Tuesday, November 08, 2016

Writing Challenge 2016 #7 - Shapes

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NWC #7- "Shapes" DUE Nov 8th at 8am

Okay let's get funky with process
ooooh... yeah....

Take a piece of paper and draw some shapes. Some conventional. Some "inspired".
NICE good work
DO NOT DRAW SQUIGGLY LINES

Okay, draw at least one squiggly line.

Now draw some more shapes- you'll want about 12.
CROSS OFF THE ONES YOU DON'T LIKE.
Now...

Left to write and top to bottom, look at the relationships and qualities of each shape.
Assign them names.
Put them in a time and place that seems right.
Let them fall in love, or fight, or whatever seems right.
Consider getting the exiled shapes involved. Assign them super powers. Or don't. That's stupid. DON'T DO THAT

Consider- Shapes with pointy parts can puncture but they may regret it/wish that they were smooth and round.... round parts can feel fat or static or not valued- as if their entire function were to encircle something else and not to just exist on their own.

"Why doesn't anyone love me?" said the square.
I do, said the amorphous shape falling off the bottom of the page
"I don't want your love" said the Square, losing all sympathy to the reader.

(A friend of mine recently wrote such a funny, inventive play anthropomorphizing shapes - a meeting between a circle who was a recovering drug addict who'd had a square's baby out of wedlock, a triangle was their waitress - that I can't seem to shake that out of my head.  Not wanting to copy her, I'm gonna crank out another bus play instead for today.)

BUS PLAY #3

                          The bus on the ice.

                          ONE and TWO sit side by side.

                          ONE
Where are you headed?

                          TWO
I have no idea.

                          ONE
Oh.

                          TWO
Where are you headed?

                          ONE
Home.

                          TWO
Where's home?

                          ONE
I'll know when I get there.

                          TWO
So you have options.

                          ONE
There's always hope.

                          TWO
Hope would be nice.

                          ONE
Well, you're on a bus.  You're headed somewhere.

                          TWO
Yeah.
Somewhere.

                          ONE
Or is it more that you're leaving somewhere?

                          TWO
We're always leaving something behind.

                          ONE
But are you generally OK with?

                          TWO
Generally.

                          ONE
Would you rather not?

                          TWO
Would I rather stay in one place, given the option?

                          ONE
Yeah.

                          TWO
Sure.  But I'm not sure it's up to me.

                          ONE
So you keep moving.

                          TWO
For now.

                          ONE
I have to admit, I'm kind of excited.

                          TWO
That's a good thing to be.
I tend not to be.

                          ONE
Think it'll change?

                          TWO
Depends on where we end up.
Hard to know.

                          ONE
I suppose so.

                          TWO
Don't let me bring you down.

                          ONE
No.

                          TWO
It's just the uncertainty.

                          ONE
At least someone else is doing the driving.

                          TWO
Yeah.  If it were up to me -

                          ONE
Might not get going at all.

                          TWO
Exactly.
Hard enough just convincing myself to get on the bus.

                          ONE
Forward motion.

                          TWO
But now I can stop thinking about it.

                          ONE
Just let the bus take you.

                          TWO
Plus I'm not alone.

                          ONE
Yeah...

                          TWO
Relax.  I didn't mean you specifically.

                          ONE
Nothing wrong with that.

                          TWO
If I wanted to sit alone, I would.

                          ONE
If you had the option.

                          TWO
There's always an option.

                          ONE
Didn't see the need to be antisocial.

                          TWO
If you want solitude, you don't take the bus.

                          ONE
You're never alone on a bus.

                          TWO
If you are, you're either the driver, or you're not getting anywhere very soon.

                          Pause.

                          ONE
What do you suppose is taking so long?

                          TWO
Well, we're out on the middle of a frozen lake.

                          ONE
So we might be a while.

                          TWO
Yes.  Getting to a road would probably be helpful.

                          ONE
Cold.

                          TWO
Yes.

                          ONE
Pretty, though.

                          TWO
Can be.

                          ONE
Travel.

                          TWO
Yup.

                          ONE
Movement.

                          TWO
Forward.

                          ONE
Can't go backward.

                          TWO
Not without a more skilled driver, no.

                          ONE
That'd be a way to get someplace, huh?

                          TWO
Backward?

                          ONE
Yeah.

                          TWO
Least you wouldn't have to worry so much about where you were headed.

                          ONE
And you'd never lose sight of where you came from.

                          TWO
Still, you can't go backwards through life.

                          ONE
No.

                          TWO
Kinda silly.

                          ONE
Yeah.

                          TWO
When do you suppose we'll get there?

                          ONE
Hard to say.

                          TWO
Oh well.  Nothing to be done.

                          ONE
We'll see when we get there.

                          TWO
Yup.

They sit quietly.
                         Together.

 

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