Friday, March 20, 2009

Saturday Wordzzle Challenge: Week 55

This is week 55 of the Saturday Wordzzle challenge. Anyone new to the process can refer back here to find out how it works. I thought these words were very difficult but once I got started I had kind of a good time with them. Still, I think I need to come up with a new system... or maybe therapy for my muse who seems to go a bit nuts when she spews out the new words every week. Anyway, looking forward to reading everyone's offerings.



The words for this week's ten word challenge were: humanity, shadow, ricochet, wrong, pluralism, mathematics, person-hood, printing press, ink spot, choral society Mini Challenge: kingdom, take names, best seller, three times, inner demons



This week's 10 word challenge is:


Despite the fact that modern presses were faster and not subject to problems like ink spots and irregularities, Martin Lundgren missed his old printing press. He missed the challenge, the mathematics and artistry of spacing lines in a manuscript so that they looked right. He loved the light and shadow of hot type and how it reflected the human agents behind the publications. So many of life's modern improvements took the humanity, the person-hood out of things, gave them a bland perfection that he found boring and disheartening. Although when working on something like the book he was printing up now, it was a blessing indeed! Even the title - PLURALISM IS WRONG - was boring. And another blessing... it gave him time for other things. He did love having the extra time to play a good game of Ricochet with his youngest son and singing with his teen-age daughter and his wife in the choral society. Singing didn't carry the tactile pleasure of setting hot type, but it was a joyful source of both communion with his family and creative expression. On the whole, he guessed, there was more gain than loss with his the new machines... and he still had the old hot type out in the garage for an occasional special creative project... like today's special birthday book for his daughter. He hoped she would feel the love in the the paper and the ink and how it reflected her own unique magic. Life, he thought, was pretty good when you had a wonderful family and the best of both the old and new.



And the mini challenge:


Three times topping the best seller list for 6 months or longer (with small breaks in between as some new flash in the pan breezed through) was more than Kate Ravenlea had hoped for even in her most lavish fantasies. Who would have thought that the inner demons who had tormented her and held her down for most of her life would turn out to be the key to her fame and financial well being? When she had begun writing "Demonalia: Kingdom of Inner Voices Gone Wrong," she had wanted nothing more than to tame and take control of the chorus of voices that ranted at her from the darkest corners of her mind. When she had begun her book by saying out loud: "Listen up, monsters. Your time has passed. The party's over. Demonalia is under new managment. I'm coming after you. I'm going to take names (and perhaps give them where needed) and I'm consigning you guys to the obscurity you deserve," it had felt more like bravado than truth. But here she was four years later, self-assured and rolling in dough. Demonalia was indeed under new management.



This week's mega challenge: printing press


Kate Ravenlea's best seller had struck a chord with large numbers of people because it spoke to their common humanity. She had made false starts three times writing "Demonalia: Kingdom of Inner Voices Gone Wrong." It was originally titled - big mistake - "Coming to Terms with Your Inner Demons and Taming Your Shadow Side to Achieve full Person-hood." Mercifully a good editor had read past title, seen the value in the book and helped her settle on the final Demonalia title. By some miracle, the process of writing her book had healed something deep inside her. The pluralism of sane and insane voices ricocheting off each other in her head, while not totally silenced was greatly stilled. The mathematics, the enormous proportions of the book's snowballing impact, continued to stun her. "Demonalians" and "demonalia" had become household words around the world. And the book had touched so many lives. A composer in California had written a twelve part musical work called "The Defeat of Demonalia." She was to be the honored guest when the New York Choral Society premiered it tonight at Carnegie Hall. Then there were the letters she had received from all over the world. They moved her to tears and and sometimes to joyful laughter. Ink Spot Publications was talking with her about a new book using the letters and she was really excited about it. Some of them were profoundly touching in ways that would be healing to many, many people. Her publisher had asked her to take names and addresses to the legal department so that they could work on clearing away any legal obstacles that might stand in the way of the new book. "I'm thinking Ink Spot may need to buy a couple of new printing presses just to keep up with the demand for your books, " her agent had joked. But you know what was the best thing about all this excitement and good news was for Kate? There had not been a peep out of the residents of Demonalia. Not a peep. Life was not just good, it was glorious!



~~~~~~~~~~~




Next Week's Ten Word Challenge will be: partition, imagination, salvation, mirror image, green power, highway, roasting marshmallows, serial killer, autograph, cartography


Mini Challenge: cell phone, Big Mac, panther, legendary, poets corner


Thanks for playing. For those who are new, here are some guidelines to make the process more fun.





Enjoy! See you next week.


DON'T FORGET TO ADD YOUR NAME TO MR. LINKY!!!!!



Please note: There are a fair number of new people visiting, many sort of new to the blogosphere as well. Please only sign into Mr. Linky if you are participating in this week's Wordzzle Challenge. That's what it's for. It makes me cranky when people sign in just to get visitors. I know for some this is/was an innocent breach of blog etiquette so I won't hold it against you. But don't do it again, please. Other Mr. Linky advice. If your name is already in Mr. Linky from a previous participation, make sure to update it. Mr. Linky tends to be stuck in the past if not given his due. Thanks, Raven.

38 comments:

Anonymous said...

Excellent Raven. Ahhh the glorious life. Mine will be up tomorrow. Wishing you a good weekend :)

. said...

Hello Raven, from Ireland. I just stumble upon your blog and my goodness it's wonderful. You now have a new dedicated follower (of fashion)
Hope you have a nice weekend.
Slainte!

. said...

Thankyou for not kicking me out! And not being too cranky. My fault, guess I should've read the rule first, but didnt realise.
I will atone. Ive been wordzzled.
:)

ccorkran said...

Hi Raven, my worddzzle is posted. This is just so much fun. Candace

Ranjithpadmalaya said...

I HAVE DONE ACCORDING TO YOUR SUGGESTION, TO ADD NAME IN LINKY.

Finding Pam said...

Thanks for all your help in tonight's fiasco. I am up and ready for tomorrow.

I will return to read yours tomorrow. Thanks again. Pam

Dr.John said...

Three stories that clearly grew from the words.
THe continuation from Mini to Mega Challenge was a thing of beauty. Now if my inner demons would just shut up I would tell you how good it really is.

darkman said...

Mindboggling stuff!

bettygram said...

As I read your stories I thought of the power of words. You again have a good story.

Fandango said...

We are impressed.
We are very impressed.
We are very, very impressed.

Jenn Jilks said...

Great idea. Nice blog.

Dianne said...

wow! you're becoming famous ;)
and how cool is that

I love the notion that Kate Ravenlea became a successful writer and led a glorious life - she deserves nothing less

and the first story reminded me of arguements I've been reading against the new 'Kindle' thingie - the IPod for books - I guess it saves trees but I love books and paper and ink and feeling the words :)

great work Raven!!

lissa said...

you're very good at this, the story's a nice read

Akelamalu said...

I looked at the words on Monday and was about to give up there and then!

Your 10 word really flowed Raven and I like how the mini flowed into the mega - Great writing m'dear as always.

Geraldine said...

Good work Raven and what a great prompt suggestion.I'm going to have to stop by to give one of these a whirl!!!

Hugs, G

Finding Pam said...

Martin Lundgren has it all and I am so delighted he realizes it.

Hooray for Kate Ravenlea. Her words struck deep and I am happy that the inner demons have been vanquished.

It is wonderful that Kate kept on trying and did not give up as her book snowballed and grew into something spectatular for Kate.

Have a good weekend. Thank you for being such a marvelous host of Wordzzle. You make it all seem so effortless, which is the sign of a great hostess...

Richard said...

As author and high priestess of Wordzzle it is appropriate that only you could "Demonize" wordzzle in a good way.

Space Mountain Man said...

You are a know it all, aren't you! Just because you are old, doesn't mean you are better than me!

Anonymous said...

I so want to play, but I am too tired to be creative. It is mega work just putting my own out. I slept for 11 hours last night and got up and fell asleep in this chair in front of the computer.

Your stories are great. I like the way each flowed into the the next, making one. I think the dragons liked that, too.

. said...

Raven,
After my false-start and subsequent baptism of ire (lol) I've actually managed to post my contribution to your thoroughly enjoyable and mind-expanding Wordzzle game.
It's great fun.
:)

Amber Star said...

Raven,
I haven't been around in a while...well, mainly because I'm too lazy to do your wordzzle. But I was looking around just now and saw where your blog was a "blog of note" on March 17th! I can say I knew you when. ;)

Sounds like you have been going through some stuff lately....I just was looking around to see if you had posted about the "blog of note" thing and saw your were quite outraged at some man about a murder. Something to be outraged about, for sure. Anyway, your blog continues to be brilliant and I hope you start or continue to feel better...like I said, I haven't been around much. Go forward with the whole wrath thing. You have a good handle on it.

Carletta said...

As always Raven you are my inspiration to try harder! I loved Kate Ravenlea - clever.
I don't know for sure but you sound like you know a little about printing - if you don't you faked it very well. :)

Building New Worlds said...

Just checking out some of these blogs and I must say I find this interesting and exciting!

Anonymous said...

Wow, thanks Raven! This was the first time in a long time that I've enjoyed a writing exercise! Thanks for the ride.

Unknown said...

HI Raven! It's been too long, but than you for the visit! I'll take the challenge, sure!

It was my humanity that enabled me to view a shadow from afar, then ricochet off the walls--so to speak--and have fun as a kid! Most of the time in English classes I'd spell a word wrong, but then pluralism was no friend of mine either! Speaking of rotten tomatos, mathematics always stunk. But there was Dr. Leo Buscaglia on PBS TV talking about "person-hood" in thos great lectures! While in detention after school, I did think of using a printing press to print money, but soon realized I would probably leave an ink spot on my shirt and be arrested! The choral society wasn't my thing either, but somehow I managed to graduate from high school anyway! TA-DA!!!:D)

Nessa said...

Love your stories, especially the second one.

Ms Dang said...

Ms. Raven. I loved the concept and thus tried my hand at it. I've got weeks 55 and 56 (I think) up and would be grateful for your opinion and eagerly await the next great Wordzzle.

Anonymous said...

hi here is my contribution to the challenge.. discloaimer this is with malice towards no one or no religion...

The partition of India was an epic development in the 20th century. It was to intended to create a mirror image of the "Hindu India" with the "Muslim Pakistan". The imagination of the British, the Hindus, the Muslims and the rest of the world never contemplated that this was nothing but the beginning of the construction of a highway to many years of suffering for both countries and perhaps the world. The cartography of the Indian subcontinent had the autograph of the blood of a million people sent in either direction across the new borders. The cost in human terms of partition was more severe than a million serial killers let loose upon an unsuspecting population roasting marshmallows and enjoying the dying days of the British Raj. Today the Muslim world stands behind the green might of nuclear powered Pakistan, and the souls of the authors of the partition of India and Pakistan scream for salvation, as each day a new death is added to the tally of this event.

Avachild said...

You are one of the lucky to be named a Blog of Note, luck or a curse would be from the blogger's point of view I suppose. I'm completely new to the world of blogs. Because you are a blog of note I stumbled onto your page, thoroughly impressed by the flow of your words. I'm looking forward joining in your Wordzzle event next week. http://ancientsound.blogspot.com/ is my blog if you wanted to have a peak though I must warn you it is very small and tiny at the moment. Have a wonderful Monday :)

Batteson.Ind said...

ooops... tried to leave our entry to your brilliant word challenge! Think we mucked up the sign in,, joined up but then it didn't do anything.. clicked back and then it signed us in twice!.... sorry.. not spamming!... have a story here and everything. Anyway, love your blog! thank you so much for sharing! cheers!

Batteson.Ind said...

lol.. We figured it out! thank you so much for the lovely welcome! I've really enjoyed this challenge and it's been just what I needed. Words keep eluding me lately! Anyway, all the best things to you and yours, love and multiple cups of tea from Ireland, cheers!

Sandi McBride said...

Ah, the Raven speaketh...and quite properly is applauded!
Sandi

Anonymous said...

I just found your site and challenge and decided to join in!

Alice (in BC Canada) said...

An excellent story, Raven. I very much enjoyed reading it/them. Tonight at Toastmasters, I felt frustrated and disappointed as I showed them photos, asking each to tell me a story about that photo. Not one of them did... they all talked about things that happened in their own personal lives that the photo reminded them of in some way. Not that they did it wrong, just that they didn't give what I wanted to hear... a story. Sitting here reading yours, I felt joyful as I got what I was after.

Raven said...

I'm a bit late saying thank you to everyone for participating. Michael Manning - your instant comment wordzzle was brilliant as always. Anonymous (the 2nd) - WELL DONE! but your a week ahead of schedule. I hope you'll repost your wonderful contribution on Friday... or maybe I'll add when I post. If you want to let me know your name, I'll be glad to share that too.

It is so much fun to have such a lot of new people playing. This week quite a few people posted later in the week and some of those were amazing contributions. Makes me sad that they have gone mostly unread.

Anyway, I'm glad so many people are enjoying this little game. Thank you all. See you soon.

sonotbeth said...

I participated for the second week in a row...

I don't quite get the "Mr. Linky" thing though! I think i put my name in there twice.

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