Green Room - Week 36 - 1

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

We lost two more last night http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/371800.html and our down to our TOP THREE!

and the new topics went up - http://community.livejournal.com/therealljidol/372154.html

Bonus idea - less "topic" (unless you want to go that route) and more "I wasn't into this show when I planned out the season, but now I am" in Top Chef Masters, during the final three, they have a challenge for people to come up with dishes that represent three different periods of their development: Their first food memory, where they are as a chef at the moment, and where they want to go.

So *your challenge* for this bonus idea:

What was your first experience with writing? Where do you think you are with your writing right now? Where do you want to go with it?

And/or apply that idea to your time in Idol. Where were you when you signed up? Now? Where do you want to be 9 months from now in your development?

Comments

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

Oh, don't to this to me. I fell in love with that Top Chef Masters challenge!

Today I am sallying forth to purchase a Furminator (http://www.furminator.com/). The Kidz aren't crazy about the idea, but y'know, they're going to have to submit to their human mom's wishes ;)

[teaberryblue.livejournal.com]

I used to have a comb like that! It didn't have a silly name, though! But my doggie loved it.

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

Ember doesn't mind being brushed, but Jack does -- I think a groomer must have yanked hard on his skin during his puppyhood or something because if you so much as accidentally tug on him, he'll give you Slight Snarly Lip :shudder:

We brushed out both of them yesterday. You should see the backyard -- hairballs everywhere! And the sad thing is that neither of them are fully brushed out!

[teaberryblue.livejournal.com]

My very first memory of writing was when I was about three or so? I couldn't actually write words, but I drew pictures and narrated them to my mother. It was a story about two identical houses next door to each other. One of them was inhabited by a person, and the other one was inhabited by a giant anthropomorphic pencil. The pencil and the person had a vicious feud going on between them.

It was called, "The Pencil and the Person."

I am excited because I actually made a few hundred dollars on my comics this year. That was awesome. I have respected people within my industry telling me my work is good!

That is also awesome.

My next step is to maybe write a longer book or to do something else to challenge myself.

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

Congrats; that is pretty awesome!

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

Aw, that's great, Tea!

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

Yay for making money on your comics this year!!!

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

This afternoon I jokingly told someone I was going to write them sonnets, even though I didn't even know what a sonnet was. So they explained to me how to write one, and now I feel like I should take on the challenge to write sonnets for all four topics in the home game. This is possibly a very bad idea. I'm sure I'll change my mind by the morning.

[teaberryblue.livejournal.com]

I think that would be awesome!

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

Noooooooo, more people egging me on! It was meant to be a joke. LOL.

I may give it a go for one of the prompts at least.

[mstrobel.livejournal.com]

You should totally do it! *eggs* ;)

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

:PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

Does it matter that I can't write poetry for shit and all I've got as a guide are the few very basic lessons I was given by the person I was joking about it with?

[mstrobel.livejournal.com]

Nope. Do it ;)

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

You talked me into writing my smutty home game entry. Why do I get the feeling you're a bad influence on me? :P

[mstrobel.livejournal.com]

*is picture of wide-eyed innocence*

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

:P

[beautyofgrey.livejournal.com]

I love sonnets! Please go for it!

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

At least with the home game I don't have to worry about how much they suck? ;)

[gratefuladdict.livejournal.com]

You should write another song and sing it for us!! <3

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

I'll save that for next season; I don't think I have enough time to do it this weekend! Though now I have my new iMac, I do intend to finish my "Part of Your World" karaoke singing track that I was in the middle of doing when my old iMac first died back at the start of June, so you'll be able to compare our voices properly when I post that to my LJ and see if you agree with me that you're the better singer ;)

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

DO IT! DO IT!

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

Let's just hope I have some time to write at least one today then, huh? I have to bake cookies too!

[cobycaroline.livejournal.com]

I can't remember my first experience, per se, but I do have one experience that sticks out in my mind. In 5th grade, we were asked to write a story about exploring Antarctica/frozen tundras/whatever whatever. I think everyone in my class wrote about cute penguins and polar bears and seals. I, however, wrote about explorers dying on glaciers because of the extreme cold and tragic weather conditions.

My teacher commented on the piece that she didn't like the way it ended. I thought, though, that it was fairly realistic! I mean, I will cop to it being a bit morbid (even for a 10 year old), but I had some grasp that HOLY CRAP THIS IS COLD AND FREEZING AND DESOLATE is not too forgiving.

Anyway.

I dunno about my writing now or ever. I think it's fun - I enjoy small snippets of life. I keep thinking I want to tinker with a YA series or a supernatural series, but I block myself with thinking, "Surely, this has already been done and who wants to read another series about ABC?"

Although I do have one goal - this upcoming NaNoWriMo, I want to team up with my mom and dad and write down all the family stories. My husband and I will likely start working on a family next year, and I want to make sure we have all the good stories stockpiled to tell them.

[cobycaroline.livejournal.com]

Re: The frozen tundra death scene

I will say, in my defense, that I always thought ~outside the box~ as a kid (see the Tooth Fairy story). I remember doing a project on clouds, and I was the only one who made her cloud LOOK like something. Everyone else made their clouds looks like little cloud blobs whereas mine looked like a person. Why? Because clouds look like things!

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

Heh, I remember writing a small poem when I was in, I think, 2nd or 3rd grade about why bears hibernate -- something about the snow being too deep and therefore making them fall asleep, or something like that. Come spring, through, they wake up and angry and wanting to eat people. Anyway, the teacher was not only gobsmacked that I knew the word "hibernation", but also that I had supposedly the utter nerve to put in the eating people part. Like little kids aren't supposed to know stuff like that. Um, I was a nature documentary addict even at that age, hello?

[mstrobel.livejournal.com]

Hm, not sure what my actual first experience was. I just always remember writing short stories in place of a diary kind of - like being five years old and writing about someone's first day at school. When I was six, I had a wonderful teacher who had us do what he called "process writing" which was basically just creative writing and that was my favourite hour of the week :)

I think my earliest really memorable experience was in his class, when I was six, and it was reading hour and I had nothing to read because I'd read all the books in the classroom and our class didn't have library until the next day. So I just got out my process writing book and pencil and wrote myself a story so I'd have something to read once I was done! And I've pretty much never stopped ;)

My goal is definitely to try and finish - and publish - a book of my own one day. I think nine months of being forced to write at least once a week has definitely helped me along that path, to figure out my style and voice a lot more, as well as to tidy things up! Nine months ago I hadn't written properly in ages. Idol is very, very good for me.

[sra33.livejournal.com]

I was up at the crack of 8 to clean out my car. Which is a feat for me because somehow I wasn't able to sleep until after 4:30... -.-

Am I to respond to the bonus challenge questions here? >.>

My First Experience Writing - Well, would be school of course. But I think my first creative writing experience was actually at an 8th grade summer camp at Duke University. I was baaad. I knew what I wanted to convey, but I could never do it. It's like drawing for the first time and needing physical help (draw an apple, vs an apple you create in your mind). At least that's how it was for me. Only by writing A LOT, was I able to be slightly satisfied in my work.

Where I Am Now - Well, I'm honestly more a poet and fiction short story person than anything else. Of those things, though, I think I do rather well, actually. :)

Where I Want To Go - I want to be able to write non-fiction about my life as if it's fiction. Get a little more... lyrical with in instead of "I went to the store... then I went home... it was fun..." -.-

Oh oh. There's more?!
Where I Stared With LJI - I was nervous, didn't know what to expect. I did a more meta style (if I'm using the word correctly), where I sit on the sidelines and make commentary on human nature in general.

And see "Where I Want To Go" for the answer to the last question, because they're both the same. :) Do better with non-fiction. Apply that to my fiction writing abilities, I think I'd do well. :)

OKAY DONE! :D
~Sammy-Joe

Re: Yay for working in the Top Chef reference ;)

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

You know I'm excited at the idea of you doing Raw Comedy! :D

Re: Yay for working in the Top Chef reference ;)

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

So IS Masterchef a version of Top Chef? (or the other way around??)

Because now the US show Masterchef (with Gordon Ramsey, because that's apparently the only chef FOX has heard about) has started and I didn't know if it was just a network version.

[cacophonesque.livejournal.com]

I can't remember my first experience with writing. I know that I was writing before I started school, and I used to write stories with my brother a lot. I liked writing stories in grade school. And when I added my 6th grade teacher as a friend on Facebook, she told me about how much she'd enjoyed my stories and how creative I was.

I spent most of my years between 14 and 24 writing poetry. And then I transitioned to primarily journal writing.

In Idol, I got a chance to get back to storytelling--except this time they were stories pulled from my life experiences, instead of ones I made up. Sometimes I can do mini-essay and I started to play with poetry again.

I'd like to work more on writing poetry, essays, and maybe even a play or two ala Charles Mee. I'd also like to put together some sort of memoir, which I think I got a good start on through Idol. Also, maybe I will try submitting something to something... I've never submitted writing for anything and a few people have been telling me to do so.

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

I think you would have a really cool memoir. I'd definitely encourage that idea.

[gratefuladdict.livejournal.com]

My dad had a thing for limericks, so I remember crafting my own at age 5 or 6. I really got bitten by the writing bug when I was 10. Our 4th grade teacher required us to each write a short story for submission to a local writing contest. My story won first place in the first several rounds, up through the state level, though I didn't place in the nationals. I was hooked, though.

[worldofcharlie.livejournal.com]

I don't remember where I physically was when I first signed up for Idol...or how I found out about it (I think it was another multiple that told me about Idol)...I came in during the wretched Season #4...

I know that since I started Idol - my writing improved...but I still have my moments... *smirks*....

[worldofcharlie.livejournal.com]

As for first experiences with writing - I'd have to transport myself back to the 1980's...I wrote a lot of science fiction and that was my interest at the time. It was a lot of copycat stuff from actual bad science fiction TV. But I think Carrie (my headmate) has been writing since she was pretty young - since she was 7-8...so it's always been around...

[creature-girl08.livejournal.com]

What was your first experience with writing? I think it was the first or second grade for me. Our teacher wanted us to write something for a class project that I only remember somewhat. I think I only wrote about my family at the time. I can't remember much more about it though now.

Where do you think you are with your writing right now? I call myself a beginner when it comes to writing. I think I am ok but I am sure no expert at writing. And truthfully I am ok with that. Writing is just fun. Nothing to take sriously.

Where do you want to go with it? I don't want to go anywhere with my writing. I do it for me. At most I write some things for the newsletters that are published for the organizations I belong to but hey, I could care less other then that.

Where were you when you signed up? If this is in regard to my writing I think it was just as I described above. If it is in regards to where I actually was when I signed up, I have no idea. I might have been at home for all I know. I can't remember grap from yesterday. Grin!

Now? Where do you want to be 9 months from now in your development? I know I with help of a few folks in idol improved my writing a bit this season which was nice. Nine months is too far away to think about for me.

Now I am off to read e-mail and get ready to go to San Francisco for the day with a stop in Berkley for falafel. Yummle!

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

The first question is a hard one. My first experience with writing? Well, I do remember being a child and telling my mom a story and having her write it down and draw the photos (with my help of course) on a little booklet we made out of papers. I was too young to write much myself, but I do remember doing that. It was a story about a cat. I only remember one page where the cat was on top of the fridge as the owner opened it up and them asking for food. The rest of the story is lost to me.

As far as writing for an audience, this was my first experience.

Now where was I when I signed up? That's interesting because I was thinking about how my intro for next season is going to be drastically different from my intro from this season :)

Physically, I was in my computer room. Which is now the guest bedroom. I live downstairs completely. But that's about to change.

I was in an unhappy marriage, living in small town Missouri and unemployed when I started.

Now I am getting divorced and I just accepted a job in Southern California. I am moving in a matter of weeks. I am supposed to start on August 16th. I am starting almost completely over, hardly taking anything I own and moving out to the coast. I am trading in my 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath house on several acres for a small apartment 10 minutes from the beach (which I will be sharing with a roommate once I find one).

So I would say a lot has changed. I wouldn't have imagined any of this at the start of the season (okay, perhaps the divorce part, I sort of had been expecting that since the day after I got married sadly).

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

Congrats on the new job! I meant to say that a couple of days ago -- OMG, I'm excited and scared for you!

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I only just accepted yesterday, now I must get my act together and get there in a matter of weeks!

[connie]

Congrats on getting the job! I've been crossing my fingers for you. :)

[theafaye.livejournal.com]

I can't remember a specific earliest writing experience but when I was 7/8 I wrote and directed a musical for my friends at school. I can still remember the lyrics to one of the songs I wrote. The hardest part was getting friends to actually rehearse and pay attention because they were, you know, friends rather than minions but we got to perform it for the school. It was HIGHLY derivative - I remember Alice in Wonderland and Rebecca's World were featured quite heavily in the plot but I remember being blown away when one of the cast members mentioned it as a fond memory on her Friends Reunited profile.

Writing wise, when I signed up to Idol (season 5), I'd recently had my first book out and had been featured in various magazines. I've been in a few more anthologies since, mainly writing as Thea Faye although I used a different pseudonym in another book because of the personal nature of what I submitted. Everything I've published is non-fiction. And then last year I edited the first Idol book, so that was a fantastic experience.

This season of Idol saw me writing fiction for the first time in years so it was great to rediscover the joy in that, especially since I found out that I had a flair for writing humour, which I didn't realise. It used to be that fiction was all I wrote and wondered how non-fiction writers came up with their ideas; now it's the other way round. There are a lot of pieces I came up with for Idol that I want to do something with, so I'm pondering my next step with that. I have big plans for various projects though.

First Writing Forays

[spydielives.livejournal.com]

My first fiction explained what happened to Miss Suzy (http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9781930900288-0) the next day. I might have been six or seven at the time; I had been reading that particular book for a while.

The first bit of "non-fiction" that I can remember writing was a lovely essay explaining (in quite scientific terms) the Christian Religion was based on a misunderstanding of bodily functions, poisons, and UFO's. I was eight; my age was probably the only thing that kept me from getting a beating for my sacrilege!

When I write, I am working to record what I can see and hear in my head. Sometimes it is tough for me to fill in the details, I am working so hard just to keep the whole picture together. I wish I could be someone who can hold the whole story in their hand like one of Gareth's glass balls, turning it round and round on their fingers, catching the light, and showing off their mad manipulation skills. I'm not, though, and it's a limitation I am working to overcome.

I suspect I could be published more if I tried, or maybe not. At least it is true that everything I have submitted to be published, has been somewhere.

Oh, and my book was released to day. Woo.

Re: First Writing Forays

[beautyofgrey.livejournal.com]

I am working so hard just to keep the whole picture together. I wish I could be someone who can hold the whole story in their hand like one of Gareth's glass balls, turning it round and round on their fingers, catching the light, and showing off their mad manipulation skills.

Yes, this is what I wish I could do with my writing.