charityb98

Ron, 1st thank you for your review! I'm touched beyond words, literally, I've written-deleted-rewritten-then deleted again a thank you suitable for your kind words. It was honestly inspired by X-men

I guess I can simply say I enjoyed your 'gifts' as much as you did my story! I especially love the mystery, the seemingly humanitarian effort...then an ending that leaves many questions! Love it! I think my favorite part was the beginning, I could definitely see this drowsy person rocking on the water with their hand slipping into the water, bolting awake...very nicely written!

Dragon, I LOVED your piece! I was so into the story I didn't know you were referring to hornets & yellow jackets, until the end, and even then I had to go back and reread it! Loved it!

I'm passing the torch tomorrow by noon, just fyi

anotherronism

Thanks Charity. You're kind. The piece was originally called "The Heart of Man" and ran way over 600 words. It's funny you keyed in on the boat ride cause that's what got cut the most. It's actually what 'inspired' the whole story - a lazy boat ride - but to where?

I had a whole bunch of back story on that boat... But it's flash and it all had to go...

And yes - it WAS a humanitarian effort. But notice he prayed for himself first - and he brought "trinkets". He was looking for his own redemption first and their second and he was willing to "buy" it.

So whose crying now?

At least - that's the basic idea...

anotherronism

Oh yeah - there's a built-in hope, albeit small, that that rain will wash off those pathogens. But if not - revenge will be served as so often has happened in history against the "savages".

charityb98

Ron, i heart deep, and that was one deep little story...very nice...*stares off into space thinking of the story & its implications & applications...*

mebu27

Ron - Funny is always good! Life is short to not find the humor in all situations...

midnightpoet

"My Hair; a history"

I’m naturally a brunette.

Up until I was ten, my hair never really changed.

Now I’ve changed it so many times, I could never cram all the details into this history, it would fill sheets of paper.

Then I cut it. A “bob”, it was called. I looked like a boy.

I hoped for redemption. I grew it out -- long, straight, and still brunette. My mom called it hippie hair.

I dyed it for the first time when I was fourteen, on a stormy night before practice. Bright red, according to the box, but we didn’t use enough color, and it came out overly subtle.

Just a warning – hair dye on skin leaves a stain.

I dyed it after that four times a year, a different color, keeping it long and straight. Nothing would extinguish my love for changing hair colors, not even the threat of going grey early.

I kept my long hippie hair until I got a brush stuck in it, and had to cut it short – back to the boy bob. But my feminine features had come out, and I didn’t look like a boy.

I wore it short for a long time after. Always cutting it into a new style and shape, and always changing the color. I got highlights and low lights, and multi-colored bangs. I was exuberant with each change.

Then I stopped dying, started growing it again.

And I dyed it again. The water running through as I rinsed it out was blood red. My hair is very conspicuously orange.

midnightpoet

I don't know why this list inspired me in this way, but that is another true story. It was 500 words on the first draft, written on a friend's computer. I couldn't email it to myself, her browser was being stupid...

So I tried recreating it, shorter.

Got 309 on the second try, and I'll tell ya, it was hard to cut.

I generally don't have this problem. I usually end up under the word count and have to beef it up.

But my hair has really changed that much...I know it's a little sad...

midnightpoet

Ron, I want to say thank you so much for creating ThinkWrite. I wrote pretty much constantly when I was a teenager, mostly poetry (which is where 'midnightpoet' came from), but somewhere along the line, I lost my drive to write, I thought I'd lost it completely. And then this came along. Now I have a folder on my computer called "ThinkWrite" with 18 stories in it that I would have never written if it weren't for you. Thank you, thank you, thank you Ron!

anotherronism

Well that was a heartfelt thank you. You're welcome.

First: This is NOT a criticism - but I'm not a fan of "My Hair". I go again to why there are no "winners" here. I'm a boy (or a man by age) and I just don't understand women. The piece is well-written but doesn't engage me. I actually find it funny but I think maybe it's supposed to be sad (searching for one's self and all that...)

But on 2nd thought... Even as a typical American male I suppose I've gone through a number of "looks" myself.

Hold everything. I'm gonna re-read your piece.

Dragon

I second what midnightpoet said. I used to write constantly when I was in school. I always had something on the go but once I got out into the real world I never seemed to have the time or the inclination, I geuss I no longer had to look like I was doing homework (when I was really dodging it ).
I have so enjoyed ThinkWrite. I too have a file called Think Write Submissions where I keep all my stories including the word list and word count that inspired them. I look forward to every new list and agonize over how to use every word. And I love reading everyone elses work. I find myself constantly inspired by the others on this thread.

I'm also anxiously awaiting the next passing of the torch. Any word yet charity?

anotherronism

Is there a subtext here? Not just searching for one's self but changing one's self... And always "just" missing?

Again - I'm a boy. Is it actually possible to get a brush stuck - literally stuck like chewing gum?

I'm impressed with the writing here. But if it's all metaphor then I think I'm too obtuse to recognize it. Other than the obvious. I think I made a post about JD Salinger not long ago. He made me really, really mad with a piece called "A Fine Day For Bananna Fish" which we studied in college. I'd read the pice and thought it was a pleasant snapshot of a family day on the beach and some pleasant silliness between an uncle and neice. Later I found out it was all metaphor for child-abuse and the rape of a little girl.

Oh - but I'm rambling...

And it just occurred to me that I wrote a piece some time back called "Learning to Pee" which might completely confound a girl.

And, satrangely - this piece has inspired me to comment more than any other.

So I'm back-pedaling. If it's actually made me think then viola - it did it's job.

So I come full circle and now say I actually 'love' the piece.

And I too am glad there is ThinkWrite. I don't care that I started it. I'm just glad it's here.

And you do write so well...

Glad you're at it again... And there are many, many other sites dedicated to Flash Fiction (which is what ThinkWrite it but without the required wordlist). I don't contribute at those sites but there are many links at the bottom of the article on Flash at wikipedia.

Keep writing.

I have this nascent idea. It would be meaningless now as there isn't enough material...

But does anyone realize there is a book in all of this? If it lives and thrives for a year? And if people come back to it in the fall (which is my hope)?

This all could be edited and published as something? I don't know what but we're all making some good stuff here.

I'm proud of us all...

But I really do ramble on and on...

And oh yes - much of this was supposed to be labeled "Second"...

:-)

Dragon

Ron, let just say (from personal experience) yes it is possible to get a brush impossibly, tear jerkingly stuck in your hair. My experience was with one of those round brushes with the bristles all the way around. It's a horrifying feeling and I will never use one of those brushes again because of it.

I would love to see a book out of this but I don't know how the copyright would work with all of us being fairly anonomous. Though I suppose anything posted on an open site like this might become property of Think Draw or be property of the public. I'm not sure. It's a neat idea though.

midnightpoet

Dragon, it was one of those round brushes. What I didn't get to include in my story due to the word count is that I was dressing up in my prom dress and doing my hair on prom night...getting ready to play DnD

I appreciate all your comments, Ron, and I really don't like the piece myself, but it's what was inspired. And it is a story about finding myself, which is what I've been doing for years through my hair. Nothing deeper than that.

And, yes, I've thought there is a book in this, thought about it quite a lot, and would love to see it done if at all possible.

charityb98

GUYS I'M SO SORRY!! I meant to get the torch passed by noon Tues, it's now 10:30 (almost)!! I sincerely apologize! I'll explain when I can, it's been a crazy day...I'll just pass the torch and explain later...

My pick is Dragon for Air Raid! Have fun, can't wait to see the next list

charityb98

I also wanted to quickly say, I also really enjoy ThinkWrite, I enjoy reading EVERYONE's stories, how interestingly all our creative juices flow

You all are incredible writers, and you can tell in your stories you love what you're doing. Thank you for letting me be a part of it! I again apologize for the delay! Forgive me!

anotherronism

Congrats Dragon... "Air Raid" was a fun one. If this pick were mine I'd've gone the same way. My favorite pieces are always the ones that amuse me most

Looking forward to a new lsit.

midnightpoet

Congrats Dragon. "Air Raid" was great, I actually just read it, had missed it before.

Where's the new word list?

anotherronism

And everyone still writing... This is a plea...

We have GOT to keep this going...

I've just copied and pasted every post from every iteration of TD into a single Word document.

This is a challenge to Dragon on the new word list and everyone else still contributing.

We've all written some 'serious' pieces in the past months. But we have to keep them light and inviting as well...

So please make your goal each week to not write just one, but at least two pieces. And keep one of them light and fun (Like "Air Raid"). We can't scare off newbies to this thread with too much seriousness...

And if anyone is in contact with previous contributors then ask them to return... (Luna and LaDonna come to mind)...

I love this thread. I think you guys do to. But we need voices for it to thrive. The first and second iterations had 150 posts. We're at a third of that now with only five or six contributors...

Spread the word...

And criticize. I personally believe criticism is what TD is about but it's gotten kind of nice-nice all over lately. I don't mean "be mean" - I mean actual constructive critical looks at the pieces.

I've tried to do this throughout TW. If I don't like a piece I say so and I try to say why and only hope I don't offend.

They say writing is really about editing. We all are forced to edit ourselves in this medium. But work just once with a "real" editor and you'll find out what criticism really is. It's a collaborative effort to make something better. Nothing more...

But I ramble...

Keep the torch burning folks.

I LOVE this forum.

Ron...

midnightpoet

The reason I don't criticize ( or comment at all really ) is because I don't feel it's my place. I don't feel I have anything constructive to say. But I read everything, and I really do love it all even if I don't like it.

And people NEED to participate here! Don't let this die!

anotherronism

But there are no critics otherwise... We are forced to teach each other. I believe, strongly, that it's our duty. Writers and artists of any ilk must, they must, have thick skins. And writers especially need to understand that they are not actually writing for themselves (unless it's a journal or a diary) but for other people. Heck - all art is exhibitionism in some way or another.

What better audience than other writers?

When I said your piece didn't ring my bell I wasn't being harsh. I was just trying to relate that it might not work for a male audience. That shouldn't diminish the piece in any way.

I also told Mebu that the piece was funny to me but it might not have been intended as such. But it could be seen that way.

And Dragon's Air Raid was also a bit predictable but held enough ambiguity right to the end to keep me reading.

I crave this type or input. I do.

But we're not really giving it to each other. We're either praising pieces or ignoring them. I'm guilty too of this.

I'm just saying - I don't want TW to become a just nice-nice place where we're patting each other on the back and not striving to break out...

But it's a balancing act.

I know we're all (the regular contributors) capable of more. I want more. But I also don't want to scare away anyone.

So I guess what I'm saying is that I don't actually know what I'm saying. I just "see" this as such a cool idea. And so much really cool stuff has already come from it.

I want it nurtured but also growing.

And that's all cause I'm sounding needy or preachy...

G'nite all... Keep going. Dragon: I look forward to the next list...