It has been suggested that maybe we could all jointly write '1000 questions that worry me and put-downs that annoy me - the ideal plane, train and boat humour book'.
If the typical 'at the airport' humourous travel paperback is (say) 100 pages long, we'd have to write (say) 8 pages each. If there are 10 entries to a page, that's 100 witticisms each - 40 'worries' and 40 'putdowns' each.
So far potentially involved we have Adman, Jay and Ginpitwarrior - who inadvertently kicked this all off!
Okay - we have 'Questions That Worry Us' and 'Put Downs' all in the same book, and we're targetting 40 Questions and 40 Putdowns each to make a 100 page MS.
The questions can be already in the public domain, or new. The Put Downs can be original, public domain - even from famous celebrities or historical characters.
For consideration; only ideas; we could all chip in an idea;
PUTDOWNS
Women's Anti Chat Up Lines Men's Anti Chat Up Lines Wives Venom Against Husbands Hushand's Venom Against Women
Refusing The Invitation To Dinner Refusing The Job Offer Resigning From The Job Dismissing The Employee
Lines For An Obnoxious Police Officer Lines For An Obnoxious Traffic Warden Lines For An Obnoxious Teacher Lines For An Obnoxious Neighbour
etc etc
QUESTIONS THAT WORRY ME ABOUT ...
Animals Hobbies Birth Life
Illness Death Jobs Money
Marriage Holidays Sayings Drivers Writers!
etc etc etc
Page to view per theme?
Anyone else got any thoughts or ideas - anyone else interested? Although it seems like a fairly mammoth task, if we can get a dozen of us involved it shouldn't be too arduous. The idea is to present it for retail publication, shared profits (if any!) rather than self-publish.
Not sure i could write to order on this. I think these ideas are abstract by nature like - 'Who puts all the dust at the bottom of the cornflake packet?' -Why did I think of that?
If i were to try and think of some they would be all over the shop theme wise, and would need sorting/editing.
Why are boxers counted out but never in?
Count me in.
'All we see and seem is but a dream within a dream' Poe
I'd be interested. Where'd we start and how would we get it to a publisher? Heck, it's not a too big a job.
I work quite a bit in group things, my experience is that, often, if things aren't clearly sorted, tasks shared and delineated and organised right from the start, then people start to drop off and the project doesn't progress as the original spirit in which the idea was conceived has got lost.
So, apart from that caveat, and so long as there's a clear structure then count me in.
Secondly, I tend to agree with Playfull's analysis, but hey... what have we got to lose?
Finally, I've reviewed my principal TPTT entry, and no wonder I didn't make the shortlist, it's bland... horrible! I am, however, adapting it for a TV sitcom, and it's looking really fantastic, a completely different proposition. I'm looking to get it to a production company within a fortnight. So, as long as this new idea is not to be a rush job, and you can wait for me... YEP, count me in.
I was thinking about this little enterprise last night as I watched my toddler lovingly coat the DVD player with yoghurt. I do think that by nature the project is ephemeral, and comedy is, as you know, hard. I have two suggestions:
1. Format it as a paperback forum - as a series of posts.
The jokes could be worked in as part of a narrative and amusing arguments and personality types could emerge.
2. Everyone go away for a week and take notes when they say funny things or funny situations. Polish the writing and e-mail them all to adman. Then you have a chance to see what 'this' is, and no one has the unwelcome pressure to perform in a certain category.
If I was funny, I'd be jumping on the bandwagon, but I will stick to finishing this exasperating play.
Originally posted by Swann1719: I was thinking about this little enterprise last night as I watched my toddler lovingly coat the DVD player with yoghurt...
Firstly, love the idea of a selection of ‘questions that worry me’ and think this would make a book on its own. - In fact I cannot believe this has not already been done. - We would then also have the option of submitting a selection to papers and magazines for a one off item or a regular ‘10 per issue column’.
I think a generic term for this type of question would help as well – this gives us an opportunity to create a ‘name’ or ‘brand’ for our publication or column in a periodical, and to enter a new word into common usage. Suggestions please?
‘Qworrys’ (Questions that worry me) ‘Qwyds & Qwifs’ ( Questions that start ‘why do’ or ‘what if’ )
I think if we can come up with enough for a slim volume (filled out a little with a few ‘Bill Tidy’ style illustrations?) and this sold, we could then move onto other themed slim tomes.
As I said I am happy to submit to Adman *thinks, did I mean to say that* for sorting but they will be on a variety of subjects. I would find it very hard to write Qworrys to order on a specific theme.
P.S. Anyone know what Qworrys would score in Scrabble?
'All we see and seem is but a dream within a dream' Poe
I agree - a whole book of Qworrys would be best - but boy! Would we have to work hard for that! Ten to a page, you'd need 1000 of them! Even if there were 12 of us - that's generating 83 each! It could end up being pretty slim otherwise ...
But may I also suggest for consideration - Quoncerns?
I think I'm too logical.
