the double post, but I forgot to mention that both of my pieces are short prose.

And now, a bit of critique for you BlackSkullDragon. I very much like the poem. I like how you tried to rhyme it, but if you start off with rhyming, you should continue it throughout the poem, as you didn't in the third stanza. I also feel that the first line of the second stanza and the second and fourth lines of the third stanzas have one too many syllables. I hope this critique helps you a little bit.

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waluigi

1,948 posts

Shepherd

Posted October 14, '10 9:39pm UTC

38. Berserk Wildlife
a short prose

The safari adventure was going great for them up to this point. Tommy and Shannon had saved up for one and a half years trying to come here, but it wasn't until now that they had been able to go. Besides the adventure, Tommy was also wanting to propose to Shannon while on this trip. In fact, he wanted to do it that very night.
It was about three o' clock in the afternoon, and Tommy and Shannon were watching some animals down by the watering hole. Everything was serene, until the heard a sort of grunting sound behind them. They turned around and found themselves confronted by three water buffalos. Tommy whispered to Shannon, "Don't move", hoping the buffalos would not attack. However, the buffalos started to come closer, and Shannon decided to take off in a dead sprint. The buffalos took off after her, and soon, Tommy joined the chase, hoping to catch up to Shannon and save her.
Shannon made a bee-line to the watering hole, hoping to lose the buffalos by jumping into the water. However, the buffalos kept following. Tommy could do nothing to save his girlfriend it appeared. Suddenly, Tommy notice a branch hanging over the water. He climbed onto it, and held his hand out to Shannon. He lifted Shannon out of the water and took of back toward where they had come from. The buffalos, confused by the sudden disappearance of the girl they were chasing, began thrashing around in the water, ramming each other.
Tommy and Shannon made it back to their car. As they took off, the buffalos again took chase, after finally sorting out their confusion. However, the car was obviously much faster, and Tommy drove as fast as he could back to the city.
Tommy and Shannon went back to their hotel room and decided that it would be a good idea to not leave the city the next day. Tommy also decided that proposing should also wait until that day. As for the buffalos, they were reported and were tracked down. Tommy and Shannon returned back the the U.S. with full plans on marrying within the next month.

[b]38. Berserk Wildlife[/b]   \r\na short prose\r\n\r\n  The safari adventure was going great for them up to this point. Tommy and Shannon had saved up for one and a half years trying to come here, but it wasn't until now that they had been able to go. Besides the adventure, Tommy was also wanting to propose to Shannon while on this trip. In fact, he wanted to do it that very night. \r\n    It was about three o' clock in the afternoon, and Tommy and Shannon were watching some animals down by the watering hole. Everything was serene, until the heard a sort of grunting sound behind them. They turned around and found themselves confronted by three water buffalos. Tommy whispered to Shannon, "Don't move", hoping the buffalos would not attack. However, the buffalos started to come closer, and Shannon decided to take off in a dead sprint. The buffalos took off after her, and soon, Tommy joined the chase, hoping to catch up to Shannon and save her.\r\n   Shannon made a bee-line to the watering hole, hoping to lose the buffalos by jumping into the water. However, the buffalos kept following. Tommy could do nothing to save his girlfriend it appeared. Suddenly, Tommy notice a branch hanging over the water. He climbed onto it, and held his hand out to Shannon. He lifted Shannon out of the water and took of back toward where they had come from. The buffalos, confused by the sudden disappearance of the girl they were chasing, began thrashing around in the water, ramming each other.\r\n    Tommy and Shannon made it back to their car. As they took off, the buffalos again took chase, after finally sorting out their confusion. However, the car was obviously much faster, and Tommy drove as fast as he could back to the city. \r\n    Tommy and Shannon went back to their hotel room and decided that it would be a good idea to not leave the city the next day. Tommy also decided that proposing should also wait until that day. As for the buffalos, they were reported and were tracked down. Tommy and Shannon returned back the the U.S. with full plans on marrying within the next month.

offline

1337Player

1,766 posts

Peasant

Posted October 17, '10 12:41pm UTC

Hello. Here's another theme.

15. Dreams
Sitting in school, with nothing to do. I get up, with no one noticing me.
Except for one friend.
We go to the cafeteria, with people that aren't in our grade. We don't eat.
The vice principal sees us and asks what we're doing here.
We panic.
So we shoot pepper spray in his eyes and run. We say hello to the principal as we run up the stairs.
Suddenly, we were at the park. We told our other friends what happened.
They didn't believe us.
We saw the vice principal come towards us with a furious look on his face.
Right when he was about to say something, I sit up, my heart pumping fast from the adrenalin in the dream.
Whoa.

I think when I post this it will seem short...

offline

waluigi

1,948 posts

Shepherd

Posted October 18, '10 11:36pm UTC

32. Revolution
Yet another short prose

The meeting was starting in the pub, and one man began to speak up: "Comrades of this nation, we are under a rule of tyranny! We are being oppressed by what we can grow, eat, buy and various other things too numerous to mention. And why? Because our government wants everything from what we do, profits, goods, and more.
I tell you now that this has gone on too long! Load up your guns, grab any weapon you can. Now is time to rise up against. NOW IS TIME TO REVOLT!"
And so revolution broke out in our native land. I was put in a regiment that was attacking the mountains in Soviet Russia. It was a hard climb to get where we were, and it was ill timed, as it was the dead of winter. It was night, and we were all huddled around the fire trying to keep ourselves from freezing.
At about 10:00 at night, our captain gave us the orders to start marching. It was pitch black, and I couldn't see a thing around me except the back of the next soldier's uniform. Suddenly, we were given the order to stop.
"quiet" whispered the captain. Looking around, I could now see what appeared to be a base for the Soviet's. Out of no where seemingly, the captain gave the order "ATTACK!". We charged down the hill and open fired on our opposition. But we were suddenly brought to our senses when man after man feel on our side. We began retreating, but I was shot in the leg. The soviets got me.
I wound up going to prison for my help in this revolution. It was supposed to be for life, but I was released early as long as I joined the Soviet army. The revolution that started up ultimately failed, and all leaders were killed. As for me, I now live peacefully in away from any source of conflict, Siberia. Sure, it's hard living in that cold, but it beats having to live as a bit of an outlaw.

I omitted the word the in some spots intentionally. I hope you like.

[b]32. Revolution[/b]\r\nYet another short prose\r\n\r\n   The meeting was starting in the pub, and one man began to speak up: "Comrades of this nation, we are under a rule of tyranny! We are being oppressed by what we can grow, eat, buy and various other things too numerous to mention. And why? Because our government wants everything from what we do, profits, goods, and more. \r\n  I tell you now that this has gone on too long! Load up your guns, grab any weapon you can. Now is time to rise up against. NOW IS  TIME TO REVOLT!"\r\n    And so revolution broke out in our native land. I was put in a regiment that was attacking the mountains in Soviet Russia. It was a hard climb to get where we were, and it was ill timed, as it was the dead of winter. It was night, and we were all huddled around the fire trying to keep ourselves from freezing.\r\n   At about 10:00 at night, our captain gave us the orders to start marching. It was pitch black, and I couldn't see a thing around me except the back of the next soldier's uniform. Suddenly, we were given the order to stop. \r\n  "quiet" whispered the captain. Looking around, I could now see what appeared to be a base for the Soviet's. Out of no where seemingly, the captain gave the order "ATTACK!". We charged down the hill and open  fired on our opposition. But we were suddenly brought to our senses when man after man feel on our side. We began retreating, but I was shot in the leg. The soviets got me. \r\n      I wound up going to prison for my help in this revolution. It was supposed to be for life, but I was released early as long as I joined the Soviet army. The revolution that started up ultimately failed, and all leaders were killed. As for me, I now live peacefully in away from any source of conflict, Siberia. Sure, it's hard living in that cold, but it beats having to live as a bit of an outlaw. \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nI omitted the word the in some spots intentionally. I hope you like.

offline

waluigi

1,948 posts

Shepherd

Posted November 10, '10 12:36am UTC

This is yet another effort to get some people to start posting in this thread again. Here we go

31. Memories- a Haiku

Pictures of the past
things I used to know and love
now slip away from me

Any feedback would be great. I hope we can get more posts going in this again.

offline

crazyrussian97

256 posts

Shepherd

Posted November 14, '10 1:41am UTC

I want to post in this but I think what I have in mind might be too long. The poem is 1 1/2 pages on Word, so I'm not sure it will fit. Can someone please get back to me on this?

offline

Cenere

13,658 posts

Jester

Posted November 14, '10 1:56am UTC

I want to post in this but I think what I have in mind might be too long. The poem is 1 1/2 pages on Word, so I'm not sure it will fit. Can someone please get back to me on this?

You could do what no one else remembers when it come to pretty long stuff, and upload it elsewhere. That way it will be easier to browse through these pages without word overload, and you might get feedback from others.

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