My critique partners and I enjoy visiting a place we call The Land of Writer’s Imagination. It’s where we can write out of our genre, break annoying rules, make private jokes, and just relax.
It’s a lot of fun, so I thought I’d share the latest happenings of Writer’s Imagination.
Setup: Elizabeth, Lucy, and Susan have just finished interviewing Lucy’s handsome, but sometimes quarrelsome, cowboy hero Tyrone when Lizzie announces she must leave them. Susan and Lucy naturally ask why.
Elizabeth’s cheeks turned as red as her hair. “Well, this is rather embarrassing.”
Lucy and Susan looked at each other. “More embarrassing than a rough draft? If we can share that, we can share anything.”
Elizabeth perked up. “You’re right. I could use some help.
“Anything, just name it.” Lucy spread her arms wide and light from the setting sun glinted on the Bowie knife.
Susan grimaced. “First you can put that knife away, unless…” She eyed Lizzie. “We’re not going to hold up one of your characters for an interview are we?” She titled her carpet and veered near Lizzie. The tiny Australian Shepherd yipped from her shoulder. “I’m so sorry, little one.” Susan levelled out her carpet.
“Interviewing characters isn’t something I like to do,” Lizzie mumbled.
Lucy pointed the sharp metal object in Lizzie’s direction. “Now don’t you make me threaten you with this, cos I will. It’s something you need to do and you know it.”
“I know.” Lizzie squared her shoulders (well, gave was more a rectangular shape for her shoulders are broader than her neck is thick, but who’s being literal?)
“So, cut to the chase, where are you going?” Lucy pulled alongside her.
“To dig up Alexandria.”
“What!!!!!!” Lucy and Susan both exclaimed.
Lucy grimaced, but whether from the use of exclamation points or some other cause is unknown by the narrator.
“You killed Alexandria off?” Susan looked aghast. “I’m not reading that sequel.”
Lizzie grinned mischievously. “Nor would I. She’s not dead, just buried under 15 years of leaves. We’ve got to uncover her so Mr. Woodsman can find her.”
“Oh, thank goodness.” Lucy and Susan both heaved a sigh of relief.
The blade of Lucy’s knife clicked as she folded it up. Humming, she turned it over in her hand three times and then unfolded it. She held out a small gardening spade. “I’ve got just what we needed.”
“Lucy! Did you steal that from Lydia’s garden? Poor James will probably get the blame for losing it.” Lizzie gave her friend a serious look.
Lucy’s eyes widened. “Goodness gracious sakes a jiminy, what kind of an author do you take me for?” She tossed the shovel to Susan. “I simply switched the previous mention of Bowie knife to Swiss Army Knife, which has everything you could possibly need in it.”
Susan caught the small shovel and shared a knowing smile with Lucy as Lizzie’s mouth dropped open.
“How very clever.”
“I thought so.” Lucy blew on her nails and rubbed them on her sleeve.
Susan smiled and shook her head. “Come on, girls. Off to Sonser.” She leaned forward on her carpet and sped forward.
Lucy and Lizzie followed suit, and Lizzie soon took the lead. “Second star to the right and on until about 3 am should do it. We’ll never land in the right spot if we go till morning.”
Susan set her fancy, glow in the dark, watch.
“Better set two alarms for Lizzie,” Lucy said. “She lounge around to finish her dreams or catch a few more winks before getting up.”
Lizzie shrugged her shoulders at Susan’s askance look. “I’m working on breaking that bad habit.”
The ladies fell into silence and the night ticked by, and at 3 am exactly they descended into a dark forest.
Lizzie hopped down to the ground from her carpet. Looking around, she snapped her fingers. A rake appeared in her hand. “All girls, let’s spread out and make short work of this.”
“Ouch.” Lucy danced around holding one foot up. “It’s so dark I can’t see the stumps.”
Lizzie spun around to face Susan. “You couldn’t manage a lume, could you?”
Suddenly, something went bump in the night, and the girls froze in fear.
Do you ever write for the fun of it or alternate a story with a friend?