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Post by RielCZ on Sept 3, 2021 16:32:57 GMT -5
OK, I saw the opportunity for a meta ending to this week's STC and took it. It's my first attempt at STC writing in more than a month. And, I had fun with it. However, after writing it I noticed I misread the cliffhanger (I read it as "but when Edgar opened the door he and Mabel were shocked to see not Greg, but..." which admittedly to me made more sense). Oh well, my ending still kinda works in the meta aspect. ...the pen.
"Edgar, darling," it drawled, "it's so good to see you."
"What happened?" the Blumaroo shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at the writing utensil. "Where's Greg?"
The pen scoffed. "Obviously, he's been demoted." It giggled. "Only one night of writing, and I have risen the ranks to Editor-in-Chief! My, you meatbags really are terrible at plot development, characterization, pacing -- writing in general."
"So, what do you want?" Edgar asked it, shaking his fist. "What's the point of you doing this?"
The pen trembled with excitement. "I plan to use my writing prowess to become Neopia's most famous author, of course. And then, with my hyper-focused skills at rhetoric and persuasion, I will quickly rise in the ranks of Neopia's government and Sway elite, until I have done what not even the comical Dr. Sloth could -- become the leader of this puny planet."
Well, Edgar had heard enough. He looked to Mabel, who gave him a single nod at him.
"And then we, the inanimate objects -- led by our pen supreme council, of course -- will rise and take over the world! Muahaha!"
Whilst the pen was still maniacally laughing, the Aisha strode over to it, picked it up, and snapped it in two. She looked back at Edgar. "I'm not sure why you needed to bring me along for this."
The Blumaroo shrugged. "I appreciate your company?" he said sheepishly.
She gave him a wry smile. "I'm very glad to hear that..." she trailed and walked over to him.
***
Edgar crumpled the last few manuscript pages and tossed them aside; he didn't like the direction this story was headed. Thinking about the story some more, he sighed and threw the whole document in the trash. It was rife with plot holes, cliches, and grammatical violations. Moreover, the idea had been done before.
Another wasted night of writing, he mused spitefully to himself. Oh well, there was always tomorrow.
THE END
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Post by Kat on Sept 7, 2021 9:10:06 GMT -5
I actually thought the STC had ended after I read your entry, which was indeed really meta, haha. But when I checked again so I could try sending in a beginning, I saw that it wasn't finished yet, so I decided to try an ending first. I was admittedly inspired by yours - I also wanted the pen to show up, but I went for a less meta approach. ...the pen, standing atop Greg's desk.
"Well, at least I know you weren't kidding," said Mabel, making a face.
"Where's Greg?" Edgar demanded. "What did you do with him?"
"Oh, don't worry about him," the pen answered, and Mabel jumped; it was one thing to hear about Edgar's pen coming to life, and another thing entirely to see it happen. "Greg conveniently stepped out to buy a new binder after, ahem, an inkwell accident."
Edgar had a feeling that was no accident. "I know you were the one who wrote the manuscript sent to Greg," he said, pointing a finger accusingly at the pen. "And he thinks I wrote it! I can't take credit for a manuscript that isn't mine!"
The pen twitched as though either shaking its head or turning up its nose - if it had one - at the Blumaroo.
"Of course you can," it answered. "You wrote it."
"What do you mean?" Edgar and Mabel asked at the same time.
"I locked you in my case, went to sleep, and then suddenly, a manuscript showed up on Greg's table!" Edgar exploded. "How could I write it?"
"It's simple," the pen replied as though this were the most obvious thing in the world. "I'm you."
There was a lull in the office as both the Blumaroo and the Aisha gaped at this revelation. Before either of them could say anything, the pen rose into the air, glowing with a fervent gold light. Suddenly the light flashed, forcing Mabel and Edgar to avert their eyes from Greg's desk.
"What's happening?" asked Mabel.
Edgar finally peered between his fingers when the light began to fade, leaving stars winking in his vision. As everything cleared, the pen lay on the floor, quiescent, and standing next to it was a yellow Blumaroo, almost identical to Edgar except for ink splattered all over his shirt and a cocky grin.
"You know how they say you're your worst critic?" the other Edgar asked in a matter-of-fact tone, leaning against the desk. "Well, it's true. All your frustration, struggles, criticism...you somehow channeled it all into your pen and poof, here I am. You can call me Other Edgar."
"So let me get this straight. You're not my pen?"
"Like I said, I'm you," Other Edgar responded. "And because I wrote that manuscript, and I'm you, it follows that you wrote it. Guess your inspiration must have seeped into me, too." He snapped his fingers. "Hey, that must be why you couldn't write anything. Sorry about that."
Edgar opened and closed his mouth, at a loss for words - which was, of course, saying something.
"Now what?" asked Mabel. "Greg could be back any minute! How do we explain that there are two Edgars in his office?"
Other Edgar smiled. "That's simple." He extended a hand to Edgar. "Thanks for the adventure, but try to be a little easier on yourself, and your pen." Winking, he shook Edgar's hand and vanished in a burst of light motes.
Edgar gasped, clutching his head. Suddenly the memory of writing the manuscript was vivid in his mind, the plot, the characters, the setting...as though he did in fact wake up in the middle of the night to write it all. They were all ideas that he had at some point, discarded, modified, shelved. And they all came together at last into one coherent narrative.
"Edgar! Mabel! What a pleasant surprise!"
The sound of Greg's voice snapped Edgar out of his reverie, and he looked up in time to see the bespectacled Kacheek enter his office with a clean, new binder.
"I'm sorry, I spilled a lot of ink on my binder," Greg explained. "Anyway, as I said, your manuscript was stellar! You did a great job!"
Mabel and Edgar traded a look, and all the yellow Blumaroo could say sheepishly was, "Yeah. I sure did."
<i>Or rather, we,</i> he added mentally, glancing at the pen on the floor. <i>Thanks, Other Me.</i>
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Post by RielCZ on Oct 4, 2021 22:12:55 GMT -5
That fateful contest has come 'round once again! A hundred week, yay! I really like the beginning. This said, the "every two years or so, the Storytelling Contest celebrated a centennial milestone" line... I wanna say Week 800 was approaching 4 years ago. Shame STC 900 only appears to be a 1-week contest. I plan on submitting a second entry prefaced with a note to Aesop to see whether he can do anything about that. Maybe others can too if y'allz are planning submissions. I just want more than 4 chances to get in this week OK
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Post by agedbeauty on Oct 6, 2021 14:05:19 GMT -5
Oh man, I didn't see that in time or I would have given him a note on it too. It would be nice if this was an extended one - I remember 500 went for 2 weeks. (That was actually my first STC!)
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Post by RielCZ on Oct 7, 2021 1:24:53 GMT -5
Ayyy agedbeauty has returned. Congrats on your win! I really like where you took the plotline, it's pretty close to what I envisaged for the slot following mine. Also, the competition IS now a 2-weeker! The header used to read "Ends Friday, October 8", and now it ends on the 15th. So, winning.
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Post by agedbeauty on Oct 7, 2021 9:53:31 GMT -5
Ayyy agedbeauty has returned. Congrats on your win! I really like where you took the plotline, it's pretty close to what I envisaged for the slot following mine. Also, the competition IS now a 2-weeker! The header used to read "Ends Friday, October 8", and now it ends on the 15th. So, winning. Oh I'm so glad it's 2 weeks now! And thanks RielCZ - this felt like the really natural progression for it. And I had to play with your couplet bit haha. I can't wait to see where this goes!
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Post by Kat on Oct 7, 2021 19:39:59 GMT -5
Congrats guys!
And yeah, I'm so happy this is 2 weeks now.
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Post by agedbeauty on Oct 7, 2021 19:58:50 GMT -5
Congrats on your win today kat!!
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Post by RielCZ on Oct 7, 2021 23:54:24 GMT -5
Congrats Kat ! I like where you took the plotline, too, though it is a bit different than what I thought for the story. Still, this gives me a totally new fun idea as to where it could go, but I'mma sit out for the sake of others. Also yeah agedbeauty . I like how the Storyteller is depicted as this very level-headed and eloquent lady, and Alstaf is melodramatic comic relief who can occasionally deliver a good line, haha.
In completely different news, I reread STC 700 and realized Rosabellk actually made reference to Weeks 400, 500, and 600 in his entry. The stuff that gets overlooked in the moment.
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Post by agedbeauty on Oct 10, 2021 18:58:17 GMT -5
RielCZ that's kind of how I've always seen them so I had to take the theme and run, hah. I'm glad subsequent entries have done the same! Oh look, now we're in...Neopia's inner mantle/crust?
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Post by RielCZ on Oct 12, 2021 21:04:21 GMT -5
Congrats Carolyn ! Seems like we are now in the Heart of the Storytelling Competition, and the magic that that entails. Exciting stuff; I really like what's happening and am curious where it will go and in the next 3 entries! And thanks Aged -- as of this story and the creatives ways authors have spun the theme, I officially headcanon Storyteller and Alstaf that way, too.
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Post by Mostly Harmless (flufflepuff) on Oct 13, 2021 11:16:36 GMT -5
<< >> I'm uh I'm just gonna leave this here ..a room full of numbers, letters, and strange symbols. Certainly not what one would expect shortly after entering a cave.
But no one paid much attention to that, for in the center of the room stood the strangest creature any of them had ever laid eyes on. It stood on two legs and had peachy flesh like a pale orange Grundo, but instead of antennae, there was a modest patch of golden-brown fur. It was clothed in a blue shirt and khaki pants, the plainness of his garb only fueling the mystery.
Most curious of all, he had a sprig of asparagus sticking out of his mouth, much like the Kacheek farmers in Meridell do with a single stalk of wheat.
Each of the Neopets could feel there was something oddly familiar about the creature, though no one could place it.
A silence hung in the air like stubborn mist. Not even Alstaf had words to name this strangeness.
Finally, the creature dispelled the silence with a mighty CRUNCH of the asparagus in its jaws.
They would have stood there for an absurdly long time, each party trying to make sense of the other, were it not for Carl's recovering first. "What ARE you?" He blurted, tactlessly.
The creature said nothing, for his mouth was full of asparagus. But after swallowing, he did speak. "The question is not what I am, but who I am," the creature responded in a surprisingly normal voice. "My name is Adam, though some know me as borovan."
A tingle crept up the spine of each at the mention of the name, though no one knew why.
"What, like the drink?" Carl asked, but the question was ignored.
"Normally, I'm not even permitted to be here, but the entire record of Neopia's stories, vanishing in a trice? That's something I can't abide." Adam finished the last of his asparagus.
"Permitted? By who?" inquired Carl.
The Storyteller was about to interject with a "by WHOM," of her own, but the earth trembled with such force that it sent everyone to the ground.
"That," Adam gasped, "is probably something not to be questioned. This is already getting meta enough as is."
Alstaf started, rising to his feet.
"Metaphysical? Are you about to tell us we do not exist?"
He asked with a touch of sarcasm, apprehension making him resort to haiku instead of a couplet in an effort to stay calm.
Adam winced. "Not exactly." He reached into his pocket and pulled out another sprig of asparagus, which he began chewing in earnest. "But this room contains clues about what happened to the stories."
Words and symbols floated beyond the cave entrance like magical runes. "The plot thickens," thought the Aisha. "What does it all mean? And how can this foreign jumble help us?" She asked aloud.
A sudden excited glint appeared in Adam's eye. "Now THAT I do know..."
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Post by Carolyn on Oct 13, 2021 21:54:15 GMT -5
Mostly Harmless (flufflepuff)- I love that you included the Adam in your segment. xD Truly delightful. The asparagus munching made me chuckle. (Enter again!) You knooow you want to. Aesop extended the contest to 3 weeks!
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Post by RielCZ on Oct 13, 2021 23:08:31 GMT -5
Heyyyy Mostly Harmless (flufflepuff) , good to see you here! *hugs* And Carolyn is right, that was a truly wonderful entry; Adam would have been an awesome character in this meta tale, haha. Yes, keep entering! Aesop extended the contest to 3 weeks! Wait what? *checks* HOLY FLIP YES this is the best STC news in such a long time. This is shaping up to be MUCH better than Week 800, that Aesop sure is a COOL DUDE.Anyway, it's nice to see old names coming out of the shadows! Quick summoning call for doctortomoe Rabbit ♠ errr Jae tttxyv Azusa Diana Schefflera TJ Wagner.
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Post by Kat on Oct 14, 2021 10:01:54 GMT -5
AHAHAHA the last time I won a milestone STC was 400 and never again so it's nice to be part of 900, thanks guys. Honestly one of my regrets from retiring from Neopets was not getting into the STC as much as I wanted and only being a blip in the radar before I got sucked away into law school. I would have wanted to hang around more and talk to everyone especially the old guard, who were all instrumental in me learning the ropes.
I sure got sappy there haha so hi if you're reading this, Kat is back and misses a lot of folks from ye olde STC days.
On a side note, I wrote an article on doing Storytelling starters, it got accepted today.
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