are picked up upon by the next author and expanded into such
a different story from what I envisioned when writing my part.
-- Nicole Mayer
##What on Earth2 is a Robin-a-Tumble?##
The Robin-a-Tumble is something we cooked up on the Earth2-Fanfiction mailing list. It is a variation of the Round Robin, a story that circles from one writer to the next, each adding his/her own chapter.With the Robin-a-Tumble however, we do not have one story, we have as many stories as we have participants. Everyone starts out with the same teaser, and we all continue each others' stories. This is how it works.
- Participants will be mailed a "teaser" (a short scene setting the stage and ending in a cliff hanger).
- The author adds his/her own installment, inspired by the teaser.
- When done writing, the author sends the story to Tumble Mom.
- The story will forwarded randomly to another participant to continue, and the author will be assigned one of the other ongoing stories.
- We repeat steps 3 and 4 again and again.
our small group. Sometimes, the person who picked up
the story after my segment seemed to be thinking along
the same lines as I, and sometimes he/she threw in a notion
totally out of left field.
-- Melanie McManama
##Rules and tips##
RATING:We don't have strong rating requirements for the Tumble. We will accept anything from G to NC17. Use your best judgment and when in doubt, contact TumbleMom to discuss your plans.
DEADLINES:
The Tumble has a progressive deadline. For the first couple of installments we will operate on a two-week deadline. As the Tumble progresses and writing becomes more challenging we will up the deadline to three or even four weeks.
MINIMUM/MAXIMUM WORD COUNT:
There is no maximum on word count. However, an installment should preferably be at least ± 600 words.
PUBLISHING:
When taking part in the Tumble you agree to have the stories, including your installments, published to the E2 Fanfic lists and on this website.
NIC'S TIPS FOR TUMBLE WRITERS
After participating in two rounds, Nicole came up with this Top 10 of tips:
- Be consistent. If 90% of the story has been about Julia and Alonzo and you're writing the 2nd last part, don't suddenly throw Morgan off a cliff unless it involves J&A somehow.
- Don't add an "impossible" cliffhanger. Remember that someone has to sort out the mess you've made!
- Don't add too many subplots. 3 is probably the limit, because the final author will have to bring them all together and/or resolve them all separately, which could lead to something as long as the rest of the story.
- Think about what part of the story you're writing. If it's one of the early parts, you have a lot of scope. If it's the penultimate part, think about winding things down.
- Style. While differing styles are one advantage of this type of creative writing, don't add something radically different halfway through. If it's in 3rd person, keep it that way. If it fluctuates between 1st and 3rd, continue that style.
- Spell check and grammar check! Please!
- If you notice a glaring error in the previous part/s, or even a small error, discuss it with TumbleMom. It's much easier to change it now than later. (This includes spelling.)
- Be creative! We all start with the same teaser. How far can you take it and still be within the realm of possibility?
- Don't get offended if someone takes your story part completely out of context. It happens. That's the game.
- Above everything else, HAVE FUN.
##Sounds like fun! How do I join?##
Unfortunately, we have no further rounds planned. But thank you for your interest!A note of warning: taking part in the Tumble requires commitment. The participants are dependent upon one another to get all Tumble stories completed. So before joining, please think carefully about the amount of time you will be able to spend on writing in the next couple of months. Then, enjoy your Tumble!!