March 2008 Topics

INKsters Daily Writing Competition for March 2008

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. We're positively indulgent with telling you about noteworthy cultural and literary items all around Second Life.

Please take these topics as starting points. 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. If the topic doesn't work for "you," create a character or situation to make it work.

March 1: Run Doggie Run
The Iditarod dog sled race across Alaska begins today. What is your dog (or your cat, or your bird, or your significant other) good for?

March 2: Horton Hears a Who
Theodor Seuss Geisel was born today. Write about your Second Life in Dr. Seuss style.

March 3: A Good Day
In 1938, oil was discovered in Saudi Arabia. What would you do if you discovered you're a billionaire?

March 4: Vroom
In 1887, Gottlieb Daimler unveiled the first automobile in Germany. Write about the role a piece of technology plays in your life. Consider the automobile, the airplane, computers, cell phones, or coffee pots. OR, write about a piece of technology you would like to have that is still awaiting an inventor, such as time travel, teleporting (in real life), or programmable significant others.

March 5: Don't Get Saucy With Me!
March is “National Sauce Month.” Seriously, it is. I looked it up. What is your favorite type of sauce?

March 6: Michelangelo
Google your favorite image of Mike's work and become one with his genius. Describe a day hanging out with him as he worked on that piece, or perhaps describe a day with him hanging out with YOU in Second Life.

March 7: iPod
Two years ago on this day Apple received its patent for its iPod. Write about somebody you know (ehem) who serves no value to humanity as he or she spends all hours of the day plugged into an MP3 player, or somebody who is making music go to new places, or more broadly, how Apple has changed your life.

March 8: IWD
Today is International Women's Day designed to bring focus to women's issues. In Second Life, you can freely switch genders and zoological heritage too. Would you want this power in real life?

March 9: Napoleon and Josephine
Napoléon Bonaparte married Joséphine de Beauharnais on this day in 1796 continuing one of the great literary romances. Remember a time when you (or one of your favorite characters) fell madly in love. Write a letter filled with passion to the object of desire (and maybe send it to him or her?!).

March 10: Poof!
I remember this day in 2000 like it was yesterday. The NASDAQ hit its all-time high at 5132 points. Then the dot-com bubble burst and half my money went away. Moving away from a purely financial theme, how do you know when you're so high it's time to get out? How do you know when you're so low it's time to get in?

March 11: Johnny Appleseed
Johnny Appleseed is an American legendary figure who went around planting apple trees. Having grown up next to an apple orchard, I blame him for my unwillingness to eat one more apple ever in my life. What do you like to grow?

March 12: Coke Me Up
In 1894, Coca-Cola was sold for the first time in bottles. Coke, McDonald's and Starbucks seem to be the great culinary delights proffered by Americans to the rest of the world. When you're traveling, do you find solace in finding something from your own country you recognize, or does the globalization of all of our economies distress you?

March 13: Uranus
My monthly obsession with astronauts continues today by noting William Herschel discovered Uranus on this day in 1781. How has Uranus improved your life? Or, how does life in this solar system compare to life in other solar systems you've visited?

March 14: Albert Lives
Albert Einstein was born on March 14, 1879. He said, "Before God we are all equally wise, and equally foolish." What makes you wise? What makes you foolish?

March 15: Stab Me
It's 44 B.C. You're Julius Caesar. You don't know about the term "Ides of March" yet. In fact, you'll never know. You're about to be stabbed to death by a pack of Senators. What should you have done to make more friends and fewer enemies in your life?

March 16: Grasshoppers
Party in Finland! It's St. Urho's day! He is the patron saint of the grasshopper and he drove them away from the legendary Finnish grape crops into Hell. What more of a writing prompt do you need? I've given you Finland; I've given you grasshoppers; I've given you saints and Hell. Go write!

March 17: Green Beer
Party Everywhere! Put on the green for St. Patrick the patron saint of throwing up. Tell us your favorite beer consumption story.

March 18: Caligula
In 37, the Roman Senate proclaimed Caligula as Roman Emperor. Ever make a really bad decision yourself? Do tell.

March 19: In The Closet
This is “National Clean You Closet Week.” I started to make fun of it, but it turns out to be a charitable idea where you donate stuff you're not using to people who could use it. Seems like a great idea. What are you hiding in your closet?

March 20: Finally
I loathe the wintertime, and it's finally the first day of spring. I'm SO happy. Some of you live in the southern hemisphere and you're celebrating the first day of autumn. What important items are on your "to-do" list now that the equinox has arrived?

March 21: UNESCO Poetry Day
World Poetry Day is today as declared by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 1999. The purpose of the day is to promote the reading, writing, publishing and teaching of poetry throughout the world and, as the UNESCO session declaring the day says, to "give fresh recognition and impetus to national, regional and international poetry movements" (especially in Second Life).

March 22: Goof Off
Luckily, after your busy poetry day yesterday, it's finally “National Goof Off Day.” Most Second Lifers are pretty well prepared for this holiday. What things besides Second Life do you do to goof off?

March 23: Easter
Whatcha doin?

March 24: Abracadabra
Magician Harry Houdini was born on this day. What feat of magic would you like to perform?

March 25: Naughty Boy
In 1811 one of my favorite poets, Percy Bysshe Shelley, found himself on the streets after being expelled from Oxford for his publication of a pamphlet entitled "The Necessity of Atheism." Write a pamphlet yourself today espousing your most controversial idea.

March 26: The Best One
Ludwig van Beethoven died on this day in 1827. I think he's the undisputed champion of all musicians. I think William Shakespeare is the undisputed champion of writers. What are you the undisputed champion of? Or, what would you want to be the undisputed champion of? Or, who is your favorite undisputed champion?

March 27: Leaping Over
It's skyscraper day ... or so I'm told. Superman can leap over them. They sway when you're on the top floor observation deck. You can own your own in Second Life. There's a forum on the internet to discuss them. Tell us a tall tale set in a skyscraper.

March 28: The Scourge
The Norsemen sure didn't want to be hanging around the house this time of year in 845. So they headed south and sacked Paris. The viking raiders collected their ransom and probably thought they loved Paris in the springtime. Be a Viking and tell the story of you sacking a city, or be a Parisian and describe the boys knocking over your umbrella tables and wine glasses.

March 29: Wrestlemania
Some days I struggle for topics, okay? Sorry! But here's the good news: In 1987, Wrestlemania III set a world indoor attendance record at the Pontiac Silverdome with 93,173 screaming wrestling fans. For the literary connoisseur in you, write about the wrestling costume you like to wear. For the poet in you, celebrate your favorite wrestler with an ode. For the party animal in you, write about attending a large gathering where you screamed a lot. Surely you can do something with this, right?

March 30: Golfer's Best Club
Phew! Here's a literary milestone. On this day in 1858, the patent for a pencil with an attached eraser was issued saving millions of us from the appearance of imperfection and saving many golfers a few strokes. Write your entry today about pencils (in pencil for extra credit).

March 31: Your Favorite New Religion
Queen Isabella of Castile was a busy girl in 1492. Among other things (such as helping to re-discover the American continents), she ordered her 150,000 Jewish subjects to convert to Christianity or face expulsion. Most of them hit the road of course, but if you were required to pick a new religion, which one would it be and why?

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 Mailbox:

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.

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. Brevity is the soul of wit, so please stop when you're done!

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. If I decide none of the entries are a winner, I reserve the right to award no 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. Also, please note the vagaries of competition: Sometimes your most beautiful work ever is overlooked in the judging process, 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.

Good Luck! ItsNaughtKnotty Cannned