Sounds like the start to a nerdy joke, doesn't it? Well, yesterday was the kick-off party for nanowrimo, and 40 of us showed up. As I sat there waiting for everything to start, I gazed around the room and had this indescribable urge to open my notebook and jot down notes.
The other week I was in a large group and noticed that only about 10% of the population wore glasses. Last night in the group of 40 writers, at least 75% of us had glasses on.
My Sunday School is not a large group, maybe 20 ladies, and for half of them claiming the title of introvert, it gets LOUD in that classroom. Not so last night. Forty people, albeit mostly strangers to each other, would have impressed any kindergarten teacher for our quietness. Even at the end of the meeting, when we were all supposed to "mingle and get to know each other" (what did he expect would happen when only 3 people said anything all night???). About half of us left immediately. I was going to, but they had chocolate chip cookies, and chocolate chip cookies trumps avoiding small talk with strangers any day. The other half broke into groups of 2 or 3 (or 1, eating cookies).
The meeting was supposed to last 2 hours, he dismissed us after 1, and I'm pretty sure nobody was left after 20 minutes of "getting to know each other".
We played this game. I have to tell you about it. It's hilarious. Well, not the game itself, but what our leader said about it and the fact that I don't think he was joking. Everyone got 4x6 cards, with a star at the top, numbers 1-6, and a star at the bottom. After the first star, we write our name, and at 1, we write a short description of a character (ie: a brooding step-father). Then we pass our card to the left. Number 2 was a "mystery twist". Basically, the next line of plot, with a mystery slant (ie: his wife disappeared). Pass the card. Three was a "sci-fi twist" (ie: turns out his wife was abducted by aliens--this was a popular line!). Pass the card (you get the idea). Four was a "romantic twist" (ie: because the alien was in love with her). Five was a "horror/thriller twist" (ie: the way the alien shows his love is by sucking out all her blood). Six was "give the story an end" (ie: the wife turned into a zombie so the alien sent her back and she turned her husband into a zombie and they lived happily ever after in zombie-land). The person who wrote 6 also wrote a title for the story after the second star.
So imagine with me, will you--a room full of mostly quiet (nerds) who are brainstorming and writing and basically not talking to the strangers surrounding them. As we are inventing a title for the convoluted story in front of us, our leader announces, "We will do some more door prize drawings as soon as this raucous party game is over!"
It was all I could do not to fall out of my chair laughing.
Two things I learned: "Brevity is the soul of wit." (It took me mulling that over for about 2 hours, but I finally understand. Obviously, I don't know how to DO it, though.)
and, When you have a bomb and it explodes, that's horror. When you have a bomb and it does NOT explode, that's suspense!
Happy nanowrimo, tomorrow!
My Sunday School is not a large group, maybe 20 ladies, and for half of them claiming the title of introvert, it gets LOUD in that classroom. Not so last night. Forty people, albeit mostly strangers to each other, would have impressed any kindergarten teacher for our quietness. Even at the end of the meeting, when we were all supposed to "mingle and get to know each other" (what did he expect would happen when only 3 people said anything all night???). About half of us left immediately. I was going to, but they had chocolate chip cookies, and chocolate chip cookies trumps avoiding small talk with strangers any day. The other half broke into groups of 2 or 3 (or 1, eating cookies).
The meeting was supposed to last 2 hours, he dismissed us after 1, and I'm pretty sure nobody was left after 20 minutes of "getting to know each other".
We played this game. I have to tell you about it. It's hilarious. Well, not the game itself, but what our leader said about it and the fact that I don't think he was joking. Everyone got 4x6 cards, with a star at the top, numbers 1-6, and a star at the bottom. After the first star, we write our name, and at 1, we write a short description of a character (ie: a brooding step-father). Then we pass our card to the left. Number 2 was a "mystery twist". Basically, the next line of plot, with a mystery slant (ie: his wife disappeared). Pass the card. Three was a "sci-fi twist" (ie: turns out his wife was abducted by aliens--this was a popular line!). Pass the card (you get the idea). Four was a "romantic twist" (ie: because the alien was in love with her). Five was a "horror/thriller twist" (ie: the way the alien shows his love is by sucking out all her blood). Six was "give the story an end" (ie: the wife turned into a zombie so the alien sent her back and she turned her husband into a zombie and they lived happily ever after in zombie-land). The person who wrote 6 also wrote a title for the story after the second star.
So imagine with me, will you--a room full of mostly quiet (nerds) who are brainstorming and writing and basically not talking to the strangers surrounding them. As we are inventing a title for the convoluted story in front of us, our leader announces, "We will do some more door prize drawings as soon as this raucous party game is over!"
It was all I could do not to fall out of my chair laughing.
Two things I learned: "Brevity is the soul of wit." (It took me mulling that over for about 2 hours, but I finally understand. Obviously, I don't know how to DO it, though.)
and, When you have a bomb and it explodes, that's horror. When you have a bomb and it does NOT explode, that's suspense!
Happy nanowrimo, tomorrow!
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