Writing Explorations: Week 49, Glam

The Mood is Write

Mom-de-Plume
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Invitation Status
  1. Looking for partners
Posting Speed
  1. 1-3 posts per day
  2. Multiple posts per week
Online Availability
It varies wildly.
Writing Levels
  1. Advanced
  2. Prestige
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Male
  2. Nonbinary
  3. Primarily Prefer Female
Genres
I'm open to a wide range of genres. Obscenely wide. It's harder for me to list all I do like than all I don't like.

My favorite settings are fantasy combined with something else, multiverse, post-apoc, historical (mixed with something else), and futuristic. I'm not limited to those, but it's a good start.

My favorite genres include mystery, adventure, action, drama, tragedy (must be mixed with something else and kept balanced), romance (again must be mixed, and more.

I'm happy to include elements of slice-of-life and romance, but doing them on their own doesn't hold my interest indefinitely.
[warning=yellow]
Sorry to spook you guys with the scary exclamation point just to the left, but I have an announcement regarding the status of my upcoming exercise series!

The Planning Practice (working title) exercises will be geared towards 1x1 players, and it will be posted in RP Mechanics, and it will include exercises with creating plots, presenting ideas, dealing with OOC difficulties in the planning process, overcoming hurdles, and more. These exercise types will be rotated or random, and each will include tips based on my experiences.

EDIT: I forgot to say this earlier, but Planning Practice exercises are going to be held off until I have ideas set up for at least the first several months. They may be once every two weeks, or every week with a simplified version every other week to let my brain work out the deets for the more in-depth exercises. I've got a list of topics and subtopics to include. Get yourselves pumped!
[/warning]

My Writing Explorations series of exercises are a chance for users to explore new concepts and practice the art of raising two fingers to Writer's Block while screaming obscenities to fickle muses: to rebel against the idea that a person requires a mythical force inside them to make new and amazing things.

No. Listen well, users: there is no being inside you waiting to be let out. You are the writer, and in this exercise, you are given a place to push not only against Writer's Block, but also against the forces of stagnation. Feel trapped in your genre? Explore a new one! Stuck with a singular archetype? Do something else! In this thread, you will not be critiqued, and I will read every entry and let you know what makes me happy about it. Should you wish it, I will happily offer my thoughts on how it might be improved, but I will not comb looking for fixes: this isn't the place: this place is for safely trying new things and indulging a love of writing.

Shake the bars of your cell block and roar, writers!

[fieldbox=How do I take part?]Curious about how this works? Good! Look over the offered themes and prompts and the bonus rounds, then think about them. Then, take your thoughts and get writing. You can write to one or more (or none) of the prompts, the theme in the thread title, the bonuses: hell, you can even cast aside all of what I offer if you get a different idea.

The whole point is "get writing!"[/fieldbox]

Themes:
  1. The appearance of something shiny is a turning point in the story.
  2. A selfish person clams up, which leads to conflict.
  3. The driving force behind the plot is someone's natural good looks.

Bonus Rounds:
  • Write in a random genre.
  • Don't include an Aesop about beauty being skin deep or shallow.
  • Don't use the word 'pretty' except in dialog. Extra kudo bonus points if you don't use any other opinion adjectives, either.
  • Throw away all the 'to be' verbs! Just throw them away!
  • Write a 15-word or fewer summary of your writing after you're done.
  • "Fuck, it's you I hate the most!"
  • Include a character with unusually-textured skin.
 
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This was a big night for Maggie. Travis was letting her go out on her first real solo mission, and this one was the most dangerous one for her. She was walking a sector called the wastelands. The wastelands were so dangerous that the Illuminati would send troops out in that area as a means of last resort. The wastelands were a place full of cutthroats and criminals who just wanted to be left alone. Drugs and alcohol were as common there as air in any other place. In this case, Maggie was dressed to look as though she were a resident of the wastelands out for a stroll. Her naturally red hair was spotted with several patches of dirt and coloring, she had a couple of scars tattooed courtesy of Cilloos, and was given an improvised weapon as opposed to one of the more conventional ones that were used in the Iron Ice.

Travis knew if someone caught her they wouldn’t kill Maggie because she would be more valuable as a sex-slave of some kind. Travis had a caveat in place for Maggie though. If she wasn’t back by sunrise Iron Ice would be raiding the wastelands and no one in that area would be safe. Man or woman, it didn’t matter Iron Ice would unleash a massacre. There were those in Iron Ice who questioned the wisdom of sending Maggie out in such a dangerous area if she was “the chosen one”? Travis felt that if she could survive patrolling the wastelands then getting into the Central One complex and surviving wouldn’t be an issue. Travis knew the time was drawing near for Maggie to carry out the mission that they had risked everything for. Travis wanted to leave nothing to chance on this one he had to see if Maggie was ready, and this was one way of doing it. Sending someone with a sense of compassion and hope into a den of vipers.

Her mission was simple for the night see if there was any good information, supplies that could be bartered for, or there was anyone who could possibly be a potential recruit. Most times, none of these things panned out but every now and then Iron Ice would get lucky and there was something of use to them here. Maggie walked through ravines and over dirt hills among the people. Some were living in caves or make shift shelters. Maggie felt she was living the high-life on the base after seeing what these people were going through.

Time passed on and it was after her fifth time being propositioned, and beating back her forth would be assailant Maggie decided she had seen enough of the wastelands. She decided that it was close enough to sunrise and Maggie would report that there was nothing to report on. Just then someone bolted out and grabbed Maggie’s shoulders from behind. Maggie pivoted and was ready to defend herself, but then realized that it was an old woman. Maggie went to just shove the old woman away with skin that looked like old leather, but the woman said in a pitiful voice, “Please help me! Save my treasure! Please!” Maggie was now a bit intrigued as she took a step back. There was something in this woman’s voice that touched Maggie’s heart for some reason. In a night full of psychos, crooks, and the worst of humanity this woman was different. She said, “Your eyes, they speak to me. I’ve been watching you all night. I’ve been waiting for someone like you."

Maggie nodded and motioned for her to lead on.

The woman led Maggie thru a series of twists and turns to a cave opening. The woman walked over to a rock wall and gave it a shove. The rock rolled away and the woman said, “Come on Madilyn.” A little girl walked out of the opening into the light. The woman said taking her hand, “It’s all right this young lady is going to help you.” Maggie looked at the girl who couldn’t have been more than six years old. She was covered in dirt, wearing a burlap sack tied at the waist by a piece of string with pieces of cloth on her feet. She also had a necklace with a silver nugget on it. The old woman said, “This is my granddaughter Madilyn. We fled the city during the war to here. Her mother died giving birth to her here, and her father died trying to get some food for us on the black-market. That nugget around her neck was part of her mother's wedding ring melted down. Something to remember her by. I’ve done what I can, but I’m getting too old to care for her, and my health is failing.”

Maggie looked at the old woman and said, “I can’t raise your granddaughter ma’am. I’m just passing through. I can’t do it I’m not sure how I can help you.”

The old woman replied, “Please, if you can’t do it find someone who can. I know you can.”

Without a word of warning Madilyn walked up to Maggie and grabbed her hand. Maggie looked down and Madilyn looked up. She said, “Pretty eyes.” Madilyn blinked twice and smiled. The old woman said, “She has never done that with anyone. She sees something in you.”

Maggie closed her eyes for a moment and then looked at the old woman. She said, “I’ll make sure she’s safe I promise.” Maggie looked back to Madilyn and said, “I’m Maggie.”

Madilyn replied, “I’m Madilyn, but I will call you pretty eyes.”

Maggie smiled and said, “Okay I can deal with that.”

The old woman said, “You better get moving on. The drunks are going to soon be sobering up and that means trouble.”

Maggie nodded and the old woman walked over to Madilyn. She knelt down and said, “Be brave Madilyn. I will always be with you. You will never be alone.”
Madilyn hugged her grandmother and said, “Love you gamma.”


The grandmother replied, “I love you too dear one.”

She broke the embrace and said, “Go.” Maggie took Madilyn in her arms and carried her away from the wastelands. As they journeyed on Maggie wondered how in the world she would explain this to Travis.

Upon arriving at the base rather than scold Maggie for her actions Travis commended her as her and Madilyn stood in his command bunker. He said, We can train you to take out a platoon of Black Lion soldiers, or how to survive in the wastelands. Through all of that though Maggie you have the greatest weapon of all. Your heart. You were willing to risk everything for a child. I know those here who would’ve dumped her off the first chance they got with the first group of refugees they saw, but you brought here all the way here. If that doesn’t show me the kind of soldier you are I don’t know what will. You are one of the most gifted people I’ve ever known.”


Maggie replied, “Thank you sir.”

Maggie tried standing at attention but with Madilyn holding onto her it was almost impossible. Travis looked at Madilyn and then back to Maggie and said with a smile, “Go get her cleaned up and get her some decent clothes. We’ll make arrangements to get her to Free Space tonight. There will be those there who will be more than happy to care for her.”

That night Maggie escorted Madilyn to the coastline where she would be taken via a secret route to Free Space.

Madilyn with tears in her eyes asked, “Will I see you again?”

Maggie struggled to maintain her composure as she replied, "I don't know."

Maggie then knelt next to Madilyn,who was now weeping, and removed her black zipper sweatshirt. She put it on her and said, “Whenever you feel lonely or sad, just put it on and know that I’m holding onto you.”

Madilyn gave Maggie her necklace and said, "So when you feel lonely and sad you'll know I'm holding you too."

Maggie smiled as she slipped it on and said, "I'll remember that."

Madilyn threw her arms around Maggie and said, “I love you pretty eyes.”

Maggie closed her eyes and embraced Madilyn and said, “I love you too Madilyn.” Someone walked up to Maggie and said, “We need to go now. While the current covers our trails along the coastline.”

Maggie leaned back and said, “I’m gonna want that jacket back. Okay?”

Madilyn smiled and asked, “So that means I’ll see you again?”

Maggie gave a wink and said, “I dare anyone to try and stop me.” They embraced one more time and then Madilyn and her escort walked away.

As Madilyn and her escort disappeared into the night Maggie touched the necklace and said with great determination, "Central one, you are going down. Madilyn and her generation will grow up in a free world. I swear it."
 
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@MST3K 4ever
Very nice! Madilyn is a cutie. =) Maggie's fantastic as always!
 
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