Hi Alphas,
Welcome to Alphaday 10, Season XI. Make the most of it, because this is the last Alphaday of the season with a full menu. We’ll be starting – ever so gently – the tailing off process and looking forward to the pressure of all those Alpha chores no longer troubling our beauty sleep. Or – alternatively – we’ll be worrying about withdrawal symptoms when there aren’t the regular challenges to keep the adrenalin flowing and the writing bug going.
We have ten challenges per season, and the brief for Ch.10 is on today’s menu.
So, as I said, make the most of it, and when that one is out of the way, keep writing. One of the highlights of starting a new season is to hear about our members’ exciting writing adventures during the so-called ‘the fallow period’.
Today’s agenda has the following treats in store for your benefit and enjoyment:
- This bulletin from me
- The Log with your news edited by me
- The results of the ‘NOT A in W’ challenge from Morgen
- The collated entries for the ‘Colour’ challenge from Sue
- The brief for challenge 10 from Geoff (already in!)
- And, who knows? Suzanne might have another showcase piece for us to enjoy. These have a schedule of their own, depending on the number of contributions received. They can be consulted and commented on at any time, and they can turn up in your in-box when you least expect them to.
That should be enough to keep you happy over the Easter weekend. And unlike those chocolates, you can indulge in the Alpha treats without moderation.
Let’s not forget to thank all those who contributed to putting the agenda together. I know we tend to take it for granted, and we all enjoy taking part in the challenges, but every item relies the willingness of those concerned to put in the extra effort. So: Thank you!
I really loved Stephen’s expression “The Alpha-Seltzer effect”. That’s precisely what makes it all so interesting and stimulating, when the packed Alpha agenda stirs up a fizz of comments and points for discussion – minor and major. There’s no way anyone can guess what comes bubbling up from our routine affairs; but something usually does.
We discussed oxymorons at some length and I’m always fascinated by the way people often either love these stylistic tricks or hate them.
I discovered another real delight along similar lines in my local French weekly newspaper (La Manche Libre, if you really want to know!). There’s a little linguistic column on the back page which I always read with interest. The word put forward in the column was “paraprosdokisme”. Now please, don’t switch off just because I use a French word for once. Translated into plain English the word is “paraprosdokian”… and that’s much better, isn’t it?
It sounds delightful, round and full-bodied with a touch of tannin. It simply means against (para) expectation (prosdokian). It involves starting a statement and then completing it in an unexpected way. It’s a trick favoured by stand-up comics… and Winston Churchill amongst others.
For example, “Where there’s a will, I want to be in it.” Or, “War doesn’t determine who’s right – only who’s left.”
We should try it some time to spice up one of our simple 300-word stories; don’t you agree?
It’s definitely quite a mouthful of a word, but with an endearing charm of its own, and a new one to me; but perhaps you knew it already?
Christine