Collaborative fiction

[Supergrunch]

<I'd quite like to try out some collaborative fiction - I think it could be an interesting creative exercise. This will basically play like a big boys' version of a three word story game - each person writes not three words but a short passage, and we should aim at actually writing a coherent, decent piece of fiction. This isn't going to work without some ground rules, so:

 

- Each post must contain a decent amount of writing; as a rough guide try to write at least a decent sized paragraph per post.

- Feel free to write more than this, but bear in mind that it is possible to write to much. Don't write for pages and snatch away a huge chunk of story.

- Try to maintain a sense of continuity between posts. Keep things relatively sensical, and make sure each post leads on from the next. However, this doesn't mean you can't change the scene.

- Keep the story on track. Do not write ridiculous things, and don't take the piss. It's generally pretty clear when people are doing this.

- This rule has a corollary: if peoples' ideas are genuine, respect them. Don't get angry simply because the story has gone in a direction you dislike.

 

I'll delete posts I judge to be breaking these rules. And before this even starts, I'll point out that if a post is totally out of place, then deleting it is in no way narrow-minded, whatever its content may be.

 

And with that, I'll provide the opening of the story:>

 

The chamber arched high above him, stirring the hairs on the back of his neck and bringing a sense a discomfort to all that he did. Excluding those times he picked up the photograph. It was the one constant in this place that he could rely upon, but did it anchor him to reality, or tie him down, preventing him from exploring the world outside the chamber? With this conflict marching down his roads of thought, he carefully placed the photograph back on the table, not allowing himself to slip and smash it. As soon as he let go of it his unease returned, and his despair forcibly pushed him down onto his bed, where he lay for a few minutes in silence, until his melancholy was disrupted by an abrupt and agressive assault upon the door of his chamber. The knocking was loud enough to cut through his thoughts, and so he felt forced to respond to it in some way.

[The fish]

Turned his head towards the door, he lifted his head fractionally, but didn't get up. He methodically sieved through the theories his mind had created regarding this visitor. He didn't get through many - eight seconds after it stopped, the hammering started again. This time, sat up and swung his legs off the bed, paused briefly to collect his thoughts, and pushed himself up. Sliding his hand along the surface of the rough wooden table as he passed it, his fingertips found the photograph. Caressing it, he shifted his eyes to his right, and his head followed. Tilting the photograph towards him slightly, he stared deep into the image, everything in it so visible in his mind, yet so, so distant. The third assailing of the door snapped him back to the chamber, and he continued across the floor. Reaching the threshold, he placed one hand on the frame, and the other on the handle, wrapping his fingers tight around it. He paused, and twisted his wrist quickly, the mechanical clunk of the mechanism echoing back to him from somewhere high in the chamber. A second pause, and he pulled the door open.

[ReZourceman]

A hooded figure stood at the door, he threw a neatly bundled pile of clothes bound by a straggling rope into the room and walked off slowly. His robe was long and dark red with gold tassles. The figure stopped in his way and turning his body glanced back at the chamber looking perfectly still, his face completely hidden and shrouded by the shadow. His stance was intimidating and fear instilling. The figure whisked his robe around and marched forward quickly towards the cobbled stairs. The sound of a large metal gate crashed shut piercing the deadly silence and sending a vibration of echoes through the tall hallways.

[MoogleViper]

<Grunchie is there any sort of direction we have to follow? Any genre? Any basic storylines?>

[Mundi]

Sighing in relief he walked back to his bed and sat down. He picked up the photograph again and thought about how lucky he was that the man did not notice the photograph, they were not allowed to have things that reminded them of their former life and he did not know what would happen if the photo was found, mostly he did not want to know what would happen if they found out about the photo.

Putting down the photo reluctantly he stood up and picked up the cloths on the floor, dressing up slowly while thinking about how he came to be here.

[Supergrunch]

<Grunchie is there any sort of direction we have to follow? Any genre? Any basic storylines?>

<Nope, take it where you want to take it. Depending on how things work out, I might try refining this in later games. Also, I'll add in another minor rule - put anything that isn't part of the story in angle brackets to make it clear what's what. Anyway, this is looking good so far!>

[MoogleViper]

<Nope, take it where you want to take it. Depending on how things work out, I might try refining this in later games. Also, I'll add in another minor rule - put anything that isn't part of the story in angle brackets to make it clear what's what. Anyway, this is looking good so far!>

 

<Ok. I'll most definitely contribute to this at some point. So keep it going long enough for me to get my juices flowing. Oh and I assume "< >" is because it's not part of the story?

 

PS: are we allowed to discuss posts? I think it might improve it and help the next person write something which follows on better and makes more sense.>

[Supergrunch]

<Yep, feel free to discuss posts and the story in general, but try not to be too critical unless you think someone isn't playing the game properly.>

[MoogleViper]

<Yep, feel free to discuss posts and the story in general, but try not to be too critical unless you think someone isn't playing the game properly.>

 

<well in ReZ's post I wasn't sure whether the gates slammed shut after the robed figure had left or before and locked him in. But Mundi seems to have taken it as after.

 

Also what kind of room is he in? Is it is bedroom? If so why is it a chamber? I get the image of a medieval stone building.

 

And what is the setting for this? Earth? Fictional place? Time/date?

 

end of questions for now>

[Supergrunch]

<Oh, you can't ask that sort of latter question, that's up to the writers to decide and work out... defining things outside the passage somewhat destroys the point. In fact, I see no need to define them inside the passage either, unless necessary. All I can say is that the world is shaped by the writers, as in all stories.

 

Also, if Mundi takes it to be after, then the ambiguity has been cleared up, so the reader now understands what happened.>

[MoogleViper]

<Oh, you can't ask that sort of latter question, that's up to the writers to decide and work out... defining things outside the passage somewhat destroys the point. In fact, I see no need to define them inside the passage either, unless necessary. All I can say is that the world is shaped by the writers, as in all stories.

 

Also, if Mundi takes it to be after, then the ambiguity has been cleared up, so the reader now understands what happened.>

 

<So basically anything goes? (within reason obviously)>

[Supergrunch]

<So basically anything goes? (within reason obviously)>

<Pretty much - if you think it'll work, do it.>

[ReZourceman]

<How many posts/portions of story should we leave before another post?>

[Supergrunch]

<As many as you like, as long as you aren't double posting.>

[MoogleViper]

The man sat down on his bed. His head dropped into his hands. He tried desperately to navigate through the swirling mess but still he could not remember how he came to be in this place.

 

He concentrated as hard as he could just to remember the previous day. He managed to squeeze out a few small memories. Faint, murky wisps of memories but it was a start. He could remember a room. He was in the room. He was tied to something, some sort of platform. There were men in white jackets. Their faces were a blur. he tried to remember what happened in there but everytime he tried a searing pain ripped through his head. Try as he might it was futile. He turned to the picture. The image of himself smiled back at him. but he wasn't alone. He was stood with his arms around a young female. Though he didn't know who this female was he could feel her presence buried deep inside his memory.

[The fish]

<Moogle may have been playing Resident Evil 4 recently. >

[Nintendohnut]

<Haha actually it makes me really want to take this in the direction of Second Sight...

 

 

Just me? Oh well!>

[Esequiel]

A searing pain shot through his body. He felt as though he were on fire, like a thousand white hot knifes stabbing at him, blinding him, making him scream out in pain and collapse to the floor. Writhing in agony he hears someone laughing at him, sees in his mind eye, himself and the girl running from something in the dark. Closer and closer it comes, nearly in view...... The pain vanished.

[MoogleViper]

<Moogle may have been playing Resident Evil 4 recently. >

 

<nope I've never played a Resi Evil game. Why is it a similar storyline?>

[ReZourceman]

<(I do want to post more, but personally don't know where to take the next portion. Someone else post! )>