Western writing prompts thread

CDaniel

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Break it up. Post the propmt for the month with a link to the guidlines that will be posted in SYW. People are more likely to come here to the genre for the prompt than to SYW.
 

Puma

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It all depends on what they're used to in other genres, Dan. In historical the prompts are only in SYW, nothing at all in genre. Puma
 

CDaniel

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Historical seems to be the only one that dose that. I have not noticed any of the others do it that way, putting the prompt in the SYW thread instead of the genre.
 

HarryHoskins

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Historical seems to be the only one that dose that. I have not noticed any of the others do it that way, putting the prompt in the SYW thread instead of the genre.

I think Sci-fi also does it, CD; and, I must declare that it seems sensible to have the prompt in both SYW and genre, but have more info in the genre section. That way people browsing the SYW will see an easy and straight forward prompt to get involved with, whilst those who are deliberately searching out the western genre forum will have something more meaty.

Just the way it looks to me. Double the threads, double the chance of eyes seeing 'em. :)
 

Puma

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That's my thought too, Harry. It will take a little extra work to maintain two threads, but if it gets us a couple more people interested in western, I think it's worth it. Puma
 

Puma

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November prompt?

By the way, folks, today's the 16th. Someone needs to start thinking about a prompt for November. I did September, Dan did October, who's up for picking a topic? Puma
 

HarryHoskins

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By the way, folks, today's the 16th. Someone needs to start thinking about a prompt for November. I did September, Dan did October, who's up for picking a topic? Puma

Good thinking on the early thinking, Puma. I think I'll have to pass as from the 20th to around the 31st I'll be out on the range with limited internet access.

So, I'm a thinking that nominating BK or Sheriff Pat might be a good idea. Or, if they're not up for it, we could -- to create more interest as well as making things more interesting -- ask one of the regular prompt setters from another genre to set it. Obviously they'd have to know the 'Western genre is the main thing' rule. But it might could be an useful experiment.

With regard to the upcoming prompt, I'd really like to see the SYW stickies gone and replaced with the current prompt by then. So, is everyone happy with the prompt template a few posts back?
 

Puma

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Where the heck are you, anyway, Harry? Out on the range?

On the new prompt thread, I'd say run it up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes. And yes, we definitely want old challenges (whatever) unstickied.

On the topics, prompts, challenges - I am most interested in short, generic topics - like ghost story. If the prompt pigeonholes me into a very limited range of possibilities for stories, I'm not interested. If you need an explanation for this - we all like the west, but we have areas of the west (and time periods) we're more interested in than others. Generic topics give us all the opportunity to write about the area and time period we like whereas, too specific topics limit that possibility. So, this is one vote for short, generic prompts/topics/challenges/whatever. Puma
 

bkendall

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Good thinking on the early thinking, Puma.
So, I'm a thinking that nominating BK or Sheriff Pat might be a good idea.

I would be happy to set the prompt for November. I just got a question: while using a generic topic like stagecoach holdup would be fine, would suggesting an additional stipulation like turning a cliche on its head be too constricting? The cliche thing sounds really interesting to me btw. We would keep with the western genre and feel of course.

Another point about the stickies, I tend not to look at them because most of them are old so unstickying would definitely be wise.
 

Puma

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You want to explain "turning a cliche on it's head" bk?

By the way, we also all need to remember that even though we're writing stories for challenges, we also need to look at what's posted in western SYW. J'Dubee was kind enough to post a story for us yesterday and so far I'm the only one who's looked at it. Puma
 

CDaniel

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What?! :eek: Someone has posted a western. I'm all over it :)
 

bkendall

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You take any cliche and turn it around. For instance, that the town sheriff is always good is a cliche. Making him bad would be turning the cliche on its head. This all has been done before for the most part. I think it would give the people critting something interesting to read, if that makes any sense. I still need to crit your new one, puma and I will try to do J'Dubees also. I also still need to do a lineby for harry. I will give it a read, though. Thanks for mentioning it.
 

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Okay, now I understand what you mean - I think if you say turn a cliched concept or idea around and give an example it would make sense to everyone. I don't really see a problem with a generic like stagecoach robbery with the reversed cliche - might be fun.

On what's on SYW, bk, since I've been around here a long time and have posted a bunch, I've gotten a lot of comments and crits in the past - so it's perfectly okay with me if you skip mine and look at Harry's and Jay's instead. I know Jay would really appreciate seeing some comments other than mine (he's gotten me in historical too). Puma
 

HarryHoskins

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Where the heck are you, anyway, Harry? Out on the range?

I'm in the badlands of a little 'ol place called England. Will be heading deep into east of said country for ten days to a fortnight to help raise a barn (well, decorate a cottage) and celebrate a big birthday of my pa's.


On the new prompt thread, I'd say run it up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes. And yes, we definitely want old challenges (whatever) unstickied.

Okies. Will telegraph Sheriff Pat to do the business in SYW. Will wait a while for the more complete western genre thread though.

I would be happy to set the prompt for November. I just got a question: while using a generic topic like stagecoach holdup would be fine, would suggesting an additional stipulation like turning a cliche on its head be too constricting? The cliche thing sounds really interesting to me btw. We would keep with the western genre and feel of course.

Great that you're up for it, BK. :)

The cliche reversal sounds exciting, too. May I suggest that, to keep things open, you add that as a special element? This way, people can write a traditional story if they want or engage with with a reversal of said cliche. Moreover, we'd probably get a couple of each, which, when view in concert, would be pretty interesting and informative on the tropes of the genre too.


On what's on SYW, bk, since I've been around here a long time and have posted a bunch, I've gotten a lot of comments and crits in the past - so it's perfectly okay with me if you skip mine and look at Harry's and Jay's instead.

I'd like to add to this. BK, although LBL will help your own writing get better through analytical thinking, sometimes just a read and overall response is just fine. :)
 

Puma

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I had thought you were in England, Harry - the badlands threw me a curve, that's all.

For the record, if possible I'd like to pick the prompt for February or March. I want to make it in line with what would be needed for the Hillerman short story contest which has a deadline date in August and is one worth looking into. I figure February or March would give everyone plenty of time to polish stories if they want to try entering (I did previously, didn't win obviously.) Puma
 

CDaniel

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I think that should be fine, Puma.
 

J'Dubee

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Why?

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]I've been wondering if my attempts at writing should be posted in the Western SYW. Someone told me they might be enjoyed by the folks here. They don't really fit some of the criteria I've read here. My thoughts of what Westerns are based on is what my kid brother and I acted out a long time ago. Shootin' fingers from behind the big easy chair, dyin' dramatically to rise and declare it was only a flesh wound, and chasin' the killer til it's his turn to git kilt.[/FONT]


[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Was Horseman, Pass By and The Last Picture Show, both by McMurtry Westerns? How about Duel, a TV movie by Matheson or the film Thela and Louise by Callie Khouri?[/FONT]



[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]I was trying to think of the Philosophy[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] of Westerns and googled the term. I came up with this.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]
http://www.pharts.org/stories/Hack Writers Guide to Writing the Western.pdf[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]My little, fluff Ozark meanderin's are hardly Westerns, They're not Historical and certainly don't belong near the Literary Board, so I'll post them here 'til someone tells me to scram. Mayhaps they might lure other misfits like me to add to the body count of the [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]AW[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] Western boards.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif][/FONT]
 
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Puma

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Jay, I think your stuff fits here in western about as well as anywhere else. It isn't classic western, but there are also modern western writers who are turning out material beyond the time frame for the classic west. Your stories are west of the Mississippi. They are also about the age of development and expansion. So two out of three. You're in that sort of gray area, same as dust bowl stories, Oklahoma oil rush, etc.

You are historic but you're also vacillating between fiction and non-fiction. Regional is probably the best word to stick on your writing if you do decide to try to publish it.

I would also suggest trying to stay away from Memoirs and Literary. From what I've seen of those genres, your stories would be like a polar bear in a desert sand storm in either one of those.

Far as I'm concerned, you're welcome to stay here in western as long as you like. I enjoyed your spook light story and am looking forward to seeing some other stories. Puma
 

Puma

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Hey, BK - you ready to announce the November prompt / topic? You can post it here first if you want or go directly to a new thread and ask dpaterso to sticky it and unsticky October. Puma
 

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I think the topic will be: making difficult decisions. The work can be a short story by itself or an excerpt from an existing work. I will not suggest a word limit but just ask writers to keep in mind the shorter the work, the more likely you will get quality crits. We will also throw in a special challenge, should you choose to take part. Try to reverse a cliche, either a western cliche or a cliche about basic human behavior. If that doesn't make sense, please let me know. I will post a new thread in SYW later, or here also for the November prompt. If anyone has suggestions or ideas, let me know. I will try to get final prompt up by November 4 at the latest.
 

HarryHoskins

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After being out on the range for a lengthy period -- for anyone interested, the cottage got half decorated and my father had a lovely birthday -- I've just recommenced work on my October prompt. Things were going painfully slow and I figured it was because I'd not been writing or reading regularly for the past three weeks. However, in critting one of the works in Western SYW I noticed some concerns over prompt word limits and realized I was having trouble due to trying to fit a longer story into a shorter word count.

Now this raises an interesting tension. In wanting to kick start the forum and the genre the shorter stories are more likely to get interest and detailed crits; but, what if stories need to be longer in order to be told?

Unless all the longer stories are page-turner-masterpieces (which mine isn't) and we have a dedicated team of critters (which we do, but it wouldn't be fair to saddle the marvelously thorough Puma with super epics monthly) -- thing are going to be tricky.

Is there a solution?

Perhaps we could raise the word count limit and add a 'but don't feel bad if you don't get any crits' caveat. Or, we could set every third month as a high word count prompt. The problem with the latter is that it will be Sod's law that the high word count prompt only encourages shorter stories!

I think what I'm saying (and in a way as lengthy as my October prompt is turning out to be) is what does everyone else think about this challenging question of over-sized SYW posting?

Should we post, but expect no detailed crits or responses? Should we split long pieces into parts? Should we keep to the 'don't go over the prompt word count' rule? Or is there another option?

Whaddya'll think? :)
 
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Puma

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If we're writing short stories - the story has to be told, regardless of the word count. And the story should not be given short shrift.

If we're posting snips from longer WIPs, we should have better control on limiting the length by really looking at what part(s) of the work satisfy the prompt.

I look at the word count listed as a guideline. I'm pretty sure Dan's for October was 2K - I went over by 500 (which for me is not bad) but in thinking about what I was going to write I knew I had to keep the story idea down in involvement and number of characters, in other words, limit my idea - so I did.

There's no question shorter works will receive more crits unless someone manages to write a more lengthy cliff-hanger (in Western, not too likely). But, I stress again, there has to be story - a beginning, rising action, climax, and falling action to the end unless what's posted is a snip of a longer piece - in which case the poster needs to clue readers in to what they absolutely need to know to understand the snip.

In Historical, we've often had two topics / prompts per month. We could do something like that and make the second topic / prompt a real shorty - 60, 100, 200 words. It's a real challenge to contain a real story in a very short piece. I'm pasting one I did for historical below - sort of western (almost). Puma

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