In order to keep the Round Robin thread flowing smoothly (once it gets going), please post any questions or comments about it here.

I predict a fun ride.

I think Eric is gonna make all of us look like posers. But I welcome him to the game!

I've decided to shake off the feeling that I'm going to wind up being the worst writer of the bunch.

I'm not looking to compete, if that's what you read into my statement. I just know that Eric is really quite good. Which, of course, will force the rest of us to bring the "A" game, to use a rare (from me) sports reference.

All three posts before mine are crap. CRAP! Collaborating on a fun story with a few talented fellows? wOOt! I look forward to seeing where you guys can take me. Hopefully I can lead y'all some interesting places, too.

Sounds like a fun challenge.

From my vantage point, the "c" word at play here is "collaborate."

I've survived many workshops in which this particular type of exercise was employed. Invariably, some dickbag would contribute something like this, when it was his turn:

"And then Cain took off his mask, revealing himself to be a reptilian alien with beady eyes and very sharp teeth.

"The subsequent anal rape of his prisoner, had it been filmed, would have made millions on the black market. Cain's ecstasy was worth more to him than the riches of Crosius."

Let's hope nobody fouls the waters in such a manner.

The only real rules are don't end the story and try to have fun. My response to that sort of contribution?

"Cain shook his head. "Where the fuck did that come from?" He knew that acid he took in the 60s would come back and bite him in the ass someday."

But, yeah, half the fun for me is trying to match the tone and direction of what came before as much as possible.

This is what makes you a good writer, and the dickbag in my example a dickbag.

And oh, how they thrive in the writing workshops, the dickbags. There oughtta be a law. And a better screening process.

Frank: "you'll direct me to where I need to be to see what's not here any more" is a killer piece of dialogue. I love that phrasing. Feels like something out of a 1940s noir.

Matt: Upside-down cross carved into the flesh where his left eye used to be? Whoa! Does that ever conjure some ideas. That added layers of unspoken back story for me. Nice.

Simon: I like how you had Cain feeling unclean from dealing with the thugs. That fits right in with how I see this character, too. It's a good commentary on him.

David: Needless to say, your entry sparked a small flood for me. An essential noir ingredient that never, ever feels wrong. Good turn!

By God, this is fun! I haven't even attempted to write anything at all in about five years, and that was GREAT FUN! What a brilliant idea. I love the fact that the tone seems to have become very noir right from the get-go, it's a style you can really sink your teeth into. Even though I've never written anything in that 'voice' before, it felt so natural doing it!

This is fucking brilliant.

Okay, there's some damn fine writing going on. You fuckers are killing me trying to keep up.

"Fun" and "brilliant" are indeed the watchwords of the day.

Let's keep it up.

And Eric remains better than any of the rest of us.

Well, we've got ourselves a solid cast developing here. Our protagonist, Cain, the lanky, white-hair man with one eye and a no-nonsense attitude. Rachel, gorgeous daughter of an apparently powerful man and who has a past with Cain. Daddy, Rachel's father, and a man Cain may have once worked for. Martin, the thug who done got hisself a asswhoopin'. Dotty, tavern owner and fixture at one of Cain's safe havens. And now an unnamed man and his small-voiced someone enter the picture ...

(That Interlude is probably better served appearing after Simon's entry but before Matt's, as I feel an unspoken chapter break there.)

Agreed, but it still works there. And you're like the king of the fucking metaphors (and similies). "Sex unchained" still makes me smile. And this? "ice tinkling like angels" is brilliant.

Nice work, Eric. That was excellent. I think you're right about the placement of that interlude, too. It still works where it is, but I can see what you mean. 'The one with the hands', eh? That's got me thinking.

I must apologise in advance for my rustiness, here. I just jumped in feet-first, and I'm going to be a bit more circumspect in future. I really think this idea is a great one.

I loved the Tavern, Matt. LOVED IT! The detail in that scene was magnificent. The nail on the door! Everything about it!

Thanks! That sort of thing isn't often a part of how I write, but it feels very "noir" to me, so I'm making an effort to get that flavor into my entries. It's been a fun as hell exercise in style. I love trying to stretch out. You guys keep throwing out new elements to discover, and I'm sitting here going, "Whoa, okay. Who's this?"

I don't think I've ever taken part in something like this; it's been pretty cool. I'm totally digging it.

And Simon, you've got some nice turns of phrase and ideas going on in there. If you're rusty, I look forward to reading when you've shaken off the rust.

Absolutely. That's a great setting. I have a feeling we'll be going back there for a second visit before this journey is over.

Well, I've just thrown Vernon into the mixture. I look forward to seeng what happens next!

Let's pick this back up! I didn't want to follow Simon right away since I had just gone, but if no one else steps up, I will.

I have a vague idea. I'll try to get it posted tonight.