In an effort to gain more interest, I entitled the thread for the 4th Challenge "An Invitation to All". Check it out. There have been a few minor changes made--including an increase in word limit to 5000. You will also find some change in wording that will hopefully draw new participants and encourage just-readers to participate as well.

Please read it over carefully. Let me know if you see something that really gets on your nerves. The parameters for the Nov/Dec challenge are at the bottom of the post. Don't miss them.

i'm prolly going to write it as a fantasy... and i wouldn't be surprised if i push the envelope... it'll prolly come to around 4000 words at least, knowing me

EDIT: is anyone else going to do anything for this rewrite challenge? i'm feeling kinda lonely here

I couldn't fall asleep last night because I was developing parts of the story, trying to get a clear picture of the main action, characters, etc.

But the rewrite challenge can do two things for you:

yanos:

Perhaps you could favour us with a tale that has a holiday theme that is representative of Thai culture instead? Is there a Thai holiday that focuses on giving?

I know very very little about Thai culture, but would love to learn more. I do love Thai cuisine, or at least what passes for it here in America. *g*

Now I can get to work on my sinister little gift story. HAHAHAHAHA!

As for Thai folk tales, well I have been looking for tales to rewrite for a long time now and have yet to find anything that interests me. They also have no winter solstice holiday or the like. After all it is not like we have snow here, so no one really takes any notice.

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it'll prolly come to around 4000 words at least, knowing me

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another thing, the story is going to be more contemporary i think, i mean, it's set in the future, it's going to go further into the future yet in one of the plot twists (or at least the imagined future of my young dreamer) and yet it has a lot of historical jumble thrown in too (three wise men) but it's entirely from a contemporary standpoint... so i guess i'm just saying i'm writing something i haven't written in a long time, i haven't touched contemporary since i was forced to write it in junior high!

Yanos, I'm very pleased to hear you'll be joining us, and look forward to reading. I'm also very happy to see so many participating this time.

It came to me in a dream, actually.

One word: Laocoon.

I remember Loacoon from Art History in college, and have no clue why he came up in my dreams. But the name kept recurring, in three seperate dreams that night. So I'm following that lead.

Anyway, check out these links and give me your opinion. I like it because it's a fairly unfamiliar tale with great fictional possibilities, IMO.

Check out these links:

http://www.bulfinch.org/fables/bull28.html
http://homepage.mac.com/cparada/GML/Laocoon2.html
http://www.loggia.com/myth/laocoon.html

The fifth Challenge is going to be tough for me. I love that story as it stands. But I think it's a good idea. It'll be interesting to see what comes out of it.

As a side note, I was reading a book a few weeks ago, published in the 50s, that discussed how classical myths still show up in "modern" Greek folklore. Some of the examples used were fascinating, especially regarding Hades and Charon (by the 1950s Charon had replaced Hades as ruler of the dead). The transformation of Demeter to Saint Demetra was interesting as well.

Would you mind taking charge of choosing a story for the February challenge?

And Keeley, would you like to choose one of the Arabian Knight's tales for March?

well, i guess i might be able to do something with the January challenge... it'll be tough for me on the research element

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Mine's at about 1300 words, with no CLUE how much longer it'll be. I guess that's the difference between a detailed-outline-writer and writers like me, with general outlines and vague ideas of how to connect Alpha and Omega. Eh, dpatridge?

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hehe, actually i come up with an idea of what i want to do, toss it all together in my head with a couple of main events. the only things i actually flesh out ahead of time is when i have a particularly complex character that i've never used before. hehe, you should see some of the notes i've got scattered around my bedroom, scripture tote, and desktop for my mortvers! whereas Slicer and Viniece are already intimately known to me, and i don't have ANY notes on them except my mental ones...

It was Yanos.

You can still do it if you want to. If not we can wait to see who else responds to the idea suggestions and go from there.

as i said, in my head, the stories already paraphrased in it's entirety, it's just a matter of building it up to a point where others can understand it... i just write differently i guess djv

as for accuracy, it's usually pretty darn close, i usually try to approximate according to page rather than word, but i would think that'd only be a slight variation... i suppose i could end up as much as 1000 off, but i don't think that'd happen too often... but then again, it's been a while since i wrote anything, so it may quite a bit off *shrug*

Times running out!

Only three more days?

Ok
<rant>
What on earth is up with all these Christmas movies about Santa Claus as though he's some kind of miracle worker who makes Christmas come at all? The theme of something interfering with Santa and he has to be rescued in time for Christmas Eve or the holiday will be ruined is sinfully common and I'm about to go CRAZYYYYY!!!! I'm not sure if I'm an idealist or a pessimist, but I have a feeling that the major stores have all teamed up to send out that message: I see a swirl of color going round and round and a voice saying, "You must buy presents. You must buy presents!" As if in answer, some friends of mine came over this weekend laden with gifts more expensive than I would have expected; more than I had planned to spend on any individual member of my family let alone my friends. I hand out the $1 grab bag items my husband and I had chosen to get for everyone trying to decide if I should feel guilty or not. Of course, I shouldn't, but I can only suppose that the swirling colors and voice-overs have done their job that I would even wonder if I should. Since when did Christmas have to be about people going broke? Here's an idea: Why don't we all keep our money and maybe donate part of it to people who will have trouble getting more than toys this year? My father suggested it last year to my extended family, but they thought he was joking. I knew he wasn't and thought it was a fantastic idea. One of these days....

Where was I? Oh yeah, Christmas movies with cute seven-year-olds who are apparently WISER than adults (I always thought wisdom came with age) pleading to adults who have forgotten their youth and lost sight of the magic to please please please hepl put Christmas back to rights because what would happen if we didn't all get our toys?

The Grinch. I didn't actually like the movie with Jim Carrey so much but I loved the book and the cartoon. Talk about the one Christmas story that's gotten it right. And a Christmas Carol had a nice message too. Where are those movies this year? Where is the message that Christmas is about love and generosity and people and family and not about gifts at all? And since when was the only language we could use to demonstrate our love to one another during the holidays that of a gift?

I don't like Santa Claus. Or perhaps it would be better to say I don't like the tradition of Santa Claus we have formed in the United States. I think it would be better if Santa just gave presents to the kids whose parents couldn't afford to bring them anything nice. Wouldn't that be a nice Santa?

</rant>

Either way, I'm going to have to post it. I won't be able to work on it again before the deadline.

I know what you mean, Christine. It seemed, when I was growing up, like every night there was a Christmas movie on.

Now, nothing.

I haven't seen the Grinch in YEARS.

Which brings me to my comments for wonderful Christine!

I want you to have a Merry Christmas, Christine. So I'm going to make a suggestion: Turn off the stupid TV and plug in your CD player. Find a local station that's playing non-stop Christmas music, or go buy yourself a copy of The Messiah, or some Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas music, or some other kind of soothing Christmas music that speaks of the true meaning of the season, the spirit of the season, the reason for the season.

As far as giving at Christmas, hubby and I have always tried to do something for someone else, but this year we're the recipients. Hard times. We have little to give, but are receiving MUCH! It gives a whole new perspective to the spirit of Christmas. So give. It doesn't even have to cost money. I know you don't have a lot of time--we're only a few days away. But it doesn't have to be much--a bag of groceries left anonymously on the doorstep of someone you think might be in need of not just food, but of Christmas Spirit. Simply saying "Merry Christmas" to everyone you come in contact with. Simply walking around with a pleasant smile on your face, or dangling jingle bells from your earrings (I did that at the grocery store last week--I was amazed at how many people I encouraged to smile just with those silly bells!). Or you could go so far as to do a full-fledged sub-for-Santa. It's like this: I believe that God works miracles through people like you and me who get up off our rear ends and DO something for someone else. That's how he answers prayers, by sending someone to help us, by whispering in someone's ear, "You ought to call your friend so-and-so." Or, "That little old lady could use help crossing the street." And when we act upon these quiet promptings we not only bless the lives of others, we bless ourselves as well.

So forget about who's giving what to whom and how much it costs. Just give and receive gratefully. Otherwise you're buying right in to the gluttony of it.

Feel like you're in Religion 101 yet?

Anyway, even if you don't believe in God, it's been scientifically proven that doing good for others increases endorphins. So what do you have to lose?

I'll post the next challenge sometime next week, with links to the original story.

And a reminder to yanos who has volunteered to find a story for February, and Keeley who has volunteered for March. You guys can send me the weblinks to the stories you choose ANY TIME. Either by direct email or posting them in this thread. I already have a file for bookmarking Challenge links.

Oh, and by the way: