Blimey it's been ages! Sorry about that. I’ve been rather busy the last couple of weeks. This is the last week of semester, and we’ve been busy with exams and this week exam boards. So much to do before the little darlings all disappear for 4 months and peace descends.
Also as you might have guessed from the odd comment I’ve made me and ‘im outdoors are in the process of buying ourselves a flat. More details of that when I have them, but it does mean I’ve been going through the junk I’ve collected over the last 28 years. As you can imagine that’s taking some time.
And as if that’s not enough I’ve been working my way through the last CWI text book on my course – meaning that I’ll be having exams at some point in the near future! Scary biscuits.
So with all that going on I’ve had little chance to create, which is a shame as that’s what I love best. But I did have a chance to do a tiny bit of writing for today’s writers group – I never thought I’d be glad to be called in for emergency invigilation!
Last months homework was to use another of the first lines that Anne had given us as a starting point. As I said then you can’t use the first line – it’s someone else’s work, but there is nothing to stop you being inspired by it.
This time I used ‘Can I explain why I wanted to jump off the top of a tower-block?’ (it was the only one I could remember stuck in the exam room.)
When I’d finished it, I thought it would work really well as a piece of flash fiction – this is normally writing that doesn’t go much bigger than 150 words, but could be as small as 6! Good luck with that.
Here’s what I wrote.
Standing on the top of a tower block I looked at the crowd gathered below. Vultures. Police lights strobbed across faces. The wind howled round the sides of the building trying to dislodge me, but I wasn’t going until I was ready.
I can’t say I wasn’t scared, cos I was. If it was up to me I’d do it another way, but once you get to my status there is no choice anymore.
I now stood with my toes sticking over the side, flexing to grip as the wind gave me another shove.
I was suddenly blinded as they finally managed to get their spot light working.
As the sky darkened and with the light in my eyes, I pulled the ropes towards me and started down the steep decent.
Much as I hate heights I guess it was better than being gunged for charity.
That’s 146 words and I think it tells its story just fine.
I hope there won’t be such a delay before I’m back – hopefully with good news.
Also as you might have guessed from the odd comment I’ve made me and ‘im outdoors are in the process of buying ourselves a flat. More details of that when I have them, but it does mean I’ve been going through the junk I’ve collected over the last 28 years. As you can imagine that’s taking some time.
And as if that’s not enough I’ve been working my way through the last CWI text book on my course – meaning that I’ll be having exams at some point in the near future! Scary biscuits.
So with all that going on I’ve had little chance to create, which is a shame as that’s what I love best. But I did have a chance to do a tiny bit of writing for today’s writers group – I never thought I’d be glad to be called in for emergency invigilation!
Last months homework was to use another of the first lines that Anne had given us as a starting point. As I said then you can’t use the first line – it’s someone else’s work, but there is nothing to stop you being inspired by it.
This time I used ‘Can I explain why I wanted to jump off the top of a tower-block?’ (it was the only one I could remember stuck in the exam room.)
When I’d finished it, I thought it would work really well as a piece of flash fiction – this is normally writing that doesn’t go much bigger than 150 words, but could be as small as 6! Good luck with that.
Here’s what I wrote.
Standing on the top of a tower block I looked at the crowd gathered below. Vultures. Police lights strobbed across faces. The wind howled round the sides of the building trying to dislodge me, but I wasn’t going until I was ready.
I can’t say I wasn’t scared, cos I was. If it was up to me I’d do it another way, but once you get to my status there is no choice anymore.
I now stood with my toes sticking over the side, flexing to grip as the wind gave me another shove.
I was suddenly blinded as they finally managed to get their spot light working.
As the sky darkened and with the light in my eyes, I pulled the ropes towards me and started down the steep decent.
Much as I hate heights I guess it was better than being gunged for charity.
That’s 146 words and I think it tells its story just fine.
I hope there won’t be such a delay before I’m back – hopefully with good news.
2 comments:
Like it. Though knowing your penchant for twists, I did start to wonder if the central character was going to be a pigeon :)
Ha! Thats great, maybe I should re write it. :)
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