The Five to Fifteen Minutes Thread.

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Linna Heartbooger
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The Five to Fifteen Minutes Thread.

Post by Linna Heartbooger »

...I don't think anyone damanded it, but...
I thought this should exist.

Write for 5 to 15 minutes.

Here's my first... probably was about 8 minutes:
------------------------------
It was that slanting-late-afternoon sunlight time of day when I thought about it.
The sun was coming through our cage bars, casting lines and and lines at angles to those lines - along with more fanciful patterns for some - all across the floor.
I wondered, "What if I'm the only one who knows we are in cages?"

I hung by my beak on the side of my cage and looked over by Carmine. Naturally, she came to the wall of her cage to talk.
"You know we're all in cages, dont you?"
Her cage was quite remarkable - she'd carefully crafted it herself.
The material was beautiful - pink & semi-translucent, bars weaving in elaborate arcs.
But it was still a cage.
"Whaaat?" was all she said.

Darnella overheard us, and promptly called out, "That's ridiculous!"
Her cage was an unusual shape.
In demonstration, she took off running the length of the part that was on the ground, then flying straight up the tall part, then turning and deftly bursting a path straight forward from the top.
Thus, she'd marked out the shape of it: one long rectangular tube on the bottom, one rectangular tower at the end of that, and one more rectangular box at the end.
"Now, do you think I'd be able to do that if I was in a cage?"

This was going to be tough.
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Post by peter »

:clap: :clap: :clap: Nice one linna!
The truth is a Lion and does not need protection. Once free it will look after itself.

....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'

We are the Bloodguard
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Post by Sorus »

peter wrote::clap: :clap: :clap: Nice one linna!
Agreed.

Also good thread idea. Five to fifteen minutes might actually be enough to hammer out the relevant background details for Hinterspace.

Oh, a change is coming, feel these doors now closing
Is there no world for tomorrow, if we wait for today?


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Post by Linna Heartbooger »

Thank you guys for the encouragement!
:banana:
sorus wrote:Five to fifteen minutes might actually be enough to hammer out the relevant background details for Hinterspace.
Ooooh.
"People without hope not only don't write novels, but what is more to the point, they don't read them.
They don't take long looks at anything, because they lack the courage.
The way to despair is to refuse to have any kind of experience, and the novel, of course, is a way to have experience."
-Flannery O'Connor

"In spite of much that militates against quietness there are people who still read books. They are the people who keep me going."
-Elisabeth Elliot, Preface, "A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael"
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Post by peter »

Shortly Linna, I'll have my go. Promise not to laugh! ;)
The truth is a Lion and does not need protection. Once free it will look after itself.

....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'

We are the Bloodguard
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Linna Heartbooger
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Post by Linna Heartbooger »

Unless it is a comedy piece, okay, I promise I won't! :)
"People without hope not only don't write novels, but what is more to the point, they don't read them.
They don't take long looks at anything, because they lack the courage.
The way to despair is to refuse to have any kind of experience, and the novel, of course, is a way to have experience."
-Flannery O'Connor

"In spite of much that militates against quietness there are people who still read books. They are the people who keep me going."
-Elisabeth Elliot, Preface, "A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael"
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Post by peter »

I'll actually write as opposed to type - that way I'll get more in. Typing you'd get about two sentences! ;)

---------------- 0 --------------

'Suprised'


The short answer was that one of us had to die. Me with my stripes and claws and sharp teeth or the man with his hard white hat and gun. The jungle was my ground, but leaves and stripes are small match for flying balls of white-hot lead. Still, the game was on and there was no turning back. A stealthy move in the dark here - a small cracking of disturbed twigs there and the circling dance progressed. Heavy air, rain and the drip, drip, drip of time running away. This was the heart of the matter now for both of us.
If I could just get a little closer, a little more intimate with the the hot sweat odour of the man with his - flat palate?
The flash of lightening exposed us both for the charlatens we were. Exposed and outlined, revealing worlds that neither of us expected. For me bars, barriers - a prison that I had forgotten. For him shades and shapes, fronds and splashes; an image caught in an instant and to be stolen, fixed in time and presented to groups of gawking fools. Rousseau you bastard! Next time, next time.......!

[Conception and execution: 14 minutes.]
The truth is a Lion and does not need protection. Once free it will look after itself.

....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'

We are the Bloodguard
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Post by peter »

(Sorry for the double post Mods)

Bit of background on the above: Rousseau's painting surprised is one of the jungle series for which he is justifiably famed. He claimed to have visited the jungle - in Mexico I believe - but there is no evidence to support this. In all likelihood he took his inspiration from visits to the Paris zoological/botanical gardens of the day.

His picture 'Suprised' shows a jungle scene in which a stalking tiger is exposed by a flash of lightening, crouched ready to spring on - who? So the story refers to the charlatanism of Rousseau who never saw the jungle, the charlatanism of the hunting tiger who in fact is an emasculated prisoner in a cage and the surprise this time is the fake tableau exposed before us, the viewer by that revealing flash of lightening.
The truth is a Lion and does not need protection. Once free it will look after itself.

....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'

We are the Bloodguard
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Post by Sorus »

I like it.

Oh, a change is coming, feel these doors now closing
Is there no world for tomorrow, if we wait for today?


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Post by peter »

Thank you Sorus. In reading the piece you complete it.
The truth is a Lion and does not need protection. Once free it will look after itself.

....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'

We are the Bloodguard
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Post by JIkj fjds j »

peter wrote:I'll actually write as opposed to type - that way I'll get more in. Typing you'd get about two sentences! ;)

---------------- 0 --------------

'Suprised'


The short answer was that one of us had to die. Me with my stripes and claws and sharp teeth or the man with his hard white hat and gun. The jungle was my ground, but leaves and stripes are small match for flying balls of white-hot lead. Still, the game was on and there was no turning back. A stealthy move in the dark here - a small cracking of disturbed twigs there and the circling dance progressed. Heavy air, rain and the drip, drip, drip of time running away. This was the heart of the matter now for both of us.
If I could just get a little closer, a little more intimate with the the hot sweat odour of the man with his - flat palate?
The flash of lightening exposed us both for the charlatens we were. Exposed and outlined, revealing worlds that neither of us expected. For me bars, barriers - a prison that I had forgotten. For him shades and shapes, fronds and splashes; an image caught in an instant and to be stolen, fixed in time and presented to groups of gawking fools. Rousseau you bastard! Next time, next time.......!


[Conception and execution: 14 minutes.]
Hey peter, there you are. Just by those two words alone, conception and execution, I know your style by now to tell that you are, who you are.
Did you know there's another poster going round the board pretending to be you? Pretty weird, eh!
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Post by Sorus »

I, on the other hand, am often improved but never imitated.

And I promise I will contribute something here soon.

Oh, a change is coming, feel these doors now closing
Is there no world for tomorrow, if we wait for today?


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Post by peter »

:lol: Well, I hope he's making a better job of it than I am Viz!
The truth is a Lion and does not need protection. Once free it will look after itself.

....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'

We are the Bloodguard
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Linna Heartbooger
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Post by Linna Heartbooger »

peter wrote:Bit of background on the above: Rousseau's painting surprised is one of the jungle series for which he is justifiably famed. He claimed to have visited the jungle - in Mexico I believe - but there is no evidence to support this. In all likelihood he took his inspiration from visits to the Paris zoological/botanical gardens of the day.

His picture 'Suprised' shows a jungle scene in which a stalking tiger is exposed by a flash of lightening, crouched ready to spring on - who? So the story refers to the charlatanism of Rousseau who never saw the jungle, the charlatanism of the hunting tiger who in fact is an emasculated prisoner in a cage and the surprise this time is the fake tableau exposed before us, the viewer by that revealing flash of lightening.
By the way, the first time I read the vignette, I was like, "that's exciting imagery, but I have no idea what's going on."
So thanks for the explanation.. And how it points out the connection. ("charlatans")
I like it. :)
(Saying that like one month later.. who's gonna believe me?)
"People without hope not only don't write novels, but what is more to the point, they don't read them.
They don't take long looks at anything, because they lack the courage.
The way to despair is to refuse to have any kind of experience, and the novel, of course, is a way to have experience."
-Flannery O'Connor

"In spite of much that militates against quietness there are people who still read books. They are the people who keep me going."
-Elisabeth Elliot, Preface, "A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael"
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Post by peter »

Me Linna - and that's [frankly] all that matters! :lol:

In truth I was impressed by what I was able to spin out of nothing in such a short time and it was thanks to your post that I made the effort. 15 minutes is just long enough to plan and execute a brief story - you timed it perfectly; any less and it's not doable in any controlled way - any more and it's not 'pressured' enough to make it spontaneous. Well done!

p.s. It was fun as well; I'll do another one soon [but I don't want to spoil my pride in the first one].
The truth is a Lion and does not need protection. Once free it will look after itself.

....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'

We are the Bloodguard
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Post by Sorus »

I'm feeling guilty because I said I'd contribute too - and I want to - but haven't been able to get into the right frame of mind. (Not to say I haven't been writing, but I haven't been writing as much as I should, and what I am writing isn't something that would work here.) I will say that I cheat a little and do some of the planning ahead of time - I need to have some idea or I'd never have gotten anything done, especially in the two-minute version. Sometimes it's just taking a sentence and running with it.

Oh, a change is coming, feel these doors now closing
Is there no world for tomorrow, if we wait for today?


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Post by Linna Heartbooger »

peter wrote:Me Linna - and that's [frankly] all that matters! :lol:
Yay. Yup, that is what matters in the present situation!
peter wrote:In truth I was impressed by what I was able to spin out of nothing in such a short time and it was thanks to your post that I made the effort. 15 minutes is just long enough to plan and execute a brief story - you timed it perfectly; any less and it's not doable in any controlled way - any more and it's not 'pressured' enough to make it spontaneous. Well done!
:banana: We can encourage one another by doing something like this, and that's what I think is remarkable right now.

Sorus- I want to say, "Don't sweat it"! We can all encourage each-other by doing stuff here when time and life permit.... but oh, boy, is there a whole lotta life...(!)

Ahh, well.. enough meta-conversation! *grin*
"People without hope not only don't write novels, but what is more to the point, they don't read them.
They don't take long looks at anything, because they lack the courage.
The way to despair is to refuse to have any kind of experience, and the novel, of course, is a way to have experience."
-Flannery O'Connor

"In spite of much that militates against quietness there are people who still read books. They are the people who keep me going."
-Elisabeth Elliot, Preface, "A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael"
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Post by peter »

Your point about frame of mind Sorus, is interesting; it's surprisingly difficult (I found) to perform the exercise - particularly going in cold - because you have so much to achieve, so little time to do it in and precious little to anchor your mind to. It engenders a sort of nervous anticipation that you just have to take hold of and run with. It's quite strange.

(Meta conversation indeed Linna! :lol: - now that would be a challenge: do it in 15 and make it follow the 'rules' of metafiction!)
The truth is a Lion and does not need protection. Once free it will look after itself.

....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'

We are the Bloodguard
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Linna Heartbooger
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Post by Linna Heartbooger »

I cannot sleep tonight. Tomorrow I will be tested on my dance. I am confident. I will be able to place my feet rightly even if I am too tired to remember which name is mine.

You do not know what it means among our people for a girl of barely thirteen to have mastered the steps of our dance. My mother says it is a mind-sorter; that women of quick mind will always succeed at it. My best friend talked before the first year of her life, and she was lithe and quick to begin the dance, imitating the old ladies before her real lessons began. My older sister Sarilah did not talk until three, but by the time she was six, she was exasperating her older brothers as she won arguments. * She has been married these five years now, and has borne three sons already. Not married to a man who is very great, but she is content with what she has. My parents have hoped that I will leap higher.

But, in the secret courtyard of my heart, I know that is not what I will ask for when I go to offer sacrifices in the morning. I begged mother that I may offer the gods greater sacrifices than most women my age, but even she does not know why. When she reminds me that a king see me, and at the least a noble man of great possessions will desire me when I dance, I smile but remain silent. It would be a great help to the family, yes. But most, I will ask the gods to give me a husband who is kind and patient and does not fear a curse.

My younger sister, Astrena has not brought a curse yet. She has lived through eleven runnings of the seasons, and we have not had a curse on our family. Mother continued to birth sons after her, and father has only increased in success and dignity. And yet Astrena still cannot speak her own name, and makes as mess if she is not helped the chamber pot. These past three months, I have noticed mother is tired from waking up with her. Mother is so much older than I, so many children she has nursed. So I have trained my mind to wake up at Astrena's slightest sound instead. It was very difficult the first two nights, but now I wake up to her and to no other sound. Mother thinks that her difficulty in the night has stopped.

So, I will pray, I have prayed for a husband who will be kind, and will allow us to take her into our home... and who will allow Astrena to see the sunshine and the birds. I am not worried that I will fail to please my husband with mistakes in cooking, or in speaking foolishly among the wives of his friends, or in failing to work my hands diligently embroidering fine fabric. But what if the man's soul is not great enough for this?


(Failing to even keep it to 15 minutes: 16.5 minutes. Did nearly all the thinking of what I would be writing beforehand...)

* Looking over it afterwards, I was intending to put something about Sarilah's dance ability there.
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Post by peter »

Linna - that was an inspired piece of work. It's not stand alone......It can't be because I want to know more!

As you've broken the 'fifteen' rule already - there's no harm in giving us a further peek into this girl's world. Write the story that's inside you........! :)
The truth is a Lion and does not need protection. Once free it will look after itself.

....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'

We are the Bloodguard
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