Pure Comedy
Title Pure Comedy
Author: Florence A. Watson
Written for: Brigit’s Flame July 2014 challenge - week three (Just for Fun)
Prompt:Calamity
Genre: Contemporary Humour
Rating: General
Length: 438 words
Author’s Notes: All my own! Not fan-fic!
Acknowledgements: Many thanks are due to keppiehed who, when I wrote a JFF entry in June told me, "my only advice might be to see you push the line even more ... I’d like to see you make that leap to full original fiction ... I’d like to see you challenge yourself and the skills you’ve been honing to see what you can do." Your encouragement led to this.
She laughed when she saw the play on words lacombe had put in his challenge post on Tuesday. “It's all about the connotations.” It always was, she thought, and clearly he was having fun with them. That was, after all, what this was about: having fun.
Deadlines for other things got in the way; that was normal. However, she had felt inspired on Tuesday, and on Saturday she sat down to write. Only she didn’t. Exasperated with herself, she tried again Sunday morning. Plot bunnies for other stories bounced. (Actually they did high jumps, winning gold medals!)
“It won’t be a disaster if you don’t write this week,” said the little voice deep inside. “After all, you missed the start of the month so it’s only a ‘just for fun’ entry.”
“And it’s that attitude which means people don’t write each week. Fewer and fewer submit anything and communities die from that attitude!” said another wee voice.
“Oh, don’t be stupid! That’s just dramatics!” the first responded in a superior tone of voice. She had identified this voice now: good old ‘put-off-till-tomorrow’ - Mr Procrastination himself.
“Isn’t that the point of the whole prompt this week?” replied a third, giggling gleefully, “all those words are delightfully dramatic - bringers of doom to the world - and we are challenged to write about it!
“Well clearly, you’re challenged,” another, deeper, more cynical voice responded. “I’ve always thought so.” She identified this voice very quickly: it was the voice of doom - Mr Pessimism, Procrastination’s twin brother. They were the death of creativity and she just would not entertain them today. Firmly she shut the door, and went to the kitchen for a cup of tea while mulling over this week’s prompt.
Calamity...disaster.... Hmm.... One man’s disaster was another’s triumph. Writing the character interview for maryrenaultfics had certainly reminded her of that. It was about perspective. Alexander the Great’s triumphant conquest of Persia had meant disaster for Darius III but welcome relief for the Greek slaves he freed at Susa. It had meant lasting love for Bagoas. It had meant....
It wasn’t late, but the afternoon was dull when finally she sat before her laptop. A bright fork of lightening lit up the sky outside, followed by the rumble of thunder, before the heavens above opened to drown the earth below. Clearly the twins were more than just muttering outside today. But she would pay them no mind. There was the prompt; she had her idea; this was Madam Inspiration’s day!
lacombe had said, “the real tragedy will be if you don't write this week.” No, no tragedy this time - pure comedy!
Author: Florence A. Watson
Written for: Brigit’s Flame July 2014 challenge - week three (Just for Fun)
Prompt:Calamity
Genre: Contemporary Humour
Rating: General
Length: 438 words
Author’s Notes: All my own! Not fan-fic!
Acknowledgements: Many thanks are due to keppiehed who, when I wrote a JFF entry in June told me, "my only advice might be to see you push the line even more ... I’d like to see you make that leap to full original fiction ... I’d like to see you challenge yourself and the skills you’ve been honing to see what you can do." Your encouragement led to this.
She laughed when she saw the play on words lacombe had put in his challenge post on Tuesday. “It's all about the connotations.” It always was, she thought, and clearly he was having fun with them. That was, after all, what this was about: having fun.
Deadlines for other things got in the way; that was normal. However, she had felt inspired on Tuesday, and on Saturday she sat down to write. Only she didn’t. Exasperated with herself, she tried again Sunday morning. Plot bunnies for other stories bounced. (Actually they did high jumps, winning gold medals!)
“It won’t be a disaster if you don’t write this week,” said the little voice deep inside. “After all, you missed the start of the month so it’s only a ‘just for fun’ entry.”
“And it’s that attitude which means people don’t write each week. Fewer and fewer submit anything and communities die from that attitude!” said another wee voice.
“Oh, don’t be stupid! That’s just dramatics!” the first responded in a superior tone of voice. She had identified this voice now: good old ‘put-off-till-tomorrow’ - Mr Procrastination himself.
“Isn’t that the point of the whole prompt this week?” replied a third, giggling gleefully, “all those words are delightfully dramatic - bringers of doom to the world - and we are challenged to write about it!
“Well clearly, you’re challenged,” another, deeper, more cynical voice responded. “I’ve always thought so.” She identified this voice very quickly: it was the voice of doom - Mr Pessimism, Procrastination’s twin brother. They were the death of creativity and she just would not entertain them today. Firmly she shut the door, and went to the kitchen for a cup of tea while mulling over this week’s prompt.
Calamity...disaster.... Hmm.... One man’s disaster was another’s triumph. Writing the character interview for maryrenaultfics had certainly reminded her of that. It was about perspective. Alexander the Great’s triumphant conquest of Persia had meant disaster for Darius III but welcome relief for the Greek slaves he freed at Susa. It had meant lasting love for Bagoas. It had meant....
It wasn’t late, but the afternoon was dull when finally she sat before her laptop. A bright fork of lightening lit up the sky outside, followed by the rumble of thunder, before the heavens above opened to drown the earth below. Clearly the twins were more than just muttering outside today. But she would pay them no mind. There was the prompt; she had her idea; this was Madam Inspiration’s day!
lacombe had said, “the real tragedy will be if you don't write this week.” No, no tragedy this time - pure comedy!