Every year,
 same old way,
presents, songs and wishes.
  cheerful smiles, the way they cry,
 still, I thought I couldn't like
   the way they hype a birth.
  But now that you give me this joy,
    I understood because
   you left me those
     bright red shining drops on silky white.

 

Belated Merry Christmas to everybody.
This isn't quite a challenge but only meant to be a bit of fun.

Once upon a time there was a little, poor boy called Ian. His parents had been sitting in a wheelchair since he could think. Unfortunately Ian was just 8 years old and could not take care of his mother and his father. But one Xmas Ian heard a noise through the chimney and somebody saying: “Hohoho”. Ian was afraid, because he immediately thought of a thief, breaking into their small house outside the city. But then Ian realized what day it was and shouted: “Santa”. Suddenly Ian couldn’t see anything, because all the light was gone. When there was light again, Ian found himself in a castle with his parents, who were no longer disabled, sitting in front of a huge Xmas-tree with many, many presents.

That was a real Xmas miracle.

I'm terribly sorry for the long delay in posting the first challenge, but I guess you've been just as busy these days as we.

Before I post the first challenge, though, I'd like to make an important ANNOUNCEMENT: We will discuss your individual works in German as we do want to encourage constructive criticism, and giving that is not always easy in a foreign language. All other rules of netiquette as presented at our info meetings still apply, though.

As for the CHALLENGE, I do realise that it's a little bit late for putting together a CW (creatively written) advent calendar, but it's never too late for getting you into that Christmassy feeling. Maybe you have someone you'd like to give this as a present to?

The topic is Christmas. Sounds more boring than it is, since the form is a mini-saga. It consists of only 50 words, but it has to have a beginning, a main part and an ending, just like a proper story. Much of the exposition (that's the bit at the beginning in which place, time and characters are introduced) can go into the headline, which comes with a max of 15 words. The extra challenge in a mini-saga is also that the ending should make you think or surprise you.

Here's an example:

The Conquering Alien

One year ago on Venus there was an alien who wanted to conquer the Universe. When he got to Earth he landed on a school, he went through the air duct and through some of the holes, he saw a class called 4P, they were so ugly he went home.
(by Thomas Hatton, aged 8)

We'd like you to write a mini-saga with such a twist about Christmas. Make people smile. Make them think. Make them wonder ...

You can email your drafts to either of us.

Have fun. We're looking forward to reading your mini-sagas.

Leave a comment on this post to make suggestions or e-mail us.

Registration has started, and we'll wait a couple of days for everyone to sign up. Then we'll start with the first assignment.

I'll post an entry headed "Suggestions". You can make suggestions by writing a comment.

While we're waiting, I'd like you to tell us a little about yourself, e.g. about your favourite books and authors, and most importantly what you expect from this group.

NOTE: This group only accepts the mods' students as members. So when you sign up, please also send an email to either of us with your full name and class plus your lj name.