I started with Gestalt chat. He said that two characters were easiest.
“Ok then,” said me to myself, “Use Poo-phoria and Hershey Kiss.”
I’ll spare you the details.
***
One sunny-ish Seattle afternoon, hidden on Zoom. My first foray with Hugo House, a local nonprofit for writers.
Mid-afternoon, I crafted an exchange, the beginning of a fight between Art and Vida—one that sorely needs to happen. I’ll keep that one to myself too…except from him.
Five classes later, I grabbed some middle names and started writing about Jane. Realized if I make him Black, she can be “white girl” like she already is. I can resurrect them as needed and bring a myriad of conversations to the surface. Mostly I’m recording the snippet here and now so I can see my progress six months, a year from now. At the next Write-O-Rama. Maybe it’s the beginning of a novel?
***
DIALOGUE PROMPT – “There’s blood everywhere.”
“There’s blood everywhere,” she whispered to Roderick over the phone.
“Janie, what do you mean ‘everywhere’?” Roderick murmured back to his pubescent stepdaughter.
“It’s on my white skirt. Right smack in the middle. The one with the pink roses,” she said. “Can you come get me?”
“Honey, I’m in the middle of a rehearsal. Can’t the nurse help you?”
“I’m already in her office. I just wish Mom was still here.”
“Understatement. Me too.”
“Whatever, Roderick.”
The dial tone along with the hush of three long syllables thundered in his ear.
“Damn!” he thought, “Missed another chance.”
It was always easier when she shortened his name to Rod, knowing they might never share the Dad endearment. At least not like they shared feelings of loneliness now.
Always Bridging 