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Regular news and insight from our many poets, writers, educators and facilitators

18 June 2024

Posted by Harley Truslove

Music Boxes & Frankenstories

We opened with our writers feeling a sense of relief over the fact that they had finished their exams and received good results - well done, writers! Ali gave us all a fill-in sheet with our main characters Jeff & Lulu, and our writers had them encounter ghosts, stolen gnomes, abandoned holidays, and vats of acid.


Ali then got out a music box, wound it, and let the ballerina spin to her Swan's Theme. She challenged the writers to write about what might be going around in the dancer’s head. She was a bit existential according to Amelia, with her life being “a performance”, Megan believed she had the soul of a ballerina trapped inside. For Eve, we were reminded how plastic doesn’t weep.


Ali then gave us some more fill-in sheets, this time with our heroes Kia & Jim. Our challenge was to add in some dialogue. They encountered green tentacles, corpses, and mysterious seaweed. With the time we had left, we decided to write some Frankenstories - where one writer would write up to three sentences and pass it onto the next writer, and so on. They all flowed marvellously, reminding us what a wonderful synergy the group has!


Here are a couple:


The glasses fell with a terrible crash as Amelia watched in shock. He was here, in her restaurant, with another woman. She watched as Max tipped his head back and laughed, a familiar sound that made her want to throw up, now. The woman placed a hand on his arm and the feeling intensified.


Amelia knew, of course, that she had no claim over Max any more, but it still hurt to see him happy all the same. She stood up smiling awkwardly, and walked away. it was a shame that Max's happiness hurt her so bad. Suddenly she heard a crash. Another tray of wine glasses fell, and she ignored it. How dare he bring his new date here?! Waiters and chefs stumbled around as she threw more glassware on the floor. Max looked up at her, right in the eyes.


And:


The apple looked okay. It sat on the China plate, shiny, red and green. Only Zoe knew it was injected with poison. Across from her, test subject 84 grinned stupidly back at her. He had no idea he was soon to be another tick on a checklist. Unless this time was different. He could be the one to change everything - as long as he didn't crumble and allow himself to eat the apple. Secretly, she hoped he would be the one who could resist the temptation of endless knowledge. 


She glanced down at her notes.


"Jim! So... What do you want to know?"


Jim's face shifted, so slightly that a less keen observer might have missed it. 


"Dangerous question, that," he said his tone too light for his words. Then: "Why - what do you want to know?"


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