The end of April Fool's Bingo

[dialecticdreamer]

Hi all,

It's the last day of April and I thought I'd post my own progress on my bingo card. My life went completely sideways in the last week of March, but we're getting back to a new definition of normal. That includes, of course, not only time to write, but the attention to spare for it, thank goodness!

There are no announcements of bingo this month, other than this one, which makes me worry that I picked a too-specific type of prompt fill.

This was a real stretch for me, as readers can see from the individual prompt details. That I have trouble naming things is not news (I was just hoping four decades plus would allow enough practice to make it easier!) Fortunately, the goal was to have fun, and I definitely did so. Here's hoping others did, too. To help me make the next Allbingo hosting better, feel free to PM me with opinions and suggestions. I am definitely looking forward to creating a new theme!




Finished:
Prank - “Intersecting Problems.” Already posted on my DW account.

Laughter- “Happy Hour” - ready to post, but must wait for another story to be posted first. I quite like this short, strictly-structured poem, and am eager to see readers' reactions.

Rivalry -“Sibling Rivalry”- a free verse poem. This one may need battering with a poet's toolbox, but I quite liked setting it up and exploring a different view of the topic. TENTATIVELY finished, as poetry is not my first medium.

Humor- (untitled)- This story interconnects and happens simultaneously with “Intersecting Problems.' While it still needs a title, it's ready for posting.

A Technical Detail:
Sleepover- (Heron 4) – This is a very long story, and I've been trying to finish it all month! Yes, the sleepover is integral, even though they're college-age characters. The sleepover story line is finished, but it interleaves in alternating chapters with another story line. Since the two stories COULD be posted as “odd number chapters” and “Even number chapters” as separate, complete stories, I'm counting it. ('Winning' on a technicality, yes, but mostly, I just wanted to feel like I've gotten back on track with my usual writing process.)

Comments

Hmm...

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> There are no announcements of bingo this month, other than this one, which makes me worry that I picked a too-specific type of prompt fill. <<

For me it was a combination of too-specific and being extra-busy.

There is a definite trend throughout creative bingo of a tension between prompts/fests that are too specific being hard to fill, and ones that are too generic being not very useful. There seem to be a couple of sweet spots in generic themes with detailed prompts (like genprompt_bingo) or focused themes with flexible prompts (like hc_bingo). Ones like ladiesbingo and trope_bingo with a snug focus are popular if you want to try increasing that type of material. kink_bingo is the one I did once, but didn't repeat, because it was just too specific for me and my audience wasn't as enthused about carnal writing as platonic writing.

However, I really enjoy the pieces that came out of your bingo!

Re: Hmm...

[dialecticdreamer]

Okay, that helps a LOT.

I'm going to change focus for the /style/ of bingo next time, which will require some more generic prompts just to maintain a workable card.

Still thinking it over; what months are available?

Re: Hmm...

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> Okay, that helps a LOT. <<

Yay! I have really had fun studying fests -- what they offer, how they work, how people respond, which ones are harder or easier to write for, which ones my audience likes best. My all-time favorite has been cottoncandy_bingo which is sadly defunct again. :( I really miss that fest because it was offset with my other favorite, hc_bingo.

>> I'm going to change focus for the /style/ of bingo next time, which will require some more generic prompts just to maintain a workable card. <<

Consider looking over the lists already on the bingo generator. Often you can take one of those, mix and match several, or mix one with some new prompts to make a targeted batch for a fest. It is easier than starting from scratch.

>> Still thinking it over; what months are available? <<

July and August, then you have September for Wish Upon a Card. November and December are also open.

[vexed_wench]

I love to host a month here. I try to have a flexible theme and prompts.


I also offer banners for everyone that made a bingo.

I use this http://www.bannerfans.com/banner_maker.php

People like banners.

Ooo...

[ysabetwordsmith]

Thanks for the banner link.

Re: Ooo...

[vexed_wench]

Glad to share it. I love this com and am always glad to help.

Banners?

[dialecticdreamer]

You wouldn't mind if I borrowed the idea? I usually offer a fic fill.

Re: Banners?

[ysabetwordsmith]

I love your fic fills. Also the bingo card you made me. <3 But I like banners too.

Re: Banners?

[dialecticdreamer]

Banners would be a new skill for me. Theoretically, I could finish one in a day... Only four or five times longer than it took to write the superhero bingo fill for you.

Re: Banners?

[vexed_wench]

I'm happy to share. I love your idea of writing for people, but I know I would fail at that. I do the drabble/ficlet memes and take forever to write peoples fills.

If you are looking for nice free pictures for the background I use MorgueFile.

[meridian_rose]

I glanced at the card and didn't see anything bingos I really wanted to fill because it felt a bit too specific to me. Perhaps a few more generic humour/fun prompts and some lies/deceit/misunderstandings?
On the other hand I was busy anyway - my smallfandombigbang was due in April as was unconventional courtship, plus the latest intoabar challenge, etc. So it wasn't a month I was looking for extra things to challenge me and it would have to have been something extra special to get me involved.

Too specific

[dialecticdreamer]

Okay, I was trying to keep focus on the theme of April Fool's, and keep it lighthearted... How much 'wiggle room' is considered acceptable? I'm still feeling my way around the edges of the acceptable range.

As an example, could you cite a couple of prompts you think would've fit into the theme? I'd really appreciate it.

Re: Too specific

[ysabetwordsmith]

I often think in terms of 'umbra' and 'penumbra' when creating bingo prompts or fests. It's something I picked up from the PDQ gaming system, where you name a quality the character has, and from that you can extrapolate other things they'd probably be good at -- so for instance, Dog Trainer (umbra) implies also knowing how to get pet hair off of things (penumbra).

With bingo, there's the main idea and then other ways it could be interpreted. That also does cool things in my Poetry Fishbowl, where I have a theme that other people can play with pretty freely. Ideally, there should be a clear target in each theme or prompt, and beyond that people can bend it into interesting new shapes if they want. All the prompts should fit the core concept, but at least some of them should apply easily to other things too.

Take "toys" which is a genprompt_bingo prompt. Most people will write that to mean things that children play with. Some will go for adult toys or pet toys instead. Farther out, "toys with" or "Toys R Us" are possible. A theme could be as narrow as "April Fool's Day," wider into "safe pranks," or as broad as "pranks, shenanigans, and other silliness." Our popular Valentine's Day Bingo started out as Asexy Valentines in a different venue, and has broadened in this context to any kind of sex/romance (or not) whether positive or negative; sort of a general musing on relationships as inspired by the holiday.

Re: Too specific

[dialecticdreamer]

Thank you. This will ASSUREDLY make August's bingo challenge more open, more flexible, and possibly even MORE fun.

Already scribbling notes, btw.

Re: Too specific

[ysabetwordsmith]

Yay! I'm glad I could help. It takes some trial and error to figure out what works.