The Art of Being Random 3 PC Swap

NOTE: This is sender's choice! The sender chooses whether the pc is handmade or store-bought! If you do not like to receive handmade postcards, do not sign up! If you think you might be offended by the book, the quote, or the image on the card, do not sign up! The quote you get may come from a holy book, a children's book, a book on the history of Halloween or Christmas, or a book on erotic bondage. The image may be related to any of those or other potentially offensive things. You must accept ANY possibility to play. If that makes you uncomfortable or you don't understand the concept of "sender's choice" or the definition of "random" DO NOT SIGN UP! I will ban any & all participants whose profiles indicate the least qualm about this. I'm tired of reading profiles of people that indicate they dislike profanity or religion or goth or kawaii or glitter and who hate homemade postcards, or the craftsmanship of newbies. They have signed up for this swap that will possibly have those elements in it ... why? I will no longer double-check to make sure they understand they may get items they don't like. I WILL SIMPLY BAN. Messaging me to complain about it will result in a new swap being created around said whine (and an automatic ban from that too). :)

Now, for those with open minds and adventurous personalities ....

1.Go to a public or private library, school or university library, or friendly bookstore. This may be your local one, or try one further away from your normal stomping grounds for a change of pace.

2.Find another person who is holding a book - this may be a library patron, a librarian at the reference desk, a volunteer who is shelving books, etc. Please, do not choose a child for obvious reasons of comfort & safety.

3.Either ask the person about one of the books they are holding, or sneak a peek, if you can, at the title and/or author. If you happen not to see anyone at all holding a book while you are there (!), you may take a look at a book that is NOT on a shelf (that is, it must be on a cart, on a table or desk, on the floor, etc.)

4.If you speak to a person about the book they are holding, ask for the title & author, and then ask them to open to page 13. Have them read you the first full sentence on that page, or ask them to let you look at it long enough to write it down. Of course, you may tell them what you are doing (and invite them to join the swap if you wish). Chances are, a librarian will be most cooperative with you on this if no one you recognize personally is around.

(5.) If you choose to sneak a peek at a patron's book instead of asking directly, be discreet. Then go to the card catalog (online catalog) and see if there is another copy of that book in the library. Go find it & complete the assignment. If you're in a bookstore, you may look at another copy there or leave & look up the book in the library or online (if page 13 has been uploaded to Google Books or a similar venue).

6.Buy or make a postcard that has something to do with the sentence you found. It's up to you to decide how to interpret the sentence - you don't need to read the book or know the subject. There is no right answer. You are the artist & may choose to interpret the quote any way you wish & create or purchase an image to go with it.

7.On the back of the postcard, write the sentence, the book's title & author, and tell a little bit about why you interpreted the sentence the way you did with your image. Also be sure to include the name of this swap & your swap-bot username on the card so you get credit & a rating.

8.Send your postcard naked (stamped, no envelope) after partners are assigned. If the quote or image is sensitive (sexually explicit or politically controversial, etc.) you may send it in an envelope for privacy & safety. Look at your partner's profile: if they have small children, live in an area that practices postal censorship (the US does!), or if there's any reason to think a graphic image/quote will cause trouble for them, put your postcard in an envelope!!

Have fun!!