Work Room - Week 1

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

Welcome to the Work Room.

What is this space? For those who are new, the Work Room is exactly what it sounds like, a little idea from Project: Runway where people can get together and help hammer out/shape their ideas. It’s a place to discuss the craft of writing.

The new topic is up: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/715255.html

What comes to mind?

What is your mental process when encountering something that you may never have seen before? How do you adapt it into something you can use?

Remember that the topics are the starting point of your entry. You don't have to handcuff yourself to them, or throw the actual word itself in. How do you get the essence of a concept while showcasing who you are as a writer?

Comments

[porn-this-way.livejournal.com]

My first thought for this topic was to just post a link to the home page of the school district I work for.

[alycewilson.livejournal.com]

You should. They would love that, I bet.

[kathrynrose.livejournal.com]

That said, there are definitely people who won't vote for an entry if they can't find the connection to the topic, so don't wander off too far. :)

[alycewilson.livejournal.com]

I am one of those people, I have to admit. And I will WORK to find meaning before making that decision.

I've also had cases where the comments on my entries revealed that people didn't get what I was talking about. That tended to end badly, too.

[tonithegreat.livejournal.com]

My first thought on this topic was, "HI MY NAME IS BRAK!!!!!" And darn it, I don't have any Brak icons anymore since I let my paid account expire. :-(

[alycewilson.livejournal.com]

Never trust a monkey.

[alycewilson.livejournal.com]

I can't wait to discuss this topic with KFP. Already, I have an idea of where he'll probably want to take it.

Mine may take a little more thought, though.

[mothermelete.livejournal.com]

I can't wait to read what he has to say! I was actually considering talking about my son for this one - he's 4, just learning how to tell jokes.

[x-disturbed-x.livejournal.com]

Before I read the definition I thought it has something to do with Jesus.

After reading the definition... I still have no idea what to do. ;)

[porn-this-way.livejournal.com]

Well if you wanted to stir up a really fun hornets' nest, you could make a post about how organized religion is a jeyus....

I got nothin'.

[ellakite.livejournal.com]

My sense of humor is shot. I wish I was kidding.

Got no clue how to approach this.

Hate to take a "bye" so early, but I'm sorely tempted to...

In a nutshell:

SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!

Re: I got nothin'.

[sweeny-todd.livejournal.com]

I'd let it ruminate a bit.

as of now, I have no idea either. But I am (semi) confident something will appear.

[n3m3sis43.livejournal.com]

I'm drawing a blank. My first thought was to write about a situation (from real life) that's so awful all you can do is laugh. This isn't a very creative idea, so everyone will probably do it? Plus, non-fiction is not my strong point and I'd rather do fiction.

So far, I'm not coming up with any bright ideas for fiction. I just keep getting, "You have to laugh, or you'll cry."

Blahhhhhh.

I'm with you.

[ellakite.livejournal.com]

I empathize/identify with people too much to laugh at them when they screw up horrifically. So the concept as written simply does not apply to me...

[tonithegreat.livejournal.com]

Squeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A mysterious benefactor has made me a paid user again and my icons are back!!! Wooohoooo!

[x-disturbed-x.livejournal.com]

I think it was Brak.

[anyonesghost.livejournal.com]

I look for a distraction. Like, "Why is the Work Room tagged as Season 8?"

Not helping with the topic, though.

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

I noticed that too, LOL.

[flipflop-diva.livejournal.com]

Is it bad that the first thing I thought of was my brother-in-law? He's actually a good joke teller, but most of them are of the kind where there's that silence, like 'Did he really just say that?', and then you laugh.

But oy. This is going to be tough.

[alycewilson.livejournal.com]

I often find that the idea that first pops into my head is the one I really need to write. The challenge is to find a way to approach it that makes it entertaining.

[goldmourn.livejournal.com]

I think I'll go take a bath now.



(Week 1 and it's already this hard! I can relate to anyone after reading what the Topic is that considered taking a 'bye' so soon!)

[jfargo.livejournal.com]

I immediately feel like there's a gem of a post hidden in here somewhere. I don't have inspiration but there's the hint of inspiration to come. I think if I let it simmer, like a good chili it'll come bursting with flavor. Flavor and farts.

What? I had to find a way to try and make this a jayus in and of itself, as prophecy foretold.

[kathrynrose.livejournal.com]

Like a little Jayus nesting doll.

that farts






Hey, if they did that, would they pop themselves open?

[tigrkittn.livejournal.com]

Jayus! Whoops, I mean JEEBUS! Gary, you're going to be the death of me. Right now I'm pretty sure my trying to play this season is the biggest baddest not-funniest joke of all, but I don't think that's going to fly as an entry. Back to homework and packing... Monday is hours and hours away.

[alycewilson.livejournal.com]

How about something on cats who stick out their tongues?

[sweeny-todd.livejournal.com]

I got rhythm, I got music, but for the topic, I got nuthin'

who could ask for anything more?

I am going to let it bubble away. I normally have ideas straight away, so to draw a total blank is annoying.

3 byes is pretty awesome too. Although I just remembered that I am travelling a lot over the next few months... but if whipchick could travel and post, then maybe, so can I.

[jfargo.livejournal.com]

Good luck with traveling and posting. That's what killed me on my second-go-round in Idol; I just ran out of internet and missed a deadline. Don't do that, I really don't suggest it, especially since you're a decent writer and should go out the right way, if at all.

Wikipedia...

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

Has this definition, in an article on Indonesian slang:

Jayus - Lame or corny; meant to be or sound funny, but it is not.

Re: Wikipedia...

[x-disturbed-x.livejournal.com]

Oh Wikipedia. You never fail.

[porn-this-way.livejournal.com]

Okay, now to address the actual question instead of posting bad jokes in the WR for the topic on bad jokes...

What is your mental process when encountering something that you may never have seen before? How do you adapt it into something you can use?

Several processes here, but I also need to post a disclaimer that I'm one of those people who loooooves to bugger the prompt, and loves it when other people come up with clever ways of doing the same. That being said, when I see a prompt that's just like "whaaaa...?" my brain sorta does this:
What does the word\phrase sound similar to? (See "Jaysus" comments above.) Is there a possible onomatopoeic interpretation? What does the word\phrase mean? Is it literal or figurative? Does it have multiple meanings? If it's got multiple meanings, can multiple meanings be invoked in the same entry? Is there a meaning that other people are probably unlikely to go with? If the prompt is literal, can I take it figuratively? If it's figurative, can I take it literally? Can I go for both at once? What happens if I type the word into thesaurus.com or just google the bloody thing? And then I just sorta let it all congeal into soup in my brain and see what simmers to the top.

[alien-writings.livejournal.com]

Do you ever get food poisoning from your brain-soup?

[kajel.livejournal.com]

Yay, welcome to season 9. I think I am going to go bang my head against a wall. ha-ha [not to be confused with laughter] Or wait, maybe it should be.

[alien-writings.livejournal.com]

I just got the idea to do an entry somehow incorporating a lot of the especially terrible prompts from previous seasons. I don't know if that random thought would reduce your desire to bang your head against the wall, though!

[lordrexfear.livejournal.com]

I got nothing...

said the horse who walked in the bar.

Good thing, they don't serve horses.

[whipchick.livejournal.com]

185 horses walk into a bar.
The bartender says, "we don't serve horses here."
The horses say, "we just came in to kick everyone who says 'free reign' when it's actually 'free rein.'"
"Well in that case, go right ahead."

[alien-writings.livejournal.com]

i_will_not_say is my character alt who's playing this round. And HE has an idea for this topic. That's because he's evil, though. :P

[oxymoron67.livejournal.com]

This one is going to take some thought.

Nothing is jumping out at me.

[alycewilson.livejournal.com]

Surprise! (That was the sound of an idea jumping out at you. Or not.)

Question to our past competitors...

[jenandbronze.livejournal.com]

... is it just me or does our past competitors *NEVER* use their bye, and dive in and attack the challenge of each topic post Gary puts out?

I'll be sleeping on this one... Hmmm....

Re: Question to our past competitors...

[whipchick.livejournal.com]

Depends on the person - and there's nothing wrong with taking a bye if it's what you need for your sanity, your life-stuff, or even just need to take a step back and see how the whole process goes.

For me personally, I didn't take a bye in Season 8 because I took it as a personal challenge to write every week and make it my first priority, but not everyone has the luxury of that kind of time (I have no kids and I'm self-employed).

However, when I'm reading 200 entries, there's a little part of me that blesses and loves people who took a bye that week!

[rswndrlst.livejournal.com]

In other news I'm having terrible tab management from reading everyone's book recommendation lists while reading the Intros and just being generally inspired. I think I will have to start reorganising my goodreads.

I think I have an idea where to start with this topic. Initially I was like "I'm seriously in over my head" but then one idea came to me but we'll see where I end up with it.

[n3m3sis43.livejournal.com]

There were book recommendation lists? Where? I missed them? Bah.

[copyright1983.livejournal.com]

My thoughts went toward a stand-up comedienne who's on stage and completely bombing--to the point it becomes clear that the audience is laughing at her, not with her...

And then she wakes up, and it's the same bad joke of a nightmare she's had a dozen times before, and all she can do is laugh about it.

Thoughts?

[jem0000000.livejournal.com]

It sounds interesting to me.

[eska818.livejournal.com]

I did a little googling to see if I could find something relevant and interesting. "That's so funny I forgot to laugh," struck me, as I've definitely used this in a conversation before.

[waltzmatildah.livejournal.com]

"That's so funny I forgot to laugh," Oh, I can so hear my sarcastic seven year old self saying this!!

[swirlsofblue.livejournal.com]

Topic 1, already freaking out. How am I going to write something that encapsulates the corny without the entry just being corny. I don't know.

[unmowngrass.livejournal.com]

You could aim for corny, in a multi-layered approach to the topic?