Boring Tales From Tiny Places

[emmawinston]

Repo: https://github.com/emmawinston/nanogenmo18
Novel: http://tinyplaces.glitch.me

This currently stands at ~20,000 - 25,000 words, and may not end up being finished for various reasons, but I thought I'd put it here anyway, because why not. This was the result of a half-day of idle messing around last week, and I thought I would use it as an attempt to teach myself:

1. a bit more Javascript than the pitiful amount I already know
2. How the RiTa text library works.

The basic structure:

• I generate a Tiny Scenario(TM) using Tracery, as per my various Twitter bots.
• I identify the emoji characters in them.
• I set up some kind of templated exposition for the 'story'.
• I attribute some emotions and actions to the characters.
• I have the characters ramble at each other with Markov chains from RiTa, using a genre-appropriate text source.
• Punchline.
• Fin.

It is truly horrible and absolutely unreadable, only partially on purpose. 🎉

[emmawinston]

Up to ~40,000 words - chapter 2 is now is coherent as I think it's going to get before December ;)

Chapter 3 tonight.

I understand function calls and order of execution better than I did before, and have realised my grasp on loops is shakier than I thought. The novel remains unreadable. All good stuff!

[emmawinston]

Completed (lazily). Mission basically accomplished I think.

[emmawinston]

For completeness, a sample, featuring two paragraphs of the templated opening of chapter 2, and one of Markov chains pulled from an art criticism text on Project Gutenberg:

Text:

It was a telltale night at the Laudable Gallery, which was authoritarian and replete with mercies. The gallery was old, and a little lop and roomy, but despite this, a number of visitors had arrived to gaze upon the fine art: the eerily floating person, the dancing lady, and the couple. The gallery's current exhibition had been open for some time, but remained well-attended; it was a showcase of thin art, featuring limited paintings of a traditional Japanese castle, and a moon viewing ceremony.

The eerily floating person was a unpredictable eerily floating person, outsized, readable, and exorbitant. The eerily floating person enjoyed disadvantages, but hated tricks. At this particular moment, they felt devotional, with shades of famed. The eerily floating person cajoled callously, kneaded clinically, then leached recently. They was petty, and overworked the geek. Nearby, the dancing lady crisscrossed tirelessly, declaimed coolly, then overextended ordinarily. She was permissive, and bawled the thermostat. The dancing lady was a ideal dancing lady, devotional, bridal, and scalloped. The dancing lady enjoyed musics, but hated considerations. At this particular moment, she felt gubernatorial, with shades of diplomatic. She approached the eerily floating person, disfigured tremendously, and said:

'Excuse me, but I was wondering: It is hopeless if one hour of life’s day says “yes,” even if it is only that of the delight in life under happy conditions. Naturally, our answer to these triumphs through the refinement of the salt of art, ”if all the other twenty-three say “no” continually. To Athens in the development of man himself as a social and reflective animal. The question, then, really is, do these elaborate and more or less artificial studies really give the student a true grasp of form and construction? Are we not led to these questions. But even limiting ourselves to our own day we have to stop again on our road, and co-operative tradition and sympathy. It is hopeless if one hour of life’s day says “yes,” ifall the other twenty-three say “no” continually. As we cannot see colour without light, neither can we expect sensibility to ideas and impressions of beauty? Of course a man’s ideas on the eye and mind. Of course a man’s ideas on the subject of teaching necessarily depend upon his general views of the sensibility to beauty to grow up naturally amid sordid and depressing surroundings.

I am going to try and both make the web version function better on mobile, and produce a PDF version, some time this week, as well as linking to the source texts which I've been very remiss about.

[emmawinston]

PDF available here.

Web version is now (somewhat) mobile-friendly.

Source texts are linked in readme.md.

Actually done now. Thanks for having me. :)