Work Room - Week 6

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

I wrote a bit in the actual topic thread about how I came up with this one http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/502415.html

This is one of those completely universal experiences - food .It's also one that can play out in any number of ways, according to your own associations.

This is one of those weeks where it will be very easy to vanish into the "blah" though. You are going to have to figure out a way to stand out from the crowd.

How are you going to do that? What is your personal "best approach" to the topic and how are you going to execute that to play to your strengths?

This is a really personal week, and so I think it's fitting that you serve as your own Mentor(s)!

What advice would you give your fellow writers on what they should be doing, that you haven't seen enough of, thus far, in the competition?

Comments

[vaguelyclear.livejournal.com]

I'm at a loss considering my entry last week was about food and the food I grew up on. I don't know how I feel about writing two food entries in a row. Hmmm.

[sweeny-todd.livejournal.com]

I had an awesome entry from last season that was all food orientated... and although I know I can come up with something else, that is the thing that is stuck in my head right now!

[emploding.livejournal.com]

lol sorry I always do that. blame it on the ADD.

This topic will be fun I think!

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

First thought of mine is of course cannibalism... Yes, I told you guys I'm a bit twisted. Those who know me won't be surprised.

But I am going to guess the creepy fiction crowd is going to snap that one right up. I have creepy cannibalism stories in mind, but I am going to put that on the back burner and try to come up with a more unique approach.

I do have a story in mind that is just as twisted... that doesn't involve cannibalism... Hmmm...

Or I could write about real food though nothing springs to mind right off the bat.

[sweeny-todd.livejournal.com]

ahah! my mind didn't go to cannibalism at all, but I could see the link when you said it ^_^

[oxymoron67.livejournal.com]

Food! I think I have something.

I'll let it roll around in my head and see what I write tomorrow.

[sweeny-todd.livejournal.com]

ok! now I will actually look at the questions (good, throught provoking questions, Gary :-)

I am going to try and write something funny. Maybe everyone else will do that too - it has been pretty full on reading, these last few weeks.

I have an awesome family, an awesome food related stories... so maybe I will try the whole "non fiction" thing. I will see... maybe fictionialised fiction?

As for what I want to see from others (and this should be a good topic for people to try it out on): not overtly mentioning the theme word. It doesn't always fit! "Incievable" was a great concept, and it *is* an awesome word, but it doensn't always work in a sentence. It doesn't always flow naturally...

[teaberryblue.livejournal.com]

Agreed. I'm surprised how many people are still writing this way when it gets mentioned as a big turnoff pretty much every week.

[lynxypoo.livejournal.com]

I already have two ideas, which is kindof a big deal since I never get ideas right from the get-go. Buuut... I don't know quite how to make them pop.

ok, now three ideas. but how to make them speeeecial!?

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

Beta readers? :)

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

Oh advice... Yes.

What would I like to see more of? It's hard for me to describe what I would like to see more of really... without coming off as I am dissing other types of writers, which I'm not. I'd like to see more unique stories from people. I love non-fiction, it's actually my favorite genre to read in books and in Idol, though I do love fiction as well.

I'd like to see more unique experiences. I am a fan of tamaraland because she writes about her life in an entertaining fashion. She's not writing deeply emotional pieces most of the time, but her entries are always fun to read.

Not that I don't enjoy emotional pieces, I do. I don't want people to stop writing those either. I want to read what people enjoy writing about. Put passion behind what you write and likely, I will care about what I'm reading. To me, that's all that matters.

Oh and I am ALWAYS willing to beta read for anyone before the post goes up, and if you want concrit, please ask me outright as I am not likely to offer it unless I know it's appreciated. I am more than happy to offer feedback before or after you post, so feel free to ask. Not that I know everything or anything... but just in case you want an extra pair of eyes to read over your work.

[alien-infinity.livejournal.com]

This topic seems like it's asking for nonfiction, which is unfortunate as I enjoy writing fiction much more and kind of resent nonfiction ideas when they do pop up in my mind. My first thought was writing about a memory of being forced to eat watermelon at summer camp, though I DESPISE that food.

I feel like we'll get lots of memories-of-eating-stuff posts, and it would be hard for me to make that kind of thing unique.

Will you beta read for me please?

[michikatinski.livejournal.com]

I think the way to fail this week will be to get trapped in telling rather than showing. I don't think I'm going to find a food piece (fiction or non-fiction) appetizing unless I can taste and savor it on my own tongue. I don't want to know that someone else thinks something is good; I want to experience that yumminess myself. (Bonus point are highly probable for those who throw in recipes if recipes are applicable...just sayin... :) )

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

I agree with the telling instead of showing bit. That's a big one. If someone is writing about delicious chocolate cake, I better be drooling afterward. Though depending on the angle, some might choose horrible food memories too and that could be fun too!

[alycewilson.livejournal.com]

What I would like to advise everyone to do, whether writing fiction, poetry or non-fiction, is to be conscious of what the real "meat" of your entry is. A lot of times, in a rough draft, we find ourselves writing introductory-type passages that get us to the real story. My advice: go back, reread your piece, and cut such passages. It will be stronger as a result.

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

I think the "meat" of the piece is a good analogy this week - throw in a few potatoes (or maybe a hard-boiled detective) and you've got an entry! :)

And DAMN but I've got a lot of food icons, LOL!

[sarcasmoqueen.livejournal.com]

So many different way to go with this! My brain is going to 'splode! ;-)

But I will say this - what won't get my vote? Something that starts "My biggest food memory is..." or any such variation. I want to be able to see for myself how your story or life story relates to the topic - I don't want to be beaten over the head with it.

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

THIS! I don't vote for those types of entries either.

[sarcasmoqueen.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I'd also like to state for the record that constructive criticism is always welcome for any of my entries.

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

To give more background of what Gary mentioned in the topic post: The "food memory" task in Top Chef Masters -- as well as in Top Chef -- is to recreate what usually is a very powerful memory in terms of food. One of the rebroadcasts of a previous TC had each of the cheftestants interviewing a renowned chef who would ultimately be at the Judges' Table, the question being, "What is your most memorable meal?" The cheftestants would then take those recollections and recreate the meal for the renowned chef. The recreation didn't necessarily had to be the exact meal in that each of the cheftestants put their own personal spin on it.

Food, like scent, is a very powerful memory for all of us. It doesn't matter whether or not you work with food. It could be something simple, like, what was your favorite snack as a child? Was there a particular food which, to you, was so revolting (or the memory of it so revolting) that you'll never forget it? Do you associate a particular food with a particular person? Smell? Taste? Presentation? Any or all of those could come into play.

[notodette.livejournal.com]

I like you.

[cosmolinguist]

I've already written a lot about food as well! My perfect chocolate cake recipe, making lefse with my grandma for Christmas, my mom's terror of roast lamb, how different the food I grew up on is from the food I eat now... I don't know what's left!

I'm also very happy to beta-read for people!

[emploding.livejournal.com]

I've not yet done a non-fiction entry, maybe this is a good week to do so. Or maybe so many people will be doing non-fiction that I should do fiction.

OR fictionised non-fiction (which I think someone up there already mentioned).

[sweeny-todd.livejournal.com]

most people do non-fiction, and it seems to be the preferred type. I found that last season too.

I read both. I appreciate both. But because I am fully obsessive about comic relief this season, it tends to lend itself towards fiction.

[heatherenchantd.livejournal.com]

Oh my goodness gracious.

Something I can write about that's happy, hahaha. Or, well, it won't make anyone cry, hehe.

[lynxypoo.livejournal.com]

unless it's about onions!

[jem0000000.livejournal.com]

Gary, there is a singing potato in my head, and I just want you to know that it is all your fault.

...That said, I think I'll be sleeping on this one. I don't really have any (coherent) ideas.

I think I may go with fiction again. I want to learn to write more non-fiction, but fiction is still my strong point. There's just not as much room for creative re-structuring of story elements in non-fiction.

Seems like three-quarters of the entries every week are serious. And most of them are very nice, just the same; but I'd like to see more comedy. An even mix would be nice, really.

[alien-infinity.livejournal.com]

I would love to see you write fiction about the singing potato in your head! Maybe that's just me, though.

[tigrkittn.livejournal.com]

I suspect this is going to be one of those weeks where people take the part of the prompt they like and ignore the rest, which bugs me to no end. The prompt is "food memory", not "food". Not everyone's such a hardass as I am, but I definitely deduct points for that when I'm deciding who to vote for.

[notodette.livejournal.com]

I think you should write about just a random memory. Just to spite the food people. That's it. Just memory.

[reallyginnyf.livejournal.com]

I always wait until close to bedtime when I'm half asleep and my internal editor is fully asleep and then I work on an idea cloud, with the topic in the middle and anything that springs into my tired brain branching out from there. Sometimes when I read it over in the morning it's crap and sometimes I find something salvageable and workable. I'm hoping I can lighten up a bit this round!

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

Gah, Gary, why oh why do you have to post the topic right before I head off to bed????

My head's going to be spinning all night!

:thunk:

[lawchicky.livejournal.com]

At first glance, I'm loving this topic, which is probably a bad sign. I may be cursing Gary in the morning- too many ideas start to pop up and then none of them fully develop. I'm hoping I'll feel better in the morning!

[alycewilson.livejournal.com]

If that happens, what I usually end up doing is go with the idea that won't stop popping into my head, which is sometimes the first idea but often it's just the one that won't leave me alone!

[alycewilson.livejournal.com]

I'm debating writing a poem. Having a MFA in poetry, I trust my poetry skills, but I also know that they're often overlooked by voters. I've never written a poem for LJ Idol for that reason.

But since everyone is talking about the sensory aspect of food being very important to them, I was thinking that perhaps poetry would be a good way to focus on that.

Any thoughts about what people might like to see or, more importantly, NOT see in a poem about this topic?

[rt-sparrow.livejournal.com]

I just personally hope we don't end up with fifty posts about zombies. :/


I vote for poetry when it evokes an image or a feeling, when words are used well, and when it doesn't sound like

People are writing
a sentence
on different lines
because that
would make it look like
poetry.


Bonus points for rhyme and meter. :)

[poppetawoppet.livejournal.com]

well I have a total of three ideas already, one of which is completely unformed (zombies), one that has real personal meaning (potatoes are evil) and one that can be manipulated language wise (lasagne and birthday meals)

[lilycobalt.livejournal.com]

I'm leaning toward fiction again this week. My first idea was an intensely personal bit of nonfiction that I don't think I'm ready to share, but then I meandered into fairytale. Fiction is something I'm less practiced at, but there's nothing like competing in Idol for getting practice. (I tried to use the Home Game as practice last season, but nothing gets done without a deadline.)

[n3m3sis42.livejournal.com]

My first idea was also an intensely personal bit of nonfiction that I know I am not ready to share. I wonder if they were similar ideas at all.

(I'm leaning toward fiction, too.)

[yachiru]

>_> I so have the weirdest idea. Not sure if it'll work but I'm probably writing it anyway.

[teaberryblue.livejournal.com]

Wait, YOU have a WEIRD IDEA? What is this world coming to?

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

I have a few decent food-related memories that I think I can dredge up (hah - "dredge" - get it?). This is definitely going to be a non-fiction week for me.

I'd say my best approach to the topic will be to keep it short and light-hearted, which is what I do best. I'm going to have to figure out a way to "show not tell" the story, so I must ponder which food memory will best let me do that. And I have a metric TONNE of food related icons that might help me make up my mind, too!

*insert evil cackle*

Sleep now. Pondering tomorrow.