Writing Exercise #2

Our next writing project from Neil Gaiman's Master Class is from a chapter about character creation and motivation. Here's the first exercise he has listed. 

Take one of the simple settings below and write a page about it, trying to undermine the reader’s expectations. For example, you’re writing about a man at a party who is talking to a beautiful woman. What he wants is probably obvious. Try to lead the reader in a different
direction by not revealing his desire up front, or by revealing a surprising motivation. 

• A man lying on a hill looking through a rifle scope
• A couple in wedding outfits riding in a car
• A child raking a sandbox next to his nanny
• Two old women sitting on a bench with knitting
needles and yarn
• A teenage girl climbing a rock cliff with a man
below her

I chose the first option. My working title is "The Root of the Problem." No, not really. I just found that amusing. You'll understand in a minute. 

###

Lying on the crest of the hill, the man had a spectacular view of the valley. Blanketed with trees and a river snaking down the middle, its banks veiled in wildflowers, the man couldn’t help but think this would make a romantic spot for a picnic under different circumstances. As it was, he was lying prone, stretched out in the tall grass that covered the hill itself. Even a casual observer couldn’t misinterpret his appearance being in any way amorous, as they noted his deliberate and watchful scan of the valley through the scope of his rifle.

Whenever there was movement below or on the hill opposite, the rifle edged in that direction, seeking the source of the disturbance. The occasional bird caught his attention. Small animals ventured to the river bank for a quick drink. Once a larger carnivore wandered in, intent on catching a fish. The resultant splashing was distracting, but not enough to completely pull the man’s attention away from scanning the valley. 

A shudder in the treetops caught his notice. Shifting to see around the rifle, he watched as the grizzly-sized dinosaur in the water raised its head, clearly sensing danger nearby. After dragging its catch to the bank, it abandoned the fish and loped away quickly, just as a T-Rex broke the treeline. 

It stomped down to the river’s edge, leaving a jumble of crushed wildflowers in its wake, watching as the other dinosaur drifted out of sight. It crossed the river, struggling in places where it was more than knee deep. Shaking the water off as it emerged, the T-Rex ambled over to the discarded fish, bent down and proceeded to swallow it whole.

The man felt a chill run down his spine. It took him a moment to realize the chill was caused by a strong breeze, flowing up the ridge he was on and down the other side. He looked through the scope of his rifle, searching for changes in movement or behavior in the monstrous beast by the river. To his dismay, the T-Rex raised its head, gingerly sniffing the wind drifting down the hill. It swished its tail agitatedly, creating mini-geysers in the water behind it. 

Deciding it was best not to linger, the man began slowly backing farther into the grass and away from the vicious predator. Just as he turned, he saw the T-Rex take a tentative step forward. And then another. Suddenly it was charging forward, up the hill and right for where he was hiding! He in turn began sprinting toward the cover of the forest below, praying he could make the treeline before the T-Rex crested the hilltop. He fired his rifle in the air twice as he ran, to warn the others of the impending danger.

His foot caught on a protruding root, causing him to nosedive and tumble the rest of the way down the slope. He landed with a thud, the wind knocked out of him. As he lay there stunned, he could feel the earth tremble beneath him from the T-Rex’s mighty tread. He stumbled to his feet, just as the sun was blocked out by a shadow towered over him. He looked up...

###

I thought about giving "the man" a name, but felt the vagueness better suited him. Plus you tend to get more attached to things when you name them. 😊😬

~ Katie Q. 🐧

Two new songs came out recently from a couple of my favorite artists. Josh debuted "Your Face" on the CBS "Sunday Morning" show last week. One line made me go "hmm" (you'll know it when you hear it), but the rest was beautiful as usual.

"Your Face"

Josh Groban

"So Will I" is sung by Ben Platt, accompanied by Finneas, who also produced it. They performed it on The Late Late Show with James Cordon (From His Garage) last week.

"So Will I" 

Ben Platt ft. Finneas

I've had a couple songs pop up on Pandora a disproportionate number of times this week - "Too Good at Goodbyes" by Sam Smith and Christina Perri's "Jar of Hearts." Who thought that was a good idea?