The Microstory, Microstory exercise Options

[Cleo_Serapis]

Hi all.

We've started a discussion regarding the term 'microstory' and a challenge was put forth to create them.

I thought I would start a tile here (please 'add reply') so we can practice and comment. I hadn't heard of this term before so I googled it and here are some responses:


"A term - as far as I know - first used by MIT during the creation of the never-ending-conversation. A microstory is the smallest particle of a work of interactive fiction. During the creation of a work of interactive fiction, story parts are connected to each other with links or commands (or possibly an at-random sequence). Every story part is a possible followup to another story part. These story parts are called "microstories." ~ from IfWiki.Org


"On a grid each point is connected to at least four other points and that contain microstories. Imagine that the point you are on right now tells you about the cat Irma used to have and how she took the animal to bed with her ever since she was a little girl, and how the neighbor killed the cat because it ruined his flowerbeds. Let’s call the microstory you are on right now number 0, and the four grid points this story is connected to are numbered 1 to 4.

In my story, grid point number 1 could contain a story about the first time Irma met the cat, number two could be a description of Irma’s bedroom and some other things that happened there, number three could be about the neighbor and his flowerbeds, and number four could be the a description of what Irma did to the neighbor when she found out he killed her cat.

And so on.

In this way one can design a grid and move from one side to the other and experience a landscape of emotions, stories, events and descriptions that are all thematically linked to one another.

But: as in every other story, one has to take care of one tiny detail: does the reader have enough information to understand the next part of the story? In the case of a grid-based story, this is the same, but more complicated because anyone can arrive at any point from several directions. In theory these could be four (or eight when diagonal movements are allowed) but one could limit them to two if the reader can go top-down, right-left.

Okay, lets start making things even more complicated. Suppose the story we are telling the audience is based on a map of Irma’s bedroom. Every square contains an item that is connected to a story and all the items are thematically connected on a grid. Irma lived in that room from the time she was a little girl until the day she died. We are presenting this as a point and click story, that is: we walk through the room using different shots of that room and we can move from one shot to another by clicking in the desired direction. Every shot contains an item (or items) and every item tells us a microstory.

Microstory number one, the microstory we start with – probably the door to the room - is very important. This is the entrance point to the story and we have to tell the reader everything he or she needs to know about Irma in order to understand what is going on in the next microstories. That is what I call an information point.

There could be more information points than one inside Irma’s bedroom. Suppose the story – and therefore the bedroom – starts at the point where Irma is still a little girl of five years old. Several things happened in those days. Especially her father was very important to her then. And when he died everything changed. Her live changed, her mother changed. And of course: the story will change with it. The microstory that contains the story of her father’s death could be another information point. And it could lead us to another room, the room her father lived in. Or it could lead to the same room ten years later. This room also has a grid, maybe the same stuff is on it, maybe not, but Irma has grown older, and the stories that are connected to the items are different.

Instead of one square with a grid on it, we are now confronted with two squares connected at one point: the point where we learn that Irma’s father died. We could position those squares on top of each other, creating a cube filled with dots.

We can move on through her room, in a different time, and learn everything there is to know about Irma at the age of fifteen. Until we encounter a new information point......."

~from BigBother


"As the tool, microstory is used — text unit of a paragraph, summing up the context, form, and content of particular work, event, or theory."

"A MicroStory must be 499 words or less."


Anyway...anyone care to join in?

Here in this exercise, let's limit the word count to 100 or less (per James and Perry)...

[Guest_Jox_*]

Hi Lori, excellent thread, thanks.

As many will realise from my poetry chats, I tend to be against rules. Guidelines to help people are fine but I think rules are best kept out of art. In the same way, I've never imposed any rules on my definition of microstory.

I have entered a few competitions (and never won) where the requirements  were:

Precisely 100 words
No more than 100 words
No more than 150 words
Precisely 50 words.

Think there were more but I cannot find the requirements now. These show that different people / competition setters think differently on the subject, too.

Axiomatically, if the competition has rules and one wishes to enter, one has to meet those rules. However, if writing for self then I would say a microstory is very short prose - far shorter than a short story. But I would never limit it by a specific word count, nor subject, nor reference to grid etc.

If I can find them, I'll post a couple of my microstories as examples in my next post. No crit, please (think one is on Mm for crit anyway) - just showing two different approaches. Have to find them first.

Thanks for this. Cheers, James.

[Cleo_Serapis]

OK.

I'll start with something I posted in short story ex #5 recently:


Arese waded to a stop in the crystalline waters. Moonlight lent itself to an aura of dreams. Inside the realm of fantasy, her mirrored image spoke. "Why do you look upon this life with such misery?" the reflection asked.


I assume my next micorstory would continue this theme from a different point of view perhaps?

[Cleo_Serapis]

Thanks James!

I had a hard time just looking the above up... So we'd most appreciate your input...

:pharoah2

[Guest_Jox_*]

Hi, here are those two microstories. Both competition entries. Both to specific requirements. Both failed. Both ages ago.

I like microstories because they are the missing link between poetry and prose - accessible by poets very easily. Or, a good introduction to tight writing for prosers!

Cheers, James.

========================================================

© James Oxenholme, 2005. I, James Oxenholme, do assert my right to be identified as the author of these works in accordance with Sections 77 and 78 of The Copyrights, Designs And Patents Act, 1988. (Laws of Cymru & England, as recognised by international treaties). This work was simultaneously copyrighted in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America. This work is posted as an unpublished work in order to elicit critical assistance and other helpful comment, only.

======================================================

Ref: MB 0033 AD

The Release
by Maxine Brockton
October, 1987

Her perfect beauty was haunting; but until this moment she had been in utter misery. Now, led by premonition, she went to the drawing room. There she waited for the disaster which would demolish the vast house and release her from her pitiable duties as The Ghost Of The Manor.

(end)
----------------------------------------------------------------------Author’s Notes:

Original Date: 24/10/87.  Transcribed to MS-Word: 18 February, 1995
For BBC R4's Today programme / Daily Telegraph newspaper Mini Saga Competition.
(Requirement: Precisely fifty words).

This achieved b-all!

==================================================
=======================================================
Ref: MB 0032 AE

General Reputations
by MB
October, 1988

"Few people are brave enough to ask such questions, let alone provide the answers. Nevertheless, it is up to us to do both."

The General's comments ended September's conference of DEFEND - the global anti-UFO organisation. They also began his tenure as DEFEND's commander, after last week's dismissal of his predecessor for personal appropriation of funds.

Everyone filed out. "Fancy a drink?" my friend asked. The pub was crowded, but we saw the General who'd just given the closing speech.

"An excellent speech, Sir. We know you're absolutely determined to eliminate the aliens." I said. He turned, rather startled and caught my brandy glass; it cracked, cutting his hand. Green blood oozed out!

September has been a great month for re-assessing reputations.

(end)
------------------------------------------------------------------------Author’s Notes:-

This was originally written for a competition in The Independent Magazine, October 1988. It failed to even be mentioned.

The competition provided the first and final sentences and invited readers to construct a story of no more than 100 words to fill the gap. My words actually total 99.
=========================================================[s]

[Guest_Toumai_*]

Ah, I've just done I micro story - posted in Stonehenge for crit.  

http://forums.mosaicmusings.net/cgi-bin....ry29875

Fran

[Guest_Jox_*]

Of Course, Fran and I've critted.

Why don't you edit your post above to provide a quick link?

Thanks in anticipation.

James.