No way of stopping now...

Today we met for the Lunchtime Creative Writers Group.  The university is still closed for the summer, although the freshers will be starting next week so it was only a small group who met.  As there weren’t many things to share, although what was read out was really good, we had time to do a quick 10 minute exercise.

We all started with the line - His heart pounded as the car hurtled towards the cliff edge.  There was no way of stopping it now…  and it was amazing what different ideas everyone had.

This is how mine turned out.

His heart pounded as the car hurtled towards the cliff edge.  There was no way of stopping it now…

But he had to time it just right, too early and he wouldn’t get the lift needed and too late and he’d be in the sea.

His hand hovered over the button mounted in the middle of the dash, the temptation to hit it now very strong but he waited, counting under his breath.

Finally he came to the place, that if his caculations were corrected was the perfect place, and he hit the red button with the palm of his hand.

There was a bang but he’d been expecting that, and in the rear view mirror he saw smoke but that was also to be expected.

Had it worked?

He couldn’t see from the windows but in his door mirrors he could see the wings as they unfolded in a chitty chitty bang bang style, although blue to match the car.

The material rippled in the wind but seemed to hold and he suddenly realised he was no longer on the cliff but meters above the sea with seagulls giving him very strange looks.

Moving the steering wheel seemed to work the rudder and he turned in a deep cuerve till he ran in line with the cliffs.  He didn’t seem to be loosing height at all.

I then set a homework for the group (borrowed from Mslexia), it made me think of the the hush puppy shoes my friend had that I coveted and the horrible coat I had, the only good thing about it was the huge pockets it had.

Think of an item of clothing you loved or hated; an ugly winter coat, ballet shows, a naught push up bra.  Imagine a scene where you are wearing the item.  How did you acquire it?  Did you lose it, damage it?  Try to recall an obstacle or scene of conflict involving it, turn it into a short story or poem.