In order to back myself away from the brink a little, I’ve significantly lowered my writing expectations
these past couple of weeks.
Revisions? Yes.
But not much day-to-day grind.
Because my day-to-day has been a whirlwind of teaching, critiquing and grading and, other than that, camping out at the elementary school for all the various programs, presentations, grand finales and celebrations. Just this morning, in fact, I was witness to a spectacular Greek Gods and Goddesses Fashion Show and Food Tasting, thanks to a very creative bunch of 2nd graders. My own Small One (a.k.a. Hestia, keeper of the hearth) managed to keep her sacred candle burning for the full event with no ill effects except for a little wax in her hummus.
So.
I’ve got some good photos and a relatively well organized to-do list, but no new manuscript prospects.
Which is… frustrating.
Scary.
Depressing.
Hard.
And that’s where The Dead Waitress comes in.
My first horror story.
I think.
Here’s the deal.
My ten-year-old Tall One started her own horror story, The Dead Waitress, about a week ago.
Early self-reviews were titillating.
So, my husband said he’d write a Dead Waitress story, too.
And then, last night, Small One started work on The Deadly Waiter.
There’s a reading set for June 11th in our dining room.
The gauntlet’s been thrown.
I’d love to stick around but I’ve got work to do…
Ooh – sounds intriguing. And like it could actually turn into the kernel of something, too. Have fun with it!
I do not have high hopes in terms of quality, but fun is assured…
What fun! I’ve had a hankering to try a ghost story for ages and this made me think of it again.
You have? You’re welcome to it. It’s due on June 11th 🙂
What I’d give to attend the Dead reading! Hey, I volunteer to be the waitress, even . . . lots of food here.
Just as long as you’re not the DEAD waitress, Jama.
I’ll give you a cameo. You deserve it, what with all those delectables you’re constantly serving up.
Oh, to be a fly on the wall that night. Or in the soup (waiter! what’s a fly doing in my soup? I don’t know….the backstroke? Har dee har. Does your dead waiter tell deadly dull jokes?)
Maybe deadly dull jokes in verse?
“Greek Gods and Goddesses Fashion Show and Food Tasting”? For real? That sounds awesome. I want to do one, like, now.
The Dead Waitress sounds like it has possibility, and I love scary stories. It’s the right time of year for campfires, too.
Maybe we need a Greek Gods and Goddesses Fashion Show and Food Tasting at one of our conferences or retreats. Ya think?
Nice idea.
We’re planning a myths and legends program for the library here in July, so of course this is making me think of things we might do then, too.
The family that plays together, stays together. But what of the family that writes horror together?!?!? (I can’t wait to see what middle school and high school bring!!!)
Fun, fun, fun.
Lucky kids. Lucky parents.
I can not imagine what middle and high school will bring.
Can.Not.Imagine.
That is great! I don’t think my 8-yr-old would ever play along because he’s too competitive and would have to be assured his was the best… but what a fun idea. It reminds me of a time shortly after high school when some friends and I all challenged each other to write a romance story, something most of us wouldn’t have chosen to write on our own (especially the guys). It took most of a year before most of us completed one, but they were quite varied and we had fun!
Oh, that’s a riot. Good thing my kids aren’t giving me a year or I’d NEVER do this…
Tanita Says 🙂
This cracks me up!! I love that the “self reviews” were so good — aren’t they always?? This is such a fabulous idea — for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that in the attempt to tell a good story for fun we actually have cause to reconnect with what a good story IS and the idea of FUN in storytelling.
Oh, good for you guys. I’d love to be a mite in someone’s eyebrow during the reading. (Seemed better than being a fly on the wall…)