Sunday, April 24, 2011

Expansion Joints Challenge: part 9, "Temper"

When this exercise was hosted over at Porky's Expanse!, he always chose the word for the Expanders! challenge based on some relevant happening that had occurred during the previous week. This week has seen some commentary on Fantasy as a genre that has created a bit of controversy, and, as I am desperate for something to help me narrow my word choice to one, I seized upon this as an excuse, and proclaimed the word of the week to be "temper".

If you aren't familiar with the Expansion Joints project, it all began over at Porky's Expanse!.

The rules are just as they are described over at Porky's: as much narrative as you can cram into fifteen words, one of which must be the word of the week.

This can take the form of

1. An epyllion,or litle epic, a stand-alone fifteen-word narrative, or

2. An epos, or 'epic'. Instead of an independent 15-word story, you can choose to develop someone else's story from a previous week, or extend your own story from week to week. Just write the next installment. If it has 15 words, uses the word of the week, and continues the story, you've done it.

There are two important things to think about if you choose epos. First, you should have the permission of the person who wrote the story you will develop. If anyone writes a 15-word epyllion or adds to an epos and is happy for others to develop it later, please say so, with something like 'for use in an epos'. Second, by using specific elements of someone else's story, we technically create a derivative work, so it's best to avoid this.

There are a number of generous contributors who have given express permission to use some of their writing as the basis for epos:

Porky, the founder of the project, offers up all of his contributions.

GDMNW has opened up the three stories here.

Dave G_Nplusplus makes any of his Expanders! stories available for use in an epos.

Jim Hale has an epos running on his Expanders! page, and he has graciously extended permission to play with any or all of the contributions there.

Andy, over at The Creepy Corridor, has also made his epos posts available for expansion.

And, as always, feel free to use any of the stories on this blog that are tagged as "Expansion Joints" in an epos.

Words that have previously made an appearance in an Expanders!/Expansion Joints include: food, fort, stuff, elf, rogue, pass, fool, hammer, and note, in case you are of an historical bent, or wish to write a complete set.

When you've finished writing your entry for this week, either post your 15-word story directly in the comments here, or leave a link in the comments to the blog page where we can find it.

14 comments:

  1. This week's offering is;

    "Hammer tried to control his temper as he regarded Rogue, that good for nothing turd".


    The rest is here, as always.

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  2. This one adds to the discussion here, though not in a very practical way. Yet.

    The word. A symbol to temper thought. Reject it! We will think things, be essential...

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  3. @ Jim Hale - 'Turd' gets the attention, and it's a good way to convey that anger. It's a funny old word, still mildly shocking, but in widespread almost mainstream use, rather like 'crap'. The Happy Whisk even uses it on a food blog of all places, here, lower down the sidebar.

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  4. Are you ready to do your duty or will your temper get in your way?

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  5. I'm back and ready for some playing with language! First I'll read the inspiring pieces of the other expanders and tomorrow I will start expanding my epos!

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  6. @ Captain Kellen - Menacing. That hints at a larger story waiting to be told. Is it a reprimand? We don't quite know. The great thing about such short snippets is being drawn in and wanting more. That poem was no flash in the pan.

    @ Andy - Looking forward to it. We all have a lot invested in your story too for having followed it for so long, Jim's, C'nor's and NetherWerks' too.

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  7. @Jim Hale - I love the way you are developing the characters in this. Great job working within the form!

    @Porky - Anything that gets us thinking about things in a new way is practical. I love this.

    @Captain Keller - This is the essential question at the heart of much fiction. Very nice work.

    @Andy - I'm eagerly awaiting your next installment!

    Mine for this week is here.

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  8. I appreciate the comments. It's a conversation between two warriors that I've been 'brewing' in my head. Here is Captain Thomas Kellen's reply to Azrael's charge...

    Since I have become the angriest of angels my temper is always ready for duty.

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  9. @Captain Kellen - I like the response, as well.

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  10. A good week, and a good gathering up of links. Reassuring to see everyone was too focused on creating to think about linking and the limelight!

    This is mainly to let you know there's no 'EXPANSION JOINTS' label on this week's post.

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