So! I've reached some decisions regarding how I'm going to tackle my brain-drought.
I've been looking around on the internet and getting some ideas...
This whole time, I've been avoiding writing any stories for quite a while, in order to "save" any ideas that occur to me by chance so I could use it for my short story later, and I don't think it's getting me anywhere.
Therefore, I'm going to do exactly the opposite and try to write as many stories as possible :)
Also, I like how some blogs are themed, so I think I'm going to focus each of my stories on a color, or at least associate my story in some way with a color, since there's an infinite number of colors, and I think colors say a lot. And i guess my stories will just be like 300-500 words or something....
This new way of thinking seems to be working. I thought of it last night, and this morning I got my first story idea in a long time (although it was sorta random) by the time I was brushing my teeth! so basically as soon as I woke up :)
So here is my first practice story? And hopefully by the time my short story is actually due I will have improved my lacking writing skillz?
Claudia’s greedy. She’s always wanting something.
Right now, she sits in her sister Rebecca’s house. Rebecca is getting married soon. As Rebecca talks on and on about her wedding plans while dicing carrots and onions, Claudia swivels left and right, right and left, on one of the bar stools at the kitchen counter and rolls Rebecca’s engagement ring back and forth between her index finger and thumb. The ring’s got a good-sized, solid diamond embedded into the band, and as the diamond moves, the sparkles are iridescent, giving off flecks of orange, red, blue, green—an infinite flame. Claudia’s wanted to take a close look at the ring all day, from the moment she first saw it glittering from her sister’s pale, delicate finger.
The phone rings in the living room. Rebecca lets out a surprised laugh, full of anticipation and enthusiasm. She’s certain it’s her husband-to-be. After wiping off her hands on a side towel, she pats Claudia tenderly on the shoulder and hurries out. Claudia watches Rebecca leave.
Now’s her chance. Claudia sits still, listening for while to the muffled chattering and laugher of her sister from the other room. There’s no break in the sound, nor does she expect any. Snapping her attention back to the ring, Claudia quickly slips the ring onto her finger and gazes intently at the diamond. Her hands are even paler and more delicate than Rebecca’s, and for a moment the diamond emits a deep glow, in contrast with the whiteness of her skin. But only for a moment. Soon, Claudia takes a closer look, and finds that the ring isn’t as fascinating as she believed. Suddenly, the diamond is just a rock, and she’s sure she was imagining all of the colors when she looked at it earlier. It’s just the same cool, stone blue as that of any other diamond she’s seen at the local jewelry exhibits.
Once again, she’s experienced the Claudia effect.
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I think I'm going to stop my story here for today and finish it tomorrow.
I'm tired and kinda blah and my mom's late-night instant ramen noodles are distracting me completely.
Mostly though, I'm just really hoping this PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT SO GOOOOO strategy works. If it doesn't.....uhm oh well.
i liked it! the ending line was a bit abrupt, and i don't think it was needed that much. (and practice does make perfect. but actually, it's a lot like calvert said--hit or miss.) without the claudia effect line, i think the short would've been perfect!
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