Saturday, November 10, 2007

NEW WRITER'S COMMUNITY VENUE OPENS TODAY ON COOKIE SIM

"Cookie" sim is a haven for the written and performing arts in SL, thanks to the patronage of Thinkerer studios. Today a new venue opens on Cookie called the Writer's Community, managed by the INKsters, the largest and most active writing group in SL.

The venue is intended to foster a sense of cameraderie and shared knowledge amongst all SL writers from the struggling hobbyist to the published professional novelist. The most active writers will be awarded individual work/display space and prims on the centerpiece of the build, a huge treehouse called The Perches at Writer's Community Aerie. All writers will enjoy the Beach/Dance Club, Rose Garden, and other provided community areas and activities. Special events will be hosted by the venue from time to time.

For more information, please contact the Writer's Community proprietors, Nebbisk Oh or ItsNaughtKnotty Cannned.

Thursday, November 8, 2007

November Topics

WELCOME TO THE INKsters SUPERLATIVE NOVEMBER

As always, I apologize for the length of this notecard, but I'm wordy and you do need to read it to be successful in our contests.

The contest rules and submission requirements are on the bottom of the notecard. Please read them to prevent driving me crazy.

MOST IMPORTANT THING OF ALL: Please hit SEARCH on the bottom of your screen, select the "Groups" tab, and join the INKsters. This is how we communicate and we're positively indulgent with telling you about literary events we like.

And now we prepare to write! This month some of us are participating in the NaNoWriMo project and some of us are doing other writing projects. The game this month will be wide open on your choice of topic, BUT you must have written it THAT VERY DAY. No digging around in the cardboard box underneath your stairway for your high school haiku notebook. This month you can turn in anything that fits the daily topic as long as it is NO LONGER than 500 words AND you wrote it on the day it's due. Make Second Life your nightly stop to cut and paste before going to bed.

Here are your daily topics:

November 1, 2007: The most absorbing thing I wrote today is:
November 2, 2007: The most beguiling thing I wrote today is:
November 3, 2007: The most charming thing I wrote today is:
November 4, 2007: The most disturbed thing I wrote today is:
November 5, 2007: The most enchanting thing I wrote today is:
November 6, 2007: The most fascinating thing I wrote today is:
November 7, 2007: The most glorious thing I wrote today is:
November 8, 2007: The most humorous thing I wrote today is:
November 9, 2007: The most impassioned thing I wrote today is:
November 10, 2007: The most impressive thing I wrote today is:
November 11, 2007: The most interesting thing I wrote today is:
November 12, 2007: The most irrational thing I wrote today is:
November 13, 2007: The most lovely thing I wrote today is:
November 14, 2007: The most moving thing I wrote today is:
November 15, 2007: The most nervous thing I wrote today is:
November 16, 2007: The most outstanding thing I wrote today is:
November 17, 2007: The most pathetic thing I wrote today is:
November 18, 2007: The most perfect thing I wrote today is:
November 19, 2007: The most poignant thing I wrote today is:
November 20, 2007: The most relaxing thing I wrote today is:
November 21, 2007: The most seductive thing I wrote today is:
November 22, 2007: The most sentimental thing I wrote today is:
November 23, 2007: The most spontaneous thing I wrote today is:
November 24, 2007: The most terrific thing I wrote today is:
November 25, 2007: The most thrilling thing I wrote today is:
November 26, 2007: The most transcendent thing I wrote today is:
November 27, 2007: The most unrivaled thing I wrote today is:
November 28, 2007: The most winsome thing I wrote today is:
November 29, 2007: The most witching thing I wrote today is:
November 30, 2007: The most witty thing I wrote today is:

HOW TO ENTER:
1. From your Inventory, select the Create menu and then begin a New Note. Write your entry onto the notecard (or Control-V to paste it onto the card from your word processor). Your entry should have your name at the bottom. Rename the description on the notecard to be the same as the competition name and date. Save your notecard in your inventory and you MUST rename the notecard with your name first, then the title of the competition, then the due date.

2. Next, from your saved notecard in your inventory you MUST right-click on the notecard select Properties. Make sure the toggle boxes at the bottom are checked to allow future owners to modify, copy, AND give/transfer. I must have full permissions from you to place the notecard in our anthologies.

3. Teleport to the INKsters Headquarters and drag and drop your finished notecard into our mailbox. Then send me an IM to let me know you've completed your entry. If you have any technical difficulties, please let me know and I will help you.

AND NOW FOR THE RULES:

1. You have until 11:59 p.m. Second Life time on each day to write one entry in English related to the topic. I reserve the right in my sole discretion to grant a wee bit of wiggle room when necessary for late entries (but don't count on it bub!).

2. Your entry must be no more than 500 words. If it's a little over, I won't disqualify you; if it's a lot over, I will.

3. An illustration, photo or texture usable in Second Life to accompany the story is strongly encouraged, but not required. Please drop your illustration onto your notecard (make sure the properties are set to full permissions).

PRIZES:

I award L$25 to the best entry as judged by me (ItsNaughtKnotty Cannned) after consultation with my secret inner circle or smart people who live in real life. If I decide none of the entries are a winner, I reserve the right not to award a prize on a given day. I also reserve the right to award more than one prize if I have ants in my pants.

I am occasionally asked, "What are you looking for?" Short answer: Quality writing. I don't care if it's poetry, prose, fiction, essays, journalism, or alleged non-fiction. If your writing is the best today, you'll win. Please take the topics as starting points only. They're designed to expand your mind and suggest a possible direction for you today, rather than being a specific task for you to complete. Please think divergently and create something beautiful, funny, poignant, interesting or informative. Also, please note the vagaries of competition: Sometimes your most beautiful work ever is overlooked by the judges, and sometimes a total piece of poop wins, and those of us who've been writers for a long time are so used to this we don't even notice it anymore. We hope you understand completing and submitting your writing makes you a champion, and the judging and competition portion of our group is a motivational tactic to help you AND us AND me get off our collective keisters and create something beautiful from nothingness.

PROCEDURAL MUMBO JUMBO:

I publish the writing prompts monthly. William Shakespeare in the INKsters Headquarters will always know what's what. Touch him, like he's touched you.

There is no fee to compete. All times are Second Life time. By entering, you grant me the permanent right to use your story in our Second Life anthologies and on our blog related to Second Life on the internet. http://slinksters.blogspot.com/

You retain all other rights. I encourage you to submit your writing to other people and places in the real world and in Second Life.

Sunday, November 4, 2007

Happy Birthday Knotty!

It's Knotty's birthday today! Yay! Everyone wish her a very happy birthday. And ask her how old she is. :D