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SCOTT (SCOOP) BUTKI

A cynical idealist; To Read Me Is to Know Me (Mostly)

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Member Since: 2/2007Last Seen: 11/28/2009

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

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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.

8 Votes
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Groups: Fiction Writers, Pumpkin Americans, Scott's Writing Assignments, Story Tellers., The Weirdos!, Writer's Corner, Writers, Writing and grammar advice
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This visualization below allows you to see the impact that each user has on the current conversation. The top row contains the group of users who have had the most impact, the 2nd row the group of users who have had the 2nd most impact (et cetera). Users with similar impact are grouped together, and the average score of the group is shown to the left of the group. The author of the article is also shown on the left, in their corresponding group. Each user's score is based on the number of comments the user has made plus the number of votes their comments have received. The scores are calculated relative one another, so while their absolute value is not particularly important, their relative difference does indicate a larger difference in impact on the conversation.

12

{"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

#1 - Fri Oct 31, 2008 9:51 AM EDT

{"commentId":3803127,"authorDomain":"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

{"commentId":3803125,"authorDomain":"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

#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"}

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"}

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"}

(clicks)

{"commentId":3819560,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"stevehouse"}

1 vote

#2.8 - Sat Nov 1, 2008 12:19 PM EDT

{"commentId":3805962,"authorDomain":"melonhead"}

Is this sort of a reverse MaddLib?

{"commentId":3805962,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"melonhead"}

2 votes

#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

{"commentId":3809463,"authorDomain":"melonhead"}

words - spaghetti, duality, spongy

name - Ludwig van Beethoven

quote - "Fly United."

- howzat?

{"commentId":3809463,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"melonhead"}

2 votes

#4 - Fri Oct 31, 2008 5:05 PM EDT

{"commentId":3811901,"authorDomain":"clariflutist73"}

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

#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"}

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

{"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

#6 - Fri Oct 31, 2008 10:40 PM EDT

{"commentId":3813452,"authorDomain":"rwal54"}

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

#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

{"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"}

#8 - Sat Nov 1, 2008 1:36 PM EDT

{"commentId":3826857,"authorDomain":"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"}

#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

{"commentId":3834496,"authorDomain":"sbutki"}

Scott (Scoop) Butki

Great nominations so far

{"commentId":3834496,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"sbutki"}

#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"}

#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"}

#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

#13 - Wed Nov 5, 2008 8:05 PM EST

{"commentId":3930170,"authorDomain":"melonhead"}

{"commentId":3930170,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"melonhead"}

1 vote

#14 - Thu Nov 6, 2008 12:02 AM EST

{"commentId":3933369,"authorDomain":"melonhead"}

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"}

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"}

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"}

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"}

will do!

{"commentId":4103771,"threadId":"405047","contentId":"2059226","authorDomain":"melonhead"}

1 vote

#14.7 - Mon Nov 17, 2008 11:05 PM EST

{"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"}

#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"}

#16 - Mon Nov 17, 2008 3:02 PM EST

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"405047","isPrivate":false}

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