Margot was daydreaming when she ran into a solid brick wall, alcoved out of a fixture of stone. She seated herself in the unyielding impression, wondering what had become of her daydream. She waited and listened and heard but the limbo of a wind, caught between the border of an exhale -- and an inhale. Unseeable friends from childhood times paraded by the place she rested: lavender dwarves in floppy red hats, kangaroos in sloshy old boots, juggling ice cubes that melted as they spun, pink kittens waving their jolly claws at her. These were the amiable apparitions she thought she should imagine. Unable to cast shadows or echo the light, they obliged as best they could, and when she closed her eyes quickly, she was certain she could see their afterimage.Story #362
To all my regular visitors (and new ones): Sorry for posting this story on Sunday, when I promised Saturday. The part of me that makes up these stories wasn't being cooperative. For the new phase of the blog, following the initial offensive of 360 stories I have some questions for all of you:
1) Which day of the week is best for weekly posts?
2) Would it be bad if I posted my story first, and anyone (who wanted to) contributed their own story afterwards, instead of in reverse, as we have been doing?
3) A list of two questions seems somewhat meager, so what question did I forget?
19 comments:
1) I think posting pics Fri. and stories Mon. is good if you are still soliciting readers' stories.
2)Yes. I don't want to be influenced.
3) How about, "Should this blog include other material besides stories (as it has now and then)? If so, what and how often?" For instance, you might wish to recommend on a regular basis items you had published or found elsewhere, with comments about why they were worth visiting.
I like your story. Her fantasies were just too cute to live.
Day of the week doesn't matter to me because sometimes I busy one day off another. I often read things and don;t comment until later in the week or whatever depending on if my commenting brain is on. Sometimes I just read to enjoy and don't comment at all.
What were the other questions?
LOL
Whichever way you do it is fine........whatever keeps you writing.
I love the colors in this story. Compared to the washed out photograph itself. The thought of being caught between the moment of exhale and inhale is brilliant. Keep writing and keep posting, time, day, before, after, doesn't matter.
Mrs. Weirsdo: That's good feedback. I want to present the stories in the way that they can be enjoyed the most. The various perspectives that people have contributed have been wonderful. I think what bothered me with #361 was having a seven day period between posting the picture, and posting my story. That's probably too long. But a weekend between photo and story might be just right. (I hope people still feel like contributing stories to this photograph).
I was thinking the exact same about having an occasional post during the week, mentioning great things I've found.
Alice: Thanks for the input. Actually I wanted to dedicate this story to you, because it seemed afterwards to be kind of Wonderlandish, but with last week's post also dedicated to you people might get the idea I'm in love with you ;-) Not that that's a bad thing.
Batul: Thank you so much. I don't always feel confident about my stories. Even if a story doesn't work, I hope there's one sentence/phrase that helps make it memorable. Though in this case, I'm sure some author somewhere has thought of this moment between breaths.
I don't understand... you post the photos before the stories? Where?
Oldcomers know about all that, but not the newcomers. Sorry I didn't make that more clear.
When I started the blog in 2004, I posted stories seven days a week. Sometime in 2005 I changed to five a week, and added weekend stories. Saturday morning I'd post a photo without the story, and invite visitors to post their own inspirations, which I then reposted at indeterminacies.blogspot.com.
Now that I've switched to weekly posting, I'm wondering how to continue that tradition, which seems to have worked quite well. Story 361 I posted about a week after I posted the photo. 362 I've posted along with the story, to see how that works, if people still want to contribute. I think part of the fun was waiting to see what I would post after everyone else has posted.
Sometimes I daydream like her but I never searched for the echo of light! I just love these stories that make one get carried away. I would love to read a longer story of this type!
1) Posting story on mondays is a good idea I think.
2) Not at all, it would be really nice I think. We can even try to inspire ourself from each other because the picture already links every story in a way. I used to skip the stories of visitors and only read when I had posted mine but then I started reading before writing and that was also interesting. One can always write something different or similar deliberately or not.
3) :)) I dont know but I ll just comment on something. There are already some people who just write stories to every picture you post... Mush? LOL
Does anyone here fancy a story game? I would love to take part in something playful with everyone here. I jiust came up with this idea: Indie posts a paragraph and then the first commentator writes a line that continues the story. The second commentator continues the story further and in the end we would have a completely weird story.
Maybe its Pokemon of the gameboy emulator I have been playing that is getting at me...
Actually, I think I liked the original way: picture first, your story after...but I could also just skip your story and read it once I had posted mine -- so either way is really fine. I liked when you posted the picture on the weekend, because I have more time then...but do what pleases you, Indie.
I am a newbie but I am pretty open and relaxed. I read blogs all the time and with two kids have a pretty erratic schedule so any day is fine with me.
As for whether you post your story along with it or not, that would also not bother me... others will write something anyway and it makes it more fun and challenging to find your own words and stay true to what wants to emerge from within...
You know, go with what works best for you!
Viruswitch: That's great feedback. The feeling seems to be, pictures on Friday, my story on Monday. And I think this captures the best of both worlds. Since they will be weekly posts, anyone wanting to contribute after-the-fact can look in later.
To be honest, I never liked the end result of those story round-robins. It seems to me a story as a whole is stronger if it has a single artistic/literary idea behind it. But I also think it's a fun thing to participate in. Maybe we should try it during the week. I'll look for a photo tonight and we can see what comes of it.
Mutha: I want to do what pleases all of you. But That's probably the deciding point. People have more time on the weekend, so that's when the picture should be available.
Miz B: No one has contributed a story for this photo yet ;-) So maybe seeing my story does put people off.
A good story. Old fantasies make faithful friends. As does an Indie story or two, now and again.
I just love that story, love the place it took me. As a newbie, I have no preference since I am not used to any particular format, but I sort of echo Alice and MizB sentiments on any day works for me, as a working mom, with varying days off, but always weekends home, it's catch as catch can. I am sure however you do it, your storytelling will continue to cast its spell.
1.def mondays. it is when all bloggers come out to play in blogland having spent the weekend doing what people do at weekends.
2. keep it the way it is. why spoil something good or, if you'd prefer, why fix what ain't broke?
3. dunno. too many questions maybe scare people?
Also in favor of posting the pic on Friday and the story on Monday. I don't want to be influenced either. Everything else is just fine. I have no further questions, your honor.
- - -
Katrina had been dabbling in abstract physics, and on a lark she set out to create the invisible swing. It took a few long nights to figure out and a couple weekends to construct, but she created a swingset with no visible seat or cabling. She took this photo to demonstrate that it could hold an adult's weight and looked like fun. It worked through electromagnets that repelled the human body yet still held it within its gravitational field.
There was still one bug to work out: The generator that made it work was pretty large, and to generate the field the person had to be within the framework of the generator. In her prototype, you could sit in it and wobble about, and you could swing forward with the greatest of ease, but it wasn't useable in a practical sense because there was a back wall (of brick to reduce unwanted magnetic influence) which made the backswing from going forward... rather unpleasant. She was working on that little flaw.
Hi Indie, I liked your story for this picture.
I've never contributed anything to your site yet so don't really have too many opinions (yet! just you wait!)
I do agree with weirsdso that people might like seeing your picture for a few days and make up their own stories before being influenced (in my case intimidated) by your stories.
Being of an indeterminate nature, I have no preference. On another note, (pun intended), your name makes sense now. Two words brought it together for me
John
Cage
Thanks for stopping by my place!
That moment between the inhale and exhale, that nothing, is all things.
Peace..............
Doug: Thanks Doug - I'm glad for old friends, and wish I had some more new ideas.
G: I'm glad you enjoyed the story.
The consensus seems to be post the photo Friday, and story on Monday. And tomorrow's Friday!
Cocaine Jesus: When you show up and start speaking in numbered Bible verses 1. 2. 3., there's nothing to do but listen. Also I used to be a programmer, and the golden rule "if it ain't broke don't fix it" was one we tried to observe religiously.
Mushroom: I loved this story. I think you had more imagination on it than I did. And I guess I'll keep things the way they've been, with the weekend stories.
Kyahgirl: I really dont see why people should be intimidated by my stories. Please don't be. Myself, I find it more interesting to write without knowing what the other's have done, because those stories might influence me, e.g. I'd probably want to avoid writing something the same or similar.
Village Idiot: And thanks for stopping by my place. Now, everyone go visit the Village Idiot and read his Bus post!
Helen: Thank you. I stopped by your blog earlier today - to vote for you in one of your blog battles. I hope you won!
Good, visual story.
It doesn't matter to me what day you choose to post the photo/story.
It would be good if you post the photo on a certain day each week, then give people a few days to post their stories. Top it off by posting your story, and have the last couple of days for commenting.
This gives you a relaxed schedule without a lot of pressure to come up with daily material.
We get to pop in and read what others come up with, make comments if we want, and after a few days, see what the photo inspired you to write.
Change of topic: My high speed internet is up and running again - a day earlier than expected. I am so happy! You were right about dial up causing wrinkles. My brow may be permanently furrowed.
Post a Comment