Bad Joke Rising

I've written my RomCom and that's an acheivement for me. I kind of like it. Not enough to want to write the next "When Harry Met Sally" but enough to feel like a at least have a chance to get through to the finals. I haven't seen any of the stories from others in my group, but I have seen some from other groups, including other RomComs. Some are quirky, some strange, some ordinary. Mine (which I will post up here after the decision has been made) fits into the quirky category. 

Is my confidence growing?

Maybe. I'm not expecting to win, in fairness. Getting through to round 2 was already an improvement on previous competitions and I feel like that's enough for now. Any further progress would be a huge bonus, though my expectations are not that high. If I make it to the final next time around, I'll be happy, but I have learned a few things.

I'm getting better at cutting the things that don't help. I used to feel like I was damaging a story by cutting a lot out. I don't really feel that anymore.

I'm getting better at taking criticism. Admittedly it's from strangers, but even my partner is being more honest about my stories. She doesn't try to protect me from things she doesn't like, which is what I want. She's also really good at asking questions that make me think about what the current draft is doing.

I'm learning to let go of stories, rather than be precious about them. The story is written. Could it be the inspiration for other things? Maybe, but that's all it is. I don't have to perfect this story.

That's enough for now. I'll know the result by July 27th. Fingers crossed, but not too tight.

The Bad Joke Returns

What are the odds that my bad joke that I wrote on the day my friend was buried actually got me through to round 2? Well, that's what happened. I'm actually in the middle of my 24 hours to write the story for round 2 and I don't know what I'm doing. 

So, here's my first round story.

A Most Fetid Fête

“Not those rotten cheeses again?” She was cutting up a musty block of something. The smell filled the whole house. I grabbed a napkin and pen and scribbled the words HELP ME, pretending to choke.

“There’s nothing wrong with my cheeses,” she said.

“There’s plenty wrong with them, most of which double as medical diagnoses.”

“Is there a medical name for getting buried under the patio?”

“Ha!” I barked. “Ha, ha! You’re very funny, you know that?”

She turned and left the room.

“You are joking, aren’t you?”

She didn’t look at me. I reread the napkin and gulped.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the judges said the story flagged a little towards the end and one even suggested that I could have had the female character pick up a shovel on the way out of the house. Given the day that was in it, I don't see that having happened. 

I'm a bit embarrassed by the '"Ha!" I barked.' Don't judge me. I was having a bad day. Surprisingly, none of the judges picked that particular faux pas out. It was a waste of words that could have been used elsewhere. Like dump it and the final "and gulped" and I could have maybe changed the final line to "She didn't look at me as she picked up the shovel. I reread the napkin." It would have been a much darker ending, but not unfunny. And still 100 words or less.

So, I'm on to round 2 and I have to write a RomCom. I'm in better form today and have a story I like. Whether it's strong enough to get me through to the final, I don't know, but I'll find out in August, I guess. Then we have a silly RomCom story to look forward to.

Keep reading. Keep laughing.