One of the other meetings that occurred, this one weekly, were Friday meet-ups that either took the shape of a Salon discussion or a Game.
Maybe about half the class showed up to these events, some people starting the event and then making their excuses. I think I went to all of them.
The Salons centered around stories or story-telling methods generally. We discussed pre-class readings, both fiction and non-fiction, where I was intrigued to discover just how the views changed from person to person on the pieces we’d read. There was one story especially that many of us read it completely differently, which was incredible and eye-opening.
That being said, it was the Games that were the most fun! :) We’d have to come up with plot additions, with changes in character motivation. Or we’d have to craft world-building additions that wouldn’t contradict a prior rule already stated.
And, of course, there were options to contest an addition to the working plot or world, etc. So there were plenty of arguments as to what would work, what wouldn’t work.
Many of us would partner up during the games too, so we could chat behind the scenes to come up with solutions or story elements. So. Many. Unused. Elements :( Lol. I wish I’d saved my own conversations during one of the games just so I could attempt to write a story with one of those plot threads later XD Ah well.
A particular highlight were the pod people! Those strange peoples who sprang fully-knowledgable from their pods because none of them could be higher than the others. There were also the toe people, where the sizes of their toes determined social hierarchy. Someone even referenced a few of the things we came up with in the Games in their story, which was an awesome little easter egg to find!
<3 Marie C.
Marie Croke 