November 7th
Total Words: 11,662
Ambience: The Dinner Party
"The room I came into was very large and high[...] Dark coverings hung upon the walls. The many chairs and tables had been used for a long, long time. Books lay around the room, but could give it no sense of life."
-The Fall of the House of Usher, Edgar Allan Poe
You jump, then turn toward the figure in the doorway. “Oh, dear,” you mutter, straightening your clothes. “Thank you, friend,” you say, looking on the person in the doorway. Bespectacled, dark hair graying around the temples, slender white hands pulling the door wider, and impeccably dressed– he's a picture of the word respectable.
“Please, come in,” he motions to the grand entry hall. Dim gas lights flicker by large old paintings and a grand staircase, and dark pocket doors are slid open halfway to let the light of the dining room spill into the foyer. The gentleman closes the front door softly behind you and slides like a shadow towards the sound of dinner, beckoning you to follow.
Prompt: Have a scene unfold on a staircase. Bonus points if it's a hidden staircase.
Maybe a dozen people sit around the massive, food-laden mahogany table. You slide into one of the empty seats. “Welcome, writer!” A pleasant woman to your left greets you. “We were just discussing our projects we're working on. Such marvelous projects they are! Go on, tell us what your project is!”
You hesitate a moment. “Truth be told, I've had a bit of trouble with that question lately,” you admit. “I'm sure something will come out of me when ink touches paper, though!” You hope your confidence has the power to make that come true. Various sounds of encouragement rise from the group, and you serve yourself some food as the conversation continues.
Challenge: Complete the staircase sprint by sprinting to each of the following numbers: 5+10+12+15+20+25+30+45+60+75+90+108+140+175+190 = 1000 words by the time you're done.
Question: How does conflict reveal the values and motives of your characters? Will these motives be justified or proven wrong by the resolution of your conflict?
"...I felt sadness hanging over everything. No escape from this deep cold gloom seemed possible."
-The Fall of the House of Usher, Edgar Allan Poe
Commentaires