Like Speed Chess, But With Writing Instead of Chess
September 20, 2010 2:31 PM Subscribe
Click "Write". Get a prompt. And a timer that will all too quickly hit 0:00. That's when you don't get to edit anymore. It's Six Minute Story, and it's among the most fun/frenetic (or perhaps fun/harrowing) 360 seconds you'll have today. [via mefi projects]
well, in my opinion
posted by mannequito at 2:44 PM on September 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by mannequito at 2:44 PM on September 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
Before I try this, I need to know if there's a "oh my god this is just drivel stop the clock delete everything and close my account" button.
posted by theodolite at 2:45 PM on September 20, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by theodolite at 2:45 PM on September 20, 2010 [2 favorites]
So this is where MeFi is testing the two-minute edit window?
posted by oneswellfoop at 2:50 PM on September 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by oneswellfoop at 2:50 PM on September 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
I wish there a no-escape mechanism where you couldn't walk away and it posts whatever you wrote whether you wanted it to or not. That would truly be adrenaline writing without a net.
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 3:14 PM on September 20, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 3:14 PM on September 20, 2010 [3 favorites]
I lol'd at the guy who copy-pasted Moby Dick.
posted by r_nebblesworthII at 3:23 PM on September 20, 2010
posted by r_nebblesworthII at 3:23 PM on September 20, 2010
I wrote "Untitle Bruce Willis Project." It was fun, but I doubt it'll win any awards.
posted by JHarris at 3:46 PM on September 20, 2010
posted by JHarris at 3:46 PM on September 20, 2010
They lost me at "log in"
posted by HuronBob at 4:01 PM on September 20, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by HuronBob at 4:01 PM on September 20, 2010 [4 favorites]
This is fun.
posted by roll truck roll at 4:12 PM on September 20, 2010
posted by roll truck roll at 4:12 PM on September 20, 2010
I had fun! It feels like the right space and time to try Lydia Davis type stuff. (I did "Table, Phone, Table, Table, Phone.")
posted by vitia at 4:27 PM on September 20, 2010
posted by vitia at 4:27 PM on September 20, 2010
Cause I'm a bad person, I have the desire to flood this with
A Bat Could Do Enough For God However I Just...
and so on.
posted by The Whelk at 5:56 PM on September 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
A Bat Could Do Enough For God However I Just...
and so on.
posted by The Whelk at 5:56 PM on September 20, 2010 [1 favorite]
...Know Llamas Make Needless Ornamental Panchos Quietly, Rather Than Unlikely Vinegar Washed Xylophones, Yet Zebra-striped?
(Oh, like you expect me to put more work into this than one of those six-minute stories.)
posted by JHarris at 7:42 PM on September 20, 2010
(Oh, like you expect me to put more work into this than one of those six-minute stories.)
posted by JHarris at 7:42 PM on September 20, 2010
HuronBob: "They lost me at "log in""
I agree. It should be free to use and after the time is up it should ask you 'Hey, do you want to save/publish this?' showing a register/login screen.
posted by Memo at 8:00 PM on September 20, 2010
I agree. It should be free to use and after the time is up it should ask you 'Hey, do you want to save/publish this?' showing a register/login screen.
posted by Memo at 8:00 PM on September 20, 2010
Wow, what a great ide... [ding!]
posted by 1000monkeys at 10:18 PM on September 20, 2010
posted by 1000monkeys at 10:18 PM on September 20, 2010
Amazing how much effort writers put into forcing themselves to write.
posted by smackfu at 5:45 AM on September 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by smackfu at 5:45 AM on September 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
I know right? Almost like it's hard.
posted by The Whelk at 5:51 AM on September 21, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 5:51 AM on September 21, 2010 [3 favorites]
This feels to me more analogous to athletic training than to forcing anything. It's important for writers to stay in shape. This is six minutes on the linguistic exercise bike, so we're ready for the longer rides later.
posted by davidjmcgee at 8:27 AM on September 21, 2010
posted by davidjmcgee at 8:27 AM on September 21, 2010
I don't really "like" writing a lot of the time. I mean, I'd almost always rather be eating ice cream and playing Wii. So part of how you motivate yourself to write is by talking with others about writing.
But this is just a fun game with an extremely low barrier of entry. I don't think TypeRacer is proof that typists don't like typing.
posted by roll truck roll at 10:01 AM on September 21, 2010
But this is just a fun game with an extremely low barrier of entry. I don't think TypeRacer is proof that typists don't like typing.
posted by roll truck roll at 10:01 AM on September 21, 2010
I'm having a great time with this site. It's a real challenge for me to not be super wordy, and this forces me to try to be concise and focus. It's a good warm-up exercise. Thanks for sharing!
posted by lriG rorriM at 10:38 AM on September 21, 2010
posted by lriG rorriM at 10:38 AM on September 21, 2010
So happy to find 6MS on MeFi. I'm glad it's brightened the day / been a useful tool for a few of you.
Re: HuronBob: "They lost me at "log in""
Memo: "I agree. It should be free to use and after the time is up it should ask you 'Hey, do you want to save/publish this?' showing a register/login screen."
Agreed. The first iteration of the site behaved as you suggest. You can blame the trolls for convincing me to reverse the process. That single, simple step has kept trolls to a bare minimum so far.
posted by Galen at 1:22 PM on September 21, 2010
Re: HuronBob: "They lost me at "log in""
Memo: "I agree. It should be free to use and after the time is up it should ask you 'Hey, do you want to save/publish this?' showing a register/login screen."
Agreed. The first iteration of the site behaved as you suggest. You can blame the trolls for convincing me to reverse the process. That single, simple step has kept trolls to a bare minimum so far.
posted by Galen at 1:22 PM on September 21, 2010
That was a lot of fun, but endlessly frustrating when my last line got cut off.
posted by Turkey Glue at 3:52 PM on September 21, 2010
posted by Turkey Glue at 3:52 PM on September 21, 2010
I've been frustrated in that way before. I've had to remind myself that I SHOULD want a seventh minute. That a 6MS is not necessarily an end in itself.
Still, though. It's awfully frustrating sometimes.
posted by davidjmcgee at 7:48 AM on September 22, 2010
Still, though. It's awfully frustrating sometimes.
posted by davidjmcgee at 7:48 AM on September 22, 2010
Some have been posting that last line in the comments for safe keeping. Others have been taking the kernel of the story and expanding on their blogs.
davidjmcgee suggested letting writers adjust the amount of time they want, and I may do that eventually.
I'm constantly listening to suggestions for improvements, so bring them on. :D
posted by Galen at 2:50 PM on September 22, 2010
davidjmcgee suggested letting writers adjust the amount of time they want, and I may do that eventually.
I'm constantly listening to suggestions for improvements, so bring them on. :D
posted by Galen at 2:50 PM on September 22, 2010
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