The zairja can be a game played by one or many, coordinating their work or not. The basics are: (1) construct a list of topics, put into a notebook where every topic has its own page; (2) subject new thoughts that occur — “pop into the head” so to speak — to a randomly chosen page and accommodate the new idea to the randomly chosen topic; (3) take this accommodation to two other randomly chosen pages, accommodating the accomodation to the new topics.
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Each player maintains a “notebook” using MS-Word. A template may be used (available in the drop box). The notebook contains a series of topics or ideas that the player finds interesting and uses on a regular basis. Each topic is “self-supporting,” i.e. it could be developed as an independent theme.Keeping a paper copy, i.e. a real notebook, is a good way of making sure you can add notes whenever and wherever you might be. These can be updated to the digital file, with the same rule of randomizing.
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Players can share the electronic versions of their notebooks however they wish.
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THE GAME: In addition to developing personal notebooks, each player takes the new idea to other players’ notebooks, choosing pages, again, at random. It is not required to visit all players’ notebooks. Each idea must be accommodated within the other player’s topic
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Keeping track of what’s new can be a bit difficult. When AUTHORS add comments, use redish font colors during that week (red, orange, maroon); PLAYERS adding to other authors’ files begin with blue, then green, then purple. At the end of a play week, say Monday, all type can be converted back to black. Once play begins in earnest, work will shift from local files to the file kept in the dropbox, copied at the end of the week and edited down to a new black font version to begin again the process of additions and comments.