Writing Challenge
Mar. 29th, 2013 12:06 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
in_the_blueA while ago some of you said you'd be up for a writing challenge that didn't have the restriction of 100 words only, so here goes. I'm doing things little bit differently this time, feel free to join in all over the place as often as you like.
We all know that the backbone of a story is its characters. In order for our characters to be well-rounded and realistic, they have to have... well, a lot of realistic qualities. I've said a number of times that one of the things that clues me in to knowing I'm writing a pretty good character is when I know some of their memories. Not all, because memories are selective things and subject to change over time, but something that works in the moment. With that in mind, I'm thinking this challenge should be all about character development through memory.
Rules:
Fandom: any fandom, including (encouraging) original.
Word count: Let's do a minimum of 500 words.
Main theme: A memory from your chosen character.
Ratings: No restrictions.
Duration: Challenge opens now (March 29) and runs for two weeks. Closes at the end of day Friday, April 12.
Put on your writing hats and go! Show us a memory. If it's a canon character, let us know who he or she or it is and what canon you're working from. If they're original, give us a little context so we know what we're looking at. Pick someone from a work-in-progress, a RP character, or anyone you like. I'm easy, and so are all the characters living in my head.
Post your fics as comments to this entry, or post them in your own journal and link to your story below. Feel free to do as few or as many as you want, and if you read one, be sure to leave a review or a comment. Everyone's welcome, so spread the word.
We all know that the backbone of a story is its characters. In order for our characters to be well-rounded and realistic, they have to have... well, a lot of realistic qualities. I've said a number of times that one of the things that clues me in to knowing I'm writing a pretty good character is when I know some of their memories. Not all, because memories are selective things and subject to change over time, but something that works in the moment. With that in mind, I'm thinking this challenge should be all about character development through memory.
Rules:
Fandom: any fandom, including (encouraging) original.
Word count: Let's do a minimum of 500 words.
Main theme: A memory from your chosen character.
Ratings: No restrictions.
Duration: Challenge opens now (March 29) and runs for two weeks. Closes at the end of day Friday, April 12.
Put on your writing hats and go! Show us a memory. If it's a canon character, let us know who he or she or it is and what canon you're working from. If they're original, give us a little context so we know what we're looking at. Pick someone from a work-in-progress, a RP character, or anyone you like. I'm easy, and so are all the characters living in my head.
Post your fics as comments to this entry, or post them in your own journal and link to your story below. Feel free to do as few or as many as you want, and if you read one, be sure to leave a review or a comment. Everyone's welcome, so spread the word.
no subject
Date: 2013-03-31 06:53 am (UTC)Word Count: 758
Rating: G
Characters: Denny, Marien, Alex
Notes: I started working on this chapter a while ago for a novel, but couldn't make this memory fit so I scrapped it, never getting beyond Denny walks Alex home. I don't know that this needs a lot more explanation, but if anyone gets lost I'll be happy to explain.
Walk Alex back home, DJ, it's dark out. The tide's up and the usual big-ass tree trunk sits on the beach and just like every night we make our way around it. I never care if my shoes get wet. Just water, right, I tell myself, and water dries. Water's cool. I'm not allowed to swim at night, but that's okay, it's too cold anyway. Half the time Alex doesn't even swim during the day, and she doesn't surf, but I'm working on it. Summer's not even over yet.
Want to do something tomorrow? I can see the lights from her house. She lives next door. We've known each other forever, for as long as I can remember anyway, and for as long as we've known each other she's been my best friend even though she's a girl and even though she's a year older. So it isn't like we hang out together at school or anything, but it's summer and there is no school. Only long days at the water or on the water or in the water, when she's not taking care of her little brothers. On those days I do stuff with my sister instead, if she's around. She's like eight years older than me, Marien, but she still likes to hang out. She's a way better surfer and she's real competitive, but that's okay. My sister taught me everything I need to know about the water.
Alex shoots me a look, one of those girl looks, like she's saying duh, you moron, what else am I gonna do tomorrow. Not too early, though, she tells me, and that's okay. I'm twelve. Well, eleven and a half, that's old enough to do my own surf check, or maybe Marien will get up early and get wet with me. I like it when she's home from college.
Hey Alex.
Hey Denny.
Come out to the beach when you're ready tomorrow, I'll be there.
You're always there.
Yeah, it's so you know where to find me.
You jerk. I think she means it affectionately or something. I always know where to find you.
Because I'm nice and because we're best friends, I wait til Alex makes it inside the house just like my Dad taught me to (you have to take care of your friends, DJ, he told me once, but take extra good care of the girls, it's the right thing to do) before I turn and run off down the beach back to my house. It's a little like an obstacle course, with the kelp and the rocks and the driftwood, but the moon's full and it's warm out and I'm pretty good at picking my way through all that stuff on the shore at night.
How's your girlfriend? Marien asks when I get home.
She's not my girlfriend. That's gross.
My sister laughs, sticks her hand in my hair and pulls a strand of it straight.
Cut it out.
Never, she laughs, then heads back to her room.
Next day on the beach I'm out there in my wetsuit with my sister's longboard. She's out there too, being a big sister and watching me like she always does. I catch a wave, focus in on it. It's a left, so I have to ride it backside but when I wipe out at the end and come up laughing, I see Alex hanging out on the beach. My sister gives her a hug (girls, what are you gonna do) and waves me in.
Dripping wet, I make my way over. Sup?
Alex looks up at the sky. Maybe she's been crying, or maybe she just has sand in her eyes.
It's my sister who answers. They're moving away, DJ. Here, give me my board, I'll leave you two alone.
I don't even know what to say. I just undo the leash and hand the board to Marien and wait for Alex, who stubbornly doesn't look at me. When? Where?
My best friend just shakes her head and starts crying. I'm eleven and a half years old and the world just fell out from under my feet, but Alex is still my best friend and I can still be nice and make her not feel bad about them moving, 'cause it's not her fault even though it sucks. For the first time in my life I hug her, wetsuit and all, and she puts her arms around my neck and sobs. It's just more water. Her tears will dry. They're salt water, just like the ocean.