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 |  Challenges and activities |
A blog on my personal writing process. Just random thoughts, notes, and other stuff. Don’t know yet what that will be like. Am exploring possibilities and pulse towards an unknown future. Let’s find out! Here are challenges and activities stored. "Game of Thrones"  2017"The Soundtrack of Your Life" 2020"Resurrection Jukebox" 2020"NaNoWriMo Write-A-Thon" 2020/21"The Fiction Writer's Toolbox" 2020"October Novel Prep Challenge" 2021(The Shanhaijing Prophecy)Neil Gaiman's Masterclass 2019 "a very Wodehouse challenge" 2024Template Worldbuilding 2024"Barrel of Monkeys" [E] 2024 |
| Day 10 Leonard Cohen with Waiting for the Miracle, 2015 from the album The Future (1992) One of the most beautiful Love Songs. I listen to it often! A moody epic about wasted opportunities that eat right into your soul. I believe the “miracle” the singer is waiting for is true love, and he has shot down chances at more earthbound romance along the way and now finds himself regretful, having “waited half my life away.” This is a great lyric from start to finish. The last day of Barrel of Monkeys. I loved listening again to these great songs. Thank you Dr. Jeffyll, or Mr. Hyde?  Lyrics: Baby, I've been waiting I've been waiting night and day I didn't see the time Yeah I waited half my life away There were lots of invitations And I know you sent me some But I was waiting For the miracle, for the miracle to come I know you really loved me But, you see, my hands were tied I know it must have hurt you It must have hurt your pride To have to stand beneath my window With your bugle and your drum And me I'm up there waiting For the miracle, for the miracle to come Ah I don't believe you'd like it You wouldn't like it here There ain't no entertainment And the judgements are severe The Maestro says it's Mozart But it sounds like bubble gum When you're waiting For the miracle, for the miracle to come Waiting for the miracle There's nothing left to do I haven't been this happy Since the end of World War II Nothing left to do When you know that you've been taken Nothing left to do When you're begging for a crumb Nothing left to do When you've got to go on waiting Waiting for the miracle to come Yeah I dreamed about you, baby It was just the other night Most of you was naked Ah but some of you was light The sands of time were falling From your fingers and your thumb And you were waiting For the miracle, for the miracle to come Ah baby, let's get married We've been alone too long Let's be alone together Let's see if we're that strong Yeah let's do something crazy Something absolutely wrong While we're waiting For the miracle, for the miracle to come Nothing left to do When you know you've been taken Nothing left to do When you're begging for a crumb Nothing left to do When you've got to go on waiting Waiting for the miracle to come When you've fallen on the highway And you're lying in the rain And they ask you how you're doing Of course you'll say you can't complain -- If you're squeezed for information That's when you've got to play it dumb: You just say you're out there waiting For the miracle, for the miracle to come |
| Day 9 Leonard Cohen in First We Take Manhatten Live, 2017 also featured in the album:Famous Blue Raincoat, 1987. Cohen explained himself in a backstage interview at 1988: "I think it means exactly what it says. It is a terrorist song. I think it's a response to terrorism. There's something about terrorism that I've always admired. He was charmed by extreme right rhetoric when he wrote the song. I didn't know this. I've always been charmed by the extreme left rhetoric of the freedom fighters of earlier times, who sometimes turned out to be wrong indeed. Che Chevara, The IRA, etc. I was a lefty in my younger years. Now also still a tendency to the left. Lyrics They sentenced me to 20 years of boredom For trying to change the system from within I'm coming now, I'm coming to reward them First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin I'm guided by a signal in the heavens (Guided, guided) I'm guided by this birthmark on my skin (I am guided by) I'm guided by the beauty of our weapons (Ooh, ooh) First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin I'd really like to live beside you, baby I love your body and your spirit and your clothes But you see that line there moving through the station? I told you, I told you, told you I was one of those Ah, you loved me as a loser, but now you're worried that I just might win You know the way to stop me, but you don't have the discipline How many nights I prayed for this, to let my work begin First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin I don't like your fashion business, mister And I don't like these drugs that keep you thin I don't like what happened to my sister First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin I'd really like to live beside you, baby I love your body and your spirit and your clothes But you see that line there moving through the station? I told you, I told you, told you I was one of those And I thank you for those items that you sent me, ha ha ha ha The monkey and the plywood violin I practiced every night, now I'm ready First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin I am guided Ah, remember me, I used to live for music (Baby) Remember me, I brought your groceries in (Ooh, baby, yeah) Well, it's Father's Day, and everybody's wounded First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin |
| Day 8 Leonard Cohen with Everybody Knows, live in London in 2019 and featured on the album I'm Your Man, 1988. What does this song mean according to The American Songwriter? "Cohen doesn’t waste any time with tact or restraint, setting the tone in his opening lines: “Everybody knows that the dice are loaded/Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed/Everybody knows that the war is over/Everybody knows the good guys lost.” This generalized overview soon gives way to more specific concerns, as the relentless lyrics touch on greed, racism and drugs. One verse seems to specifically reference the AIDS crisis, then at its height, as Cohen sings of a coming plague, meters to count sexual partners, and how “the naked man and woman/Are just a shining artifact of the past.” Yet he also brings things down to a personal level with a verse about infidelity between two lovers. “Everybody knows that you’ve been faithful/Ah, give or take a night or two,” he sings. And it wouldn’t be a Cohen song if he didn’t bring spiritual concerns into it, with references to Calvary (juxtaposed ironically with Malibu beaches) and the Sacred Heart. Whether that heart belongs to Jesus or Leonard is never revealed, but, at the song’s end, it’s poised to explode all over the whole sordid scene. Cohen also makes room for flashes of mischievous wit, like when he implies that the death of a parent and the death of a dog are equally disturbing. Running through this litany of horrors is a subtle criticism of those who ignore it all in favor of their own self-interested pursuits: “Everybody’s talking to their pockets/Everybody wants a box of chocolates/And a long-stemmed rose.”" A beautiful but critical protest song! Lyrics Everybody knows that the dice are loaded Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed Everybody knows the war is over Everybody knows the good guys lost Everybody knows the fight was fixed The poor stay poor, the rich get rich That's how it goes Everybody knows Everybody knows that the boat is leaking Everybody knows that the captain lied Everybody got this broken feeling Like their father or their dog just died Everybody talking to their pockets Everybody wants a box of chocolates And a long-stem rose Everybody knows Everybody knows that you love me baby Everybody knows that you really do Everybody knows that you've been faithful Ah, give or take a night or two Everybody knows you've been discreet But there were so many people you just had to meet Without your clothes And everybody knows Everybody knows, everybody knows That's how it goes Everybody knows Everybody knows, everybody knows That's how it goes Everybody knows And everybody knows that it's now or never Everybody knows that it's me or you And everybody knows that you live forever Ah, when you've done a line or two Everybody knows the deal is rotten Old Black Joe's still pickin' cotton For your ribbons and bows And everybody knows And everybody knows that the Plague is coming Everybody knows that it's moving fast Everybody knows that the naked man and woman Are just a shining artifact of the past Everybody knows the scene is dead But there's gonna be a meter on your bed That will disclose What everybody knows And everybody knows that you're in trouble Everybody knows what you've been through From the bloody cross on top of Calvary To the beach of Malibu Everybody knows it's coming apart Take one last look at this Sacred Heart Before it blows And everybody knows Everybody knows, everybody knows That's how it goes Everybody knows Everybody knows, everybody knows That's how it goes Everybody knows Everybody knows, everybody knows That's how it goes Everybody knows Everybody knows |
| Day 7 Leonard Cohen with Show Me the Place, 2012 on the album Old Ideas, 2012 It hit me hard last night. Hurricane Helene hit Florida in the US and a few WdC writers were caught in the middle. This song kinda reminded me of disaster and mayhem and suffering. Lyrics [Verse 1] Show me the place where you want your slave to go Show me the place, I've forgotten, I don't know Show me the place, for my head is bendin' low Show me the place where you want your slave to go [Verse 2] Show me the place, help me roll away the stone Show me the place, I can't move this thing alone Show me the place where the word became a man Show me the place where the suffering began [Bridge] The troubles came, I saved what I could save A thread of light, a particle, a wave But there were chains, so I hastened to behave There were chains, so I loved you like a slave [Verse 1] Show me the place where you want your slave to go Show me the place, I've forgotten, I don't know Show me the place, for my head is bendin' low Show me the place where you want your slave to go [Instrumental Break] [Bridge] The troubles came, I saved what I could save A thread of light, a particle, a wave But there were chains, so I hastened to behave There were chains, so I loved you like a slave [Verse 3] Show me the place Show me the place Show me the place Mmm, mmm [Verse 2] Show me the place, help me roll away the stone Show me the place, I can't move this thing alone Show me the place where the word became a man Show me the place where the suffering began |
| Day 6 Leonard Cohen, In My Secret Life, 2022 on the album Halleluya & Songs from his albums, 2022 "I cheat and I lie", triggered me today. I stopped smoking on January 1 of this year but bought a package of cigarettes. Smoked one so far. I am cheating on myself. I don't like it at all but it happened. After this, I quit!!! Lyrics In my secret life In my secret life In my secret life In my secret life I saw you this morning You were moving so fast Can’t seem to loosen my grip Well on the past And I miss you so much There’s no one in sight And we’re still making love In my secret life In my secret life I smile when I’m angry I cheat and I lie I do what I have to do To get by But I know what is wrong And I know what is right And I’d die for the truth In my secret life In my secret life Hold on, hold on, my brother My sister, hold on tight I finally got my orders I’ll be marching through the morning Marching through the night Moving cross the borders Of my secret life Looked through the paper Makes you want to cry Nobody cares if the people Live or die And the dealer wants you thinking That it’s either black or white Thank God it’s not that simple In my secret life I bite my lip I buy what I’m told: From the latest hit To the wisdom of old But I’m always alone And my heart is like ice And it’s crowded and cold In my secret life In my secret life In my secret life In my secret life In my secret life In my secret life In my secret life In my secret life |
| Day 5 Leonard Cohen with Famous Blue Raincoat, 1971 on the Album Songs of Love and Hate, 1971 It's a very soft and slow song. Cohen is reading a letter to a man and a woman. It reminds me of all the years I was part and still am, of a penpal site. For 17 years now, I guess. Sometimes I was lucky for great contacts, most of the people reacting don't read and write well. I click them away instantly. A waist of my time. This is a beautiful letter. [Verse 1] It's four in the morning, the end of December I'm writing you now just to see if you're better New York is cold, but I like where I'm living There's music on Clinton Street all through the evening I hear that you're building your little house deep in the desert You're living for nothing now, I hope you're keeping some kind of record [Chorus] Yes, and Jane came by with a lock of your hair She said that you gave it to her That night that you planned to go clear Did you ever go clear? [Verse 2] Oh, the last time we saw you you looked so much older Your famous blue raincoat was torn at the shoulder You'd been to the station to meet every train Then you came home without Lili Marlene And you treated my woman to a flake of your life And when she came back, she was nobody's wife [Chorus 2] Well, I see you there with the rose in your teeth One more thin gypsy thief Well I see Jane's awake She sends her regards [Verse 3] And what can I tell you my brother, my killer? What can I possibly say? I guess that I miss you. I guess I forgive you I'm glad you stood in my way If you ever come by here for Jane or for me Well, your enemy is sleeping and his woman is free [Chorus] Yes, and thanks for the trouble You took from her eyes I thought it was there for good So I never tried And Jane came by with a lock of your hair She said that you gave it to her That night that you planned to go clear Sincerely, L. Cohen |
| Day 4 Take This Waltz, 1988 Leonard Cohen on the album I'm Your Man, 1988 This is a great song while drinking alcohol and becoming a little tipsy. Cohen's voice is beautiful, strong, warm, and full of life. Because of the title, it reminds me of Travelin' Waltz  who is currently in Paris, France. I hope he has a great time, enjoying the city, the language, the beverages, and the Parisiens. Good luck in this wonderful city! Cohen is with you. Lyrics Now in Vienna there's ten pretty women There's a shoulder where Death comes to cry There's a lobby with nine hundred windows There's a tree where the doves go to die There's a piece that was torn from the morning And it hangs in the Gallery of Frost Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay Take this waltz, take this waltz Take this waltz with the clamp on it's jaws Oh I want you, I want you, I want you On a chair with a dead magazine In the cave at the tip of the lily In some hallway where love's never been On a bed where the moon has been sweating In a cry filled with footsteps and sand Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay Take this waltz, take this waltz Take its broken waist in your hand This waltz, this waltz, this waltz, this waltz With it's very own breath of brandy and Death Dragging it's tail in the sea There's a concert hall in Vienna Where your mouth had a thousand reviews There's a bar where the boys have stopped talking They've been sentenced to death by the blues Ah, but who is it climbs to your picture With a garland of freshly cut tears? Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay Take this waltz, take this waltz Take this waltz it's been dying for years There's an attic where children are playing Where I've got to lie down with you soon In a dream of Hungarian lanterns In the mist of some sweet afternoon And I'll see what you've chained to your sorrow All your sheep and your lilies of snow Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay Take this waltz, take this waltz With its "I'll never forget you, you know!" This waltz, this waltz, this waltz, this waltz ... With its very own breath of brandy and death Dragging its tail in the sea And I'll dance with you in Vienna I'll be wearing a river's disguise The hyacinth wild on my shoulder My mouth on the dew of your thighs And I'll bury my soul in a scrapbook With the photographs there, and the moss And I'll yield to the flood of your beauty My cheap violin and my cross And you'll carry me down on your dancing To the pools that you lift on your wrist Oh my love, Oh my love Take this waltz, take this waltz It's yours now. It's all that there is Instrumental (Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay) |
| Day 3 1988 I'm Your Man, Leonard Cohen on I'm you're man, 1988 The lyrics remind me of Joep, a children's actor and writing teacher. (1990-ish). I met Joep in a theater writing class and fell for him. We had a thing for almost a year in which he even proposed to marry him. My first and only time somebody asked. I said No. He was very funny, witty and fun to be with. And the intimacy was great. But suddenly there was nothing left, it died between us, dried up. So, I broke up with him. He was 15 years older. Lyrics: If you want a lover I'll do anything you ask me to And if you want another kind of love I'll wear a mask for you If you want a partner Take my hand Or if you want to strike me down in anger Here I stand I'm your man If you want a boxer I will step into the ring for you And if you want a doctor I'll examine every inch of you If you want a driver Climb inside Or if you want to take me for a ride You know you can I'm your man Ah, the moon's too bright The chain's too tight The beast won't go to sleep I've been running through these promises to you That I made and I could not keep Ah but a man never got a woman back Not by begging on his knees Or I'd crawl to you baby And I'd fall at your feet And I'd howl at your beauty Like a dog in heat And I'd claw at your heart And I'd tear at your sheet I'd say please (Please) I'm your man And if you've got to sleep A moment on the road I will steer for you And if you want to work the street alone I'll disappear for you If you want a father for your child Or only want to walk with me a while Across the sand I'm your man If you want a lover I'll do anything that you ask me to And if you want another kind of love I'll wear a mask for you |
| Day 2 Who by Fire, 1974 Leonard Cohen, on the album New Skin for the Old Ceremony, 1974 It's a song for Spring and Summer. This song delves into the complexities of mortality and the struggle to find meaning in life. I think this song hurt me in the first place after a breakup with my boyfriend. I was fifteen and devastated. I remember listening to this music while I left the curtains of my bedroom open because I hoped he came by on his bike and would see me in my room. I wrote in my diary. I sighed, and I was sad! After a few months, we got back together again, but it never was the same after that. So, within a few months, I was the one breaking up. Under the voice of Leonard Cohen. Lyrics: And who by fire, who by water Who in the sunshine, who in the night time Who by high ordeal, who by common trial Who in your merry merry month of May Who by very slow decay And who shall I say is calling? And who in her lonely slip, who by barbiturate Who in these realms of love, who by something blunt And who by avalanche, who by powder Who for his greed, who for his hunger And who shall I say is calling? And who by brave assent, who by accident Who in solitude, who in this mirror Who by his lady's command, who by his own hand Who in mortal chains, who in power And who shall I say is calling? |
| Day 1 Today, September 21 was the birthdate of Leonard Cohen. He died in 2016, 5 months after my start at WdC. I love his lyrics as a poet, and I love his music and his voice. So, for this challenge of 10 days, I choose him. I think I was in my teens when I discovered Cohen's music while staying in the apartment of my mother's younger brother and his young wife. I listened to his album which was called Raisor Music because of the deep sad voice and the lyrics. Critics would say it was music to kill yourself by. Leonard Cohen, 1976 album Songs of Leonard Cohen "Suzanne." The text is sad, deep, profound and so beautiful. I could listen to "Suzanne" over and over again. It never got tired or dull. When I was in my teens (15-16) I was religious so it touched that part of my soul as well. Within a few years I dropped that but the love of "Suzanne" remained. "Suzanne takes you down to her place near the river You can hear the boats go by You can spend the night beside her And you know that she's half crazy But that's why you want to be there And she feeds you tea and oranges That come all the way from China And just when you mean to tell her That you have no love to give her Then she gets you on her wavelength And she lets the river answer That you've always been her lover And you want to travel with her And you want to travel blind And you know that she will trust you For you've touched her perfect body with your mind And Jesus was a sailor When he walked upon the water And he spent a long time watching From his lonely wooden tower And when he knew for certain Only drowning men could see him He said "All men will be sailors then Until the sea shall free them" But he himself was broken Long before the sky would open Forsaken, almost human He sank beneath your wisdom like a stone And you want to travel with him And you want to travel blind And you think maybe you'll trust him For he's touched your perfect body with his mind Now Suzanne takes your hand And she leads you to the river She is wearing rags and feathers From Salvation Army counters And the sun pours down like honey On Our Lady of the Harbour And she shows you where to look Among the garbage and the flowers There are heroes in the seaweed There are children in the morning They are leaning out for love And they will lean that way forever While Suzanne holds the mirror And you want to travel with her And you want to travel blind And you know you can trust her For she's touched your perfect body with her mind" |
Prompt 14: Write an acrostic poem about Jane Austen. Jane Austen Jane Austen Austen, Jane Now starring in this poem Emma, a great story And Pride and Prejudice Under the stars of romance Singeling out strong women To tell a compelling tale English novelist, wote 6 Novels, Jane Austen LC:10 |
Prompt 13: Write what you like about the novel Emma. I have read the book Emma by Jane Austen a long time ago. Perhaps twenty-five or thirty years ago. So, I cannot remember much and don't have the book at home. So all depends on me doing research and Google. A week's deadline is also too short to deliver the book from the library. It'll have to do. I remember liking the book because Emma is an independent young, rich woman who doesn't want to commit her life to a man and marry, at first. It is a bit of a feminist and psychological novel. She thinks she is good at matchmaking and meddling in other people's love life. At the end of the book, she falls for the man she put up a female friend with. Something like that. WC: 592 characters/120 words |
Prompt 11: Does any of Downton Abbey's male characters make for a good Darcy? Gay Thomas Barrow, Tom Branson, or Matthew Crawley? Downton Abbey is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century. The series, set on the fictional Yorkshire country estate of Downton Abbey between 1912 and 1926, depicts the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their domestic servants in the post-Edwardian era, and the effects the great events of the time have on their lives and the British social hierarchy. (Wikipedia). I binge-watched the whole series and the movie. Fitzwilliam Darcy is a very arrogant man of England's upper crust. He is lord of Pemberley, an expensive estate in the county of Derbyshire. He is fairly tall and handsome, but his demeanor is unfriendly, aloof, and unapproachable. In the book Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen describes him as a very disagreeable man, but as the book progresses he is loving and kind. Mr. Darcy struggles with pride and prejudice towards those of lower social standing, especially those who lack propriety. That's when Tom Branson of Downton Abbey comes in. He too has issues with social standing marrying Sybil who is upper class and juggling his job as a chauffeur and journalist. I think the only Downton Abbey character that would make a good Mr. Darcey would be Tom Branson. Thomas Barrow is too sinister and Matthew Crawley is too kind. All three of them are in their own way good looking. When I ponder this question long enough, I also tend to look at Thomas Barrow again. So, I am conflicted. Tom or Thomas? WC: 1325 characters/271 words |
Jane Austen Writing Challenge by Princess Morticia Megan Rose  1. "Jane Austen Writing Challenge" [ASR] Pick 3 challenges > 250 charactersPrompt 11: Does any of Downton Abbey's male characters make for a good Darcy? Gay Thomas Barrow, Tom Branson, or Matthew Crawley? Prompt 13: Write what you like about the novel Emma. Prompt 14: Write an acrostic poem about Jane Austen. To be fair, in the Jane Austen August 2019 Newsletter, I am offering a Jane Austen Merit Badge of your choice if you do this challenge. The same rule applies here. 2. "Jane Austen Newsletters Folder 2 " [E] Do 2 reviews > 500 characters"Jane Austen Newsletter January , 2024" [E]"Jane Austen House News May 2024" [E]Information Jane Austen Brittanica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jane-Austen) Jane Austen Website (https://janeausten.co.uk/) Emma Brittanica (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Emma-novel-by-Austen) Thomas Barrow (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfiPulfalLg) sinister character Tom Branson (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwE5t8uYn8Q) Full of pride in the beginning Matthew Crawley (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZEldQZNG1g&t=43s) Too nice and kind Deadline Wodehouse Challenge 2024: September 7th 11.59 pm WdC time.  |
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| Oct. 30: - CONTEST ROUND: Plot Background Story ▼ Write a story that sets up your plot. EXAMPLE: The Lord of the Rings story revolves around the One Ring, its significance, and how it's destroyed. But how did Frodo get the One Ring in the first place? We learn that in The Hobbit. You obviously can't write a full-scale novel in 15 minutes, but you could write the scene where Bilbo encounters Gollum and stumbles across the ring. That would be a background story that sets up the plot in Lord of the Rings. *Contest Round entries may be any rating. Follow these instructions ("IMPORTANT: How to compete in a Contest Round" ) by 1200 noon WDC time on Sunday to compete. WDC time is New York City time and can be found at the top of the IM Console. If you miss this deadline or choose not to compete, you must still log the assignment complete (without linking your work) for the grand prize, per the standard Prep guidelines. Scene: Where did the Book Shanhaijing come from; how did it end up at the auction? |
| Oct. 29: - Plot: Premise Revision ▼ Now that you have spent a month planning your novel, revise your initial premise. Identify the following: (1) Setting(s). Where does your story take place? (2) Protagonist(s). Who is(are) your main character(s)? (2b) Flaw(s). What is(are) the protagonist's major flaw(s)? (2c) Goal(s). What does(d) the protagonist(s) want (or want to avoid)? (3) Conflict(s). What's keeping them from their goal(s)? (4) Antagonist(s). Who or what is creating the conflict(s)? (5) Resolution. How does it all turn out in the end? (6) Theme: What is the theme or moral of the story? (7) Outline: Update your outline as needed. (1) Los Angeles, USA; Beijing, China; inside the Book Shanhaijing |
| Oct. 28: - Character: Protagonist Interview ▼ You are a journalist. The story of your novel is complete. Interview your protagonist and ask the following questions: (1) How is life for you now, compared to life prior to these events? (2) How did the events of your story change you? (1)Wolf Meyer: |
| Oct. 27: - General: Freestyle Brainstorm, World Building or Research ▼ (1) Spend at least fifteen minutes clarifying things through ""What If"" brainstorming, mind mapping (see resources at the bottom of the calendar), freestyle writing, lists, drawings or research. You may also choose to use this time to finish a previous assignment that needs more time. (2) Update your characters, definitions and settings lists as needed. Freestyle writing for 15 minutes, with the alarm clock. |
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