The Pen & Sword Lounge

[DL]

So itd a good fic?

I thought you were gonna mention My Immortal

 

 

To clarify, My Immortal, and Leonidas & Laura are the two fics that have made me laugh the MOST

 

Ever.

 

Theyre just so bad they're good.

[Mugendramon]

With the talk of fanfics in Sugar Cube Corner, I am reminded of a Harry Potter fanfic I read a long time ago called Oh God! Not Again. It's a hilarious what if story where Harry (now in his late 20s) goes through the veil in the Department of Secrets. He ends up back on the night he first met Hagrid with all memories intact. Hilarity ensues with a gratuitous amount of trope savviness

 

I read this one weekend over a slight cold. I never actually finished it, but it was hilarious.

[The Warden]

Yes, it is an amazing fic due to the intelligence used in writing it as well as the author's work in redeeming certain characters. Plus, they use Luna Lovegood a lot more. That's already a plus.

Oh, and if you want the male equivalent of My Immortal, look up 30 Hs. It's short, but it'll make you laugh

[DL]

Wasnt there a gangster version of My Immortal?

I tried reading it but there was just too much ebonics for me.

[The Warden]

Implying My Immortal was in any ways coherent?

[DL]

A good point.

 

But it was in...some..form of non.ebonicked English XDD

[Thar]

BTW I have an idea for an future project:

 

Fly on the Wall

 

This is more of a challenge. So, we each think of a thing, a place, and a situation. Then we do some randomizer, and we have to send a person our thing, our place, and our situation. Different people. And once everyone has a mixmatch of a thing, place, and situation

 

For example:

 

Bank Robbers, New York, Mcdonalds meal

 

You must write a story with that......BUT, the catch is, you must ONLY show, not tell. As if the narrator was a fly on the wall, who could not tell anything, only display what was shown (or said of course)

 

That actually sounds VERY fun.

 

As for the first contest: I'm currently brainstorming ideas for one.

 

Wasnt there a gangster version of My Immortal?

I tried reading it but there was just too much Ebonics for me.

 

das racist mayn

 

Gangsters with magic wands... why does that sound both hilarious and awesome?

[DL]

It sounds awesome because it sounds odd enough to be great.

 

 

And yeah, I did that in my class in 10th grade.

 

I felt it was a really nice idea, but wed have to have an exact number of people sign up before starting the exchange.

[Thar]

I felt it was a really nice idea, but wed have to have an exact number of people sign up before starting the exchange.

 

We can't just all submit a person, place, thing, and situation? Cause what the host can do is make a list for each category (including our names), toss them all into Randomizer as separate lists, and write down the results respective to who lines up with what. I don't think we need a certain amount of people to do that.

 

EDIT: I finished my contest entry and sent it to Renegade. Really looking forward to what everyone else came up with.

[Ren✧]

Not sure I am understanding the randomizer bit of the 'Fly on the Wall', but the overall premise seems like quite the challenge and a lot fun. If you guys all like that idea, I wouldn't mind having it as the next challenge. 

 

Remember guys, April 4 is the deadline. If anyone has any big conflictions with this date, please notify me about it. I am going on a college trip that day, so voting might not start till the next day. 

 

As for whomever brought up a Creative Writing class, I am so jealous of you right now. My school doesn't place much emphasis on creative writing, so we don't have anything like that. 

[Mugendramon]

The writing my school makes room for is not about creativeness in the slightest, which makes me really sad.

 

Essay essay argument this quote that essay essay. Makes me want to kill people.

[Ren✧]

The writing my school makes room for is not about creativeness in the slightest, which makes me really sad.

 

Essay essay argument this quote that essay essay. Makes me want to kill people.

 

Most schools, at least in the US, don't want kids to explore creative writing. Instead, they teach us how to write to a formula. Meaning that when you step out side their little step-by-step writing guide, you get chastised and told that your writing is "wishy washy" (those are actual words that I received from an English teacher when I turned in a piece of creative writing as an essay)

[Thar]

My school has a Creative Writing class, but only for certain semesters and usually not during times that I'm available.

 

I had one Creative Writing class in high school. I never took it seriously, though, and half the assignments weren't even writing. :/

[Agro]

WAIT.
 

 

 
I just realized this is a thing. Now let me check the books...
 
Absolutely real--have pages and everything. I thought they'd be a nice durable cardboard. Matter of fact, they're absolutely real. Pages and-- Here! Lemme show you:
 
1. Do you prefer to write or to review?
Write. Reviews generally turn into the written equivalent of a reaction video, so I try to avoid it, but if you do something interesting enough on a mechanical level, I may be more inclined.

2. What genre do you like to write about?
Genre's are limiting /hipsterlogic. It depends on the basic idea, though. Most of the time it breaks into a few. I'll say Sci-Fi/Fantasy for specifics.

3. What form of writing do you enjoy the most(Short story, novel, poem, etc)?
I don't ever write enough to say I write novels, but I definitely storyboard for them. I've written more short stories and plays than I have novels, but most of the time when designing or writing the story, it's mainly aiming for something along the lines of a novel or screenplay. Definitely aspiring to penning my own novels, scripts, and screenplays.

4. Why do you write? Is there someone that inspired you to write?
If you were to inspect the contents of my mind, 6% is what I'm doing at any given moment, 3% is self-deprecation, 1% is better left unsaid, and the last 90% is moments in stories I've written flashing into and out of existence. Almost the majority of my time is spent thinking about any given scene or structure of any of the many stories I've come up with and tweaking or reshaping them. It's a bit of a nightmare when it actually comes to getting things done because of that, unfortunately. I just enjoy coming up with fictional characters, locations, and events.

5. Any special title you would like to hold?
Major Major Major Major
 
Also, here's a better tool & resource than everything you have up in the OP combined.


Points if you got all of the references in this post.

Most schools, at least in the US, don't want kids to explore creative writing. Instead, they teach us how to write to a formula. Meaning that when you step out side their little step-by-step writing guide, you get chastised and told that your writing is "wishy washy" (those are actual words that I received from an English teacher when I turned in a piece of creative writing as an essay)

As an English major with a focus on creative writing, I'm gonna need you to stop complaining. The formal essay is a format of writing in and of itself. Of course you're going to get told you're doing it wrong if you try to write completely creatively. Normal presentation you're familiar with in story structure doesn't work in essay format. In essay format, you first present what you're going to talk about, including the main points, then you go on to explain those points. They teach you it because it's straight forward and easy to understand.

Knowing how to write an essay is never about learning how to write, it's literally all about showing you know the information you're presenting while making it as easy for the reader (the teacher/professor) to understand as possible. If you take too many liberties with the format, then your writing is going to become fuddles and harder to understand. In other words: it will become "wishy-washy."

That being said, that doesn't mean there isn't any leeway within the formal essay format. In fact, there's a whole hell of a lot of room. And it's also a bit educational. Having such a rigid structure is very helpful for learning and making use of the intricacies of every word you choose, sentence structure, and a whole lot of other things. It also helps you learn how to present ideas in an orderly manner which will help out a lot in many practical areas down the road.

...why did I just déjà vu hard right there...?

I'm surprised and disappointed to hear many of you aren't offered the option of creative writing courses, however. That's what you're obviously looking for and isn't anything like what I keep reading on here. I was lucky enough to have it as an option in high school and ended up at one of the top 3 universities in the US for fiction and poetry.

[DL]

I like that idea, Loki.

 

We just need to all post ideas for a thing, a place, and a situation, and then Renny can randomize them and give them to us.

 

XP

 I support the idea

 

.....cuz i gave it..XD

[Ren✧]

WAIT.
 

 

 
I just realized this is a thing. Now let me check the books...
 
Absolutely real--have pages and everything. I thought they'd be a nice durable cardboard. Matter of fact, they're absolutely real. Pages and-- Here! Lemme show you:
 
1. Do you prefer to write or to review?
Write. Reviews generally turn into the written equivalent of a reaction video, so I try to avoid it, but if you do something interesting enough on a mechanical level, I may be more inclined.

2. What genre do you like to write about?
Genre's are limiting /hipsterlogic. It depends on the basic idea, though. Most of the time it breaks into a few. I'll say Sci-Fi/Fantasy for specifics.

3. What form of writing do you enjoy the most(Short story, novel, poem, etc)?
I don't ever write enough to say I write novels, but I definitely storyboard for them. I've written more short stories and plays than I have novels, but most of the time when designing or writing the story, it's mainly aiming for something along the lines of a novel or screenplay. Definitely aspiring to penning my own novels, scripts, and screenplays.

4. Why do you write? Is there someone that inspired you to write?
If you were to inspect the contents of my mind, 6% is what I'm doing at any given moment, 3% is self-deprecation, 1% is better left unsaid, and the last 90% is moments in stories I've written flashing into and out of existence. Almost the majority of my time is spent thinking about any given scene or structure of any of the many stories I've come up with and tweaking or reshaping them. It's a bit of a nightmare when it actually comes to getting things done because of that, unfortunately. I just enjoy coming up with fictional characters, locations, and events.

5. Any special title you would like to hold?
Major Major Major Major
 
Also, here's a better tool & resource than everything you have up in the OP combined.


Points if you got all of the references in this post.






As an English major with a focus on creative writing, I'm gonna need you to stop complaining. The formal essay is a format of writing in and of itself. Of course you're going to get told you're doing it wrong if you try to write completely creatively. Normal presentation you're familiar with in story structure doesn't work in essay format. In essay format, you first present what you're going to talk about, including the main points, then you go on to explain those points. They teach you it because it's straight forward and easy to understand.

Knowing how to write an essay is never about learning how to write, it's literally all about showing you know the information you're presenting while making it as easy for the reader (the teacher/professor) to understand as possible. If you take too many liberties with the format, then your writing is going to become fuddles and harder to understand. In other words: it will become "wishy-washy."

That being said, that doesn't mean there isn't any leeway within the formal essay format. In fact, there's a whole hell of a lot of room. And it's also a bit educational. Having such a rigid structure is very helpful for learning and making use of the intricacies of every word you choose, sentence structure, and a whole lot of other things. It also helps you learn how to present ideas in an orderly manner which will help out a lot in many practical areas down the road.

...why did I just déjà vu hard right there...?

I'm surprised and disappointed to hear many of you aren't offered the option of creative writing courses, however. That's what you're obviously looking for and isn't anything like what I keep reading on here. I was lucky enough to have it as an option in high school and ended up at one of the top 3 universities in the US for fiction and poetry.

 

Accepted.

 

And I'm aware of the point of the essay format, however writing like that is extremely boring. This year I learned that it is just best to write to their formula and make them happy than it is to let my grades suffer because I want to take creative liberties. That being said, I would still much rather have at least one essay included in the god-awful state tests that allow more creative liberties to be taken. 

 

I have developed a slight liking towards the persuasive essay, as it does allow me to convey my view points on issues. However, most of the time the topics given are incredibly childish and don't pertain to more controversial issues(which in my opinion are more fun to write about) 

[DL]

I dont often like topics teachers give.......

 

Such as, politics, transportation, school, etc

 

 

I love when they give us free topics though XD

[EPTinYugi]

I dont often like topics teachers give.......

 

Such as, politics, transportation, school, etc

 

 

I love when they give us free topics though XD

I love when they want us to think of a topic and think more, along with some kind of fun, of what we want to talk about instead of getting assigned something you hate or can't relate to, sometimes. I have to make an argument essay and tell my teacher tomorrow a topic I chosen; instead of the typical gay marriage or marijuana, I chosen to do legalizing prostitution since it's out of the box and I saw some topics about it on other forums. 

[DL]

Back in middle school, when they asked us to do an expository essay, I did one about ninjas and penguins.

 

Just cuz.

 

I got 3.6/6, when 3 is actually a passing score.

 

Cuz it was well written.

[Agro]

And I'm aware of the point of the essay format, however writing like that is extremely boring. This year I learned that it is just best to write to their formula and make them happy than it is to let my grades suffer because I want to take creative liberties. That being said, I would still much rather have at least one essay included in the god-awful state tests that allow more creative liberties to be taken. 
 
I have developed a slight liking towards the persuasive essay, as it does allow me to convey my view points on issues. However, most of the time the topics given are incredibly childish and don't pertain to more controversial issues(which in my opinion are more fun to write about)

Take a Philosophy class. I haven't seen any "childish" persuasive essays past the ACT.

I think I've gotten to the point in my writing that I can take so many creative liberties in a formal essay without consequence and rarely if ever even notice the kind of restrictions I was so used to despising back in middle school.

I love when they want us to think of a topic and think more, along with some kind of fun, of what we want to talk about instead of getting assigned something you hate or can't relate to, sometimes. I have to make an argument essay and tell my teacher tomorrow a topic I chosen; instead of the typical gay marriage or marijuana, I chosen to do legalizing prostitution since it's out of the box and I saw some topics about it on other forums.

Argue for prostitution, but only do it as someone from the late 1800's, when prostitution in Great Britain offered better wages, living conditions, and mortality rates than basically any other job a woman could have at the time.

[Thar]

I bombed my ACT persuasive essay. I was asked to choose whether Energy drinks should have a legal age like alcohol does. I got a 3 out of 36, which basically cut my Reading score in half. Not even my 27 in Math could save me from that.

[Agro]

I bombed my ACT persuasive essay. I was asked to choose whether Energy drinks should have a legal age like alcohol does. I got a 3 out of 36, which basically cut my Reading score in half. Not even my 27 in Math could save me from that.

That's such a weird thing to ask. Like. I'm not even sure I'd know how to debate that. Like, what's the argument for a legal age for energy drinks? That's such a shitty question. Sucks you got it. :( Did you retake the exam?

I forgot what my question was. I think it was something school-related.

[EPTinYugi]

Argue for prostitution, but only do it as someone from the late 1800's, when prostitution in Great Britain offered better wages, living conditions, and mortality rates than basically any other job a woman could have at the time.

Thank you very sir! Basically these are the points I found many people arguing with about legalizing it, even my teacher is from Uk, so she might know something about the history with it. Has anyone ever taken a film class? Most of the time they have an analyzing essays about one of the films you watched and wow, much different from my usual essays. 

[Thar]

Did you retake the exam?

 

No, I just decided to enroll in a Community college instead of a university. The one I planned to go to required a score that I was kissing the ceiling under.

[Agro]

Thank you very sir! Basically these are the points I found many people arguing with about legalizing it, even my teacher is from Uk, so she might know something about the history with it. Has anyone ever taken a film class? Most of the time they have an analyzing essays about one of the films you watched and wow, much different from my usual essays.

I'm also majoring in Comm Arts and I can attest that Film essays are weird.

It's all about analyzing what the film is DOING rather than what the film is SAYING. Like, oh, the director used canted angles here here and here. Don't tell me what they're trying to say with this technique; tell me what this technique is DOING to the rest of the film.

It sounds easy, but in practice, writing about it is really weird.