Qsilv

ladyhwin - both of these are really doggone good!

I admit to itching to get you using 'ostensible' and 'culminate' more correctly.. but hey, just as I was gritting my teeth over 'so ostensible' in the robin story, you turned around and used it perfectly for the fake storage area in the next!

You're getting it... nodnod

More important, as several others have pointed out here, your story lines capture our interest, hold our attention, and regularly elicit a grin.

Each ending was a gem.
Inner bits that especially got me (in a good way!):

..."usual bird thoughts – worms, synchronized flights and such"
..."garland of raw bloody meat"

mouse

Giraffe- took you "muse" suggestion. Did some more editing. This is actually a shortened account of one of the biographies I did for my family history book.

133 words

A Call To Arms revised


A Call To Arms.

Lindsey and his sons were farmers living in Missouri when in 1865 the American Civil War broke out, with all its malice.

They were not apathetic about the rebellion but had deep concerns for their families. They enlisted but they worried who would plant & harvest the crops, the war muse? The women had enough to do with taking care of the home. Ostensibly the responsibility would fall to the younger boys.

Their regiment meet at the Kiosk near the courthouse. Here they learned to synchronize their formations and drills. This would culminate in confusion for they were farmers not soldiers. At times Lindsey felt if they didn’t get moving he would strangle someone.
.
At wars end, black garlands would hang from farm house doors to mourn those who did not return.

giraffe

Mouse. It completes the word list, but it's kind of unnecessary. A friend of mine looked at a few of our stories and commented that he could tell exactly which words were required, because they're the ones that stand out like a sore thumb. I think the lists inspire us and then the stories can be edited to run smoother. Your story is good either way.

ladyhwin, You can take your diaper off now. You're really getting this. I enjoy reading your stuff.

giraffe

Excuse the diaper comment and also the arrogance. I'm just trying to be funny.

Qsilv

I like your friend's point, giraffe... ideally the list words should not feel awkward or strained or artificially introduced... just slip in so naturally that no substitution would feel quite as right.

ladyhwin

Thanks you guys, I'm feeling really good about all my stories.

And every one of you does such an awesome job!

giraffe

Quicksilver, I see your point. It's a good exercise and sometimes a good story comes out of it. I like the lists because they always make me think of another way of warping an idea. I always like the results. This is a great forum for creative writing discipline. I want to get to where I can do that on my own.

mouse

giraffe-- I too agree with your friend-- a few of the words ( Kiosk for example) didn't really seem to fit in with the time period .

giraffe

Mouse. How about: Their regiment meets with Colonel Kioski near the courthouse. It's a stretch. Final write for your own use could be: Their regiment meets at the bell tower near the courthouse. I don't think there are kiosks in outer space either, so I stayed very urban and current. It's been a fun challenging list.

midnightpoet

Okay guys, I'm going to pass the torch later today, so now would be the time to post any last minute stories.

mouse

Giraffe - I had actually thought of using Kiosk as a name but didn't think it fit as word list was intended- but I guess i could have stretched it a bit for the sake of the story line. But will leave it stand as is for now--

By the way, my area got pounded by that snow storm in Pa .Didn't have power for a good bit of the day yesterday.

mouse

I really like this site--it is a real challenge for me to come up with a story but with everyone's encouragement I am doing it- Thanks to all of you.

marius

lady, I also loved the robin's thoughts: "Oh look! I wonder if that twig will fit in my nest!" From this bird-watcher's perspective, that's exactly how birds "think." Much enjoyed that story and the one following too.

giraffe, that is amazing how you went from reading "The Lovely Bones" to your story idea. Love it!

Everyone ... thanks for much fun reading of ideas, stories and whatnots! ; )

giraffe

Surprised we haven't heard from a few regulars - login, matthew, maddy etc. Maybe later. I haven't done any ThinkDrawings for a long time. I'm so blown away with you guys' abilities, I just do that for the fun of messing around. I suppose some of the drawings could be used as sketches for potential, marketable work. I'm just comfortable here doing the same thing with words.

midnightpoet

Thanks everyone for participating in this ThinkWrite. I think I can officially be voted worst torch bearer ever...I'm sorry...it was just such a crazy week...but I'm here to pass the torch. First, a quick over view of all the submissions this time (a great idea by Q)

Giraffe's “Judy, Judy, Judy”
“We're behind schedule and still have to synchronize the scene with the Munchkins!!"

Nylecoj's Untitled
“Cold, pain, lack of breath inundated her mind till panic took its hold.”

Giraffe's “Take One”
“Awwwwww…Just shoot the bitch! It will be easier….”

Dragon's “Minimum Wage”
“Ah but these are the joys of working retail at Christmas time.”

Robin's Untitled
“Turds dot my driveway like an extravagant garland.”

Giraffe's “Judy Ch. 2”
“Take 3 blue ones through the day and one red one at night.”

Marius's “Adjustments”
“I sought the inward muse, then spoke. So softly.”

Marius's “The Four Bears”
“Thus began what would culminate in the most astonishing newspaper headline ever read by man or woman.”

Doug's “Mental Exercise”
“A single thought transfused into a piercing beam of light igniting and then exploding into insanity or creativity…”

Ladyhwin's “Hwin”
“Kit smiled as she put a garland of daisies around Hwin’s neck. To lose this would be to lose her heart.”

Marius's “Adjustments” re-write
“He said he wants to strangle all the apathetic people. He said that sometimes I'm one of them.”

Giraffe's “Loving J.D. Salinger”
“I think our thoughts were synchronized when we caught each other's glance.”

Nylecoj's “Un-Break My Heart”
“He smiled, and then he died.”

Doug's “The Punishers”
“We continue to think extravagant thoughts centered on our own true nature trying desperately to lock out the physicality of those thoughts.”

Ladyhwin's “Dislike”
“Her family was against her it seemed.”

Giraffe's “Love for Sale”
"Here's a message from Louise. Die slowly.”

Doug's “Jeb”
“Brilliant hues of color brushed his vision like brushstrokes on a freshly painted canvas.”

Doug's “Dear Santa”
“-the naughty list is an apathetic exercise in futility.”

Marius's “Where Angels Work”
“"He hurt people! On purpose! Isn’t that evil?”

Giraffe's “(A Tree)”
“and my dirty shoes plodding on to some strange muse.”

Doug's Untitled
“Her triangular tongue vibrates as she enjoys her tasty treat with little vestiges of garland mincing with the meat.”

Ladyhwin's Letters
“I so wish I could show more apathy in these situations.”
“Father has told me many times that choosing a wife is to be my affair, but Mother is set on the fancy women Doraith has to offer.”

Mouse's “A Call to Arms”
“At wars end, many a black garland would hang from farm house doors to mourn those who did not return.”

Giraffe's “Tag, You're It”
“Brother, please forgive me. Let's stop this game of Tag.”

Ladyhwin's “The Robin”
“Robins are so apathetic when it comes to many of the things we take so seriously.”

Ladyhwin's Untitled
“Years of broken promises had taught her well.”

Sorry if I missed any. I skipped a few rewrites... I'll be back to pass the torch once I'm done being overwhelmed by all of your awesomeness!

midnightpoet

okay, guys...I am really, really impressed with all of you! I know there were a lot of complaints on this list, but we ended up with 26 submissions for 8 different writers, according to my count...and, despite mis-usage of words, each one was absolutely wonderful! Thank you all, I have a happy now!

Doug - the torch is now yours - your Mental Exercise really spoke to me.

ladyhwin

congratuations, Doug!!!!!

giraffe

Midnight, You did great considering your disabilities - or I should say your time constraints during the last 2 weeks. lol

Doug, Lay it on.

Nylecoj

Congratz Doug!

marius

Congrats Doug! (I'm already scared of the new word list! tee hee)