Writing Challenge Discussion — MARCH 2011

[Teresa Edgerton]

I'd have to understand it to emulate it, Ursa.

And thank you, TEIN ... I think.


While people are trying to figure out Parson's real-life heroine, they might want to look for the not-so-hidden references in my story.

 

[Ursa major]

When used at Wimbledon (and presumably other tennis tournaments), it monitors the lines to see whether the ball is In or Out. Does its function (if not its means of achieving it) sound familiar?


(It was developed at Roke Manor, a research establishment in Hampshire, somewhere I've visited on occasion, though on other business and long before Hawk-Eye was developed.)

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Does its function (if not its means of achieving it) sound familiar?

No. The only sports I ever watch are baseball and figure-skating.

 

[paranoid marvin]

No. The only sports I ever watch are baseball and figure-skating.

Figure-skating's a sport? I think you're on thin ice there.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

We've had another entry this month that is toeing the line in terms of what is acceptable regarding graphically depicted violence.

I'll take a sliver of the blame, here, because it hadn't occurred to me to mention to him that there had been a discussion of graphic violence in this thread -- he doesn't read anything in here until after his story is posted. However, it's only a tiny sliver for me, because I didn't see the story before it was posted anyway!

To mitigate the remainder, I submit that he's brought his father on board this month with an excellent first entry. That should be worth something.

 

[Ursa major]

No. The only sports I ever watch are baseball and figure-skating.

Fair enough.

Hawk-Eye is not only used to track a ball, it can make predictions of where the ball might have gone if not redirected (by, say, a bat). This is very useful in cricket, because one means of dismissing a batsman is (simplifying greatly) to hit him on the pads (which cover his lower legs and knees) where the ball would otherwise have carried on to hit the stumps (three sticks in the ground).

Figure-skating doesn't seem in need of such a capability and I guess baseball is the same. (Or are there any serious disputes about whether a ball has, or would have, passed through the strike zone?)

 

[paranoid marvin]

Fair enough.

Hawk-Eye is not only used to track a ball, it can make predictions of where the ball might have gone if not redirected (by, say, a bat). This is very useful in cricket, because one means of dismissing a batsman is (simplifying greatly) to hit him on the pads (which cover his lower laegs and knees) where the ball would otherwise have carried on to hit the stumps (three sticks in the ground).

Figure-skating doesn't seem in need of such a capability and I guess baseball is the same. (Or are there any serious disputes about whether a ball has, or would have, passed through the strike zone?)

I believe in baseball the umpire strikes back?

 

[Heck Tate]

There are disputes about whether a pitch is a strike or not all the time in baseball, but they just watch the replay in slow motion and the umps judge it. No robots allowed.

 

[RSliwinski]

I had better weigh in the discussion regarding what has been termed something like "excessive use of graphic violence" in my entry.

In a quick short way, I just don't see it. If anything I would say I did scale it back a bit. Also, I don't consider it gratuitous, given the theme for the month. (I feel that in a fantasy/alternate dark ages story, torture would not be out of line).

I once visited a museum in Germany dedicated ENTIRELY to torture from the middle ages, and there were plenty of families there.

Lastly, some of the authors I admire most have been known for including graphic violence in their stories. Cormac McCarthy, Bret Easton Ellis, and of course, there is Ray Bradbury's "The October Game", which I feel is a masterpiece. (If you don't know it please look it up and read it, it is quite short.)

Okay, I'm off my soapbox now. Take care everybody!

Back to my nightmares...

RSliwinski

 

[Culhwch]

As all the mods have so far said in this thread, RSliwinski, it's not that anyone has crossed the line, only flirted with it. Our posts are general warnings, not specific reprimands, and are merely intended to head off any potential escalation. We'd rather not have to bin entries in the future, if a few well-timed words can prevent it.

And of course something like this is far from clear-cut - it's very, very subjective. Which is why if any member does have misgivings, they should run it past a mod before posting. But I do think most of our little community here have a fair understanding of what is and isn't permissable...

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

(I feel that in a fantasy/alternate dark ages story, torture would not be out of line).

I once visited a museum in Germany dedicated ENTIRELY to torture from the middle ages, and there were plenty of families there.

Lastly, some of the authors I admire most have been known for including graphic violence in their stories. Cormac McCarthy, Bret Easton Ellis, and of course, there is Ray Bradbury's "The October Game", which I feel is a masterpiece.

None of which is even the tiniest bit relevant here.

We have our rules and guidelines. Most of the time, we trust people to abide by them. When they don't we let them know. For those who have trouble with our guidelines, I'll say what I said before: the internet is wide, and there is something for everyone.

Just as some sites cater to certain tastes, we provide a place where people can come when they don't want to see that sort of material. Some of our members like to alternate between different types of site. Some tend to pretty much stick around here all the time. It's up to them.

But while they are here, they play by our rules.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I am going to make one more point, and then I hope we can leave the subject at rest for the time being:

Obviously, a few stories are not going to change the entire nature of this site making it less family friendly. But if we were to have a string of stories this month in which each writer tried to match or exceed the others in how gruesome they could be, then the thread in which all of those stories appeared would no longer be in keeping with the stated goals of this site. And that would mean that the moderators would have to do what they do with all such threads. Speaking for myself, I would be devastated if it came to a point where we had to consult together and the decision was reached that we had to do that. And that is why we are reminding people now, so that nobody pushes us over that line.

 

[Parson]

Procrastinator -- That was a marvelous entry.

 

[goldenapples]

I once visited a museum in Germany dedicated ENTIRELY to torture from the middle ages, and there were plenty of families there.

That reminds me, sorry nothing to do with the writing challenge, if you want a fright, the current Watercolours exhibition at the RA has some horrendous paintings of war casualties. Real shockers. These are paintings of barely living people writhing in agony painted in hospital by official war watercolourists for the records. And there's no warning. Total shock. You couldn't get near them for families and grannies holding their glasses up to magnify the goriest detail.

In Sensation in 1995, which was called Sensation, so you'd expect a Sensation or two, there was a blinking over-18s only room for the work of the Chapman Brothers. It was inundated by under 18s dying to get in to see what the censor was stopping them seeing.

 

[TacticalLoco]

Hear hear. I enjoy reading these little summaries. And a thank you to PM for the kind words.

Yes! The summaries are very welcome.
You offen provide deeper insight.
Thank You Perp.

 

[TacticalLoco]

Also just to let everyone know, my scapegoat story for this month has morphed into the second chapter of what I thought was a short story.

Again, I thank you all for this wonderful, insightful, challenging site.

 

[nixie]

Another good entry from Crys. Every month it gets more difficult.

 

[goldenapples]

I just googled amende honarable. Oooh!

 

[Ursa major]

I hope you didn't come to the wrong conclusion, GA: that it always wound up with a drawn-out execution.

 

[goldenapples]

No, no. I get it.

And there's a good EndIsNigh piece too.