The idea was simple: write 100 words, every day. Lara Ortiz-Luis,’11, Wyatt Roy ’11 and Chris Rurik ’11 took these simple instructions and created “All of 100,” a blog where contributors are invited to post their own 100-word works.
“100 words is just catchy enough to be compelling without being too kitsch,” Roy said. “It’s graspable.” Anyone may sign on to the challenge, and there are no content or format limits outside of the exact 100-word requirement.
This year, the three authors compiled their favorite daily blurbs from the blog’s first year and self-published the “All of 100” collection. Its pages contain glimpses of plays, short stories and poetry.
The authors celebrated with a book launch Monday at La Maison Française. Dim lights and friendly chatter set the mood that night, which was a proper introduction to a down-to-earth reading session.
Reactions to the stories could be heard in the midst of people smiling, mingling and eating. The responses were as diverse as the blurbs themselves, which detail covetous condiments, lost loves, feminist fairy tales and whimsical wordplay. A broad range of narratives and emotions play out in the mini-stories, from longing to joy.
“My favorite types of pieces are the ones that leave me ultimately with a sense of a thought,” Roy said. “I appreciate subtlety.”
One by one, the authors and friends took to the mic Monday night. Some pieces were what Roy described as “no story, no plot, no development… but a linguistic fitzblitz, a conglomeration of sounds that feel that they were made for a mouth to swallow and say.” Performances of the words included a rendition of one story as Gandhi and another as a Miley Cyrus-embodied Taylor Swift song, which brought laughs.
The book release is a milestone for the project, which was initially started from an abstract idea of Rurik’s.
“If I were a basketball player, I’d shoot free throws every day,” said Rurik. “It started as a discipline, not as a project for me. Soon I realized it had this great potential.” After he asked Ortiz-Luis and Roy to read his work, they quickly volunteered to join in. Each blurb was posted on a blog, initially shared among the three authors.
The idea became so accessible that fellow dormmates and even family members across the country contributed. Michael Brandt ’11, a frequent writer for the blog, mentioned his surprise at having written at all.
“Writing daily is just like running; you have to put the miles in,” Brandt said. He pointed to his lack of background in creative writing and focus on computer science. “An area of my brain lit up as I wrote, one that I didn’t realize could be so active before.”
Samuel Cohen-Tanugi ’12, blurb-author and mutual friend, agrees that the book is hype-worthy. “The project’s personal influence on me has been positive,” he said. “Spend time on something you’ve thought today. Put a lot or a little into it – one story isn’t nerve-wracking – but it adds up to a great product. It’s a way to practice.” When the day comes to create a quality lengthy work, he’ll be ready for it.
“I’m terrible at routine, but it’s fun to have a concept that ties it together,” Roy said. “I turn to the blog instead of Facebook now when I want to a moment to chill out.”
Apart from a workshop already underway with the Hume Writing Center, the authors envision even more for the project. They see it making its way to senior centers and K-12 schools, believing in the breadth and depth of stories to be told.
To those who want to try forming a piece, Rurik advised, “Don’t be afraid. Don’t censor yourself too much. Just do it. So many people want to make it perfect or fear they’re too pretentious. Instead, it’s become this community where people inspire each other to write.”
The authors maintain that no writing pedigree is necessary to contribute.
“It’s not about how good the pieces are, because I don’t know what that means,” Roy said. “What makes me the happiest is that people seem to connect to the idea in some way.”