rules?

5 words.

how many entries before we can add five more?

j.

Well personally, I am doing one a day,

I really cannot resist.....I MUST do more than one a day!!!!!

I would like to point out that, so far, two out of the 16 posts to the story thread exceed five words (#8 & #16).

Given the single stipulation of five-word entries, this is somewhat disheartening.

Yeah its like playing tennis without a net.

Yay, Thanks guys for writing THE HAUNTED SODA. I'm amazed at the vocabulary . . . its a far cry from the kind of stuff we were posting in uni. Every other word was f*** this and f*** that and the spelling was ghastly. For some reason-- the storyline would veer towards beer, zombies and Baywatch. But it was a lot of fun.

We did a semester of it in e-mail. Like a train. After each post, we would forward it to a designated person . . . but it was way . . . too slow. Some people wanted to post several times a day (especially the English and Drama majors :-). And they couldn't wait their turn. So a forum like this . . . is the best way.

I'll put the posts together . . . into a coherent whole every few days or depending on the output.

localpeanut, please post the assembled "coherent whole" in a different thread from the piecemeal additions; don't interrupt the flow.

BTW, it was 3 out of the first 16 that went over the allowance. (#8, #11 and @16.

I propose a penalty: anyone over allowance must wait two days (or five postings) to post again.

BTRIPP, yeah sometimes people did exceed five words . . . our informal rule (back then) was . . . you could write two 5-word posts in a row, but you could only do this once a week.

We had a professor who participated and his sentence structure was so complicated, we couldn't figure out how to continue the story. So we cut him some slack because he could have killed the line.

I remember that particular story was 5 months old and it was crazy. Something about a Nephilim (angel) who somehow morphed into a rabbi who wandered into Mexico (via Tiajuana) looking for the lost Incas.

Yes, artisan, I did plan to put the "coherent" piece into another thread.

Some people didn't even read it; they liked the idea of just tacking on whatever came into their heads.

But for those who are interested (like the Pulitzer Prize people-- heh), I'll make it available.

The version of this I used to play online ('oneword') had a script running on the submission page to bar anyone from submitting twice in succession, or slipping in an extra word. (It did allow hyphenated words, though.)

*embarrassing moment* I just asked my husband, as I know he used to play it too, if he remembered by any chance whether it took hyphens.

........................long silence....................

he then pointed out that he wrote the script in question. *Oops*.

We hope mulligans are allowed. Anyway we've taken a couple. It's agony to think of a better word after you've clicked submit.

And does inserting a paragraph break count as a word? Or may we not insert them at all? So far we've got one long paragraph.

#11

Fogies,

In the "Coherent" thread, they are being inserted by our Supreme Editor.

(Bugrit!) It's harder than it looks to keep to five words: I just had to lop off a sixth!

And somebody has deleted their posts.

>14 bookishbunny: several posts arrived at once and got out of sequence, requiring surgery.

(Later) But it does seem that somone ought to ask to have #62 restored.

Folks,

I've been approached (thru e-mail) by some posters about changing the format . . . from 5 words to one sentence per poster.

This will have the effect of making our narrative . . . perhaps more comprehensible.

What do you think? Agree? Disagree? Shall we take a vote?

Five words is a little short but complete sentences might take away from the interesting unexpectedness of the narrative. How about ten words?

I rather like the five-word incomprehensibility of it myself ... but will accept the collective decision.

Why not start a new story with the one sentence limit and see how they compare. Seems a shame to switch horses midstream.

I will accept the decision of the majority, however I think a sentence would be too much, perhaps ten words (like hailelib says) would be just right!

I say keep it at 5. The results so far are breath-takingly funny.

Keep it at five.

I vote to stay with five.

five I like the feeling of frustration

I say 5. Incomplete is

surprisingly satisfying. Five it is.

Another story would be great. :)

Five seems fine to me.

Another one for keepin' 5!

Five is the magic number!

I often find 5 frustrating, but changing the rules mid-stream just doesn't seem right.

Let's stick with five for the remainder of this game. A new game can have new rules.

OK, we'll keep Haunted Soda at 5 words per post. I'll start Chapter 2 at Post 400 or wherever there's a clear gap in the story (LOL - which might be a challenge in itself.)

When I start a 2nd chapter, I will post "Chapter 1 - FINIS"
on the tail end of Chapter 1. And start a new thread: Chapter 2 - The Haunted Soda

And I think we'll start a 2nd story in this GROUP which uses one whole sentence per post. As a literary experiment. THere's nothing to stop you from using your creativity there too.

It could end up in more disarray or it could be boring or it could be more lucid. Who knows?

Let's pick a title. We'll vote on the first 8 Suggestions.

We'll start voting once we hit the 8. (If you see 8 suggested titles in the thread ahead of you, don't post anymore.) One suggested title per person. So make it good.

We'll count the votes on Sunday noon!

For the 2nd Story I offer:

The Sugar-Coated Death Sentence

>33 localpeanut: a 2nd story in this GROUP which uses one whole sentence per post

A sentence can go on for a long time, you know. Like Twenty thousand years in Sing Sing.

(added later) Hoo-ha! First touchstone in this thread!

Title suggestion:

Morning in the Country; or Yesterday I Bought the Farm

Title suggestion:

The Thing in the Library

Fogies #35: A sentence can go on for a long time, you know. Like Twenty thousand years in Sing Sing.

Haha! Yes it could. Such is life!

Did I forget to mention. That the poster who names the new narrative . . . gets to write the opening line!

Title suggestion #4:

The Elephant in Four-Inch Heels

Title #5 - Brought to Book

Title #6 -- Jagged Lines in the Parallel Universe

We're starting to wonder if the choosing of titles isn't becoming a game in itself.

Two more just for the fun of it:
Orestes Furioso is Mad as Hell!
The Squandered Pittance

(later) Oops! shouldn't have numbered those. There are still six official entries, of which ours is The Thing in the Library. Sorry--just not paying attention.

#33 -- I think one of the problems presented by writing whole sentences is that we'll lose some of the funniest and clever parts of the The Haunted Soda that appear when one 5-part phrase leaves a dangling word just hanging there demanding completion or, at least, another dangling phrase. Periods can be so finite.

Great titles, all around.

Voting twice:

The Thing in the Library ('cause I love you, LibraryThing!)

The Squandered Pittance

The Sugar-Coated Death Sentence

:) Apologies. I can't count. Or, rather, I couldn't resist. Any of these will make me happy.

I vote for The Thing in the Library -- an homage to Tim and Abby and their partners in crime.

The Thing in the Library for me too (even though ALL the others are AWESOME!!)

Disagree. The 5 word limit is beautiful and keeps us staggering forward, not allowing any one person to really dominate.

Another reason, two words (one is hyphenated, so okay, 3 words): RUN-ON SENTENCES!

VOTE: The Thing In The Library!

another vote for "The Thing in the Library" (and for keeping the five-word limit, if that's still being debated)

Wait a minute! There are only 6 suggested titles so far, and voting takes place on Sunday noon, and supposed to be after there are eight titles suggested. Fogies messed things up and prevented anyone suggesting titles #7 and #8. The titles in message #42 are not legal. Fogies had their ONE shot with "The Thing in the Library". They realized that, if late. Re-read message #42, which was edited.

Someone else: Suggestions #7 and #8, please.

suggestion #7

Thingu

(You know, like Ringu.)

. . . I thought there were 10 titles to choose from . . . anyway my vote is for

THE THING IN THE LIBRARY

>52 localpeanut: localpeanut Is that your official announcement? If so the Fogies are ready to go, but first, should we start a new group for the new story, or do you want to edit the name of this group?

That was just my vote . . . although the noon deadline is past . . . even in Pacific time . . . which is where I am.

And you have most of the votes!

I don't know if we should start the story within the Haunted Soda Group . . . that way, the regulars here can keep a better eye on it . . . or start a new Group altogether.

THis is your editorial baby, Fogies! Go forth and multiply.

P.S. I can make the coherent thread for you . . . if you like.

But I don't think it will need a CLiff Notes sort of thread as the assumption is this story will be more lucid than Haunted Soda. Hehe

>54 localpeanut:, OK, y'all asked fer it. Let 'er rip.

We're defining sentence as words terminated by one of a small number of punctuation marks, right?

>56 MMcM: No, syntactic coherence acceptable to a professional editor is required as well. By that we don't mean the elementary-school lockstep of subject-verb-object --professionals have more flexibility than that--but if you're going to lapse into Finnegans Wake you should have a good justification for doing so.

And the rejoinder "Here they are ........,,,,;;;;;;?????? salt and pepper it as you please," has already been used and is no longer available.

(Added later) If the query in #56 refers to the convoluted diction in #1 in the story thread, we would appreciate all LT-ers scrutinizing that carefully and letting us know if you find a flaw in the syntax. We read it as exactly one and only one sentence by parsing, not by punctuation.

Yup, #1 is a legal sentence all right. It's also a good example of why I'm glad we stuck to the 5 word rule for Haunted Soda, because a sentence of that length would have totally derailed the story.

(Of course, perhaps having 1 character eat another in Haunted Soda may have made us jump the shark, heee heeee, but we'll see where this wonderful outta control ride takes us!)

Part 3 has, within a half a dozen posts, degraded into some twisted exhibitionist stage for users trying to compete to see who can write the longest, most convoluted, "sentence" with really very little regard to building a story.

How special.

If half the people are aiming for true literary coherence and the other half are playing cadavre exquis, then only half will have any fun. It doesn't matter what the rules are.

>59 BTRIPP: the longest, most convoluted, "sentence"

We don't appreciate the ironic quotes. We know a sentence in English when we see one. (And in half a dozen other languages as well, if that matters.)

Long, convoluted, mmmm, baby! So far we've had two trophy-quality specimens and one sockdologizing ring-tailed lalapalooza. Yippee! Ride 'em, wordboy!

(added later) Oh, and by the way, The Thing in the Library isn't part 3 of The Haunted Soda--it's an entirely new work, launched here at localpeanut's suggestion. You are free to join us, as is every other LT-er.

Here's a bit of irony: in previous edited versions of #57 we said "subject-object-verb". That isn't the standard order in English, though it is in some other languages. But it remained for us, proof-reading our published posts, to notice that. Of syntax unobservant some commenters are.

"The Thing in the Library isn't part 3 of The Haunted Soda--it's an entirely new work"

Ah, but it, confusingly, shows up as part of "The Haunted Soda", which I guess is just an artifact of the structure of Community-Board listing in Talk.

>63 BTRIPP:confusingly, shows up as part of "The Haunted Soda"

We had two choices, each with its own drawback (see #53-54) and chose the one that seemed to accord best with the preferences expressed in the discussion beginning at #16. But localpeanut, as founder of this group, has the power to edit its name should she choose to do so.

Though the current posters to 'The Thing in the Library' have upped the challenge, I personally am enjoying it enormously. Frankly, it's a better start than I imagined our tale could have. (Now, let me only be worthy in my own contributions... :) )

The Thing In The Library seems to have turned to be an altogether different kettle of fish.

I think it may require some sort of Synopsis after all . . . for people like me . . . with more of a room-temperature IQ.

It would be a bit of a challenge posting there. I'll just have to wait for the proper moment to insert a dirty limerick . .

A synopsis/explanatory thread to keep us straight on the action...

Then there could be the analytic thread to get at the deep and hidden meanings. Pretend we're back in Prose 201.

yes I think we need a parallel thread "The Thing In The Library- A Gloss. In which each person sumarises his sentence preferably in five words.

Fogies your sentence is first.

We hear and obey. New topic: The Thing in Cliff's Notes.

The synopsis is a good idea, because frankly, I gave up on this three lines into the first sentence. I totally glossed and just went back to The Haunted Soda.

Ditto to #70!

Count me as another boycotter.

Me, too! I'm so glad there are others. "Longer" does not equal "cleverer", guys!

No, but it sure is fun for those of us who actually love long sentences (and long words) and who therefore saw the "one-sentence only" rule as the oscillation of a fragment of incarnadine textile to a male quadruped of the bovine persuasion (i.e. a clear challenge). If you prefer your prose telegraphic, then you can always stick with The Haunted Soda (or start another story with a different rule)...

The Haunted Soda has produced some pretty tortured syntax, and so far at least The Thing in the Library has at least had some semblance of a plot to provide clues as to direction.

I personally don't like the long convoluted sentences in The Thing in the Library (probably, I hate to admit it, because I'm no good at it) but I won't denigrate the enjoyment others find with it. I much more prefer the 5-word phrases in The Haunted Soda because, more than anything, it's screamingly funny.

I like both (even though I must humbly admit I am no good at The Thing in the Library), and quite enjoy contributing my five words to the Haunted Soda!

To clarify, I'm not "boycotting" or "against" it, it's just not to me as interesting as haunted soda.

It sounds like the people involved are all having fun, that's what it's all about. It just gave me a headache to start so I didn't really follow it.

To each their own!

BTW, I lke keeping the forum named The Haunted Soda, no matter how many of these projects we do!

For want of a better word: WOW

I knew by about the 10th post, that I wouldn't be able to scribble anything of substance in The Thing In the Library. (That's what I get for reading too much Tom Clancy and Stephen King.)

I tried writing a post (a la M.R. James and E.F. Benson), but by the time I was happy with it (albeit with a throbbing headache), 2 sentences had been inserted!

I don't have the mind for such verbal gymnastics but I do enjoy reading it. I'm sure that as I follow THE THING IN THE LIBRARY, I'll be able to complete more of my crossword puzzles.

#79 I'm sure that as I follow THE THING IN THE LIBRARY, I'll be able to complete more of my crossword puzzles.

Heee heee, see, this is a lot more fun than "It Pays To Enrich Your Word Power."

I was frankly too LAZY to delve any deeper, probably my loss, LOL!

#80,

Me, too. I blame it on my ADD (totally self-diagnosed, of course). The funny thing is, I love Henry James.

This isn't really about rules but...
I just had the experience of adding a phrase, finding that my post had been preempted by another addition, but my addition fit none-the-less. Fun.

I would also like to urge people to add more descriptive language. When everyone wants to move the plot things just bounce around too much for my taste. Just my two cents.

Congrats to everyone for keeping this going.

localpeanut: you suddenly changed from first to third person in posting #104 of Chapter 2. Would be nice if you fixed.

The post is corrected, Artisan! Thanks for catching that.

Halt! There's a problem with the flow of The Haunted Soda. I ended my phrase with the pronoun "I" but the next post starts a new sentence.

Oops...apparently we both posted at exactly 9:42 a.m. I deleted my post and reading to the next one, posted at 9:47 it seems ok now.

What's The Vote On How Many Posts Each Chapter Will Have? Because 3 To 4 Bills Is Starting To Give Me Carpal. I VOTE, 1 Hundred Posts Per Chap, All Those In Drag Say...

This Way, There're More Chapters To Read, Easier To Reference From & Posters Won't Have To Dive Beyond Crush Depth Before They Can Heroically Post 5 Words.

"KNEW IT WAS 1 WAY TICKET"