This is a writing exercise that myself and 3 other people are doing in real life. I thought that there might be a few people online that would enjoy playing along. Below you will find a list of 6 words (picked at random). All you have to do is write something (story, poem or whatever you want). It can be as short or as long as you want. The only rule is that you need to use each word at least once. You may use any tense or any form of the words (vacillating, vacillated, foulest, brambles and so on). After you are done writing place a comment on this post with a URL so everyone can go to your site and read what you have written. So have fun and remember this is just an exercise there are no winners or losers.
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Beautiful
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Foul
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Baboon
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Vacillate
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Zyzzyva
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Bramble
monkspoint 
Posted by laurensayshello on July 27, 2009 at 1:49 pm
okay, correct me if i may be wrong, but i’m under the impresssion that a zyzzyva is a type of beetle? i’m not entirely sure if that’s true, however.
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Posted by Felonious Monk on July 27, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Yes it’s a type of weevil, that is often destructive to plants, but since it’s also the last word in many dictionaries it is also used as “The Last Word”. So if you are having an argument just make your point then say zyzzyva!
I hope you are planning on writing a story, I’m going to post mine in a day or two, I don’t know if the people I’m playing with IRL will post or not.
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Posted by Felonious Monk on July 29, 2009 at 2:04 pm
This is what Deb H. Wrote….
A Day’s Journey
In the deeper undergrowth, beyond the pink wild rose brambles and further yet from the peach orchard near the wooded area, the scientist finds what she has been in search of. There is a stream nearby, sourced through the white capped mountains further away, a tributary of the Baboon River to the west. The southerly breeze at this time of year is mild and refreshing for often this place has cool spells as dusk settles in.
She writes in her diary of the day’s journey of this travel, for it has been a long search and she is much excited. Her research project has taken her here, a quest to better understand how a foul zyzzyva-like infestation has reduced a strong, beautiful species to near ruin. The flowering plant at this site may have developed an immunity to the disease for its is perfect, true to form. This is a good sign. But she is troubled to why infestations can become so serious to the degree they nearly destroy the viability of the species. It appears as if the breeding patterns limited the resourcefulness of the plant to detect and diagnosis the source of its trouble. Was there a breakdown in genetic adaptation and if so, how could this have happened?
She decides to put aside her wonderings to examine the undergrowth in closer detail. She checks the coloring of this rare flower, a shy and unusually large bloom that prefers shade, and notices the throat is a deep gold. The lily-like petals are a variegated shade of topaz and white with just a touch of green near the throat. The flower has a softness to its shape and yet has a vibrancy of rare origin, with a firm root system and a broad leaf structure. She can see offspring close by, wonders where the mate is, and looks closer for clues about the maturing process. These smaller versions take on a considerable resembles to the parent and yet offer more unique aspects of diversification that intrigue the scientist. Is this some sort of experiment? Is nature this cleaver? She suspects so but will revisit this sight over time to see if there is more evidence to support this possibility.
She vacillates on whether or not to put this last question into her diary. Will other scientists scoff at this quandry? She has long recognized that nature is more intuitive than typically given credit. Is there some sort of formula that allows plants to have will to determine their own direction and overt crisis? If so, is this something central to all life? Is there a gene that allows for scanning on a larger level to aid in detection and diagnosis? She wants to dismiss her inquisitive, wondering if she is imagining something that is not really there, but she suspects something more to it that is harder to detect. There is so much to consider, amongst all the other priorities of her daily life. Perhaps she’ll have to clear out some misgivings to give way to more room for this idea to take root and grow.
The sun has nearly disappeared beyond the hills and distant mountains. The path home is clearly marked so the scientist shouldn’t have trouble finding her way in the dark. She will enjoy the walk with the sunset of pinks, oranges, and lavenders against a deeper blue as she ponders this fascinating new discovery. It has been a good day.
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Posted by Felonious Monk on August 26, 2009 at 9:01 pm
Brandi’s Story
zyzzyva-last word
“Hey Gwen look, its the rare nerd-asaurous,” Said Elizabeth as she flung her long wavy blond hair over her shoulder.
Gwen laughed and said, “Maybe we should get out of here before some of her cooties get on us.”
I sighed and said, “Why don’t you go make out with that baboon that you call a boyfriend.”
Elizabeth scoffed and said, “At least I can get a date, unlike you.”
“I could get a date if I I wanted to degrade myself to having a relationship with one of the neanderthals that this school calls men.”
Gwen laughed and said, “Oh go back to your cyber boyfriend.”
I blushed and whispered, “At least I know he isn’t a glutenous pig.”
“Have you ever actually seen him?”
I looked down at my hands and said, “We prefer to let our hearts see rather than our eyes.”
“That is so stupid.”
“Why? Because we are capable of judging each other based on the kindness of a persons heart and the beauty of ones thoughts?”
Elizabeth smiled her evil smile that meant she was up to something. She said in a soft tone, “So he thinks your thoughts are beautiful? I’m curious what he’ll think when he sees you for the first time. My thoughts would be, ‘What the hell is that? Is it a hippo? Oh crap thats my date!'”
Gwen burst out laughing and said, “I bet you can’t wait to go to the zoo tomorrow so you can visit your mom in the elephant exhibit.”
I smiled and said, “You two are so funny, I forgot how to laugh. But no your right I can’t wait until tomorrow, because I get to see Blaise for the first time.”
“What kind of name is Blaise?”
“Its from a Latin origin, though he whn’t tell me what it means.”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes and said, “Only a true nerd would know that.”
I let out a sigh of relief as the teacher started the lesson.
* * *
moonlight: Hey
fireeater251: Hey
moonlight: *smiles* How are you?
fireeater251: *smiles back* Why are you so smiley?
moonlight: Cuz I’m talking to you.
fireeater251: *laughs* So how was your day?
moonlight: *looks down* you never told me how you were.
fireeater251: My day was as usual boring. Now, tell me whats wrong.
moonlight: Nothing, but what do you mean boring? your days shouldn’t be boring, something had to happen.
fireeater 251: Fine, I went to school and had a horribly boring time now tell me about your day.
moonlight: nothing to report.
fireeater251: Then why so sad?
moonlight: I’m not sad.
fireeater251: Liar.
moonlight: How do you know?
fireeater251: It took you much to long to type that. So your hesatation confirms my assumption.
moonlight: You shouldn’t assume anything.
fireeater251: And why not?
moonlight: Because assuming makes an ass out of you and me.
fireeater251: Lol that is a really old saying.
moonlight: It doesn’t matter the age of the saying, its still true.
fireeater251: But you have to admit that I’m right with this assumption.
moonlight: I don’t have to do anything.
fireeater251: Please don’t act like this tonight.
moonlight: Whats wrong?
fireeater251: I’m just nervouse.
moonlight: ’bout what?
fireeater251: How your going to react when we meet tomorrow.
moonlight: I’m nervouse about that too.
fireeater251: I know its against our code but m…maybe we should tell each other about what we look like…
moonlight:…
moonlight: Blaise are you sure you want to do this?
fireeater251: well… we need to know what we look like tomorrow if we’re going to meet.
moonlight: Alright… but you go first.
fireeater251: Elysia please, it would mean a lot to me if you would just share first.
moonlight: What are you afraid of? Nothing that you say could make me not want to meet you tomorrow.
fireeater251: Don’t make promises you can’t keep.
moonlight: This is one promise that I know I can keep. But, if you still want me to go first, I guess I could.
fireeater251: It would really mean a lot to me.
moonlight: I have black hair that reaches the middle of my back, I have blue eyes that my mom says sparkles when I laugh, I am five foot ten, and I wear a size 6 dress (not that you would see me caught dead in one.)
fireeater251: You sound beautiful. You know that right?
moonlight: I’m not and I already know that.
fireeater251: Why do you say that?
moonlight: El… I just know I’m not.
fireeater251: Who says your not?
moonlight: Don’t worry about it, but tell me, what do you look like?
fireeater251: How about I be the one in the black jacket by the entrance?
moonlight: Thats not fair, you have to tell me.
fireeater251: *smiles* a strong beautiful young woman once said, “I don’t have to do anything.”
moonlight: Stop quoting me, besides I’m none of those things that you described me as.
fireeater251: You are exactly as I described you, even if you can’t see any of them.
moonlight: speaking of descriptions you still haven’t described yourself to me.
fireeater251: I told you, I’ll be the guy in the black jacket by the entrance gate.
moonlight: Will you at least tell me one thing about you?
fireeater251: Depends on what it is that you want to know.
moonlight: What do you think your most promanant feature is that you would have told me if you’d have done what I did?
fireeater251 is offline and will recieve your message(s) when he signs back in.
* * *
It was almost midnight and I was still tossing and turning. I would imagine him the way I always had. though we never spoke of appearances I imagined him with shoulder legnth brown hair and bright green eyes, and he was always smiling.
I rolled over and looked at my alarm clock and saw only five minuets had passed since the last time I checked it. I groaned and thought why couldn’t he have told me one thing about him? doesn’t he believe me that I wouldn’t change my opinion about him just because of the way that he looked? Couldn’t he tell that my heart hurt the same way his did? Or did he think I’d been bullshiting him the whole time. Is he wanted for something?’
I closed my eyes and whispered, “What if my mom was right, what if he is a criminal and is just using me for dirty things?”
I shook my head and said, “Listen to me I’m talking out of complete idiotic fear.”
I closed my eyes and drifted off to an uneasy sleep where I was haunted by foul beasts.
Part 2
It was a chili day for october. I pulled on a navy blue t-shirt and a pair of old jeans. I didn’t want to be to dressed up for a day at the zoo. I pulled on my hand gaurds and rolled myself over to the mirror. I let out a small sigh and whispered in my stuttering voice that I hated so much, “Blaise How could you think that it matters what you wear shes never going to be able to see past all the things you have wrong with you, mostly the chair.”
I looked at the clock and sighed again, I still had four hours before our meeting time. I rolled myself over to my computer desk and turned the dinasour on. I knew I had to get a new computer, but I loved the old girl. Besides she still worked, she was just a lot slower than most of the newer models. But then again it probably didn’t help that I kept loading her down with file after file of artwork made for her.
I shook my head and said to myself, “Don’t think about her. It will only make it more painful when she sees you and acts like she doesn’t know you or, if she doesnt do that when she tells you that she could never love a cripple.”
I closed my eyes trying to fight back the tears. Why had I let her talk me into meeting her in person? No she wasn’t like that. There was no way she would think of me like that. She is kind and sweet how could I even imagine that she would turn on me in such a disgusting way?
I rolled myself out my bedroom door and out to the path leading to the main road where I catch the bus. I took a deep breath before exiting the house. The path wasn’t very well kept there were several places that the brambles had over grown and would get caught in my tires. My mom asked me where I was heading and when I told her she smiled and said, “have fun sweetheart.”
* * *
I still had about twenty minuets before she arrived with her class. I sighed and rolled myself to the side of the path behind the tall pillars of the entrance. The wind was blowing so hard it made my face sting like I had been slapped.
I tried to clear the foreboding thoughts that pushed into my head. “The weather is warning you,” My head seemed to be saying, “Why don’t you forget this idiotic mission and go home? You can just tell her that you had a headache or make up some other reason why you couldn’t make it.”
“No,” A stronger voice in my head said, “What are you so afraid of? This is Allysia that we’re talking about, and yoiu know that she would never think of you in such a way.”
I was still vacilitating on the the fact if this was a good idea when I heard the buses pull up. I took a deep breath and whispered, “Please let my heart be right.”
a mob of kids pushed there way inside like a funnel. None of them turned around to look for me. And from what I could see, none of them looked like she had described herself to be.
The noisy rambunctious kids were moving away from me. I sighed and waited until they were out of site.
I was just about to leave when I saw her. She was staring at me. gawking. I bowed my head and started to roll myself toward the exit. She was just like everyone else. All she saw was the chair.
She came running over to me and stopped me. she said in an unsure voice, “B…Blaise?”
I looked away and whispered in my stutering voice, “Yes?”
She hugged me and said, “Why wouldn’t you describe yourself to me? Your very handsome.”
I blushed and whispered, “I was afraid that you would reject me because of the chair.”
She smiled softly and said, “Are you still afraid, and thats why your stutering?”
“No. My voice does this automatically. I was born with it.”
She smiled and whispered, “You know, I was afraid you would reject me too. like everyone has done for my whole life. But now I see that we are very much alike.”
I smiled and said, “I don’t see why people would reject you, your very nice and beautiful, not to mention smart.”
She laughed and said, “I’m not smart, and I’m not beautiful.”
* * *
“Gwen Look, nerd-asaurous has a cripled friend.” A girl with fire red hair said.
Gwen laughed loudly and said, “He must have felt sorry for her.”
I rolled myself forward toward them and wished my voice wouldn’t quiver as I said, “You know if you evn half as kind as Alicia then maybe you wouldn’t have to make fun of others just to get attention for yourself.”
She came up to me and whispered, “Blaise just ignore them.”
She pulled me away and I said, “Are they the ones that make you feel like crap at school everyday?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Yes it does, let me go back there and give them a piece of my mind.”
She sat on a bench and whispered, “Just let it go.”
I sighed and said, “Then your going to have to distract me.”
“Why?”
“Because I can’t let go of my emotions that easily and the only way I can is if I’m distracted by something else.”
“What should I do?”
“Share some useless information. Talk about something non-consiquental.”
She sighed and said, “Did you know that the last word in the dictionary is zyzzva, which can mean some weird thing that I don’t really remember but it also means the last word? Or that the cast memebers at disney land call its a small world the assylum?…”
She continued to babble and I felt my anger ebb away. I closed my eyes and whispered, “Thank you, I really needed that.”
She smiled and said, “Not a problem. I’m just glad you know how to calm down.”
I took her hand in mine and said, “You know, your so kind, I don’t know why they chose you to pick on.”
“I do. Its because they know I won’t bite back.”
“Then you got to show them what your made of.”
“maybe some day, but for right now I’d rather just let them live it up because someday, they’ll be working for me.”
I smiled and said, “That is a very wise thing to do”
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Posted by Dew on September 17, 2009 at 12:12 pm
This sounds really really interesting :)Ofcourse I checked this later, however I have used a word “beautiful” in this post recently( http://crystaldewdrops.wordpress.com/2009/09/16/rose/ !! Lemme know what you think 🙂
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