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SCOTT (SCOOP) BUTKI

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A cynical idealist; To Read Me Is to Know Me (Mostly)
Articles Posted: 1257  Links Seeded: 8237
Member Since: 2/2007  Last Seen: 3/18/2010

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{"contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Random Words Exercise - Oct. 31: You Pick the Words, We Write The Stories

News Type: Opinion — Fri Oct 31, 2008 9:50 AM EDT
odd-news, sbutki-fiction
Scott (Scoop) Butki
advertisement

I am going to revive this Random Words exercise today - and another one (celebrity challenge) on Monday - since there seems to be more interest lately in these writing challenges. This delights me to no end especially when we have some new to these exercises - like Ladybug and Blaise and Sedekka - who impress me greatly.

This is in addition to the Writing Down the Bones weekly exercise (current theme is television) and the monthly perspective exercise (current ones are writing from the point of view of a pumpkin and writing from the point of view of a ghost. I just offered a combined exercise, i.e. write from the point of view of a pumpkin ghost. I have mine in my head and will write it later today.

Here is an example of how this random words exercise worked on a prior month here.

{"contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"sbutki"}
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Published to:

  • Scott (Scoop) Butki's Column
  • Groups: Fiction Writers, Pumpkin Americans, Scott's Writing Assignments, Story Tellers., The Weirdos!, Writer's Corner, Writers, Writing and grammar advice
  • Regions: none
  • Public Discussion (39)
{"commentId":3800633,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
Scott (Scoop) Butki

What I need from some volunteers is for you to list a few names of real people and some random words and some random quotes.

Then I'll grab some of my favorites of those and give those participating until Nov. 15 to write a story of at least 500 words that use all of the words and quotes I assign.

You then tag it as random-words and link to it below.

Any questions?

{"commentId":3800633,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"sbutki"}
  • 2 votes
Reply#1 - Fri Oct 31, 2008 9:51 AM EDT
{"commentId":3803127,"authorDomain":"sedekka"}
Sedekka

Just one question Scoop. Do we have to use real names? Oh and I don't know how to tag. Unless you're talking about Rugby League?

{"commentId":3803127,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"sedekka"}
  • 2 votes
#1.1 - Fri Oct 31, 2008 11:49 AM EDT
Reply
{"commentId":3803125,"authorDomain":"stevehouse"}
SteveHouse

Looks like for the next month I could be pretty inactive on your fiction assignments.

Reason. Shoot for the moon, no?

{"commentId":3803125,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"stevehouse"}
  • 1 vote
Reply#2 - Fri Oct 31, 2008 11:49 AM EDT
{"commentId":3803627,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
Scott (Scoop) Butki

That's a valid excuse. And you DID set this up.

{"commentId":3803627,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"sbutki"}
  • 2 votes
#2.1 - Fri Oct 31, 2008 12:13 PM EDT
{"commentId":3803853,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
Scott (Scoop) Butki

The trouble with multi-tasking is that editing feature ends after 90 seconds.

Anyway you set up this group and I thank you.

{"commentId":3803853,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"sbutki"}
  • 3 votes
#2.2 - Fri Oct 31, 2008 12:25 PM EDT
{"commentId":3809736,"authorDomain":"stevehouse"}
SteveHouse

Someone needed to do it, and you obviously weren't going to! :P

{"commentId":3809736,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"stevehouse"}
  • 2 votes
#2.3 - Fri Oct 31, 2008 5:20 PM EDT
{"commentId":3813247,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
Scott (Scoop) Butki

I used sbutki-fiction as a tag and the fiction writers group but didn't make that clear and wasn't around at 12 am when you posted? Better someone young with energy than an old man like me:)

{"commentId":3813247,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"sbutki"}
  • 2 votes
#2.4 - Fri Oct 31, 2008 10:39 PM EDT
{"commentId":3814947,"authorDomain":"stevehouse"}
SteveHouse

Well, now just push the thing in your writing excercises, and it should work (right?).

Oh, and just because I had energy at 12a doesn't mean I have energy. Until eleven or so in the morning I'm only a step or two above Zombie.

{"commentId":3814947,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"stevehouse"}
  • 2 votes
#2.5 - Sat Nov 1, 2008 1:34 AM EDT
{"commentId":3816943,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
Scott (Scoop) Butki

I just walked, zombie-like, into a mcdonalds for wi and breakfast before heading to work a 9 am to 10 pm shift wondering a) whether daylight savings was last nite or tonite b) if I would wake up soon until I heard someone allude to a blue truck rolling down a hill and THAT woke me up. My truck likes to roll, baby, roll so I had to chase it down and drive it back.

Now i'm wide awake.

{"commentId":3816943,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"sbutki"}
  • 2 votes
#2.6 - Sat Nov 1, 2008 8:33 AM EDT
{"commentId":3817014,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
Scott (Scoop) Butki

oh steve, can you read this? I'm proud of how i managed to sneak into a pumpkin version of "we're here, we're queer" and allusions to the liberal media and the "jewish controlled media" into a piece on pumpkins.
Put that in your planned novel and smoke it:0

{"commentId":3817014,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"sbutki"}
  • 2 votes
#2.7 - Sat Nov 1, 2008 8:42 AM EDT
{"commentId":3819560,"authorDomain":"stevehouse"}
SteveHouse

(clicks)

{"commentId":3819560,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"stevehouse"}
  • 1 vote
#2.8 - Sat Nov 1, 2008 12:19 PM EDT
Reply
{"commentId":3805962,"authorDomain":"melonhead"}
urbane gorilla

Is this sort of a reverse MaddLib?

{"commentId":3805962,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"melonhead"}
  • 2 votes
Reply#3 - Fri Oct 31, 2008 2:12 PM EDT
{"commentId":3806841,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
Scott (Scoop) Butki

I had never thought of it that way but sort of.

btw that reminds me of when I showed up at vinemeet Ohio unable to speak (hoarse) and Myk commented that it was interesting to watch me speak because I spoke with passion but he could only make out every third word so it was sort of like a newsvine mad lib game.

{"commentId":3806841,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"sbutki"}
  • 1 vote
#3.1 - Fri Oct 31, 2008 2:56 PM EDT
Reply
{"commentId":3809463,"authorDomain":"melonhead"}
urbane gorilla

words - spaghetti, duality, spongy

name - Ludwig van Beethoven

quote - "Fly United."

- howzat?

{"commentId":3809463,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"melonhead"}
  • 2 votes
Reply#4 - Fri Oct 31, 2008 5:05 PM EDT
{"commentId":3811901,"authorDomain":"clariflutist73"}
DolceSpiritus

Words: turophile    bovicide   hirsute     (look them up, the definitions are GREAT!)

Quotes: "Ice cream is not sexy!  It's not wiggly and jiggly like Jello-O."

               "No guns.  No butter.  Both can kill."

People: Orville Redenbacher   Richard Millhouse Nixon    Donald Fountleroy Duck

{"commentId":3811901,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"clariflutist73"}
  • 2 votes
Reply#5 - Fri Oct 31, 2008 8:18 PM EDT
{"commentId":3813263,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
Scott (Scoop) Butki

well, there's a quote I hear often!:)

{"commentId":3813263,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"sbutki"}
  • 1 vote
#5.1 - Fri Oct 31, 2008 10:41 PM EDT
{"commentId":3924143,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
Scott (Scoop) Butki

dolce, I'm going to avoid obscure words just because i don't want to deter any users.

{"commentId":3924143,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"sbutki"}
    #5.2 - Wed Nov 5, 2008 7:50 PM EST
    {"commentId":3925717,"authorDomain":"clariflutist73"}
    DolceSpiritus

    That's cool Scott!  I don't blame ya there on that one.

    {"commentId":3925717,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"clariflutist73"}
      #5.3 - Wed Nov 5, 2008 9:00 PM EST
      {"commentId":3937258,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
      Scott (Scoop) Butki

      Thanks for being cool about that.

      I've had a few times when people hesitated to participate due to the word choice.

      That said if you sneak a few of those words into your submission I'll consider giving you extra credit.

      {"commentId":3937258,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"sbutki"}
        #5.4 - Thu Nov 6, 2008 11:51 AM EST
        Reply
        {"commentId":3813255,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
        Scott (Scoop) Butki

        Good ones so far:
        I want to add two words that have been on my mind: superstition and bracelets

        {"commentId":3813255,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"sbutki"}
        • 1 vote
        Reply#6 - Fri Oct 31, 2008 10:40 PM EDT
        {"commentId":3813452,"authorDomain":"rwal54"}
        RDW-375737

        Words: Pugilist (that one is for you Scoop...LOL), Transvestite and Malaria

        Quote: "come up to the lab and see what's on the slab"

                    "I shall return"

        {"commentId":3813452,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"rwal54"}
        • 1 vote
        Reply#7 - Fri Oct 31, 2008 10:58 PM EDT
        {"commentId":3813499,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
        Scott (Scoop) Butki

        Words: Pugilist (that one is for you Scoop...LOL),

        ha. Glad to see no hard feelings (or tough punches) on that topic and glad you didn't say "transvestite" was for me

        {"commentId":3813499,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"sbutki"}
        • 1 vote
        #7.1 - Fri Oct 31, 2008 11:03 PM EDT
        Reply
        {"commentId":3820804,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
        Scott (Scoop) Butki

        I'll keep taking words until Sunday nite and then announce Monday the final words. At that point I will also kick off a new celebrity challenge writing contest. A past example of that was here.

        {"commentId":3820804,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"sbutki"}
          Reply#8 - Sat Nov 1, 2008 1:36 PM EDT
          {"commentId":3826857,"authorDomain":"ladybug331"}
          Ladybug331

          exclamation, acceleration, alliteration

          "I believe in equality for everyone, except reporters and photographers."

          "He that falls in love with himself will have no rivals."

          Nicholas Cage
          Heidi Klum
          George Foreman

          {"commentId":3826857,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"ladybug331"}
            Reply#9 - Sat Nov 1, 2008 8:52 PM EDT
            {"commentId":3924212,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
            Scott (Scoop) Butki

            Save the celebrity names for the next contest but let's use some more current ones.

            {"commentId":3924212,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"sbutki"}
              #9.1 - Wed Nov 5, 2008 7:53 PM EST
              Reply
              {"commentId":3834496,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
              Scott (Scoop) Butki

              Great nominations so far

              {"commentId":3834496,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"sbutki"}
                Reply#10 - Sun Nov 2, 2008 12:06 PM EST
                {"commentId":3899183,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
                Scott (Scoop) Butki

                Sorry i've been mia - i explain why here - but I will choose these tomorrow

                {"commentId":3899183,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"sbutki"}
                  Reply#11 - Wed Nov 5, 2008 8:56 AM EST
                  {"commentId":3924451,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
                  Scott (Scoop) Butki

                  OK here are my selections:
                  You must use these words
                  Pugilist, Transvestite
                  alliteration
                  spaghetti

                  these names
                  Ludwig van Beethoven
                  Richard Millhouse Nixon
                  Orville Redenbacher

                  and these quotations
                  "Ice cream is not sexy! It's not wiggly and jiggly like Jello-O."
                  "I believe in equality for everyone, except reporters and photographers."

                  {"commentId":3924451,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"sbutki"}
                    Reply#12 - Wed Nov 5, 2008 8:02 PM EST
                    {"commentId":3924533,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
                    Scott (Scoop) Butki

                    P>

                    Any questions? Tagging is not as important as linking to and from this.

                    And I'm thinking we should not publish it to the front page.

                    {"commentId":3924533,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"sbutki"}
                    • 1 vote
                    Reply#13 - Wed Nov 5, 2008 8:05 PM EST
                    {"commentId":3930170,"authorDomain":"melonhead"}
                    urbane gorilla

                    Done!

                    {"commentId":3930170,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"melonhead"}
                    • 1 vote
                    Reply#14 - Thu Nov 6, 2008 12:02 AM EST
                    {"commentId":3933369,"authorDomain":"melonhead"}
                    urbane gorilla

                    ps - i attached a poll.

                    {"commentId":3933369,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"melonhead"}
                    • 1 vote
                    #14.1 - Thu Nov 6, 2008 8:00 AM EST
                    {"commentId":3937019,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
                    Scott (Scoop) Butki

                    Dang you realize you had a full month not just 24 hours, right?

                    I'm still getting used to the idea I listened to you via the internet tubes last nite (here)

                    Well, since you have so much energy you can swing by here and help choose the next Writing Down the Bones topic.

                    The celebrity challenge topic will be going up this afternoon before I go to work.

                    {"commentId":3937019,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"sbutki"}
                      #14.2 - Thu Nov 6, 2008 11:42 AM EST
                      {"commentId":3941407,"authorDomain":"melonhead"}
                      urbane gorilla

                      ohhh, I think it was more fun to just put it out there - much a la WDTB.

                      {"commentId":3941407,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"melonhead"}
                        #14.3 - Thu Nov 6, 2008 2:30 PM EST
                        {"commentId":3965882,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
                        Scott (Scoop) Butki

                        ah cool

                        {"commentId":3965882,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"sbutki"}
                          #14.4 - Fri Nov 7, 2008 2:07 PM EST
                          {"commentId":4101603,"authorDomain":"melonhead"}
                          urbane gorilla

                          Did nobody else take this up?  I was looking forward to seeing what others would do.

                          {"commentId":4101603,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"melonhead"}
                            #14.5 - Mon Nov 17, 2008 7:42 PM EST
                            {"commentId":4101816,"authorDomain":"rwal54"}
                            RDW-375737

                            Hey urbane...check my story out

                            {"commentId":4101816,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"rwal54"}
                            • 1 vote
                            #14.6 - Mon Nov 17, 2008 7:59 PM EST
                            {"commentId":4103771,"authorDomain":"melonhead"}
                            urbane gorilla

                            will do!

                            {"commentId":4103771,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"melonhead"}
                            • 1 vote
                            #14.7 - Mon Nov 17, 2008 11:05 PM EST
                            Reply
                            {"commentId":3988976,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
                            Scott (Scoop) Butki

                            I am offline through tuesday so if someone can assist those who write stories for this and other exercises but need help linking that would be excellent. thanks

                            {"commentId":3988976,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"sbutki"}
                              Reply#15 - Sun Nov 9, 2008 10:49 AM EST
                              {"commentId":4097984,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}
                              Scott (Scoop) Butki

                              OK the next celebrity challenge exercise is now up.

                              {"commentId":4097984,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"sbutki"}
                                Reply#16 - Mon Nov 17, 2008 3:02 PM EST
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