Saturday, August 02, 2008

Saturday Wordzzle Challenge: Week 24

Raven's Ten Word Challenge is a weekly challenge to test your creative writing chops. It's just a fun little exercise designed to make you be inventive. 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-words are lovely: ghastly, excrement, bill of sale, vague, thicket, precarious, life long ambition, gunnery sergeant, posthumous, bellowed

Gunnery Sargeant John Doe was red in the face from screaming at his charges. "You ghastly pile of excrement. How many times have I told you that blowing up the enemy is not some vague romp in the park?" He threw his helmut on the ground and pulled at the thicket of hair on his head, and bellowed again. "You are all idiots. I can just see you pinned down, in a precarious position, inviting that bill of sale from your enemies in the form of a hand grenade tossed into your fox hole. I do not want to bring your mamas some kind of posthumous medal that belies your bravery. You WILL shape up."

Sargeant Doe turned away from his men, walked to where his helmut landed and picked it up. He was normally a quiet man, not prone to these kinds of outbursts, but he'd just gotten fed up. Besides, he'd had his life long ambition squelched that very morning, when he received the rejection notice from the New York Metropolitan Opera Company. He thought about the letter: thank you for taking the time to audition with us, however, you sound more like a cat in heat than a tenor, and therefore we must decline to include you in our company. No wonder he took it out on the men.

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And for the Mini Challenge: lap of luxury, yellow-bellied sapsucker, quinine, generalization, abnormality

Hans was an exceptional guide. His birding trips were highly sought-after, allowing him to live in the lap of luxury. He was not going to let a little abnormality like a second head on his shoulder prevent him from finding the elusive yellow-bellied sapsucker. He stared at the room of potential travelers - it was not a gross generalization to say his trips attacted the most well-heeled birders and he could pick and choose who would travel with him. Two heads or not, he was considered to be something of a god. He sipped at his gin and tonic, savoring the tart taste of the quinine-rich tonic. He thought "another day without malaria," before addressing his audience.



12 comments:

Anonymous said...

DJ - is this open to anyone? I'd love to give this a shot.

Also, on a personal note..is all okay? Mary Ellen mentioned some of your difficulties in a comment on my site. Hope all is well.

DivaJood said...

Hi Spartz, yes open to anyone. Click on the link (Raven's Saturday Wordzzzle Challenge, top of post) and get the guidelines - post on your blog your stories - and don't forget to click Mr. Linky on her site. It does get your mind un-stuck.

As for me, I'm grieving the loss of a dear friend, posted about below - so I am a little subdued right now. All else is fine. I'm sad, it's normal. Thank you for asking.

Randal Graves said...

Aw crap, I forgot about this and I wanted to do it but I'm trying to come up with another campaign post for next week. Gotta get the message out about puppies and moonbeams and all that jazz.

I see 'yellow-bellied sapsucker' and I can't help but think of Bill Kristol.

Enjoy your weekend as well as you can, boss.

DivaJood said...

Randal, why didn't I think of Kristol? This is why YOU are the brilliant campaign manager, I merely the puppet, no, candidate.

Dianne said...

Hugs Jood.

Your stories are fantastic. I love the whimsy of a Gunnery Sgt. wishing to be a tenor.

And a two-headed rich and famous bird guide!

Priceless!

Raven said...

Brilliant wordzzles. I feel so sad for poor Gunnery Sergeant Doe. What a cruel way to have one's hopes dashed. As for Hans I wonder if it isn't the two heads that draw clients as much as the birds. These were great fun.

okjimm said...

ooooh, i'll do it tomorrow! weather is good...just dropping a note; getting on the bike and going to the airshow. Bike today, wordzzle tomorrow.

Mary Ellen said...

That looks like fun! I'll do it for tomorrow's post. I've got a gazillion things to do today I'm not sure if I could top yours...I'm not all that creative. I'll give it a shot, though.

Jeff B said...

So it's true...two heads are better than one!

Both great reads. The singing sergeant killed me.

Billie Greenwood said...

I'm standing on the sidelines and cheering. Well done.

susan said...

Those were both good stories with excellent use of the keywords. I may do it again some time (on my own blog) but not today.

Hope you're feeling better.

SMM said...

Ouch that was a cruel rejection for the poor gunnery sergeant....and two-heads.Had that happened in India, he would have had droves of ppl at his doorstep treating him like the Son of God. He wouldn't need to bother about conducting any tours :P

Btw sorry to hear about your friend's death. I know how hard it can to be to lose someone so suddenly.