Comments on: Arts and Farts and Crafts: A joining

By: Arts and Farts and Crafts - Clouds in a Prison | Ugly Food for an Ugly Dude

Arts and Farts and Crafts - Clouds in a Prison | Ugly Food for an Ugly Dude — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 21:51:05 +0000

[...] by the prompt that doesn’t involve a lot of poop and pee, you’ll be well-met to click this link and read Conor’s fantastic entry. Here is a brief excerpt, although there is so much more [...]

By: Anne

Anne — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:10:58 +0000

Maybe, but you have to admit that they’d win the artsy-fartsy competition every week.

I’m so old I can remember when TNY actually had GOOD writing.

By: Conor

Conor — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:30:30 +0000

I happen to respect that publication! I want a subscription for my birthday. Too bad they do not have an online version. =(

I like umlauts aplenty.

By: Anne

Anne — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 23:50:21 +0000

Good lord, I thought I’d accidentally ended up The New Yorker. The walls were closing in there for a moment.

By: Conor

Conor — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:56:32 +0000

Publishing is only enticing because it is like the piece you created breaking up with you. I realize now that I should have said something about Otto’s “rain-flecked skin” when he’s on the table—that would have complimented the apple imagery well, I think.

Or maybe it wouldn’t be any better for the change, and I just miss writing it.

By: Conor

Conor — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:35:14 +0000

I will also reiterate that more people should play along. If not for this week, then definitely sign up for next—by the way, guys, the deadline is Thursday.

How’s the prompt coming for next week, Mike?

By: Conor

Conor — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:20:54 +0000

Thanks, Mike. Really. I wrote this fairly quickly, but it took a lot of energy, and it was hard to abandon it before I went to bed.

There are a lot of issues in the writing which in the sober light of morning really don’t seem all that grave. I practically pulled hair out when deciding between “dismiss” and “dispel” for making the wall go away (and now I realize perhaps I should have used “make go away”!)—but who cares?

To me, the only reason to read a story is for its conclusion. I like the feeling of a knife in the ribs when something ends. Having reread this piece, I think the outro is on par with what I’d expect from my writing, but that’s exactly why I’m having second thoughts.

Don’t get me wrong! I’m proud of this piece. But I’m starting to realize I’m writing formulaically, and I don’t like that. It at least gives me an angle for improvement next week, though.

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:15:54 +0000

Also, I encourage any of your readers to play along with Arts and Farts and Crafts, and to simply contact me when they do so that I can provide adequate linkage.

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:15:07 +0000

Well crud!

I was just excited to see that you were playing along, but you brought your A-game. Definitely puts my piece for this week to shame (my piece has a far higher volume of poop jokes than yours, for instance). It makes me happy that some silly idea of mine like Arts and Farts and Crafts could spur something of this high quality.

By the way, the deadline is actually on Thursdays. Although if you can type up something this good in a rush, feel free to post earlier. It’ll make me want to make my own pieces better so they can stand next to yours.

As far as the em-dash…I’ll try to be better. I promise! :-p