Today’s morning prompt is “abacus“. Come join us in Second Life® or work from home at 6am PDT for 15 minutes of writing inspired by the word.
Please feel free to add your dash piece to the comments section of this blog post below.
FAQs
I found #dailydash/#writersdash on Twitter, what is it?
The Writers’ Dash (#writersdash or #dailydash on Twitter) is a 15-minute free writing exercise held on Twitter, Facebook and Second Life® every weekday. At 5:30am & 5:30pm PDT we share the word prompt on our social media channels; the live event begins in Second Life® at 6am & 6pm PDT. Write whatever comes to you. Don’t fixate too heavily on what you are writing and disengage your inner editor – the key is for you to get the words on the page first; you can worry about editing later. If you are attending the live event in Second Life® there will be an opportunity for you to show your work to the other participants after the 15 minutes are up. If you are unable to attend the live event you can share your work on our blog. Just look out for the prompt post and leave your dash piece as a comment.
Do I have to do the Writers’ Dash in Second Life®?
No, you can do it at home, if you prefer. We share the prompt word at 5:30am & 5:30pm PDT on Twitter and Facebook and start the timer in Second Life® at 6am/6pm PDT every weekday.
How do I join the live event in Second Life®?
You will first need to join Second Life® through the Second Life® website. Go to http://www.secondlife.com to start the process. It’s free to join.
Click on the JOIN NOW button and this will take you to the Registration screen. Here you simply fill in your personal details and choose a name and look for your avatar. Don’t worry too much about your avatar’s appearance as there will be plenty of opportunity to tweak it once you are inworld.
Once you have completed your Registration, you’ll be asked to download and install the Second Life® viewer to your computer. You will then be taken to a screen that allows you to choose which community gateway to enter. This is important as we want you to go through as smooth a transition as possible. Please choose the Caledon (Victorian Steampunk) Community Gateway. Once you have chosen the gateway you will find yourself appearing inworld at the University of Oxbridge in Caledon. Now begins your brief induction.
Follow the signs and read the information boards as you come to them. There is also a brief Second Life® tutorial provided on screen. Try and absorb as much information as possible but be mindful that you can always return to Caledon at a later date if there is something you feel you missed. At the very least try and understand the most important concepts such as how to move, how to talk and your camera controls.
Once you have completed the Orientation Tutorial you will need to find your way to Milk Wood. This is the sim that is home to Virtual Writers, Inc. At the bottom of your screen you will see a search tab. Click on this and look for Milk Wood. Now the teleporting fun begins. Click on ‘Teleport’ and you will be moved from your present location to our welcome area. Make sure you save the landmark so that you can easily return there.
We look forward to meeting you at one of our various daily writing events. Don’t forget to click on one of the group joiners so you can stay abreast of happenings in the writing community. You can also join Virtual Writers, Inc. through the search facility. Simply put Virtual Writers, Inc. under group search, click on the group name to bring up the profile screen. Then click ‘View Full Profile’ followed by ‘Join’.
About Virtual Writers, Inc.
Virtual Writers, Inc. is a free online writers’ community first established in 2007 and committed to showcasing established and emerging writers in a range of interactive and immersive environments. Here we learn to experiment with digital, social and virtual world platforms to push the creative envelope and develop a strong, unique voice.
We provide a wealth of opportunities for writers to meet other writers, share resources, access new markets, attend online writing events, workshops and interactive readings, and discover the best writers’ conferences, competitions, colonies and literary organisations.
If you want to become involved in an active writing community then visit us on Second Life® , our writers’ network, or our social media channels (Twitter, Facebook and Google+) and get interactive. To learn more about our services please contact us through our online contact form.
Whether you are dashing in Second Life®, on Twitter or Facebook we welcome your dashes in the comments section below.
Make for me an Abacus
of cedar and of pearls
that I may count my wealth
in loving thee
On breaths in the fair perfume
of a noble wood
as I caress thy firm heroic brow
and play at dangles
with the white iridescent fruits
Of the Oceans bay
almost matched perfect yet
as royal spangles
to that rich beauteous blue
of thy strong loving eyes
as they rest upon
mine own
upon
My own accounted Love
© Queen Bluestar July 2012
It was night. They were sitting around the fire drinking and exchanging stories of their lives to scare the cold away. Suddenly, they turned to her.
“You’ve been quiet all this time. Tell us a story, a true story,” they asked. She thought for a few moments and then started.
A while back, a young man I know used to walk up Noble Street coming back from work and always stopped at the window of the bookstore. In a dark forgotten corner of that window sat an abacus. Made of wood, it seemed to call him, to draw him. Many times he felt tempted to go inside the bookstore and ask for its price He wasn’t brave enough to do so though. And the abacus sat there, waiting for him.
Until one day, as he approached the store, he noticed something was wrong. The abacus was gone. In a frantic panic, he walked inside and asked the old man at the counter if the abacus had been sold. The old man said yes; it had been there for such a long time that he had sold it to the first offer he got, a mighty low one too. He was distraught. If only he had summoned enough courage before… Perhaps the abacus would’ve been his. Furious, he decided to walk a different path from then on and forget the darn abacus. It was just an object anyway.
Seven months later, after a rough day at work, he walked home immersed in his thoughts, and without noticing, he walked up that street again. When he realized what happened, he was standing in front of the bookstore looking at the window. Wouldn’t it be amazing if the abacus were suddenly back, he thought. It wasn’t. The old man standing at the door waved at him. He was in a terrible mood and making small talk with a stranger wasn’t part of his list of priorities, so he prepared to move on but the old man was faster and grabbed his wrist.
“I knew you’d come back,” he said. “Follow me.”
“I… I must go…”
“Come,” the old man waved for him to follow. “I want to show you something.”
Resigned, he crossed the store and walked into a small room at the back. When his eyes got used to the dim light, he saw it.
“Isn’t it amazing?” asked the old man, beaming.
He was speechless.
“I got it back,” the old man said. “I got it back for you.”
“I don’t understand…”
“I saw your sadness and called the buyer. He really didn’t want this abacus. He was just looking for something to decorate his office and the abacus looked… I believe the word he used was prestigious.” The old man adjusted his position slightly. “But now I want you to have it.”
“I don’t have money… really, I don’t.”
“It’s for you, a gift.” The old man smiled. He had prepared this a long time ago, but the young man had disappeared.
“I don’t understand… Why would you go through so much trouble for a complete stranger?”
“Well, you know that the abacus represents fortune. There are many ways to have fortune. One is obvious, money. I cannot give you that, and then again…” The old man smiled mischievously. “The other is a smile. I can give you that. And finally, I can also offer you a friend, me!”
The young man was moved. He held the abacus, smiled and hugged the old man, who was as happy as he could possibly be.
Well, finally let me tell you that the young man left his miserable job and took over the bookstore with enthusiasm. The old man now does what he loves doing, sorting through old dusty gems of literature, giving advice on which books people should take and offering a nice cup of coffee to everyone who walks in, encouraging them to sit down for a bit and read something. People love it.
The abacus, well the abacus is still there. And it will always be there, bringing fortune, in more ways than one can imagine, to all those who walk up that street and go inside that very special bookstore.”
Everyone around the fire remained silent. She could almost hear them think that it must feel good to be offered a smile, a hug and a new life.
©2012 Lizzie Gudkov