Drabbles An exercise in writing...
I have found that these have been useful - for several reasons.
1. Brevity - it has always been an issue with me. I write too many unnecessary words.
2. Try different styles - my writing style thus far is conversational. I want explore and challenge myself!
3. Prompts - finding different ways to get ideas. So I've used: Every ten pages of a book, use the first sentence for the prompt (thanks again concupiscence66 ) , and an online poetry generator here.
Five with prompts from The Princess Bride with page references:
10. "Sounds okay," I said, and I kind of closed my eyes.
“Penny.” Sheldon’s voice has just the amount of breathlessness in it to denote his nervousness.
“Sheldon.” Penny’s hand touches his.
“I want to - I need to explain my actions.” Sheldon’s fingers lightly trace hers.
“Yes?” Penny looks up and meets his eyes.
A pause. Then, another kiss.
40. This was after stew, but so is everything.
Penny put her chopsticks down in defeat. Even she couldn’t finish the last dumpling.
Sheldon had no such qualms. He ate while she smiled.
“Sheldon, we’ve been eating together a lot lately. It’s been nice.”
Sheldon nodded his agreement.
“In fact, it could be considered dating.”
Sheldon choked. Penny patted his back.
“Sorry. I guess I should have waited for you to stop chewing before I sprung that on you.”
Sheldon nodded his agreement.
60. Even war, at which he excelled, took second place in his affections.
Paintball strategy meeting #221
In attendance: Leonard, Raj, Penny
In absentia: Howard
Minutes: We began with my strategy, outlined meticulously on my whiteboard. Leonard and Raj gave their assent to my scheme. Penny did not. Penny erased half of my work, and began outlining her additions, ending with a scrawled signature to defile my whiteboard.
ETA: It should be noted we won.
100. "The usual gruel."
Sheldon’s Log:
Tuesday night. Cheesecake Factory. Penny came to our table with a smile, looking directly at me. I was instantly suspicious. She said, “The usual, sweetie?” to which I replied, “Of course.” She took our orders, then placed her hand on my shoulder, before she left to get our drinks.
I am unsettled. It was the same smile she used to convince me to have a birthday party for Leonard. I will reiterate to Penny that I do not wish for such frivolity for my upcoming birthday.
Thirty is just a number. It certainly doesn’t bother me.
Certainly.
120. "You cannot tell it," he said then, "because I wear a cape and mask. But I am smiling now."
“I’m Batman!” Sheldon said again and giggled, the not so virgin Cuba Libres doing their job.
Penny smiled and grabbed his elbow, resplendent in her not so virgin Robin costume. She tip toed up to his ear and whispered, “Happy birthday, Sheldon.”
The party in 4A went past nine pm.
From the online poetry generator, which I arranged into a poem:
Beneath the surface of wanting,
the dreamers wander.
Beside the river of discord,
the leaves mourn,
In the moonless darkness of tears,
the men escape,
Beside the river of summer,
the insects journey.
“Just the thought of words,” your past lovers whisper.
1. Beneath the surface of wanting the dreamers wander.
Sheldon was clutching her arms so he wouldn’t fall. He trusted Penny not to let him fall.
She didn’t let him.
Safe. Penny held his head in her hands. He was safe. Why did his heart feel like it was beating out of his chest?
Sheldon awakes, gasping for air.
2. Beside the river of discord the leaves mourn.
How had he let it happen? How had he, Sheldon Cooper, let himself fall in love with Penny?
Why on earth had he let her go?
He kicked another rock free and picked it up - ready to skip it along the creek running down the Nebraskan farm.
Waiting for her.
3. In the moonless darkness of tears the men escape.
Penny’s head was still in her pillow; soaking with her tears. She’s been here before.
She lists their names in her head: Kurt, Doug, Mike, Eric, David, Zach, Leonard, Sheldon. The last name still burning in her throat and her heart.
He was here. For the end, or for forgiveness?
4. Beside the river of summer the insects journey.
Her eyes are dry, finally, as she sits beside him - jeans rolled up and her bare feet makes small waves in the creek. Penny waits. She can hear the lazy sound of the crickets on the summer air.
Sheldon’s hand takes hers and holds it firmly.
She feels his words.
5. Just the thought of words your past lovers whisper.
Penny moves into his welcoming long arms. Her back curved against the hardness of his chest. She can feel his pulse.
I was unschooled, Sheldon tells her, his mouth against her hair. Unaware.
These words are how he tells her he loves her. This thought is new.
She was unaware.
The first line, every 10 pages from Twilight. Raj loves it, so it must be good:
10. I would be the new girl from the big city, a curiosity, a freak.
Penny turned the next corner. Finally! Her locker number.
Hair wetly hanging in her face, she opened it to deposit her new backpack, still smelling of damp canvas.
Penny was pushed from behind, and she toppled into her locker.
She’d gone from queen bee in junior high to this? Unacceptable.
20. He looked away quickly, more quickly than I could, though in a flush of embarrassment I dropped my eyes at once.
Kurt.
Her head hurt just looking at him. Football team. Top clique in school.
He was beautiful.
Penny twirled her hair as he sat behind her in Math class.
She knew how it worked. Twirl. A tilt of her head. Twirl. Drop her eyes and look over her shoulder.
Twirl.
30. It was miserable because I had to play volleyball, and the one time I didn’t cringe out of the way of the ball, I hit my teammate in the head with it.
Gym class.
He could not get out of this school fast enough. Sheldon knew his teachers, mother and educational psychologists were trying to figure out what to do with him.
Yet here he was, pinching his nose against the smell of sweaty boys.
And ducking. The ball hit him anyway.
40. I kept my mouth shut.
Sheldon walked from the school office after another round of tests. They bored him.
The bell rang for lunch. Sheldon smiled - his mother had packed him an extra special lunch today.
But.
Jason and Sammy. This year’s tormentors. Standing between him and his ham and cheese sandwich, cut in quarters.
50. “Am I wrong?”
Penny’s cheerleader’s outfit hugged all her new curves just right. She knew it.
Kurt knew it.
This was it; the love of her life found in high school.
~
Sheldon had escaped to Austin. It was almost far enough.
University.
No ham and cheese sandwiches cut in quarters at the dorm.
1. Brevity - it has always been an issue with me. I write too many unnecessary words.
2. Try different styles - my writing style thus far is conversational. I want explore and challenge myself!
3. Prompts - finding different ways to get ideas. So I've used: Every ten pages of a book, use the first sentence for the prompt (thanks again concupiscence66 ) , and an online poetry generator here.
Five with prompts from The Princess Bride with page references:
10. "Sounds okay," I said, and I kind of closed my eyes.
“Penny.” Sheldon’s voice has just the amount of breathlessness in it to denote his nervousness.
“Sheldon.” Penny’s hand touches his.
“I want to - I need to explain my actions.” Sheldon’s fingers lightly trace hers.
“Yes?” Penny looks up and meets his eyes.
A pause. Then, another kiss.
40. This was after stew, but so is everything.
Penny put her chopsticks down in defeat. Even she couldn’t finish the last dumpling.
Sheldon had no such qualms. He ate while she smiled.
“Sheldon, we’ve been eating together a lot lately. It’s been nice.”
Sheldon nodded his agreement.
“In fact, it could be considered dating.”
Sheldon choked. Penny patted his back.
“Sorry. I guess I should have waited for you to stop chewing before I sprung that on you.”
Sheldon nodded his agreement.
60. Even war, at which he excelled, took second place in his affections.
Paintball strategy meeting #221
In attendance: Leonard, Raj, Penny
In absentia: Howard
Minutes: We began with my strategy, outlined meticulously on my whiteboard. Leonard and Raj gave their assent to my scheme. Penny did not. Penny erased half of my work, and began outlining her additions, ending with a scrawled signature to defile my whiteboard.
ETA: It should be noted we won.
100. "The usual gruel."
Sheldon’s Log:
Tuesday night. Cheesecake Factory. Penny came to our table with a smile, looking directly at me. I was instantly suspicious. She said, “The usual, sweetie?” to which I replied, “Of course.” She took our orders, then placed her hand on my shoulder, before she left to get our drinks.
I am unsettled. It was the same smile she used to convince me to have a birthday party for Leonard. I will reiterate to Penny that I do not wish for such frivolity for my upcoming birthday.
Thirty is just a number. It certainly doesn’t bother me.
Certainly.
120. "You cannot tell it," he said then, "because I wear a cape and mask. But I am smiling now."
“I’m Batman!” Sheldon said again and giggled, the not so virgin Cuba Libres doing their job.
Penny smiled and grabbed his elbow, resplendent in her not so virgin Robin costume. She tip toed up to his ear and whispered, “Happy birthday, Sheldon.”
The party in 4A went past nine pm.
From the online poetry generator, which I arranged into a poem:
Beneath the surface of wanting,
the dreamers wander.
Beside the river of discord,
the leaves mourn,
In the moonless darkness of tears,
the men escape,
Beside the river of summer,
the insects journey.
“Just the thought of words,” your past lovers whisper.
1. Beneath the surface of wanting the dreamers wander.
Sheldon was clutching her arms so he wouldn’t fall. He trusted Penny not to let him fall.
She didn’t let him.
Safe. Penny held his head in her hands. He was safe. Why did his heart feel like it was beating out of his chest?
Sheldon awakes, gasping for air.
2. Beside the river of discord the leaves mourn.
How had he let it happen? How had he, Sheldon Cooper, let himself fall in love with Penny?
Why on earth had he let her go?
He kicked another rock free and picked it up - ready to skip it along the creek running down the Nebraskan farm.
Waiting for her.
3. In the moonless darkness of tears the men escape.
Penny’s head was still in her pillow; soaking with her tears. She’s been here before.
She lists their names in her head: Kurt, Doug, Mike, Eric, David, Zach, Leonard, Sheldon. The last name still burning in her throat and her heart.
He was here. For the end, or for forgiveness?
4. Beside the river of summer the insects journey.
Her eyes are dry, finally, as she sits beside him - jeans rolled up and her bare feet makes small waves in the creek. Penny waits. She can hear the lazy sound of the crickets on the summer air.
Sheldon’s hand takes hers and holds it firmly.
She feels his words.
5. Just the thought of words your past lovers whisper.
Penny moves into his welcoming long arms. Her back curved against the hardness of his chest. She can feel his pulse.
I was unschooled, Sheldon tells her, his mouth against her hair. Unaware.
These words are how he tells her he loves her. This thought is new.
She was unaware.
The first line, every 10 pages from Twilight. Raj loves it, so it must be good:
10. I would be the new girl from the big city, a curiosity, a freak.
Penny turned the next corner. Finally! Her locker number.
Hair wetly hanging in her face, she opened it to deposit her new backpack, still smelling of damp canvas.
Penny was pushed from behind, and she toppled into her locker.
She’d gone from queen bee in junior high to this? Unacceptable.
20. He looked away quickly, more quickly than I could, though in a flush of embarrassment I dropped my eyes at once.
Kurt.
Her head hurt just looking at him. Football team. Top clique in school.
He was beautiful.
Penny twirled her hair as he sat behind her in Math class.
She knew how it worked. Twirl. A tilt of her head. Twirl. Drop her eyes and look over her shoulder.
Twirl.
30. It was miserable because I had to play volleyball, and the one time I didn’t cringe out of the way of the ball, I hit my teammate in the head with it.
Gym class.
He could not get out of this school fast enough. Sheldon knew his teachers, mother and educational psychologists were trying to figure out what to do with him.
Yet here he was, pinching his nose against the smell of sweaty boys.
And ducking. The ball hit him anyway.
40. I kept my mouth shut.
Sheldon walked from the school office after another round of tests. They bored him.
The bell rang for lunch. Sheldon smiled - his mother had packed him an extra special lunch today.
But.
Jason and Sammy. This year’s tormentors. Standing between him and his ham and cheese sandwich, cut in quarters.
50. “Am I wrong?”
Penny’s cheerleader’s outfit hugged all her new curves just right. She knew it.
Kurt knew it.
This was it; the love of her life found in high school.
~
Sheldon had escaped to Austin. It was almost far enough.
University.
No ham and cheese sandwiches cut in quarters at the dorm.