Community Writing Contest #1

Other Creativity
6

Take 2…Here I go!

INDIFFERENT: Cows

Cows are ok, I guess. They live, which is always a plus for a living being. Being female mammals, cows produce milk for their calves, which humans harvest forcefully to heal their own injured calves after running a lot or something. They also taste good when we RIP THEIR TISSUE OFF THEIR CORPSES AND BURN THEM IN THE ETERNAL FLAME OF THE CYCLE, uhh, I meant cook their meat (They taste good with beef sauce).

However, this totally unbiased argument wouldn’t be unbiased if I only gave pros, so here are the cons: cows fart. Their farts smell. They smell so bad, the atmosphere is literally trying to cook them alive with their own farts. They also produce stinky doodoos. Doodoos may be used to grow cow food faster, but they still stink. If it wasn’t for yummy cow flesh and miracle bone repair sauce, I would be pro cook-cows-alive-with-their-own-farts.

Cows go moo. Mooing is cute. Have you ever seen a cow moo? Check this one out. It’s super cute! And calves are cute too. Cow calves, not human calves (those are fleshy and gross).

Pictures of calves

calves
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also%20calves

With all that said, I guess cows are OK. I don’t hate 'em, I don’t love 'em, but they exist, and I must respect them for that (and so should YOU, the reader!).

[The opinions stated above may or may not conform to the Thrive Forum, Viacom or author’s values, beliefs and/or view of the subject. You’ll never know the truth!]

I really like this game. It’s always fun to write for, uh, fun and not stress around with serious writing. It’s even sort of relaxing. Don’t feel overwhelmed if I start posting a lot here. :smiley:

Prompts:
FOR: Froghunting
AGAINST: Thrive coming out
INDIFFERENT: LEGO

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The second of my rants.

INDIFFERENT: LEGO

LEGO is the single most effective way to make something creative out of small parts since every part fit together. This makes it kinda hard to actually build something the wrong way and almost everyone with patience will sooner or later inevitably feel they accomplished something of substance.

If it wouldn’t be for the fact that little children want to eat everything (and I repeat; everything!) they come across I would actually recommend this as a child’s toy to pre-school improve their building, creative and cosmetic abilities out in the field.

With above facts in mind I have through deep contemplating and meditation come to the ultimate conclusion that LEGO is okey… Not too dangerous and not too Over Powered (OP).

[Guess what? This didn’t even reflect any of my real opinions…! Besides that LEGO is awesome!]

FOR: Life viewed through the lens of a computer game
AGAINST: Overwhelming concepts
INDIFFERENT: Bed

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AGAINST: Thirve coming out

When it comes to our beloved community, most of its members will very openly exclaim their anticipation regarding Thrive’s final release. This might seem like a completely innocent thing, one may even say it’s rather rational, given how much time we spend here on the forums, on discord, creating fanart, or perhaps even when someone spends four hours writing a single post along with a research for said post, simply out of pure passion, despite the content of the post still clearly being years away. Ehm. Ehm. Isn’t that why we are here? Don’t we all want the full Thrive experience? Well, things might be a bit more complicated than they seem.

When Thrive finally emerges from the void of time, when this journey finally meets its end, when there’s going to be all the features you can think of, when Thrive evolves from its pitiful first release into a complete game, ready to come out, when all the cells will be indistinguishable from their real life counterparts and when the stars will seem closer than ever, when you will be able to relive the past, alter the present, and experience the future, it will surely be a reason to celebrate birth of such a marvel, yet it will also be a reason to mourn over a loss of what we all loved. The day of Thrive’s release will be the day on which the community as we know it dies. Of course, there is still going to be a huge amount of activity, posts, and fandom, but it won’t be the same. There is going to be no more left to imagination, no more fanart of what this wonderful project might become in the future, no more concept art to get us patiently anticipating the next update, no more arguments about the infamous underwater civilizations, no more dreams and hopes. What you see is what you get. And however amazing that might be, nothing is going to beat dreams and hopes of someone, whose imagination was running free up to this point.

But worry not, for the day Thrive comes out is, and for decades to come still will be incomprehensibly far away. So let’s enjoy the fact that Thrive is still years away and nothing is set in stone. Let your imagination be free, let’s discuss on the forums while there is still so much to uncover, so many ideas to be shared. Let’s even argue, bicker and fight over the underwater civilizations! The ones who come after us might experience the game in its entirety, but they will not experience what made the game what it will have become by then. They won’t experience the community in its fullest. They will have no idea how much we have learned from almost every subject just by brainstorming our ideas. The developers are not just creating a rather ambitious game, they are bonding this wonderful community together. And for that, they have my thank you. And so does everyone, who ever responded to my post, which lead to an engaging conversation, everyone, who taught me something, and everyone, who is so passionate about this project. We were here during the infancy of this splendid experience and no one will ever take that from us. Needles to say, Thrive’s childhood is wonderful; it is playful and imaginative, still full of hopes and dreams. Thrive’s adulthood will mean having all its ducks in the row, having to be perfect, yes. But it won’t have any more hopes and dreams, once things are set in stone. And maybe, we will then look back on this infancy of Thrive, when we did not have the final version of the most ambitious game ever made, no, but when we had the uncertainty. And as everyone has their own imagination of the perfect heaven, we then had our own imagination of the perfect Thrive. And no one will ever take that from us.

[ This essay does not reflect my actuall opinions, I’m really eager to get my hands on a version of Thrive consisting of all the stages and I am going to be the happiest person once that becomes reality ]

Once I start rambling I’m unstoppable. Also, I know that some things there are not true, for example Thrive will probably never be “fully released” as a finalized version and so on, but for the sake of the sake of the essay I felt like I had to make some simplifications of the issue. Thank you for reading.

My prompt topics:
FOR: Misery/Sadness
AGAINST: Aviation
INDIFFERENT: Technological advancement

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Wow, incessant clapping this felt truly genuine. If this contest ended today, I think, no, I’m certain that would be the winning text. Bravo to you!

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OH STOP IT YOU! Thank you so much! I really appreciate it!

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AGAINST: AVIATION

Mankind was never supposed to leave the ground aviation is UNNATURAL!!! i prupose that we immediately dismantle all planes and propellers for they are a menace to society anybody who knows how to pilot a plane should be imprisoned immediately for aviation is the devils work the black magic of aviation knows no ends the wings don’t even flap! planes need to be DESTROYED!!! DESTROYED!!! i say the wright brothers were the devils minions any who rode in plane is to burn in the depths of HELL!!!

we must dig holes in the ground and bury the planes in them to send them back to the devil anyone who joins my cause shall spend the afterlife in heaven for god blesses this holy cause and anyone who doesn’t join this second spends eternity in HELL!!!

this was fairly easy because i am afraid of heights.

for: crime

against: water

indifferent: food

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AGAINST: WATER

What is up with water? It seems like this incessant, nagging need that everyone must bow down to! You drink too much water, you die. You don’t drink enough water, you die. You drink the wrong water, you die. Even if you leave water somewhere for long enough, tiny little beasties will settle and take over! Given enough time, water will start leaking through your ceiling and eating away at your possessions. What’s that? You want to go on vacation to escape the horrors of water? Where will you go? The beach? On a cruise? A ski holiday? Snow and ice is just water laying dormant and lying in wait for some unfortunate soul to step right in it. Maybe just stay inside? Nope. Water will fall from the skies to try and get into your home. That’s alright, just close the windows and shut the blinds. You try to make some coffee to while away the hours. But that needs boiled w̴̗̓a̷̛̜ṱ̷̆e̷͝ͅr̶̢̉You shut and lock the door, in a futile attempt to escape the w̸̛͎̖͓͍̋͗̊͆ǎ̶̙̩̟̹ṱ̶͇̮̯̏̑͐̌͒̆ḛ̶̙̜̳̈́r̸̳͚̥̃. Lightning crashes outside as your house rocks from side to side in protest. The rain relentlessly assaults the tin roof. Pipes burst open. The sounds of gushing w̸̘͛̀̈͆͗̑̅̾̎̽́͋͠a̴̠̠̕ͅͅt̸̙͇̊ē̸͔̲̬̄r̴̡̛͉̦̳̦͙̳͓̀͒͑̀̽͠flood the house. Suddenly, everything’s quiet. Something’s different. Something’s wrong. You entertain the idea of opening the door to investigate, but you notice your heavy anxious panting. Mist rises from your breath.

T H E W̷̥̲̥̌̀́̇̕ ̵͙̼̳̱̭̉̑̔̈́͠Ã̸̫͜ ̵̖̤̜̀T̷̜̘͆ ̸̛̭̺̞̍͗̇̄Ḛ̷̓ ̴̤̯̘̺̿̓R̵̔ . I S I N S I D E Y O U

i hate water, its wet and its cold and it gets everywhere

for: Needles
against: Ceiling Fans
indifferent: Trains

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I love water, strange right? :sweat_smile:

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Add needles too and I would ask where I sign up for this supposedly “holy mission”? :grin::+1:

Honestly, I do not believe in god but you can’t blame me. I am swede and maybe automatically secular. That doesn’t change the fact though that I have needle-phobia and dislike heights… Natural friends, I guess? :wink:

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Alright, I changed it

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well time to cut off my nose make myself less ugly and get some nice slits

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Yes it had to be me of all people. :sweat_smile:

FOR: crime

Why not? Crime is a good lulz (gloat) producer. If crime didn’t exist the police wouldn’t have any jobs.

Think about it, it would be hilarious to see everyone running around armed with automatic weapons on the streets. Would be like GTA, you rob some bank and get the money, get out, drive to the nearest gentleman club and laundry the money… Profit!

If there’s this annoying person that just seem unable to keep quiet, then you could just hire agent 47, he always get the job done. The potential downside with him, however, is that you can’t recall him… So think twice before hiring a hitman!

In a way, crime is the product of a system failure in said society. Contrary to popular belief, the individual criminal can’t be blamed for his actions since he most likely didn’t have a choose/was too high to be able to think rationally.

As a wannabee lawyer I can see that my whole career is dependent on that the system isn’t perfect and that some people still commit crime. Someone must suffer so that another may live, it will always be like that. So please don’t stop murdering the muffins out of each other!

I believe in fair play. If somebody steal your candy, don’t bring your shotgun. Steal something from his drawer or pocket instead. This way you will not only keep yourself alive longer but also your enemy. This is good because it means more money down my pocket, which means more money put into the adult industry, which most likely create substantial revenues for us all… Promise, I can’t be the only one really profiting from all this… right?

[Does not reflect the authors real opinions/values. No, crime does not pay.]

Please don’t kill me for it is my third rant… :smiley_cat:

FOR: angry emojis
AGAINST: world map
INDIFFERENT: The Marianas Trench

Latest edit: 3 topics added.

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Uh, you forgot to add your 3 topics.

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FOR: angry emojis

Okay, cowards. :black_circle::angry::rage: We shall not confine our expressions to the trite “lots of love” :kissing_heart::two_hearts:sent by our grandmothers. I’m sure that expression has lost its value well before she put that meme on her Facebook page, calling you and your true kin terrorists. :pouting_cat:
Anger has remained constant - can you taint rage? No. Satirize it, make it faux - those are mere jests, not its genuine expression. But under the surface, anger burns as a standard candle - a way of asserting one’s true self.
Hide all you can - it makes no difference. We are all angry :angry:, and won’t have it any other way :no_good_man:.
Rage is one of the truest of all emotions - :pensive: or :pleading_face: is inconsistent and unclear, but “smad” is in all of us.

[May or may not represent the view of the author, as it was inspired by a prompt.]

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AGAINST: Ceiling fans

There are few thing that I despise with a burning fury as much as the ceiling fan. Ceiling fans are a tall person’s worst mild inconvenience. What if you walk in to the kitchen and you are 2m tall? First, you bump your head on the door, then the ceiling, then the :belgium: CEILING FAN! IT’S THE WORST! Trust me, the first 2 blows are ineffective, but when Kitchen used: CEILING FAN, it’s super effective! You scream as you plop on the floor, writhing in pain as you clutch your bleeding face, wondering when your incessant suffering will finally end! You start wishing for things you’ll regret saying out loud later, and even yell nasty words (Quick PSA: Kids, you should never swear. It’s a sign of weak verbal skills.) like :belgium:, or :belgium:, or even go as far as yelling :belgium:!

Ceiling fans are to be blamed for any tall person’s clumsiness, and should be purged and sent back to where they came from: IKEA! That’s right folks, put on your riot gear, unsheathe your makeshift daggers and destroy the mild inconvenience that is the CEILING FAN! FOR CONVENIENCE!

[The opinions stated in this text do not reflect the views of the author. I’m not even tall!]

That was my 3rd instalment. Here are my 3 prompts:

FOR: Gold (Didn’t see that one coming, right?)
AGAINST: Libraries
INDIFFERENT: Lollipops

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AGAINST: Libraries

There are few places on Earth bigger religions despise more than public libraries. These unholy places house so much heretic knowledge that one could easily mistake it for being the de-facto incarnation of hell proper on our flat Earth.

This library problem has now invaded modern gaming platforms that youngsters, such as myself, gets exposed to on a daily basis. These horrible abominations let us store our 18+ games more easily, away from prying eyes aka parents or lulzy moral preachers .

If you live somewhere in Sweden and are a child then it’s a fact that you can walk straight into a library and borrow explicit material, if it’s available. Alternatively borrow the WiFi to browse questionable content, I confirmed this with my local library. It’s basically our version of the second amendment that a lot of people want gone but even fewer dare touch. Almost Nobody want children exposed to the stuff but at the same time nobody want to be remembered as the one who stole my whole stash… Case 22 if you ask me but understandable.

Libraries can’t continue enlightening people, it doesn’t work. They become cynical, unproper but most of all lewd! Females leave kitchen to go their own way, help! This is pandemic. We have to do something and quick, before it get contagious and spread to generations down the line. Earlier this week I saw a female clad in… A short skirt! You know, those skirts that don’t go all the way to the floor!

I am convinced that this is libraries fault. This never happened during the middle-ages, you know when you had a bunch of monks running the monasteries that controlled the literature so that no sinful material would leak out and become part of mainstream media. If you wanted to be able to actually read the book you had bought from that shady third-part foreign merchant, then you also had to pay up for that at your local monastery. Otherwise you had to power level (teaching yourself), which simply wasn’t the highest priority back in the good old days.

[Goes without saying but nothing in this text is to be taken seriously, not even my terrible grammar. I am pro-libraries and all their uses :sweat_smile:]

My three prompts;

FOR: Genetically engineered catpeople for domestic ownership (inspired by this site https://www.catgirlcare.org/ I simply borrowed the concept without asking, and made it gender neutral in my prompt. Mod may remove this one at will if it doesn’t fit!).

AGAINST: The “Divine Comedy”.

INDIFFERENT: Foot fungi.

Edit: adding info.

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Less than a day to get your submissions in now. I’ll be reading them all and choosing a winner tomorrow.

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And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for: the crowning of the inaugural Thrive Community Writing Contest winner!

I’m pleased with the number, quality and variety of submissions. Clearly people had a lot of pent up anger about libraries and noses that needed some release. I’m happy to have provided that.

Since a few pieces in particular piqued my interest I’ve decided to list my top five entries. As the self-appointed judge, my opinion is obviously correct and irrefutable.

So, without further ado…

#5 - AGAINST: Aviation (@zenzonegaming)

As someone with a strong phobia of air travel myself, something about the visceral, no holds barred attack on the aviation industry struck a chord with me. Many went over the edge in their rants, but zenzomegaming appears to have redefined our entire concept of exaggeration in his pleas to ‘dig holes in the ground and bury the planes in them to send them back to the devil’.

#4 - FOR: Asteroid impacts (@OmnipotentFNarr)

OmnipotentFNarr’s multiple entries were all rants of the highest quality and worst judgement, but it was his rather quite convincing argument for the benefits of asteroid impacts that I found most enthralling. And apparently, ‘if we do survive, the crash site can have some neat goodies, like gold!’ which surely won’t corrupt the survivors into the very evils the impact hoped to destroy. Perfectly illogical, suitably driven, and just the right amount of sadistic to win him the fourth spot on my list.

#3 - FOR: Angry emojis (@DPHkraken)

Okay, writers. :rage: Y’all got a thing or two to learn :nerd_face: from Kraken :squid: who effortlessly combined the mediums of high concept prose like ‘Anger has remained constant - can you taint rage? No. Satirize it, make it faux - those are mere jests’ with emoji. :neutral_face: I didn’t read so much as experience this assault on all my senses. We are all blessed by the presence of :rage: a n g e r y :rage: thanks to Kraken’s convincing mixed-media piece on those annoying little internet images. :zipper_mouth_face::mask::exploding_head::sunglasses::sneezing_face::hot_face::hot_face::unamused::face_with_head_bandage::sneezing_face::sneezing_face::nauseated_face:

#2 - AGAINST: Water (@QuantumCrab)

W̟͎͞Á̫̖̰͖̯̮͟T̢̩̜E̙ͅR͍̰͢,̴̷̡̼̝͓̞̱ ҉̗̭͍̣̜̼̙̟W͓̥͔̟̻͟ͅA͕͎̤̺̬̮̩̞̙͜T͏̹̙͇̭̟͢E̤R̥̰̕͞ ̴EV̨͟ER͡Y̧̛W͝HE̕Ŗ̶E P͘L͞Ę̕A͝S҉̨E̸͏ ̶R̶̛E͠M̶O͘͡V́E̸͘ ́T̀͢͞Ḩ̛I͏S͘͘ ͏̧W̶̩̠̤̪̩͓̪̲͈̖̻̻͔͇̟͇̟̖͌̄̊͗̓̃̓̓́ͧͤ̽ͥ̈́͛̅̒̏͌ͅA̢̦͇̹͎ͬ̎ͧ̑̄̔ͬͮͥ̿ͧ̄̔̏͢T̗̝̘͉̗͍̝̞̥̫̟̫̋̋̉̎̂͋̍́É̶̾͛̄͂̔ͮ͆̈̓͐̍̌̍̽̎҉̴̴͎͕̜͇͎͍̞̱̖͙̜̭̮͉ͅRͤ̑̉̏̒̔ͤͥ̓ͨͩͧ̋̚͝͡͏͇̝͍̲͡

QuantumCrab achieved the pinnacle of opinionated absurdism as he described all the ways H2O can H2Obliterate you. I’m impressed by his use of sharp, fast sentences and grammatical parallelism to conjure up the image of someone sent into frenzy by water. I want to quote the whole thing because it’s all very well done. Just read it. The water is inside me, and I’m scared.

#1 - AGAINST: Thrive coming out (@Zahyyy)

It was never going to be anything else, was it? Zahyy uncovered a way to turn the task I thought would produce a quick laugh into a touching essay on the nature of our very own community. I might have teared up a little. Perhaps, deep in my heart, I even agree with him a little bit. After all, if it wasn’t for Thrive’s geological rate of progress, would I have been forced to start this contest to keep engagement up? I couldn’t put it better than ‘The developers are not just creating a rather ambitious game, they are bonding this wonderful community together’, so there you go.

Congratulations to the winners and thanks for the submissions, everyone. I hope you enjoyed that. Would anyone be in favour of similar writing exercises in future? I doubt I’ll use this exact premise again, at least at first, since I have a few more ideas inspired by LitSoc. Let me know what you think.

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Yes please, I would really like more writing exercises like this. This was great fun I really enjoyed it and thank you. :slightly_smiling_face:

Congratulations to the winners by the way! :+1:

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I really enjoyed writing for this challenge, and would definitely enter in later iterations (2nd place, wooo!)
From the results, it seems that the indifferent topic just doesn’t allow for the compelling pieces that Against and For provide, so I would opt for removing those if there’s another challenge like this. Aside from that, I loved reading everyone’s entries!

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