Wednesday 12 June 2013

LLWG - June

Yesterday was the June meeting of Lowestoft Library Writers' Group.  We had a full house plus the return of a member who left about a year ago, which was a lovely surprise (although I didn't recognise her at first from a distance as her hair had grown a lot!)

Homework from last month was to write a piece which included the line "The strange noises got louder."  We also had to show the meaning of the cliche 'a bundle of nerves' without actually using the cliche.

I'm afraid that I left my homework until the last minute, so only wrote a very short piece.

Jim heard a low growl.  He slowly turned his head to look behind him but no-one was there.  He shrugged his shoulders and returned to reading his book.  The growl turned into a louder rumble.  Jim put his book down and walked over to the window.  The street was empty.  He sat on the windowsill with his back to the world and looked towards the door.  The rumble became a grumble, followed by a louder growl.  Jim picked up a remote control from the coffee table and crept towards the door.  He switched off the light and peered into the hall, holding the remote control in front of him.  The strange noises got louder.  He squinted through the darkness, and tip-toed along the hallway, keeping close to the wall.  He held his breath as the grumbles and rumbles and growls filled his ears.  Jim slid down the wall and clutched the remote control to his chest.  His eyes widened and his heart thumped.  He began to rock back and forth, mumbling to himself.  The sounds got louder and louder, and Jim couldn't take it any longer.  After counting to three in his head he jumped up, wielding the remote control like a knife.  He took a deep breath in, opened his mouth to scream, and let out the loudest burp he had ever heard.

*****

Di brought along a play she had written a while back.  It was a Victorian melodrama with a dastardly villain and a swooning heroine.  We all took a part and read the play aloud; some even slipped into lovely accents when reading their part.

Following on from that, Di asked us to write our own play.  Mine is currently untitled.

Characters
Amelia Lovecrest
George Lovecrest (Amelia's father)
Dirk Stronghold (Amelia's love interest)
Nanny Goodchild (Amelia's grandmother)
William Fibmerchant (Amelia's betrothed)

Scene 1

Amelia sits at her window gazing out into the night.  She hears a rustling outside.

DIRK:  Amelia!  Amelia, my love!

AMELIA:  Dirk!  What are you doing down there?

DIRK:  I just had to see you, my love.  My life is empty without you.

AMELIA:  Are you crazy?  What if my dad hears you?

DIRK:  I don't care.  I want the world to know that I love you!

A dog barks and the porch light goes on.  George opens the front door.  Dirk hurries into the shadows.

GEORGE:  Nanny, get my gun.  We have an intruder.

NANNY:  Not now George.  It's probably just birds or badgers or something.

George mumbles to himself.

GEORGE:  If you want a job done properly you have to do it yourself.

George goes back inside the house.  Dirk hoists himself up onto the porch rood and shimmies up into Amelia's bedroom.

AMELIA:  What are you doing?  My dad will kill you if he catches you up here.

DIRK:  I won't let him catch me then.

Suddenly, Amelia's bedroom door flies open.

AMELIA:  Nanny!

NANNY:  And what's going on here?

AMELIA:  Please don't tell Daddy.

NANNY:  Don't tell him what?

DIRK:  Please, Mrs. Goodchild.

NANNY:  Any why ever not?

DIRK:  Because I love your granddaughter and I want her to be my wife.

NANNY:  But you know she is betrothed to William Fibmerchant.  She will be his wife within the fortnight.

Amelia falls onto her bed.

GEORGE:  Nanny!  What's going on up there?

AMELIA:  Nanny, please.

*****

It's obviously unfinished, but it was quite fun to write so I'm going to keep at it and see what I can come up with.

Our next meeting is Tuesday 9th July, 7 - 9pm, in The Navigator room at Lowestoft Library.  Our homework is to collect together 3 pieces of our best work which will be displayed on a board in the library.

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