Customary clothes and coins are two things we often think about before heading out to any group event. The weather is usually taken into consideration but the change we carry with us may or may not be. A small group of us gather on the first Friday of the month for our writer’s group. Customary clothing is always casual ~ jeans and casual tops. Coins ~ well there is an occasional phantom-like admonition to ‘put a quarter in the pot’ should we denigrate our own writing even before sharing it. No one has ever seen this ‘pot’ and no one has ever even reached for their wallet! (Julie, you’ll appreciate this little bit of fun.) Lots of smiles and chuckles though.
I’ve included in this post my offerings for and from writer’s group yesterday. First: Our assignment was to write a Tiny Story. Tiny Story contests are held in many libraries. The main rules are: the story must have a beginning, middle and end; it must be 420 characters or less. Characters include: words, spaces and punctuation ~ a difficult task! Mine is titled Never Land (380 characters) The second exercise, arranged by the host, was a draw of a slip of paper already prepared by our host. Each slip had a well known name on it. I drew Donald Duck and was not impressed. Other names were just as intriguing ~ Paddington Bear and Mickey Mouse were just two I recall. The time: 10 minutes (I confess: I only was able to get my brain to write for 8 minutes)
Never Land (380 words not including the title)
My parents said ‘summer is forever’. They told fanciful stories of graceful trees and sparkling blue water. Stories of catching glittering fish. Breathing deeply of cool summer nights. A faded, cracking beachball and a scratched, faintly red plastic pail were special July childhood playthings. Sand castles blew away in hot, whistling winds. I grew up. Climate change had passed.
Donald Duck (no editing)
Donald Duck was my favourite cartoon character. He squawked and quack with spittle flying all over the place. His big gold duck feet slapped the ground. And I can’t think of what else to write except that that he just hasn’t inspired me. There’s no story there because Disney has them all. From the times when cartoons were hundreds of pencil sketches to digital cartoons today we still have those marvellous Looney Tune characters. I’m not sure I did have a favourite. Elmer Fudd and his ‘wascally wabbit’ with his shotgun. Bugs Bunny popping out - or into his rabbit hole munching on a carrot. Wylie E. Coyote being flattened by an anvil or a semi trailer truck. They were all fun in a most ‘graphic art’ sense of those words. “So there.”
(I dare you to say the last two words in a very Donald Duck sort of way - and don't forget the spittle.)
“You can make anything by writing.”
~ C.S.Lewis
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