Jan 19 2009
Word Shot – 19 January, 2009
I hope you took the opportunity to read last week’s Word Shot submissions. One featured a well-crafted surprise that was nothing less than startling. Well done!
Here’s this week’s Word Shot:
This appears to be be a photo of a grandfather showing some sort of family album or scrapbook to his two granddaughters.
Boring.
But it doesn’t have to be. A good writer should be able to look at this photo and imagine all sorts of weird and unusual angles to change the boredom to suspense, fascination, horror, laughter or insight. Maybe he’s not a typical grandfather. Maybe he’s not their grandfather at all. And perhaps it’s not a family album he’s showing them.
So, my challenge to you is to use your imagination to make this photo interesting and then write about it and submit what you write in a comment below. Just as your muscles need exercise, so does your imagination. This will give it a good workout, and will sharpen your writing skills in the process. Go on – give it a shot!
Yes, I’m still offering a bribe to persuade you to participate: Participate in 10 Word Shots and I’ll e-mail you all three of my writing skills e-books.
Let’s see what you can do with this one! Don’t be shy.
When asked where babies came from, John was in a bit of a pickle. Figuring that a picture is worth a thousand words, he dug through some boxes until he found his old anatomy text book.
His granddaughters never asked him questions after that.
“A is for apple. See it has a picture.”
“Yes, I see. A-p-p-l-e, apple.
“ Now spell cat.”
“Too easy. C-a-t. Give me a harder one.”
“Okay, spell flower.”
“What kind of flower?”
“Not a kind of flower silly. Just flower.”
“Hmmm. I don’t think my spelling is that good yet.”
“Okay let’s read. You read this sentence.”
“The - dog - can - bark - very…uh.”
“Sound it out. You know how.”
“L..owd..ly. Loudly.”
“Very good grampa. We’re proud of you.”
“And once you are over the mountains,” whispered the warlock, “beware the dragons, my daughters. For they will chase you, hound you, destroy you. If you are to gain the respect of the Queen, this is a danger you must face.”
Morgana looked up at her father and, with a solemn voice, declared. “I am ready my Lord. For two hundred years you have sheltered me, kept me safe, and taught me well. Tonight I will stake my claim on our world and seek that which we must gain.”
“And I too will leave your side and join my sister.” said the fair Hecate. “Whatever danger beckons, we are prepared to stand for what is right and true. This world shall be ours, as is our birthright, and nothing shall stand between us and the prize we seek.”
At this, the two princesses arose and went to don their armour. This was the day they became women, queens of Atlantis, mothers of gods. Their names shall echo down the ages, bright beacons of freedom and peace.
(I hated to see the lack of response to such a good challenge - Tim)
Thanks for kicking things off, Tim. And thanks again for sharing your mind and writing with us.
“And that, children, is why, even if we’re wearing shoes, we never wear socks in this family.”
“Never, grampy?”
“Never.”
“But what if it’s wint–”
“Never.”
“But that was a picture of a giraffe. What does that have to do with socks?”
“I never explain things twice. The Marines taught me that”
We sat in silence the rest of day. We never went back.
The grandfather is showing the little blond girl a picture of his daughter at the same age. Next to him is his daughter looking on, enjoying the closeness again although
she passed away 30 years ago.
“Now Rebecca, let’s review. Chicanery means?”
“Deception by artful subterfuge or sophistry.”
“Very Good. And sophistry? What do you think that means?”
“Hmm”
“Use your knowledge of Latin roots, now honey.”
“Really fancy? You know, like the Queen of England?”
Uncle Jerry,Magna Cum Laude, Yale Law School, Class of 1951, suppresses his amusement to keep Rebecca, and her little sister, Avery engaged.
“Close. Subtly deceptive reasoning or argumentation. Just keep that in the back of your mind for next time.”
Avery and Rebecca are poking each other behind Uncle Jerry’s back.
Setting down The College Board’s Official SAT study guide, Uncle Jerry gathers the girls together in an embrace and reminds them that Harvard Law School, although well recognized, has 3,000 less books in it’s library than Yale.
“Now, How about some lunch?” Avery and Rebecca scramble off the couch as Grandpa walks in, wearing His Maroon Sweatshirt emblazoned with a big “H”.
“What’s the best College in the World?” he bellows.
Avery: “Harvard!” Rebecca: “Yale!”
Uncle Jerry and Grandpa chuckle, as Grandpa scoops the girls together in a warm embrace, announcing, “Guess where we’re going after lunch?”
Together the girls scream, “Out for Ice cream!”
“Close” replies Grandpa. “They WILL have Ice cream there. How about Disney World?”
“We’re going to Disney World. We’re going to Disney World. We’re Going to Disney World!”
Avery and Rebecca march arm in arm out of Uncle Jerry’s Library with the neatly folded $20 dollar bills Grandpa had slipped in their little fists.
Grandpa and Uncle Jerry smile listening to the girls chanting in the distance. Together, they gaze at the framed Documents on the wall, remembering fondly their own Grandfather, in the sepia Princeton Graduation photo on the desk.
Alicia sat still with her hands in her lap, her bare feet barely touching the rug while contemplating her Father as he stumbled over the names of the people in the pictures. Her sister Nelly sat close to him, patiently explaining who the people were.
“No, Papa that is your sister, Aunt Helena, remember her? She lives in New York too, she came to lunch yesterday, remember we had chocolate cake for dessert!”
Their father stared at the picture he pointed to with a vague look of discomfort hovering over his face, his lip quivering and hand shaking, not sure what he was looking for in the photo, nor why.
Alicia clapsed her hands tightly as Nelly’s high insistent five-year-old chirping continued in a litany of aunts, uncles and cousins, her voice becoming more and more desperate as she realized it was true what Alicia had tried to tell her. Papa was gone, there was nothing left but an old man.
Kaitlen fidgeted and Grandpa tightened his grip on her waist. Lizzy looked on, a willful participant. Grandpa spoke slowly and strangely. He muttered, “There she is, my baby, my baby. There she is - See? See how she smiled?” Lizzy thought it was funny, but Kaitlen was not amused. She frowned, then looked away.
Quite suddenly, a smile emerged, and her eyes brightened. -Kaitlen’s imagination took over steering her gaze to focus on a beautiful woman with a vibrant smile; her graceful figure dancing. Kaitlen could feel the joy that was always present around her mom. The lifeless pictures were empty containers and flat figures. She worried that she would forget her mom’s essence if she relied on the photos to remember.