Saturday, August 09, 2008

Raven's Saturday Wordzzle Challenge: Week 25

Raven's Ten Word Challenge is a weekly challenge to test your creative writing chops. It's just a fun little exercise designed to shake the cobwebs from your brain. Take the words, write little stories using them on your blog. Don't forget to go to Raven's blog and let her know you're participating - Mr. Linky is there.


This Week's Ten Word Challenge uses these dandy words: middle finger, text message. the letter “Q,” Shangri-La, melodramatic, compensate, elixir, band of brothers, quadruped, explicit

Dr. Hughes studied the text message from his collegue before he deleted it from his Blackberry. He raised his middle finger in salute. "Arrogant asshole," he thought. "Just because you are not even close to figuring out the solution does not give you the right to act like a melodramatic, pedantic twit."

He sighed deeply and returned to the elixer of life in his glass. The ice was melting, so he splashed a little more single malt into the glass. He knew he would have to call Dr. Stendahl and give him explicit instructions on how to proceed. He dialed. Stendahl answered, "John Stendahl". Dr. Hughes thought again "asshole," and said, "John, I got your text. You've forgotten to compensate for the quotidian factor."

Stendahl said, "The what? What factor?"

Hughes said "Quotidian. Begins with the letter "Q", as in quadruped, as in walking on all fours, which clearly you still do." Single malt whiskey did bring out the nastier side of Hughes's personality. "The more mundane aspects, you twit. The filtration process is mundane, boring, and you've screwed it up."

Stendahl said, "Oh, so you want me to slow it down?"

Hughes, pissed, snapped "Yes, idiot." and slammed the phone into the cradle.

Hughes longed for a trip to some kind of Shangri-La, some utopian ideal where he would be a god among his band of brothers, like-minded scientists who could appreciate his abilities. Instead, he was stuck with this donkey, Stendhal. He poured himself another glass of single malt - he decided he'd drink himself there.


And for the Mini Challenge: deposition, monosyllabic, better off dead, dubious, posh

Marion was the old-fashioned kind of court stenographer. When she took a deposition, she was diligent and careful. She never had opinions about what she typed, and prefered monosyllabic tales over anything more complex. Today, though, she was listening to a divorce proceeding from a posh socialite of dubious lineage. Marion listened to the woman whine, and the thought crossed her mind that "this broad would be better off dead rather than cross-examined by her husband's lawyer." But, forever diligent, Marion let her opinion disappear with the next comma.

15 comments:

Raven said...

These are both great. Your create really well defined characters in very few words. I love Marion letting he opinion disappear - great line. And I thought the way you disposed of "the letter Q" and "quadruped" was way clever. Well done! Isn't this fun?

Dianne said...

I love how you dealt with the letter Q and quadruped! Really clever! As much of a blowhard as he sounds I like the drunken intellectual.


and I love the stenographer. sometimes I wish my thoughts could disapper with a comma.

Great stuff Jood, so glad you joined in.

Jeff B said...

Standing and aplauding...

I loved "Mr Attitude" in the ten word.

Utah Savage said...

Nice exercise. When I was in a writing group we used to get exercises often and they were really fun. Me, I have no time for fun and games, as I have to edit my damn novel. And short stories and try to write something to feed the voracious apatite of my four regular readers. Oh, fuck them. I'll just edit and flit around boring you guys with my comments when I get bored with myself.

Richard said...

Loved the Dr story. Some doctors do have a god complex. Still, you've got to appreciate a taste for single malt whiskey.

Rich

Tom Harper said...

I showed my middle finger to some asshole sending a text message while driving. He formed the letter "Q" with his fingers, whatever that means. My perfect Shangri-La will be a place where there aren't any melodramatic idiots who can't drive. In the meantime I'll just compensate myself with my favorite elixir: the newest CD by Band of Brothers. And the next time I see some quadruped trying to drive while texting, I'll be even more explicit.

Oh wait, you said a separate story for each word. Uhh, just a minute...

Jay said...

Even though other people beat me to, using "the letter Q as in quadruped" was really clever.

I enjoyed both of them, but the 10 word was my favorite. Great story!

Life As I Know It Now said...

aren't you industrious! aren't you just something! I am much too lazy to try doing these but that's just me.

Anonymous said...

I pale In comparison - nice stories. You're very creative and clever. Thanks so much for sharing.

I hope you'll stop by for Pet Peeve Tuesday! It's brand new!

Distributorcap said...

i knew coming here would make me feel so uncreative

you are one terrific writer

DivaJood said...

Raven, this is great fun. And it actually helps me think. I love participating.

Dianne, the line about her opinion disappearing with the next comma just sort of hit me after I read your comment. I have been chewing about a work-related issue all weekend, filled with angst and opinions. I wish it were that easy for me too.

Jeff, I really had a visual of who Mr. Attitude was - I'm glad he came to life.

Utah, I wish you would join in this exercise - go to Raven's blog to get the particulars - as I think you'd be brilliant at it.

Richard, the guy did have attitude.

Tom, you're hilarious!

Jay, thank you. The Letter Q and Quadruped actually almost had me stumped.

Liberality, I am a Diva, after all.

mommywhiz, Pet Peeve Tuesday? You're kidding. There isn't room in the internets for all my pet peeves!

Distributorcap, oh, no, don't feel uncreative. But thank you. Are you joining the Jood/Nunly campaign?

Akelamalu said...

What a great job you did with both the 10 words and the mini. The way you used the letter Q and quadruped together was a stroke of genius!!

All-Mi-T [Thought Crime] Rawdawgbuffalo said...

i aint creative and i cant write lol how u been sister

DivaJood said...

akelamalu, thank you. This is such a fun exercise.

Torrance, right. And I don't love the Secretary of Strawberries and Cream, lol. You are hilarious.

Randal Graves said...

Once you get enough of them, you should publish these in a book. Sure, people could read them for free on your blog, by making money is the American way!