So this is what happens when Melbourne bubblers get together for a pre-xmas dinner: amongst green tea and white wine, and quivering balls of octopus flesh, we fell into a passionate table thumping debate about the seven deadly sins and their role in our lives.
For each of us with an ardent connection to a particular sin, there was another with a distinct aversion to it. The merits and downsides of each were analysed and debated (this is where the table thumping came in – seaweed salad almost went flying), and to our surprise there were greatly differing opinions and various semantic interpretations.
Isn’t lust also passion for your creative desires? If so, how does that relate to the Buddhist treatise that desire is the root of suffering (don’t get me started on this one!)? Surely pride links to wrath, and what’s the difference between revenge and retaliation? Is sloth always a sin, and surely there’s room for gluttony? This arose as the delectable black sesame icecream arrived, and the dueling of the spoons began :-)
During this discussion we revealed layers of ourselves to our beloved friends with honesty, trust and recognition, and at the end of the night we realised with a start that the six of us each laid claim to an individual sin.
Except one.
Which is where YOU come in.
We’ve decided to do a collaboration of the Seven Deadly Sins. Each of us will write of our particular sin, whichever way we interpret it, and upload it on New Year’s Eve.
I’ve wrestled with wrath for much of my life, as my lovingly detailed Medusa tattoo attests, and this is my challenge. Jessica Tremp will take envy, Yasemin Sumner knows pride, Lucky Vegetable will write of gluttony, Michael Alesich will write of sloth, and Sheamus D will take lust.
And if you know your sins…and I think you do….you’ll know what’s missing is greed.
If greed is a sin you wrestle with, write a piece relating to it and tag it with sevensinscomp, and upload it on New Year’s Eve (maximum 1000 words). We’ll decide on the entry we feel fits best, and we’ll personally take the winner out to dinner and invite them to be guest of honour at the next Melbourne writers’ meeting.
If you’re not a Melbourne local, feel free to still enter – Red Bubble has offered as a prize either a copy of In The Moment or Gaia , which will be posted out to you. The offer of dinner will still stand, and might inspire you to plan a trip to Melbourne – just think of the table thumping and black sesame icecream opportunities available with fellow Red Bubblers in our beautiful city!
There are often collaborations between photographers, so this is a way for the writers to connect and get ideas flowing. If you don’t feel up to writing a piece about it, feel free to leave your thoughts below on the sins that pertain to your life …sometimes when you get ideas flowing, the piece writes itself.
So get your thinking glasses on and start writing…..
There will be wine…..
There will be laughter…..
There will be always be words to play with…..
So come to our table….and bring your greed with you!
Jules Campbell
This sounds really wonderful! I look forward to reading about all the sins…not being a writer myself I won’t offer my services on the greed subject, I could have taken on the pride sin though and not written anything hehehe… or is that sloth as well?
bellmusker:
Hehe, that’s what Michael said: Can’t I just turn in a blank page? But then Jess would become envious, and I’d be furious…this could lead to trouble!
Didge
Nice. A healthy dose of all is good, but who is the judge of healthy??
bellmusker:
A healthy dose of all is good, but who is the judge of healthy??
Exactly, Didge! And there were debates about that too…..I agree, a dose of all can benefit us enormously.
samara108
What a wonderful idea! A fascinating writing assignment… might have to consider it.. I’ve never tried black sesame icecream..
bellmusker:
Oh believe me, the black sesame icecream will pull you into the gluttony sin with joyous abandon! :-)
Luke Downes
that get together looks like a lot more fun than what I did last night!!
I could write about greed until my fingers are ink-black and the indentation under my ring-finger-nail is deeper than ever, but I’d never to be able to accept the prize should I win, so it seems to me that to join the competition would be…greedy.
bellmusker:
Luke, write away! It’s more a collaboration than a competition, so please don’t let the fact you’re not in Melbourne stop you. Love to see what you’d come up with!
roybarry
I am sharpening my favourite pencil, right now!!!
And, as I’m planning a trip to Melbourne, next year, what better way to meet some really rather cool people…….
bellmusker:
Roy, you’re coming to Melbourne?! When?!
fleece
word count?
bellmusker:
Good question….one thousand words should suffice. Love to have you join in, fleece!
roybarry
Soon dark Princess, soon……….
Michael Alesich
Thankyou for putting this up Bell, I’m working my way through the slothful sin, but I look forward to reading greed. It should be an interesting one.
bellmusker:
Not a problem…..you knew I’d throw the quivering food in there somewhere though! :-)
e ll
Does it count that I actually played SLOTH in a theater production? there were 3 of us one on all fours and then two of us draped like oily smelly anchovies on top, I remember when we moved we sounded like antique furniture creaking under the butt of some eccentric old miser that refused to move his entire life in case someone would sneak in and steal his prized goodies…… and as far as GREED goes tis really just a very spinal tap turn the volume to eleven intense NEED that must be met NOW NOW yells I……. GREED has more scope for character fun, so I rekon I will come play…….
bellmusker:
Yes! So happy to have you on board….your post here is wonderful I remember when we moved we sounded like antique furniture creaking under the butt of some eccentric old miser And hell yeah, nothing like the lure of delicious food…..sigh.
e ll
PS the thought of octopus really made me NEED!!!
NooneSpecial
Ah, the hunt is afoot
the thoughts are whirling
grasp that thought
whilst virtue’s congealing
A pencil is sharpened
the paper at hand
my minds has embarked
for that other land
where concepts are real
muse is singing
sunsets are backdrops
corporal world’s clinging.
I’ve looked for this portal
to take me over there
thank you dear Bella
I can taste that air!
I can hear her words
I can feel the urge
I’m writing of worlds
Visions starting to surge.
I’ll take up your gauntlet
and we will see
if your challenge is
the medicine for me.
xx
bellmusker:
I think this comment is the medicine I needed today – love it!! And yes, when visions start to surge, it’s time to get that ink flowing. Here we go!
LittleHelen
OMG…you look like a sex kitten in those glasses babe! x
bellmusker:
Hush now! blushes
LittleHelen
;)
jetsta42
wheeeeee…
bellmusker:
But….but….I am dancing…..hehehe
Tatterhood
So, what would a newbie such as myself get in trouble for here?
The F word?
The S word?
Any words beginning with Q?
Or rhyming with orange or silver?
Truth?
Lies?
Autobiography???
Rampant, unfettered genre crossing?
Writing crap?
Er…
Running out of smart arsed remarks?
Not bringing enough for everyone?
bellmusker:
rhyming with orange?
Good lord, if you can find a word that rhymes with orange, I’ll be so impressed! Then you’ll have to work on purple :-)
As for content, if you look at the work of the writers above you’ll see we’re not likely to flinch from ahem salty language. As for true/false, well, I guess we wouldn’t know either way, hey? But the sins we spoke of resonated with us for a particular reason, and it’d likely provide richer material if those responding are drawn to greed in some way.
Essentially though, we want to get words flowing, so jump aboard! Love to see what you come up with.
ytsumner
I can’t believe how smart I look in Lucky’s glasses…smarter than a film Cricket even.
Hey did you hear from the red bubble gods about donating a present for the interstatie/internationalies that want to have a go but can’t make the dinner?
bellmusker:
smarter than a film Cricket even.
Ah babe, ain’t nothing smarter than a film Cricket!
And no, I haven’t heard anything. What do you mean – want to bubblemail me with details?
Tatterhood
porringer & myrtle
sorry that’s all I got (looks at feet in shame)
I have learnt my lesson and now know that my arse is definitely not smarter than the OED.
bellmusker:
Oh that was mean, I’m sorry….I was taught in my linguistic degree that no words rhymed with purple. I spent a fruitless afternoon trying to prove my lecturer wrong, contrary wench that I am, only to admit defeat. I do love the word myrtle though. It’s right up there with conniption and salacious :-)
Tatterhood
Lol, well your meanness was fine honey cos the original joke WAS that there are supposedly no words that rhyme with orange or silver. AHA! I was just being kooky or mental in continuing the Character Whose Arse Was Not Smart After All. (Potential for a children’s book? Feel free to use it, I don’t want it.)
I have an evergrowing list of favourite words on my wall. it’s good. You should do it.
;)
bellmusker:
LOL my current favourite word comes from a menu I read in an Amsterdam bar a few weeks ago…..kippenpootjes…never have chicken wings sounded so good!
PJ Ryan
What a fabulous writing challenge … your dinner sounds exquisite and interesting … i will see what i can come up with ..
psst, you goils are gooorgeous xx
bellmusker:
Nic’s on board! Wonderful to hear x
Tatterhood
“Kippenpootjes” is awesome! But have you ever had poffetjes? Goddamn you haven’t lived if you haven’t had poffetjes! Oh baby, the gigantic pile of tiny fat little pancakey type treats – Is someone already doing gluttony, oh yes they are… ok… oh well…probably for the best…
Oh and PJ Ryan: Shutup, YOU are gorgeous!
;)
Luke Downes
Ah! We have to wait til new year’s eve? Oh, and what’s up with the word count thing, because I just wrote a little ol’ somethin…that cool?
bellmusker:
Yep, new year’s eve it is, anytime on the 31st. A thousand words should do for the word count. Looking forward to this!
Lisa Jewell
I’m going to give this challenge a bash…..
Though I confess I’m a sloth ;)
lilgem4u
I have trouble with all of them. :)
adrian76
What the hell, I’ll give this a go!
transmute
I’m eating chips
bellmusker:
You glutton :-)
Luckyvegetable
Yay! This is looking FABULOUSSSS!
=)
jackis
GREEDY? ME? NO!
IM A LIAR.
WICH WOULD MEAN….
jackis
can it be fictional? can you make up a character and treat that as the “you”
bellmusker:
Jack, this ball began rolling with the concept of sins we closely identify with, so we’d prefer it if greed resonated with you for a personal reason. Whether you want to create a character to represent that is entirely up to you, but we’re asking for submissions from people who feel that greed has been a burden / blessing / theme in their lives, and who feel they can elucidate that. Hope that helps!
Paul McClintock
Although I don’t subscribe to the idea of sins… I’d still say I’m sloth. For the last few days I’ve been lying on Serendipity beach in Sihanoukeville, Cambodia. Believe me, I know sloth.
bellmusker:
We all grappled with the concept of these traits as ‘sins’ too, which is how we started thumping the table in the first place! After all, what else are you meant to do in your situation but close your eyes and laze the day away? I don’t blame you for a second, Paul :-)
lostboy13
sigh…x
bellmusker:
Not tempted to join in? Doesn’t the thought of swilling whiskey with us Melbourne scribes appeal? I promise we’d be gentle…..
lostboy13
i have really been able to write since i bumped into a bottle blonde witch..
maybe next year.
Dxxx
anya
I am taken by your request to write about greed, as well as intrigued that it was the one sin that no one would ‘own’ at your dinner table. It is almost the poor cousin amongst the sins, the one no one wants to lay claim to. Do all of the other sins have a slightly more acceptable side, even (gasp!) a sexy side to them? All of them have been adopted by advertising jingles and marketing gurus, all of them… except greed. Poor lamentable greed. Which just goes to show that now I’ll have to own it. And contribute.
bellmusker:
I can’t see how sloth or gluttony can possibly be construed as sexy……curious. No, we all spoke of the sin that we felt held sway over our life, and greed wasn’t particularly pertinent to any of us. Sloth and envy aren’t that relevant to me either; but wrath and pride are. Can’t claim all the sins, Anya…that would just be greedy! ;-)
ytsumner
ooh…getting a little excited about the countdown now.. especially with all the wonderful word nerds interested above..
bellmusker:
Aye, I have my piece ready! Looking forward to unleasing our sinful natures, hehe.
mstrace
I’m writing something but will be in the middle of the desert when it needs to be uploaded. So I’m going to have to upload it a bit early…tonight probably, which is a couple of days ahead of New Years Eve for me. Hope that’s okay???
bellmusker:
Sure, that’s fine babe. A few people will be out of town for the actual Eve, and have asked if they can upload a touch earlier because of this. Remember that we’re ahead of you here in Oz anyway, so NYE is actually tomorrow for us :-)
bellmusker
OK people, release the hounds! Stories have started to go up, so if you’ve written something you might as well upload :-)
PintaPinta
bell my love, do our entries have to be pieces written specifically for the challenge or can we enter pieces that we’ve written/posted prior?
bellmusker:
Hmmm, good question, my girl of holly….if it fits the theme, I really don’t see why not.
So are you coming to play? x x
PintaPinta
darling… i am! a bonafide reason to come to melbourne? wouldn’t miss it for the world. there’s a piece i’ve already written and posted and entered in a previous competition (didn’t win) that was all about greed and made my fingers ache with want as i wrote it that i’d really love to enter… but i think i’ll cogitate over whether there’s anything tasty brewing that may spill over in time for the deadline! xxx
PintaPinta
ek! one more thing my girl of bells… can we enter more than once? (i’m a spaz at cogitating sometimes.)
bellmusker:
Ah, I think perhaps one should be the limit, sorry sweetheart….purely because six of us have to read and discuss them all. Over whiskey and the blues, naturally ;-)
PintaPinta
of course honey, of course. i really feel for you all :)
okay, so, good… excellent, i’ve terminated the spaz and have entered my bit… sheesh, unless of course i change my mind between now and the magic midnight hour… xxx
lianne
Ummm I may be missing something here but – WHERE exactly are we to upload such a piece if we were to join in the fun?? To which group? Having read a number of pieces on these sins posted by some of you already, I think I’m in over my head and certainly out of my league but I definitely want to be part of the audience at least!
bellmusker
Lianne, come and play! There’s no group, all you do is tag your piece ‘sevensinscomp’ so that when you enter that tag in a search, it’ll take you to this page. Here, you can see all the pieces tagged with that, thus all the entries. Go for it!
Tatterhood
Excuse me please, ms bellmusker! (raises hand politely but urgently) My piece won’t go into one of those boxes. When I look there, my piece isn’t in there! I tagged it! I did! (chin starts trembling) What did I do wrong?
bellmusker:
You! Yes, you in the back! Did you tag it correctly with ‘sevensinscomp’? Taps toe sternly
I noticed mine took ten minutes or so to come up…let’s wait a while and see.
Tatterhood
I believe I tagged it right & it’s been a coupla hours now. Honestly the piece was a little deranged so no biggie, but would like you kids to know that I wrote you something cos you’re fun & nice. :)
bellmusker:
I had a look and the only tag listed on your story was ‘greed’. You need to write ‘sevensinscomp’ in the tag box down the bottom.
Tatterhood
Oh.
My.
GOD!
What a MORON!
No wonder I’m in remedial knuckle dragging class…
How embarrassing, I had a huge (by my nanna standards) NYE eve last night and can barely spell today.
That is my excuse, Ms. Thank you for your help.
Sorry.
(looks at brown t-bar shoes in shame)
bellmusker:
Ahem You will stay back after class….and you will be punished ;-)
fleece
my effort here: Speed
jcmontgomery
Probably not exactly what you were asking for, but I wrote down what came into my head and my inner editor refused to change it…much. =)
e ll
okay loaded mine with much drama and suspense oh deary! Mine reads as a very sensual sloth, how that came about is a mystery? Hope you all had a fab NYE,
here it is
love e
Tatterhood
Can’t BELIEVE I forgot to ask this before, but where does a girl get black sesame ice cream? It sounds like da BOMB!
And also:
Thanks for running this comp you fabulous, sinful kids, I really enjoyed writining for it. :)bellmusker:
where does a girl get black sesame ice cream?
It was a fabulous Japanese restaurant on Smith St, Collingwood. I’ll ask Jess for the name, as it’s her local. But I know you can also get it in many of the restaurants in Victoria St, North Richmond.
I swear, you can also get wasabi ice cream that is AMAZING…. each delicious cool & creamy mouthful then takes your head off with the wasabi kick. Unbelievable!
PS thanks so much; I’m happy you’ve enjoyed this, it’s exactly what we were after :-)
Tatterhood
Thanks so much for all of that. I am a big fan of green tea ice cream (and all other ice cream and gelato and sorbet, and is semi freddo different…?) and will now devote myself to the pursuit of black sesame and wasabi (YEAH baby!) ice creams.
WarOfTheRoses
so when does this get judged? :-P
bellmusker:
so when does this get judged? :-P
We’ve been trying to organise a meeting with the six of us to discuss the entries, but new year holidays have made it somewhat difficult. Sorry about that! But the ball is well & truly rolling. Will keep you all posted.
bellmusker
We’re so, so pleased that many of you responded & joined in the fun. The submissions were engaging & creative, with many diverse styles and genres. A few people didn’t quite grasp the concept & complained via bubblemail that we left greed as the available sin; they missed the point somewhat. You don’t get to claim the sin that causes you grief; in a way, it claims you, which is where this whole concept arose from. The began as an exploration of the frailties that have held us down, and has evolved into a more collaborative process that has garnered such a wonderful, surprising result.
There were many standout pieces but in the end, the judges were unanimous. The winner is Fleece, whose Speed was immediately absorbing and entertaining. It brings so many elements to the concept of greed and delivers them with a wry, thought-provoking humour that lingers long after you’ve finished reading. It’s so beautifully done; go & check it out and while you’re at it, read through the other entries too and leave some feedback!
That’s what Red Bubble is for, after all, and we’ve had so much fun trying to get the writers communicating. Thanks so much to all who participated.
Stay tuned for collaboration #2!