2007 Anthology Theme Nominations!

[JSmith]

It's that time of year and our writers are already getting ready for the 2007 Spring Anthology. We're going to take nominations for all four anthologies right now and then in about a week, we'll have a final vote. Here's what was already suggested, but please add to the list!

 

 

Spring

- Groundhog Day

- Mother's Day

- Spring Break

- Valentine’s Day

 

 

Summer

- Heat (in regards towards Hot weather)

 

 

Fall

- Rememberance/Veterans Day (Basicly a war theme)

- Thanksgiving Day

- Back to School

 

Winter

- New Years

- Holiday

 

Joe

[NickolasJames8]

• I want to do something unique for the Spring Anthology....something that hasn't been done already. Unfortunately, all I can come up with is Day Of Silence...well, and Baseball
  
• For Summer, I was thinking something like a trip overseas.
  
• For Fall I suggest Autum(literally) or yard work
  
• For Winter I was thinking Holiday baking or Christmas shopping
  

[Bardeara]

I

[Graeme]

As I would like to participate, I would suggest NOT doing the following:

 

Spring:

- Groundhog Day

- Spring Break

 

Summer:

- Independence Day

 

Fall:

- Thanksgiving Day

 

The reason is that these are all basically North American themes and if I want to participate it would be an Australian interpretation of a North American event. Yes, I did it for Halloween, but that is something that is a lot better known in Australia than any of the above. There are spasmodic attempts to celebrate Halloween in Australia (usually failures), but the rest of the above have no Australian equivalent. From my limited UK experiences (I liked there for 12 months ten years ago), I don't believe they have UK equivalents, either.

 

I don't have a problem with any of the other ones. The 'season' of the anthology isn't as important as the theme, and all of the rest are events that have an equivalent here, even if it's in a different time of the year.

 

Some of the other suggestions that have been put forward previously were to base it on a phrase (that should be included in the story somewhere), rather than a theme, or to use a picture as a basis. Have these been vetoed? I can understand the problems with a picture, but a generic phrase should still work -- is there a real reason to link the "theme" to the "season"? For example, "gay victory" is something that leaves a lot of scope. It might be the core of the story, or just an aside. It could be a great win, or a pyrhic victory.

[Graeme]

Thanks, Kitty

 

I've been thinking of some options since my post above. These are generic and while they apply to any season, some seasons would be a better fit if you still wanted a seasonal theme:

 

Independence

Graduation

Renewal

Endings

Travel

Water (ie. anything to do with water: water sports, sailing, boats, cruises, drowning, beaches, lakes, etc)

Children

Work/Employment

Growth

Exhaustion

Hiding

 

I think that's enough for now

[NickolasJames8]

Thanks, Kitty

 

I've been thinking of some options since my post above. These are generic and while they apply to any season, some seasons would be a better fit if you still wanted a seasonal theme:

 

Independence

Graduation

Renewal

Endings

Travel

Water (ie. anything to do with water: water sports, sailing, boats, cruises, drowning, beaches, lakes, etc)

Children

Work/Employment

Growth

Exhaustion

Hiding

 

I think that's enough for now

 

 

 

Just kidding

[Camy]

I like the idea of using a photograph as a prompt, or a quotation...

 

Camy

[Wynter]

Graeme, I believe this is the discussion thread you're referring to: https://www.gayauthors.org/forums/index.php?showforum=97 It's in the Anthology forum, where we were discussing the possibility of having the 2007 quarterly anthologies based on something other than "seasonal" subjects. As a matter of fact, the "Fairy Tales Retold" anthology came about because it was a "non-seasonal" nominee for a quarterly anthology theme in 2006.

 

If there is enough interest in doing it this way, it is certainly possible. We would need some good suggestions for themes ... ones that are interesting and challenging, and have enough depth that they could be treated in different ways by many different writers, as well as broad appeal to a wide variety of readers.

 

The anthology forum thread linked to above is a good place to start, and you can also check out the "Writer's Prompt" forum for ideas. (We wouldn't necessarily use one of those prompts verbatim, but it lets you see what kind of things the anthology "writing assignments" could be based on.)

 

BTW, I know that various things were said in that thread about some of the suggestions made there. I don't think any of them have been ruled out yet (that includes using a photograph as a prompt, for example.)

Kitty

 

Kitty your link doesnt reach a specific page, merely the writing prompts index, so forgive me if i regurgitate old ideas. Im definitely in favour of moving away from seasonal stories. As Graeme mentioned many of the past suggestions have been hard for non north Americans to connect with. Northern influence would suggest white winters and travelling carollers. Australian christmasses tend towards outdoor bbqs on hot summer days (it was somewhere near 40 c today) and i've yet to see groups of people signing carols in the street.

 

I'd like to see something a little more complicated to see what people can really do. Starting a story with a particular phrase or just by using a picture were techniques used in a short stories topic at my Uni and they can be really fun. The people in my class came up with all sorts of things yet all started at the same point. It's not just that the previously used story prompts werent universally familiar, they also tended to have similar plots.

 

I've only actually only got one suggestion for a theme. Its a line from the ballad of Reading Gaol by Oscar Wilde. Wilde was imprisoned for acts of sodomy (side note: there were no such laws against lesbians because the queen refused to believe they existed lol!) so maybe people could remember that when they read the line.

For he who live more lives than one

More deaths than one must die.

 

Though the actual poem was about a murderer I think the line could easily be adapted, meaning is contextual. the obvious way to twist it would be a metaphor to the way many homosexuals live double lives to varying degrees. However, how you approach the idea could vary immensely. Or take the idea in a completely diffrent way, the whole point of this sort of prompt is to explore different perceptions.

 

If u like the idea the whole thing is on the net here

 

Wynter

[JamesSavik]

for fall or spring, What about gays in sports? I was the first out gay ever in my high school to play and letter in footbrawl. It was painful and difficult but I eventually proved to my teammates and coaches that I was a good team mate. I'm sure there are lots of good drama in sports stories.

[Lugh]

just cross posting... these are ideas I listed on the other thread:

 

 

possible suggestions would be "Love Shack" (Winter), "Children of the Night" (Fall), "Super Heroes" (Summer) , "The Road Not Taken" (Winter/Spring), "Living in the Shadows" (Summer), "Odd (wo)Man Out (Any)"

 

 

and adding more:

 

"Return to Innocence" (Winter/Spring), "Surrender" (Fall), "Sounds of Silence" (Any), "Worth Fighting For" (Any), "Untrue" (Any), "Wasn't that a Party" (Summer/Fall), "Summer Loving" (Duh!)

 

heh... maybe I'll add more later...

[Bardeara]

I'm starting to see a trend of more then one speical Anthology poping up through out 2007. I was thinking that we would do the, 'start the story with this saying,' and the picture one as special anthology to see how well they take. Just a thought.

 

 

I have another one for the Summer theme... 'Summer Camp' IE. band camp, sports camp, space game... etc.

 

Bardeara

[Caipirinha]

I think using Mardi Gras//Carnivale as a spring theme could be interesting.

 

I also think doing an anthology on the seven deadly sins could be very interesting.

 

But, with the good, you have to take into account also the not so good.

 

Mardi Gras//Carnivale could be too close a throw back to masquerades and Halloween.

 

The seven deadly sins, while interesting, could be too closely linked to religion for people to be comfortable.

 

Anyway, that's my two cents. Hope it was at least slightly usefull.

[JamesSavik]

I think using Mardi Gras//Carnivale as a spring theme could be interesting.

 

 

FYI for the uninitiated: Mardi Gras is in late February. In the states it is celebrated with vigor in New Orleans and to a lesser extent up and down the Gulf Coast.

 

Because of its timing, it is not the spring break destination that you might think. A lot of college students in the SE take off Wednesday after class and go through Sunday- skipping Thursday & Friday.

 

It is such a tradition at some schools that teachers don't schedule tests for those days. [university of Southern Mississippi, LSU, Tulane, Univ of Houston, etc]

[Graeme]

FYI for the uninitiated: Mardi Gras is in late February. In the states it is celebrated with vigor in New Orleans and to a lesser extent up and down the Gulf Coast.

Unless, of course, it refers to the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, which this year will be from 2nd Feb to 3rd March (the date of the parade and party).

 

If this was nominated as a theme, I'd suggest it be a more generic Mardi Gras/Pride/Community Party theme.

[Razor]

Okay, so I have a major question... why not NOT base these anthologies on a "seasonal" theme? I mean, quarterly anthologies are a great idea, but do they really have to be "seasonal"? It would be so much more fun to not have to buy in to the kind of cliched seasonal thing, which often (as Graeme and others have pointed out) can mean drastically different things in different places.

[Lugh]

Razor,

 

Please note my suggestions... none of them are seasonal in nature... honestly I think we should vote on everything in one list and the top four get to be anthologies. But that is only my opinion.

 

Lugh

[glomph]

A Carnivale story could take place in Brazil or a Christmas story in Australia. They could be in a winter anthology, but take place in the summer in their respective locale.

 

February 29 could be a good theme for an anthology for next year.

 

Ramadan takes place different seasons over time. It's probably not so great in Finland during the summer.

 

The solstices themselves could make good themes. Or how about a meteor shower?

 

I also think doing an anthology on the seven deadly sins could be very interesting.

 

I already have "sloth" covered by not writing anything.

[miguelsanchez55]

This might not go over so well but how about this?

 

For Spring: It could be anything that would happen during that season. It sould be Easter, Spring Break, ect. Leaving the decision up to the particula author.

 

Same thing for the other seasons.

 

I read this thread and to be honest people, I was getting confused.

 

Miguel :sword:

[Bondwriter]

I like the way Lugh phrases his suggestions. Song titles could work: "The Long Winding Road", "Stairway to Heaven", "Money"... I'm sure you'll have tons of ideas too!

[Umbathri]

I really wanted to write more, in anthologies or otherwise, but my life doesn

[CarlHoliday]

Since we have members from a lot of countries other than the good ol

[shadowgod]

Since we have members from a lot of countries other than the good ol

[Drewbie]

Also to add, December is when Australia has there summer break, Some schools do year around,

 

Just a thought.

[shadowgod]

Its a moot point now I totally didnt catch that the poll was already up!

 

Steve

[glomph]

Its a moot point now I totally didnt catch that the poll was already up!

 

And my suggestion of "Ramadan in Finland" didn't make the cut.