Surfing around the other day (and no, we stupidly didn’t bookmark it for future reference), we came across the following phrase: “Dialogue is the civilized form of Monologue”. Succinct and quite brilliant, it epitomizes what this still new challenge is really about: sharing with others, creating a discussion, venting, exploring and creating something out of “nothing” – putting out there what was previously ours alone, concretizing and verbalizing through our posts so that we may get something back or get something off our backs.

In retrospect, and from the variety of entries, we may not have completely thought this through but as with most things Across the Bored, chaos theory prevails and gives that bonus of the delightfully unpredictable and unforeseen – there are as many ways to respond as there are answers and who are we to quibble. We discovered new bloggers, received posts that answer each one of the Big 5 categories in relation to the question itself, unravelled acrostics, bantered fun replies in the comment box and even got reviews on books we suspect we may own but haven’t read! The least we can say is thank you… And that brings us round to this fortnight’s Big 5 Challenge where we hope that something more interesting than the back of the waffle mix box is occupying your time.

“What are you reading?” – A trashy romance, a book about dance, on a smartphone or tablet, as homework or habit, magazine, query, a newspaper, even the dictionary… We would love to know what you are poring over this week.

For all those who are new readers to Across the Bored, some great entries and the guidelines for this challenge can be found here: Need more info, want to browse past themes or get the badge for your blog? See HOW DOES THIS WORK.

The Big 5 – a New Challenge

February 5, 201421 Comments

It is odd how when we are the busiest is the time when we seem to have the most ideas: probably because we are engaged in some sort of dialogue, whether internal, actual or even virtual. Across the Bored has hit the ground running once again in 2014: we’re not even a full week into February and work is piling up, blog posts seem to have gone missing from the reader and need to be caught up on, and a million little things (some within our control and many not) are conspiring to make the Year of the Horse a real kicker!

We have been known to cut corners and at times this can be more constructive than we originally anticipated. It was a comment from Leya (who writes a lovely blog filled with pictures, quotes and observations on life) on one of our one-for-two challenge responses that got us thinking (always a dangerous thing); another comment from a fellow blogger sealed the deal and the idea for a new challenge began to take shape…

Most of us remember being taught what has come to be known as the Five Ws or the “Kipling Method” in primary school. Who, what, where, when and why (and sometimes how) chanted in sing-song voices until it was indelibly imprinted upon our receptive little brains, it has become our method of first resort for gathering information. The added bonus is that it can yield some really interesting and rather unexpected answers. Behold, the Big 5 Challenge – this fortnight we ask:

“What are you reading?” – A trashy romance, a book about dance, on a smartphone or tablet, as homework or habit, magazine, query, a newspaper, even the dictionary…

We would love to know what you are poring over.

For all those who are new readers to Across the Bored, here are some guidelines for the challenge: HOW DOES THIS WORK?

I will post some commentary such as the above on one of the five Ws (WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN or WHY and sometimes HOW) and then ask you to respond on the same.
Your point of view on the current week’s challenge can take any form: a reply in the comment box, in a new post with a quote, a motto or saying, an essay, poem or opinion of yours or attributed to someone else, a piece of music, a song, a video, a work of art, photograph, graffiti, drawing or scribble – but it has to be about the topic!
Challenge yourself to dig deep for an answer.
The Challenge will be open for 14 days (there will be a reminder post at the 7 day mark) after which I will post another.
ENJOY, have FUN and TELL your friends and fellow bloggers.

SO – Create your Big 5 Challenge post

Then add a link to your blog in my comment box.
To make it easy for others to check out your post, title your blog post “The Big 5 Challenge” and add the same as a tag.
If you would like your reader to see what others are presenting for the same challenge, add a link to the “Big 5” challenge on your own blog.
Feel free to pick up your badge on The Big 5 Challenge page.
Remember to Follow to get your weekly (hopefully) reminders.