Happy May Everyone!
I have wanted to do a challenge like this for months, something to help me blog every day and flex some writing skills. I could not find anything that looked like fun, so I made one.
Here’s what I came up with:
Here we go!
The object to my left is an internal hard drive for a laptop.
Life would be so much easier if people were hard drives. You would fill them up with all of your information, your pictures, your photos, your memories. And then, when you get sick of them, and all they contain, you can switch them out for a shiny new version, with tons of extra space.
Of course, people are not hard drives. Nor are they treasure chests. You cannot crack them open, plunder the riches within and then leave them forgotten. People are much more special than hard drives, or treasure chests.
They themselves are the treasure.
Put your music player on shuffle. Using the first song that comes up, write something inspired by the first and last lines of the song.
The first song that came up was Slow Love Slow by Nightwish.
The first line: Come and share this painting with me
The last line: Slow, love, slow, only the weak are not lonely
This woman is going to be the death of me! Weeks ago, at the suggestion of my wife, I hired this 20-something to help care for the paintings, lead some of the tours during the day, and when times were hard, to guard the paintings at night. I argued that I could do it all myself, that I’m only 59 years young. She was hired before I knew it.
I was sure my wife of 30 years had never met her. If she had, she never would have hired her. My wife knew my weakness for pretty red heads, for she was a redhead herself. While my wife’s red hair had turned a more faded orange with age, the new hire’s was a bright vibrant red that, when set against her pale freckled skin, made her absolutely glow. Even in the low lighting of the museum at night, I had no trouble spotting her. Her long red hair cascading down her back as she stood facing La Pieta.
“You needed me, Amy?” I said, no pretense, no manners. Contrary to popular belief, the museum was not as hospitable at night, and my warm bed still won out. I had warned her to only call if there was a real emergency, especially if she was on the night shift, so I hadn’t even thought to dress in more than just a jacket over my pajamas and my slippers.
She turned with an excited smile as soon as she heard my voice. “Come and share this painting with me” she said, and I knew it wasn’t a real emergency. I did wonder why she decided to pull her stunt that night though. She had already been working at the museum for nearly a month and had the time to see all the paintings that lined the halls several times.
It was as if God knew I was struggling, and he put her there that night to test me. In her low-cut top, barely even covered by her imitation bomber jacket, and a thin scarf that called attention to her chest, it was a test I would surely fail. One of the first things I had noticed when she first came from the agency was her affinity for tight pants. That night was no exception. She was going to be the death of me, in career, life and marriage. Still, I stood next to her, in front of the painting, more focused on the painting than her. Perhaps if I could resist her temptations and do as she asked, I wouldn’t have to sin.
Most importantly, I wouldn’t anger my wife. The painting was as it always had been. As one of my favorites, I had stood in front of it, admiring the beauty, the colors, the forms, and all the symbolism within it. In it, Jesus was a broken man, yet the artist had painted him as if he was just sleeping. The stigmata were not forefront in the painting. It was the rare moment caught after all of the crowds had left and the Romans had thought him dead for good. I kept my eyes on that rather than my pretty, young assistant to remind me of all the good that had come from my life so far. Also to remind me how quick it could be all taken away.
“I love this piece,” She spoke and I could feel her eyes on me rather than the painting, “You can just feel the suffering from Mary and Jesus and yet there’s this sense of relief.” I willed myself not to look at her, but to focus on the colors in the painting, the blues, and the faded reds and oranges. The same oranges that if I squinted reminded me of my wife’s beautiful hair. “Maybe that’s why your wife asked me to meet you here.”
I knew I had to look at her then. Why would my wife ask her to do such a thing? It made no sense. Why would my wife set up a meeting between me and my assistant and not just tell me about it? Why all the secrecy? She was no longer smiling and her face was drawn in a serious line. There was no way this was all a prank.
I knew I had to say something, but she spoke first. “Do you know why your wife hired me?” She asked, her eyes not leaving my face. Even in the dim light of the museum, she could see my doubts, and I knew she was about to ease them. I shook my head and she continued to speak, her voice hushed, “She knows you have an attraction to red heads. She thought it would be easier if you had an attractive assistant.”
My mind was whirring, but I managed to focus on the events of the evening and not my anxious thoughts. “What would be easier?” I finally asked, unsure just what was going on. My tired brain struggling to grasp the gravity of everything. If my wife and my new assistant wanted to confuse me, shaking me out of slumber at two in the morning was the way to do it.
She took a deep breath, and seemed to struggle against the words leaving her mouth. “Rupert,” She said gently, the only word that freely escaped her lips, “Your wife was diagnosed with cancer months ago.” As soon as she said the words, it was like she wanted to pull them all back in. “That was why she hired me.” She continued, trying to ease the shock, “She knew if your attentions were drawn elsewhere, you wouldn’t notice her suffering.”
I just continued to stare at her. My mind was still trying to break down the information it had just received. How could I not notice that my wife had had cancer for months? How could I not have seen the changes? In an instant, it clicked. “Why am I here?” I asked her, nearly scared to death for her answer.
“Did you kiss your wife goodbye before you left?” She asked, her face still drawn tight, no emotion getting through without her permission first. I nodded slowly, still thinking about the question and the relevance. Then all at once it seem to click. And she answered my thoughts or so it seemed. “She didn’t want to lose her hair and seem unattractive to you.” She explained. “She wanted you to remember her as she was, not what she would become.” She explained.
And I just ran. I ran to my car, and I raced home to my wife, only to find the flashing lights of police cars, and ambulances waiting for me. The white sheet covered gurney being wheeled down my front walk way, directly toward where I stood.
The Song is here
Good Luck if you’re joining me for this challenge! I look forward to seeing your posts too!
Tomorrow begins a new month, and that means new challenges. I have been thinking about it for a while now, and I have decided I want to try a blog challenge. I’ve had this blog for nearly three months now, and I’ve talked a lot about writing, but I’ve never really shared any yet. With this challenge, I hope to share some with you.
The challenge is one I found from google, and it was based from Tumblr. I made a few changes and made it my own, but I will post the original image, if any of you want to join me in mine, or do the original instead.
Ready?
Here We Go!
Day 1:Put your music player on shuffle. Write something inspired by the first and last lines of the song.
Day 2: Write something based on the color of the walls in the room that you are in.
Day 3: Write a fifteen step list titled “How to be _____”
Day 4: Write something based on the next line of dialogue you hear.
Day 5: Write a conversation about a man that dials a wrong number and encounters an angry woman. End the conversation with “Well, I suppose so.”
Day 6: Write a rhyming poem about getting increasingly drunk.
Day 7: Write about your reaction when the object on your left turns into the object on your right.
Day 8: You are now unable to leave your room for the next week. Write about your experiences day by day.
Day 9: Think about a word and google it. Write about the seventh image.
Day 10: Write a short rhyming poem about the last book you read.
Day 11: Make a list of songs (Like a mixtape) for someone you hate. The songs cannot include the words “Hate” or “You” in the title.
Day 12: Make a list of songs for someone you love. The songs cannot include the words “Love” or “You” in the title.
Day 13: Write about the object to your left as a metaphor.
Day 14: Write a book report about an “Adult book” by a 5th grader.
Day 15: Find the worst lyric from your least favorite song and make a character say it.
Day 16: Imagine you are sitting on a park bench. Write an Ode to a person passing by.
Day 17: One of your characters is sitting on a rooftop with an animal. They must make an important decision after talking to the animal.
Day 18: Write a freeform poem titled “The Formula For Happiness”
Day 19: Write a sappy poem for your loved one.
Day 20: Write a script with two characters talking to each other. Both have secrets they are considering sharing with the other person.
Day 21: Write from the point of view of a person that just got fired.
Day 22: Write a poetic prose piece where each sentence is one word.
Day 23: Write about an encounter in a restaurant. Someone orders their favorite dish, someone else leaves early.
Day 24: Write from a stream of consciousness point of view. Someone’s life is about to change in 3 minutes.
Day 25: Write a series of emails between a son and his father. They are estranged and eventually the mother must step in.
Day 26: Write a letter to your favorite person telling them why they are your favorite.
Day 27: Write a poem from the point of view of a bride, explaining how she got to that point and that she has cold feet.
Day 28: “The Morning After”
Day 29: Write a letter to your least favorite person, explaining why they are your least favorite.
Day 30: Write a poem titled “The End.” It cannot be about death, a break up or the apocalypse.
Day 31: FREE DAY!
Every year, writers, both old and new, get together to participate in Camp NaNoWriMo. Camp NaNoWriMo takes place several months out of the year and allows anyone to write a novel. April used to be for Scriptfrenzy, but now it’s all about the camp life, cabins, writing buddies, and writing a novel in 30 short days.
Here are some reasons why you should try Camp NaNoWriMo this April:
1. It’s a great start for a new project
If you are a writer, or even if you’re not, you could become one this April. Ever have that nagging idea that wants to be written, but you just never find the right time or place? Camp NaNo will give you that time, and the place could be anywhere. Even if it’s not a new project and just a rewrite, you can still have that rush of trying to make word count and the accountability of writing your novel. Either way, you get words on a page.
2. You can pick your own goal
Unlike NaNoWrimo (which is in November) where the word count is always 50,000 to win, in Camp NaNoWriMo, you can choose your own goal. Want to stay on par with NaNo and write 50,000 words? Go for it! Want to smash 50K and go for the big 100K? You can do that too! Scared of the 50 and want to go for something a bit less daunting? Go for 25K or 15K. You can put any number in that box. You can choose whatever you want. AND you can change it throughout the month, no matter what your progress so far.
3. Less busy time than November
Ahh, November, the time of writing a novel, getting together with family, and FINALS IN A WEEK?! If that sounds familiar, whether you are a student, or you have other events coming up in December that induce the same fear as finals, then Camp NaNoWriMo may be a better fit than its parent event. Since April is earlier in the year, and not so close to holidays and more stressful times of the year, it’s a bit less stressful to sit down and write. There aren’t as many tasks that need to be completed before the end of the year, and not as many family members around all up in your space. This makes noveling way less stressful.
4. Less holidays in April
Depending on the year, few major holidays are in April. Sometimes Easter falls in April, but that’s better than Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Black Friday, and the rest of your family in your daily life for a week or more. In addition to less holidays and distractions, the weather is starting to get nice and inspiration is blooming outside, along with our moods.
5. More Choices
In addition to getting to choose your own word count, you can also choose your cabin mates. There are several ways you can choose them, or you can randomize it and meet all new people. The choice is yours, you can even choose to not have a cabin at all.
There are a lot more choices associated with Camp NaNoWriMo, so it would be a great introduction to NaNoWriMo and what it and the Office of Letters and Light are all about. You could win, or not, but you will definitely end the month with more words than you started with.
So why not try?
Camp NaNoWriMo: Here
What do you think about Camp NaNoWriMo? Are you going to participate?
