Work Room - Week 14

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

Where's the Love, Work Room???

I have a feeling this is going to be another one of those topics where something just jumps out at you right away and drags you off with it, or where you will sit there for hours, cursing my name. Or at least a little longer than you normally spend on that daily routine.

What are some of the things that come into your brain when you hear that word? http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/528117.html What images? Where does it take you?

Also worth thinking about - how have you been doing the last couple of weeks of Idol? Have you been happy with the reception your entries have been getting? If not, have you been soliciting feedback on how to improve? Have you been giving other people the same kind of pointers?

it's your Work Room. Make the most out of it.

Comments

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

I'm either brain dead or hopelessly out of touch, but I had to look up what "twitterpated" means.

Got it ;)

There's SO many ways to interpret this...

[similiesslip.livejournal.com]

Can you list some ways? I'm not feeling it. I don't feel like writing anything romantic at this point..

If you don't mind sharing ideas, I would appreciate it!:)

[poppetawoppet.livejournal.com]

I could talk about the ridiculousness of my twitter account (hahahaha), the awesomeness of twitter, about never being in love, um um um um

[lilycobalt.livejournal.com]

What is the ridiculousness of your Twitter account? Inquiring minds want to know.

[lilycobalt.livejournal.com]

I am still wrapping my addled head around what this word even means. It may take a while. I certainly can't stop thinking about Twitter. I think I wanted to go for fiction this week, but I don't know where this topic will take me.

On the plus side, I think I'm starting to find my feet with non-fiction again. :)

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

Urban Dictionary.com has a very good definition of twitterpated.

[tigrkittn.livejournal.com]

Please PLEASE let there not be dozens of stories about Twitter, ha-ha play on words ha-ha.

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

I'd thought instantly of Twitter, but I said to myself, "No, he can't just mean Twitter as Twitter", so I looked it up :)

(I'm hoping the same thing too, actually. A well-placed Twitter tale is fine. A zillion of them? It loses the effect.)

[vaguelyclear.livejournal.com]

First thing that came to mind is Twitter, naturally XD I wrote a Twitter-inspired entry last season, though, so I won't be going that route (especially since it doesn't actually have anything to do with Twitter). It's definitely not a topic where something jumped out at me right away because it's one of those topics where anything goes - it can be interpreted it in many ways - so I may have to sleep on it.

As for being happy with how I've been doing the last few weeks, I am very happy. Then again, I am happy any week I don't get eliminated :P But seriously, I've really enjoyed the last few entries I've produced and they seem to have been received well, so no complaints from me.

[poppetawoppet.livejournal.com]

maybe an entry on how twitter has left me even more twitterpated with certain people?

oooh or how I tend to get obsessed with certain things and have to see them over and over again til something new and shiny comes along hmmmmm

[wolfden.livejournal.com]

The last few weekends we've been traveling like crazy. I've been struggling to make writing deadlines. It's going to be nice to have a weekend at home where I actually have a chance to think.

Twitterpated. I'm really not feeling it. I hope some genius inspiration strikes me.

[ecosopher.livejournal.com]

I'd never heard of this word before, so I get to expand my vocabulary as well as write something! Bonus ;D

I think of it as the giddy warm feeling you get sometimes, and there are several ways I think I could go with this. I have some alone-time today so I'll put my thinking cap on. M wrote a song that makes me feel a bit this way so I may try to think up some lyrics and see where it takes me.

I'm both delighted and terrified with my poll performance lately. Delighted because I seem to be in the top few, terrified because that will lead to tall poppy syndrome and I'll fall from grace very soon. To really mix my metaphors XD Let's face it, obviously I can't be pleased!

[similiesslip.livejournal.com]

You deserve to do well. I'm glad other people are discovering what a great writer you are. I think you're going to go far this season!

[jacq22.livejournal.com]

OMG.... have not been twitterpated for some time, but still remember it well,...
Although the object of my affection reckons its like constipated.... you can't get it out... LOL. Goodness gracious great balls of fire, Holy Bambi so that's it!

[jacq22.livejournal.com]

It was first used in Bambi an owl talking....I kid you not!

Twitterpate

[hosticle-fifer.livejournal.com]

Isn't it a spreadable paste made out of ground social media? Because that's what I'm writing about.

Re: Twitterpate

[ecosopher.livejournal.com]

That does NOT sound tasty. Although I guess it depends on the content...

[rt-sparrow.livejournal.com]

Must be a generational thing. I didn't even think of Twitter. I figured everyone's first thought would be Bambi.

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

I didn't even think of Bambi :boggle:

[alien-infinity.livejournal.com]

Images that come into my mind? I just thought of the feeling of being twitterpated as like being infected with a squicky alien parasite that alters your feelings and makes you enjoy it. The sense of losing emotional control when being smitten and the fact that infatuation often makes people do stupid things...doesn't make the idea of becoming twitterpated seem like all that much fun.

[ecosopher.livejournal.com]

I say if you go that direction it wil be a welcome distraction from the sappy stuff we're likely to get ;D

I don't think of falling in love as much as just feeling so happy about something that you want to skip.

[jacq22.livejournal.com]

Oh come on that feeling when the pit of your stomach is floating, your heart is crashing, oh bring it back... one more time just put it on the bucket list.

[notodette.livejournal.com]

HAS NOBODY EVER SEEN BAMBI?! Sheesh!

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

Bambi was my first thought. I knew it instantly :)

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

Bambi came to mind instantly, as to be expected. The topic made me smile too because of that.

Then I thought of Twitter. I don't use Twitter though.

I have an idea, though I'll also give it some more thought. I'm never one to jump on the first idea :)

I''ve been proud of my work this season, but I know I still have stuff I need to work on. I also think my writing has been stronger than it ever has been. Having beta readers this season has been great. I've learned so much and I have loved the feedback I've gotten. I'd suggest beta readers for everyone.

If anyone ever wants my honest feedback and opinion, ask. I have had so much fun as a beta reader and it's helped me get better by paying attention to what I like and don't like in other's writing.

[sneakishfrog.livejournal.com]

I always get so excited about a "first idea" - let it mull for a day or two thinking "This is it!" -- (one could even say the first idea makes me twitterpated HA) -- then I get over it completely and write something absolutely different that comes out of nowhere.

Beta readers are so great! I think my favorite is when someone says, "maybe you can add in a sentence like....." and their suggestion is so off-base (because it's the way THEY would say it) that it helps me find my voice again in counterpoint.

[myrna-bird.livejournal.com]

This is a lovely old-fashioned word. My heart tis all a- flutter. I may even swoon.

Puts back of hand to forehead.... Ahhhh.

I smiled broadly when I read it. I can think of several ways to go but I plan to just let it ruminate in my brain for a bit.

[applespicy.livejournal.com]

Being who I am, my mind immediately veers off of the candy-heart-studded path into a darker place. I've got some initial ideas, but usually whenever I do I end up writing something completely separate from them, so I'll just see where the words take me.

I'm pretty pleased with how I'm doing so far. I've stayed true to myself in most of my entries, and somehow the other competitors haven't gotten bored of my stuff yet - always a good thing! No matter how often I vow to change it, though, I'm not really a social player and probably never will be... so we'll just have to see how that ends up.

[n3m3sis42.livejournal.com]

That's where my mind is going too, actually. :D

[lapis-lazuli615.livejournal.com]

Of course, the first thing I think of is Bambi. SO not going down that road.

I'm pleased that I'm still in, but it seems like I'm starting to fall off towards the lower end of the voting. All of the responses seem to really enjoy my writing so... why am I not getting as many votes as others? Am I not spending enough time in the green room? Not commenting on enough people's entries? Not catching people and pulling them in with thee beginnings of my entries?

So what's your opinion? What could I do to improve in the votes?

[whipchick.livejournal.com]

I wonder if it's because you're working with very fresh, very original concepts?

For me, when you hit, you hit big - like the eye donor piece, and the one about the dinosaur museum lady. But the converse is that when I feel like it's a miss, it feels like a miss all the way, because you're so committed (which is awesome). So for example, the first cross-species love entry felt strong, because it seemed so original and unique, but the following week's cats in space was less of a new thing, so it was harder to be engaged. The robot Heathcliff was such an awesome concept that I wanted it to be tighter - there was something structurally that made the story unsatisfying for me, and it set up such strong expectations (go you!) that I wanted more bang at the end.

So I wonder if there are places where you can go with your amazing, original ideas, but focus a little more on craft - making sure the story resolves, making sure your hook gets carried through? Because what's great about your work is that you are taking big risks with subject matter, but the paradox is that you set very high expectations for your own work right from the beginning, so it's easier to be disappointed if it's not perfect.

So I'd say, don't play it safe - better to fail big than succeed a little, if your goal is to grow as a writer - but maybe get a beta to give feedback on structure and whether the tremendous hooks you're using are truly paying off in the resolution?

As always, just one person's opinion, and I hope something in here is helpful :)

[medleymisty.livejournal.com]

Still doing the home game this weekend!

I could go with another Sims story - I have a plan to use the pictures I used for the open topic entry and write it from the other character's POV. And while that would be about romance and I do plan to use it for a Sims community February prompt, I don't know that Seth the dark twisted angsty pyromaniac serial killer and "twitterpated" really go together, lol.

Plus I do have a busy weekend planned - going to see a play of Dr. Horrible Saturday and perhaps a birthday party Sunday.

So, I might just have to go all non-fiction again and write about my spousal person. We'll see. :)

[theafaye.livejournal.com]

Sign up for second chance and see if you can leave the home game and enter the real thing!

[jem0000000.livejournal.com]

I feel like my writing isn't growing... but I don't think writing can be all grown up.

I'm better now that I was Week One. But I don't think I'm better than I was, say, two or three weeks ago. :(

Also I seem to be stuck in extended-metaphor-land, but it's kinda fun there. But is hanging out in that one area what's stopping me? Is that why I'm going for the obvious and not the creative lately?

[alycewilson.livejournal.com]

I'm going to have to ruminate on this one, especially since I don't like to go in any direction that's too well-traveled. Not sure I have any applicable stories of my own, so perhaps it would be a good idea to take another POV? Not sure. I wouldn't mind doing fiction, if I had a good enough idea.

As far as my performance over the past couple of weeks, I've been really pleased. I've taken some chances, striving to step out of my comfort zone a little bit. It's nice to see that readers and voters are willing to go there with me.

[ecosopher.livejournal.com]

I've really enjoyed your work. I love that you bring something different to the table, and that you're not afraid to try unusual things. It's refreshing :)

[jem0000000.livejournal.com]

140 characters about heads? 140 characters about smushed-up meat?

Please no?

[medleymisty.livejournal.com]

LOL - last night my husband said I should do something with a Twitter conversation. Or maybe a parody of the DogsDoingThings Twitter account, but somehow make it into a cohesive story.

It will be interesting to see if anyone uses Twitter.

Huh.

[ellakite.livejournal.com]

Twenty minutes ago, I got on DICTIONARY.COM to make sure I knew the correct definition for "twitterpated".

At that time, it told me there was no such word... and I *KNOW* I spelled it correctly.


I checked again a minute ago.. and suddenly there's an entry.


Well.

On the one hand, I'm glad I know what the damned word means.

On the other hand, it's been so f*#king long since I've felt anything even vaguely resembling love that I don't have a clue how to write anything based on the word definition... and right now, I don't know of any other way to approach this.


I'll take suggestions, if anyone is willing to offer.

Re: Huh.

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

Urban dictionary.com has a much better definition. I had the same problem as you did with dictionary.com, I think partly because I was using it on my iPhone.

It seems like anything that makes you feel weak at the knees would work, it doesnt have to be a true love thing - even a beautiful sunset or a child's smile can make one twitterpated.

[ellakite.livejournal.com]

PS: Just saw the actual question that Gary asked.

Except for last week, I was happy with the pieces that I wrote, though I always welcomed/responded to concrit. This past week, though, I went through a nasty bout of depression that nearly incapacitated me. (I'm on the mend, so to speak, but I still feel a bit off.)

I'd like to give concrit, and tried to when the opportunity presents itself, but my work schedule prevents me from having enough time for doing that most weeks... and I apologize to my fellow competitors for not commenting more often.

Feedback please

[rt-sparrow.livejournal.com]

I'm taking Gary's words to heart. I've added a concrit thread (http://rt-sparrow.livejournal.com/3874.html?thread=108066#t108066) to my last post.

I never feel completely confident about things I write, and often I go into a poll worried that people will not connect to my entry. This week, I was absolutely pleased with it, and I had the worst poll results ever.

I got really nice words from the people who commented, but I'm looking for feedback from the folks who didn't connect/enjoy/vote for it.

Please and thank you?