Story Ideas - Round Two

**Eldanuumea** · September 23rd, 2003, 09:01 PM

Here's a fresh thread in which to kick around story ideas, comment on stories already underway, etc. etc.

**Rocket Sheep** · October 5th, 2003, 04:21 AM

Er... Jacquin... I really want to write a Chaucer tale... but... I've never read him...

Hey, I'm a genre writer... those literary snobs turn their pointy little noses up at genre, why can't I do the same to great literary works... it's only fair.

Can you give me a few hints?

**Holbrook** · October 5th, 2003, 04:40 AM

Holbrook puts on English Li hat and coughs....

Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales, a collection of stories in a frame story, between 1387 and 1400. It is the story of a group of thirty people who travel as pilgrims to Canterbury (England). The pilgrims, who come from all layers of society, tell stories to each other to kill time while they travel to Canterbury.
If we trust the General Prologue, Chaucer intended that each pilgrim should tell two tales on the way to Canterbury and two tales on the way back. He never finished his enormous project and even the completed tales were not finally revised. Scholars are uncertain about the order of the tales. As the printing press had yet to be invented when Chaucer wrote his works, The Canterbury Tales has been passed down in several handwritten manuscripts.

Some of the pilgrims:

Knight, Miller, Reeve, Cook, Friar, Man of Law, Wife of Bath,(married goodness how many times) Merchant etc....

Does that help Sheepie...

**Jacquin** · October 5th, 2003, 05:56 AM

My basic idea was to create a modern version of Chaucers work. The thought was that we could pick a character and then write a story as if we were them. It doesn't have to be a chaucerian one, any character that has a historical feel is fine. Importanntly it doesn't have to be about them, just a story they would tell...

So if you want to write a story as if you were a knight then that is good, if you want to write one as if you were a fishmonger then that works too. As long as you start off telling us who you are and why you are telling this story then it is ok. I am currently working on rewriting one of the original tales from a slightly diferent point of view.

Basically I thought of it as an exercise to write in a different style to that which we normally use annd to be able to experiment with different povs and such.

Hope this helps

J

**Rocket Sheep** · October 5th, 2003, 06:22 AM

Yes, m'lords. Thank you, m'lords. Please excuse my ignorance m'lords. Had a bit of trouble wif me booklearnin and such but I reckon I can do that, jus fine.

I don't suppose a Knight who says Ni is terribly historical an all tho, huh?

**Jacquin** · October 5th, 2003, 06:28 AM

No but perhaps a story about a peasant who threw mud at the king could be...

**Rocket Sheep** · October 5th, 2003, 06:42 AM

... any shrubbery in that story?

**Iskaral Pust** · October 7th, 2003, 12:01 PM

I really want to write a story where something big gets blow up - I think it's just a phase...

**Cnaeus Valerius** · October 7th, 2003, 12:31 PM

Then might I suggest the Anthology of Evil Tales by Various Authors thread? Currently we are waiting to see what "Dysil the undertaker" is doing in or near a sausage factory. You can certainly work through your phase with that! Big places, sausage factories...

**Rocket Sheep** · October 8th, 2003, 05:42 PM

Very messy when they explode too... I've heard of it raining frogs and fish and cats and dogs... but never offal.

**Bigfoot** · October 9th, 2003, 05:39 AM

Originally posted by Rocket Sheep
Very messy when they explode too... I've heard of it raining frogs and fish and cats and dogs... but never offal.

Just watch out for the black puddings

As for the stories, can anyone join in?

**kater** · October 9th, 2003, 06:32 AM

Your best bet is to read the 'About this section' thread, or if like me you wanna just write

- contact whoever started the thread by private message and ask to join, or start your own one - either way its a safe bet you'll get a good reaction. Welcome and enjoy

**Rocket Sheep** · October 9th, 2003, 07:05 AM

Oh yes please Big Foot. Join in!

The Anthology of Evil Tales has its rules in the first post as do a lot of the other threads. Just add your own evil tale to the anthology.

Some of them are on-going and require you to read what has already happened (making the ones with less posts more appealing) before you attempt to further the plot but everyone is happy to have fresh writers join in. Stories generally get left to a few dedicated writers who can keep tabs on the plot and as long as you don't twist it illogically or blow it to pieces they'll be pleased for a little help. That's why we keep emphasising "Collaborative": working together... altho... if you want to start a story where the rule is to work against the previous writer... feel free.

Please put your foot in, test the water.