Reviving An Old Challenge

Posted by Pinhole at 1/5/2008 8:07 PM
Categories: Humor, Blogging


Wolf’s suggestion of free-writing reminded me of another method of spurring a little creativity, revealed to me as a challenge by Shelly, on another blog long since departed; the blog, not Shelly.  She presented an opening sentence, which participants used to generate their entry.  That was the only rule; you simply had to use that sentence as the opening to your piece.  My creation was as follows, with the challenge sentence in red and the body in violet, just for effect:


When Rudy stepped out of the narrow doorway, he couldn’t believe the sight that met his dazzled eyes.  In the far corner of the hallway crouched the form of the boy with feet made of sawdust.  Rudy almost didn’t recognize him; he’d only seen him in his dreams.  Having feet of sawdust made it easy to maneuver in and out of dreams, but on the downside, he was a horrible dancer.

At a decibel level difficult to ignore at that hour of the morning, Billy Joel had announced that “Catholic girls start much too late”, just as the boy with feet made of sawdust was transforming into a Melba Moore look-a-like mermaid.  Rudy hated when his dreams were interrupted so abruptly.  Apparently, the participants aren’t that crazy about it, either.  “Melba-boy’s” expression was definitely one of consternation; and the giant toad huddled next to him was also, clearly, not pleased.

Slipping back through the doorway, Rudy made his way to the bedside table, grabbed his pillow, and in a desperate show of solidarity forced the down-filled cushion over the face of the alarm clock.  Pressing with great force on the timepiece, beads of sweat rose from Rudy’s forehead and grew until they could no longer hold their own weight.  Beads of sweat can be so melodramatic, but the overplayed scene seemed to appease the manifestations peering from the hallway.

Just as Rudy’s arms began to shake from the flow of adrenaline his wife awoke, and leaning on one elbow, squinting into the dim light, she asked, “What in the world are you doing?!”

“Nothing”, Rudy answered, relaxing his grip, growing even redder now from embarrassment…

“Just killin’ time.”


Now, if anyone needs inspiration, I offer the following sentence, in blue, as a new challenge:

She couldn’t place the accent; it was thick, yet, undefined.

I know this would work much better in a community atmosphere, and many of your blogs don’t lend themselves to this sort of activity, but this blog is all I have available, at the moment.  If you decide to try your hand, I only ask that you leave me a link, so I can view it.  I love to read new stuff.

Have fun!






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