Writing The Anthology Shuffle Game

[Sabrina]

[FONT="Tahoma"]Welcome to the Anthology Shuffle Game! As you all know the Anthology is home to all sorts of literature from poems, songs, stories, fan fiction, and so much more. The Anthology Shuffle is a game where you challenge someone to write a short piece in one of the literature formats that grace this corner of the boards.

For example you might challenge someone to write a poem about love or a short story about the beach. The idea is to be specific; you can even request what type of poem format you?d like to see it in. Here are a few examples:

Challenge: Write a poem about love using rhymes.
Challenge: Write a short story about the beach in 500 words or less.
Challenge: Write an advertisement for Flunder, tell us what this marvel is! Sell it to the population!

Now here is how it works: after answering the challenge by writing what they requested, you are to issue a challenge for the next person. Just make sure you keep it reasonable okay?

One more thing, if a challenge goes unanswered for two days then someone can post and break the challenge by posting whatever they like, a short story, a poem, some lyrics, etc. Just indicate that you are posting a new challenge and don?t forget to give the next person a new one at the end of your post! And there you have it, the basic premises to the Anthology Shuffle.

So to get this started, here is the first challenge! :catgirl:

[B]Challenge:[/B] Write a short story, 200 words or less, about rain. [/FONT]

[Aberinkula]

[SIZE="1"][COLOR="DarkSlateGray"]While I will take the challenge, I can't finish it tonight. But I'm must say Sabrina, this is just wow. You've showed us that you can make an amazing event, sorry but I think you should be the new event master lol. But seriously, you are an excellant host, you are happy, upbeat and fun, everything that makes a great host.

Look forword to doing this more often.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[Sabrina]

[FONT="Tahoma"][QUOTE=Aberinkula][SIZE="1"][COLOR="DarkSlateGray"]While I will take the challenge, I can't finish it tonight. But I'm must say Sabrina, this is just wow. You've showed us that you can make an amazing event, sorry but I think you should be the new event master lol. But seriously, you are an excellant host, you are happy, upbeat and fun, everything that makes a great host.

Look forword to doing this more often.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/QUOTE]Thank you. I'm glad you like the idea, however, unlike the graphic worm you can't claim a challenge, unless you are literally working on it and will be posting within say an hour. In that case you can claim it and then come back and edit the post.

However, if someone does that and two hours pass with no edit then the challenge is open to anyone again. So no claiming challenges if you don't have the time to write it up at that moment.

No worries though Prem, if someone beats you to this challenge, you can always accept the one that they post! :catgirl:[/FONT]

[Aberinkula]

[COLOR="DarkSlateGray"][size=1]Oh that's okay, but hey, if this challenge goes unanswered I still have a shot ^_^... *waits for Allamorph*[/size][/COLOR]

[Rachmaninoff]

[quote name='Sabrina'][FONT="Tahoma"][B]Challenge:[/B] Write a short story, 200 words or less, about rain. [/FONT][/QUOTE]Since Prem didn't come back and actually finish this, here is my response to it.

[CENTER][U][B][SIZE="2"]Rain[/SIZE][/B][/U][/CENTER]
?[B]Do you think it will ever stop?[/B]? The taller of the two standing in that lonely placed asked as the heavy sheets of rain poured from the sky as if it too wept.

He didn?t bother to turn to answer his brother but instead leaned over to place the single red rose on the cold unforgiving stone. He ran his hand along the inscription before standing back up, ignoring the rain that had soaked him to the skin.

?[B]It will only stop when we leave.[/B]? He offered the oldest brother a sad smile before turning to leave. He did not bother to turn around to see if he followed or not. The sound of his footsteps was clear even over the murmur of the rain hitting the ground.

?[B]I suppose you?re right.[/B]? The two left, saying nothing more. The rain would stop when it was ready and not one moment before. It would not halt the eternal rain within, nothing could do that now.

[B]Challenge:[/B] Write a poem about the sun. Use whatever type of poem you wish.

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][center][b]Said the sun to the shine, come shadow what you find.[/center][/b]

In the dimmer light a stand of poplars,
A trace of light trickles down,
Through strands of leaves and slender branches,
I look up into the light,
Not blinding just yet.

The clouds roll over again,
And then again,
Then the light swells up again,
Breaking through,
Breaking in,
Breaking out.

The gathering warmth,
Growing all the time,
While the branches sway again,
And scatter the light,
Across the face,
Against the skin.

[i]Challenge: A 800 word story about a living dead girl.[/i][/FONT]
[/COLOR]

[Zen]

[color=royalblue][size=1]

I call Raiha's.[/color][/size]

[Allamorph]

[QUOTE=Zen][color=royalblue][size=1]

I call Raiha's.[/color][/size][/QUOTE]
[quote name='Sabrina][FONT=Tahoma']Thank you. I'm glad you like the idea, however, unlike the graphic worm you can't claim a challenge, unless you are literally working on it and will be posting within say an hour. In that case you can claim it and then come back and edit the post. [/FONT][/quote]
[FONT=Arial]Read the thread, man. Just 'cause you're not [COLOR="DarkRed"]Aber[/COLOR] doesn't mean the thread creator's rules don't apply.[/FONT]

[Zen]

[quote name='Allamorph'][FONT=Arial]Read the thread, man. Just 'cause you're not [COLOR="DarkRed"]Aber[/COLOR] doesn't mean the thread creator's rules don't apply.[/FONT][/QUOTE]

[color=royalblue][size=1]

I just got owned. Oh well. I'll still try for it.




[b][u][center]The After Life[/b][/u][/center]


Life had never been good to me. So when that drunk driver t-boned my car, I wasn't necessarily dissapointed to be dead. No, my disappointment comes from the fact that I'm still walking around. Somewhere in between the morgue and the funeral, I woke up completely surrounded by total black.

See now, I would have panicked. That would have been the normal thing to do, but what's weird about being dead is that your emotions kinda go out with the life-support system. So instead of panicked fear or confusion, I responded to the situation with more of a mild suprise. I wondered where I could be. Hell maybe? Purgatory?

Or was this just what it was after you died? Blackness? That sure would be lame, I thought. But then I noticed the smell, this wretched stench of rotting flesh and what must have been formaldehyde. However, I couldn't see anything. I started touching the area surrounding myself and felt cold steel. I felt some light resistance and felt my body move on a slab or platform when I applied pressure. Pressing a bit harder, I pushed upward on the metal above me, causing the slab I lay on to slide out into a room filled with blinding florescent light.

Air rushed into my lungs, but for some reason it didn't feel like normal breathing. Like drinking water when you weren't thirsty. Strange. I looked down and realized I was completely nude, wearing only a set of bloody stitches on my chest, shaped like the letter "Y". Totally ruined my boobs. I slowly tried to get off the cold slab. Again, the cold didn't bother me, it felt like it belonged to me. My whole body felt cold. I figured this is what lizards and fish must feel like.

My feet landed with a fleshy slap onto the lanolium floor. I realized that I had been inside a one of those weird body-filing-cabinet things you see in all the movies. I felt a weird pressure on my big toe and realized that tag with my name on it was dangling from it. I reached down to snatch it off when I realized that I wasn't alone.

Standing in a darkened corner of the room stood a strange looking man. He wasn't dressed like a coroner or anything. He wore a trendy outfit comprised of dark-denim jeans, black Adidas and an tight-fit blazer, a white-shirt beneath it. He wore a black fedora and matching sunglasses to go along with the outfit. Raven black hair hung from beneath the hat in silky strands. I'll admit, he was pretty nice looking, but still, desire had left with my other emotions.

As soon as I had noticed him, he withdrew a cigarette from his jacket's inside pocket and lit it with a chrome zippo. He must have been trying to instill a scene. I had to admit it was working. I decided to speak first.

"So... do you chill in morgues often or is it a special occasion?"

He looked to me with a smirk, "Special occasion. I was waiting for you to wake up." His skin was a smooth brown, and his handsome face reminded me of an Egyptian prince or Pharaoh. Dignified, and strong.

"Care to explain what's going on, here? I mean, I know if I were where you are, I'd be a little weirded out by a talking corpse." He began walking towards me, his sneakers squeaked as he stepped across the floor.

"Well, Michelle, I need you."

"Your not one of those... ugh... weird necrophiliacs are you? Because, honestly, your nice looking and all but that's a little weird for me."

"Disgusting... Listen, I'm the reason you're walking around. I have domain over your kind."

"You mean single white females?"

"No, I mean dead bitches who don't know when to shut their mouths."

"Easy there, slim. I was just, well, come on."

"Yeah, weird, meaning of life, blah, blah, blah. I've heard it a thousand times. My name is Anubis, and I need you."

"Anubis as in Jackal God of Death Anubis?"

"You got it."

"Wow."

"Yeah, wow. Anyway, every other century, the Gods like to get together, and have a little 'competition' to decide who has reign over the next hundred years of human society."

"You're Gods, why would you care?"

"Aaru is kind of boring, its just reeds and rivers and pompous Pharaohs trading stories... so, yeah. We have a competition to see who gets to play on Earth."

"And why is it you need me, again?"

"What do you know about your ancestors, Michelle?"

"Uhm... Not to be rude, but... still naked."




[b]Challenge:[/b] Write 300 word story about romantic love.

[/color][/size]

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR="DarkGreen"][FONT="Book Antiqua"][quote name='Sabrina'][FONT="Tahoma"]One more thing, if a challenge goes unanswered for two days then someone can post and break the challenge by posting whatever they like, a short story, a poem, some lyrics, etc. Just indicate that you are posting a new challenge and don?t forget to give the next person a new one at the end of your post! [/FONT][/QUOTE][B][CENTER]New Challenge![/CENTER][/B]
[CENTER][U]Winter[/U]

How quietly the snowflakes fall.
They float for many hours.
Without a sound so they'll not wake.
The sleeping trees and flowers.[/CENTER]
Challenge! Write a short story about summer. 200 words or less. [/FONT][/COLOR]

[DeLarge]

[SIZE=1][B]Summer Senses[/B]

Dry, brown grass crunches underfoot, and the coolest of breezes brushes past the bare skin of my lower leg. Sunlight scorches any exposed body part, and gleams off the reflective surface of my sunglasses.

The tiniest of beads of condensation dribbles down the side of the bottle towards my fingers, the icy-cold of the water refreshing the warm skin of my hand, and I tilt the bottle towards my mouth, closing my eyes in the ecstasy of the cool amber liquid rushing down my throat.

The sound of sizzling fat assaults my ears, and after the initial shock my hearing adjusts, turning the crackling and popping into something far more pleasant. A few seconds after the sound comes the smell ? the comforting, homely smell of cooking meat which combines with the smells of fresh-mown grass.

I bite into the hot dog and taste the combination of flavours dancing on my tongue. People surround me and we laugh, eating and drinking the summer away.

[B]Challenge: [/B]Write a comedic 500-word story set in an office environment. No restrictions on characters or plot, that's all up to you.
[/SIZE]