Getting to creative writers group meeting yesterday was something of an adventure given the thunderstorm and massive buckets downpour right at the time I pulled up at the location.
There were only 4 of us there, me, Liz, Alan, Tom, but we had enough fun for a dozen people!
And we did one of my favorite things we do, 25 minute timed writing to provided prompts.
The prompts can be statements, words, pictures, objects, any of a number of things.
Here's what I got, in its polished up a bit afterward form,
-------------------------------------------------------------
August 24 prompts
Each morning for 25 years, you and one other person waited at the same bus stop for work. This was the first time they weren't there.
A double agent is assigned by both of the countries they work for to capture their alias.
You're trying to act casual in a very precarious situation.
Write a story about an author who has just started writing again for the first time in a couple of years.
A character wakes up one morning and realizes that their every move and thought is being narrated.
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“Hey Mac, you're here longer than usual.”
“Oh, hi Randy. You know that saying old habits die hard, decided to bring one up from its coma.”
“Well, the waitresses are changing shifts, anything you need while I'm out and about?”
“Nah, I'm good.”
“Are you sure you're good? We got key lime pies in for the season today, I was going to add them to the menu tonight.”
“Mmmm, that's a bunch of sugar, how does sugar interact with trying to focus?”
“Well, the pie is carbs, carbs are quick energy. Focusing takes energy. Therefore carbs equals better focus.”
I squinted at Randy. “Is that documentable?”
“I dunno, you're the one with the computer open. And then there's the honor that you could have the first slice of the new season. Think of the prestige!”
“Nah, even though key lime is my big weakness, I'm good.”
“Have it on me, then you can honestly claim you didn't spend money on your weakness.”
“Stop it, Randy, stop it!”
“Miracles sometimes drop from the sky, you know,” Randy smiled then headed toward the other side of the restaurant.
Soon enough later that I swear they were tag teaming, I heard Suzanne from the library, “Hey Mac, what's this one going to be?”
Suzanne, Kendra, and the gal whose name I never seem to remember, were known to pop in to Perkins after hours on Thursday nights.
Two of my titles from a decade ago were in the stacks at the library and the gals had been after me for at least the last half a decade to increase that number. Granted, it was a much enjoyed thing that my two books did actually circulate. They had neither the highest rate nor the lowest rate. It was enough that anyone wanted to read them at all.
Suzanne eased in to the booth's opposite seat.
Before she got settled Kendra called from the doorway, “Hey y'all!” and before I could engage the proper mental gears to settle on what words to employ in polite protest slid in next to Suzanne.
“Hey Kendra.” Well, seeing my cause was lost for the moment I decided to be at least somewhat personable, “What grand and glorious news was there in the library world today?”
Kendra laughed then smiled. “The most grand and glorious happening possible.”
Suzanne smiled but said nothing.
“Oh?”
“Yep,” Kendra said still smiling, “the absolutely most glorious happening possible, peaceful normality!”
I'll have to admit, she had a point. In recent weeks there had been a city water main break under the parking lot; a car go out of control and hit the building, breaking a pipe in the bathrooms; squirrels in the attic; the motor failed in the air conditioner thing outside; and who knows what else that didn't make the local paper.
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That photo of the bake shop does look warm and inviting.
Rain doesn't show in picture but it was heavy and I had to wait about 20 minutes under a store awning for the river on other side of street to run down enough to step across. Was too warm out to wait in van with windows closed.
Building is from before the ACW and early in its life was a newspaper office.
Room our creative writers group meets in was where some guys met to eventually found University of Missouri's School of Journalism in 1908.
Is that not a most appropriate place for a writers group to meet!
Raindrops were so big a few left puddles in the van's power window controls!
(yes, I sopped them up after taking photo)
Went by library afterward to return a big book which is a 1970s compilation of 1930s and 1940s Buck Rogers comic strips.
So hot and humid out that the condensation was on the Outside of the library entrance glass!
(oh, and our library's gals are not named Suzanne and Kendra, but there really is one whose name I keep forgetting)
(and one who meets at the bake shop with a group of active and retired teachers who go there on Saturday mornings around same time as our writers group does)
There were only 4 of us there, me, Liz, Alan, Tom, but we had enough fun for a dozen people!
And we did one of my favorite things we do, 25 minute timed writing to provided prompts.
The prompts can be statements, words, pictures, objects, any of a number of things.
Here's what I got, in its polished up a bit afterward form,
-------------------------------------------------------------
August 24 prompts
Each morning for 25 years, you and one other person waited at the same bus stop for work. This was the first time they weren't there.
A double agent is assigned by both of the countries they work for to capture their alias.
You're trying to act casual in a very precarious situation.
Write a story about an author who has just started writing again for the first time in a couple of years.
A character wakes up one morning and realizes that their every move and thought is being narrated.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Hey Mac, you're here longer than usual.”
“Oh, hi Randy. You know that saying old habits die hard, decided to bring one up from its coma.”
“Well, the waitresses are changing shifts, anything you need while I'm out and about?”
“Nah, I'm good.”
“Are you sure you're good? We got key lime pies in for the season today, I was going to add them to the menu tonight.”
“Mmmm, that's a bunch of sugar, how does sugar interact with trying to focus?”
“Well, the pie is carbs, carbs are quick energy. Focusing takes energy. Therefore carbs equals better focus.”
I squinted at Randy. “Is that documentable?”
“I dunno, you're the one with the computer open. And then there's the honor that you could have the first slice of the new season. Think of the prestige!”
“Nah, even though key lime is my big weakness, I'm good.”
“Have it on me, then you can honestly claim you didn't spend money on your weakness.”
“Stop it, Randy, stop it!”
“Miracles sometimes drop from the sky, you know,” Randy smiled then headed toward the other side of the restaurant.
Soon enough later that I swear they were tag teaming, I heard Suzanne from the library, “Hey Mac, what's this one going to be?”
Suzanne, Kendra, and the gal whose name I never seem to remember, were known to pop in to Perkins after hours on Thursday nights.
Two of my titles from a decade ago were in the stacks at the library and the gals had been after me for at least the last half a decade to increase that number. Granted, it was a much enjoyed thing that my two books did actually circulate. They had neither the highest rate nor the lowest rate. It was enough that anyone wanted to read them at all.
Suzanne eased in to the booth's opposite seat.
Before she got settled Kendra called from the doorway, “Hey y'all!” and before I could engage the proper mental gears to settle on what words to employ in polite protest slid in next to Suzanne.
“Hey Kendra.” Well, seeing my cause was lost for the moment I decided to be at least somewhat personable, “What grand and glorious news was there in the library world today?”
Kendra laughed then smiled. “The most grand and glorious happening possible.”
Suzanne smiled but said nothing.
“Oh?”
“Yep,” Kendra said still smiling, “the absolutely most glorious happening possible, peaceful normality!”
I'll have to admit, she had a point. In recent weeks there had been a city water main break under the parking lot; a car go out of control and hit the building, breaking a pipe in the bathrooms; squirrels in the attic; the motor failed in the air conditioner thing outside; and who knows what else that didn't make the local paper.
========================================================================
That photo of the bake shop does look warm and inviting.
Rain doesn't show in picture but it was heavy and I had to wait about 20 minutes under a store awning for the river on other side of street to run down enough to step across. Was too warm out to wait in van with windows closed.
Building is from before the ACW and early in its life was a newspaper office.
Room our creative writers group meets in was where some guys met to eventually found University of Missouri's School of Journalism in 1908.
Is that not a most appropriate place for a writers group to meet!
Raindrops were so big a few left puddles in the van's power window controls!
(yes, I sopped them up after taking photo)
Went by library afterward to return a big book which is a 1970s compilation of 1930s and 1940s Buck Rogers comic strips.
So hot and humid out that the condensation was on the Outside of the library entrance glass!
(oh, and our library's gals are not named Suzanne and Kendra, but there really is one whose name I keep forgetting)
(and one who meets at the bake shop with a group of active and retired teachers who go there on Saturday mornings around same time as our writers group does)
