Saturday, July 24, 2010

A visit with Jenny

Hi All,

I'm really trying to expand myself. So, I told my wife I would put in a post for Jenny Matlock's weekly challenge. Here are the rules:

Each linked essay must be 100 words or less, not including the "prompt" words. No pictures should be used. No profanity. The prompt words can be used in any place within your story but must be left intact. You cannot split the prompt.

Please display link button or just a hyper-link back to Saturday Centus. Be careful to link your SC URL to the Linky and not just link to your main blog.

Link to her blog http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/2010/07/saturday-centus-week-12.html

WEEK 12 PROMPT

Driving six hours is a long time on the road. Six hours spent singing car-aoke and taking in the picturesque scenery, but mostly reminiscing about the good times. But those days were long gone and my mind was in a different place now. Or was it? My pulse quickened as I passed the road sign which read "Medford 27 miles."


Here is my entry entitled:

What I left in Medford

It has been almost 12 years since the last time I saw her. She was 23 and I was 25. It is different now, or so I’ve been assured. Her zest for life has been toned down to apathy. Her passions condensed to indifference. But her rage, oh yes, her vile angry mood-swings, have also been reduced to calmness. Or so I’ve been told!

Driving six hours is a long time on the road. Six hours spent singing car-aoke and taking in the picturesque scenery, but mostly reminiscing about the good times. But those days were long gone and my mind was in a different place now. Or was it? My pulse quickened as I passed the road sign which read "Medford 27 miles."

I am going back. Back to where I left her 12 years ago in Medford and the Medford Psychiatric Clinic. For tomorrow she will be discharged. And finally, this chapter of my life will have concluded.

The end.


As in Pelican Rant fashion, I would like to really rant about the prompt! Could we really have made this shorter? If you have 160 words to tell a story, but you provide 60 of those words, you have just told the story. Now, if it was 500 words, anything could have happened. If next weeks similar to this weeks, then this will be my first and last.

Till next time ranters!


15 comments:

  1. Or so you've been told!

    Very nice. I am glad you decided to join in and I hope you continue. I liked the path you took and the doubt in your characters mind...it stuck with enough to add the last 5 words that would have made you a rule breaker!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Welcome and I am sorry that you are so shy! :) First time in group therapy and you are already trying to change the rules! Ha! Just sit back, write and enjoy the company! There are some great people in our "group"! Glad you decided to join us. I enjoyed your story. I like the descriptions of the things you "have been told"!

    Maisa

    ReplyDelete
  3. Welcome to the party! As a fellow ranter, I can appreciate your feelings, but I guess you missed the point of this exercise. It is intended to be a CHALLENGE. Hence, the "rules."

    Sure, Jenny could keep tossing us prompts that said "Suddenly there was a knock on the door" and let us do a story including that, but where's the challenge in that? Admit it, that would be a bit too easy, wouldn't it?

    If you look back at previous weeks, you will notice several long prompts such as weeks 3 through 5. Week 9 was even longer, at 62 words, for instance. What good is a writing exercise that doesn't attempt to test your abilities?

    The other rule Jenny has is 100 words or less plus the prompt. Sure, some go over it, often by a lot, but they are only cheating themselves out of a lesson in writing succinctly and probably shouldn't post to this meme if they are not going to follow the rules. What's the point of calling it a Centus, right?

    Anyway, I thought you did a really nice job this week with the prompt and hope you continue to contribute. Don't be intimidated by long prompts, though. It's just another way to help you step outside your comfort zone with your writing and keep it challenging for you.

    I wrote this weeks prompt, so I apologize to you and anyone else that struggled with it or thought it impacted their creativity. That was completely intentional. It was done in the spirit of the meme.

    If this poses a problem for you, then let me direct you other memes, including others from Jenny, where the stories are prompted by a letter of the alphabet, or a word, or a picture and the writer has complete freedom to write whatever he wishes from that. You probably won't learn anything from the experience, but at least you won't be limited by any rules or restrictions.

    Best of luck,

    Tom

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh now Tom.....leave the poor guy alone :)

    You did good with your first try but like anything else, when in doubt, don't.

    Hope you continue though, this was good. But if not, keep reading what the rest of us like to do with the prompts. It's really fun...

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm not going to say anything about your rant. I think you've heard quite enough, ha. But I will say, I really liked your Centus. It was a very interesting take on the prompt. I think this may be the first time anyone's brought up a mental hospital. I hope you continue. I'd really like to hear your writings on Centus on Saturdays.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I sort of like the long prompt, it forces me into a pigeonhole of sorts - and me, with my hammer, trying to make that spot bigger!

    How can I, thus restrained, get free from my restraints?

    I love a challenge!

    Excellent first attempt!

    12 YEARS in the psychiatric hospital? Must be some good insurance - most times, my son has been pronounced "cured" after 7 to 10 days!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hey Mr. Sister! You did very well!

    ReplyDelete
  8. You did a great job! I'm glad you joined in.

    ReplyDelete
  9. You did a great job with the prompt. There are alot of different takes on this, so I don't think it hamstringed us much at all. You should have joined last week, now that was a SHORT prompt. Hope you continue to contribute. Kat

    ReplyDelete
  10. Welcome Mr. Sister! This was a unique take on the prompt, and nicely done.

    ReplyDelete
  11. This evoked memories of "Twilight Zone" in me! You did great. I agree with Tom that you might try a meme format with which you are more comfortable. I have had to cut back on memes because of work, but I have decided Saturday Centus if the one I will keep working. Come on, stay with us...............cj

    ReplyDelete
  12. Sounds like another dark life here that the prompt provoked. A mental hosptial...sounds like it has been a harsh life for more than the character. Yes, agree with others that you should continue more than one week! The prompt was long but hey,the challenge was still fun...that is what all writing and story telling should be--fun...

    ReplyDelete
  13. I chose to opt out this week. Personal choice. I'm glad you opted in. I like what you did with this. I enjoyed hearing your voice. You can write.

    ReplyDelete
  14. First of all. These sentences made me shiver: Her zest for life has been toned down to apathy. Her passions condensed to indifference.

    You can write. Impressive and thought provoking.

    So if you're a rant blog send me the link to the Arizona stuff. I am getting a kick out of being the bashing spot of the nation for the moment!

    Thank you for linking. I really enjoyed your writing style!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Good story!
    Life is a challenge, and there's nothing short and easy about it. Makes us all a bit more creative, don't ya think?
    Please do come back.

    ReplyDelete