Saturday, February 05, 2011

Unanswered Questions, part 2 - Saturday Centus

It's Saturday again and we are visiting with Ms. Jenny Matlock for the Saturday Centus meme. The rules are simply: pen a short story, 100 words or less excluding the prompt and post to your blog; link back to Ms. Jenny's blog for the Saturday Centus and post your blog posting's link on the McLinky portion of her blog. Don't forget to visit the others who have posted and leave comments. Oh yeah, keep it PG or lower rating, no pictures. Happy writing - E :)


Today I decided to take the prompt, which is provided by Ms. Ames of Girl Raised in the South. I wasn't really sure I was going to participate this week as I have a lot to do on the JGDS series and need to do my taxes and all kinds of other things. After reading the already posted writings, I came up with a continuation of the first part I started last week. This story will fully develop (I hope) and take me in a new direction. For the first part of the story, click here. My total word count for part 1 was 100 (including the prompt of She lifted the letters from the ancient chest). I hope this story develops deeper but only when I can really let the character develop in my mind and the story really get a footing. I know it is a past life story but not sure where it is leading me.


Unanswered Questions, Part 2

The letters had transported Geri to another time. As she peered in the newly acquired chest, it grew bigger by the minute. She rubbed her eyes. She wasn't believing what she saw. The stark emptiness of the chest. No letters filling the chest. But then she remembered, she had to put the letters in before the emptiness would shrink. She started penning the first of many letters that would fill the void. (total word count 72)

27 comments:

CB said...

I love the continuing story. I did this too because I thought it would be fun!
I hope you continue next week as well!

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

This definitely begs for more, Elysabeth. I hope you continue with it.
PS I also did a sequel, but not to last week's. We're onto something here.
xoRobyn

Unknown said...

Welcome to the Centus! I am so glad you didn't let "noses" or "pimples" keep you from Geri's journey! I look forward to reading more.

Judie said...

Great! You've been bitten by the Centus bug! My head is filled with the possibilities with which Geri might be faced. You have to keep going!!

Kat said...

Told you it was addictive LOL. I need to do my taxes too, but I needed to do this more. I like the direction your story is taking, hope you develop it further! Kat

Bookie said...

Looks like you are on a roll with your idea...hope it takes you all the way.

Viki said...

I love it when writing something it strikes a chord and one feels that they have to see where it will take them. I love that you continued your story. Hope to read more soon. Good job.

Koby said...

Wow... I wish I could think up a story using one of the prompts...let us know when you publish this one.. :-)

elysabeth said...

Thanks everyone. I haven't been ignoring the comments as they came in but my computer froze up earlier and I had to reboot and haven't gotten anything accomplished. I'm trying to stay on task and that's why Geri really is on the back burner right now. Matt, Guy, Mary Beth and Jolene are my priorty since I have self-imposed deadlines to get my stories published.

Kat, you were right, it is addictive but I don't see any way to work these prompts into my state stories right now and besides a small break from the pressing stuff is a good thing.

Koby, it will probably take the better part of this year to finish writing the story as I'm shooting for about a 50,000 word novel and at 100 word pops, that will take a lot ofweekends to write the story, unless I give up on the prompts and just write the story (when Geri finally figures out what her story is and brings it to my attention - lol; although I did have a small glimmer of what is about to happen when I was driving to the store this evening to get some milk and bread). When I do publish it, I may go straight for the kindle version instead of paper version but either will work for me since I'm self-publishing anyway - lol. I'll let you all know in a posting when I even am close to finishing this story or publishing it.

Judie, only slightly bitten because I'm about to hit my busy weekend season for the next few months and will be doing a lot of traveling so won't be able to take advantage of too many days where I can just read blog postings and formulate even 50 words for a story.

5thsister -thanks. I hope once I get Matt and Guy and those other kids (for my children's series) at least through three more stories that I can really develop Geri more so that I can see where she takes us -

Robyn, working sequel pieces into a previously short beginning is great - shows we can take our writing deeper if we need to. I knew when I started this piece last weekend that it would beg for more but I didn't really expect to do much with it until I cleaned off my plate a bit with the other stuff that is vying for my attention. Such is life; I guess I'd rather have it busy than not and drop off out of boredom.

Cherie - I was glad to see you continue yours and would love for you to take that into a full fledged suspense thriller mystery - and it was because of a comment you left on a teacher's blog that led me to the Saturday Centus, so thank you for that.

If the prompt is a good one and can fit into Geri's story, I'll write again next week but I do know that the weekend after that I'll be out of town for the day and may not get back to her until that Monday or later in the week. If you all will email subscribe to my blog you'll know when anything new on Geri is being worked on, not that I'll publish most of it on my blog since I will want to publish it either as an ebook or via createspace.com as a paperback and I don't want it to be considered already published. Thanks everyone for the encouragement - off to fix Matt and his little uppity attitude and know-it-all stance in book #6 - see you in the postings - E :)

Dazee Dreamer said...

I so should have continued on with my story from last week. good job.

elysabeth said...

Dazee, I don't think there is a limit on how many stories you can post to this meme. If you feel this prompt works well with last week's story, then write it and post it - we'll all read it and comment on it. It seems Jenny has a pretty good following for these little prompts. I say go for it andin the end if the whole changes, so be it (I'm pretty sure mine from today will change since it's kind of vague). If we all get a novelette out of these little prompts - then great - that many more books for me to read on my new kindle when I get it. I would love to see many of these develop into full fledged stories. If it's urging you to continue last week's story, do it - E :)

Deborah said...

I missed last week so I had to catch up, very well done!

21 Wits said...

Oh how delightful, continuing the story, and it helps with adding some of the stuff (letters) from last week...so glad you got a chance after all to post this Saturday. Great stuff! I am excited for more!

Donna Volkenannt said...

Well done! Great use of the prompt and continuing from the previous week.
Donna v.
http://donnasbookpub.blogspot.com

Rek Sesh said...

Loved the sequel...just read the first part....intriguing and totally different story base...so who really was Geri in the past life?

elysabeth said...

Deborah, glad you could catch up with us. Glad you stopped by.

Karen, I'm kind of a believer in that old adage "if the shoe fits" thing - and so if the prompt will fit into my story, then yay!!! - I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Donna, thanks for stopping by and adding a bit of encouragement.

Rekha, If I knew who she was in the past life I think the story would be halfway finished by now - lol. I hope it doesn't fizzle like another story I had that I really thought I could write. I did finally finish that story but it was a long 3 or 4 years and now I've still not done anything on editing it, but who knows, maybe this one will just take off - I hope so. When I know who she really is, you all will know too - stay tuned - E :)

Gems said...

I love the continuing story. Try not to get sidetracked with less important stuff!!!! :)

e said...

Wonderful Elysabeth. So much said in so few words. Hoping for more!
~Michelle

elysabeth said...

Gems, trying not to get sidetracked by all th big stuff - lol. Thanks for stopping by and reading my little pieces of a story I know will have a life one day.

Michelle, I know there is a full fledged story in there but there are some other things that have to be done before bringing Geri to full life. As soon as the story really takes hold, I'll let everyone know when it's completed and getting ready for publication.

Thanks for all the encouragement everyone. I'm enjoying the Saturday Centus so far and hope to be able to to continue to participate most every weekend but there will be some weekends when I'll barely have time to check emails and what not. This is the time of year when homeschool conferences take place as well as book festivals and other events where I have opportunities to get my books out there and find new audiences. Stay tuned to the progress of Geri and possible publication in the near future. - E :)

Nonna said...

Good job !!!
Praise to those who continue their stories...it is not easy to do !

Maria said...

I appreciate the continuation.

Unknown said...

A touch of Lewis Carrol's 'Alice' here!
Fun continuation!
Best wishes,
Anna
Anna's SC week 40 '...growing bigger...'

elysabeth said...

Nonna Beach, it depends on the prompt and the story but right now my mind is elsewhere so continuing this story will be a bit difficult for me right now.

You are quite welcome, gaelikaa.

Anna, wasn't the thought I had but I can see where you get that from - lol. Thanks for a different take on my story - which I think is slowly simmering in the back of my mind right now -

Thanks for all the wonderful comments everyone. I hope you all will stop by in the future to see what happens to Geri or anyone else in my life - lol E :)

Ames said...

This will be intersting to see where you take this. Especially with these crazy prompts! Nice!~Ames

elysabeth said...

Ames, I have a feeling once the story reall gets going in my mind and I start putting the words down on paper (okay on my computer) that the prompts will probably not matter much, but that will be after I've gotten a few of my stte stories written and edited and ready for my illustrator to do her thing - lol. I would love to just devote a full day taking that story where it probably will go but right now that isn't even in the picture. I do need to do some writing soon though. Maybe Monday I'll work on my 7th state story and see where I am by the end of the day. I'm hoping next weekend to have #7 finished and #8 started so that I will be a little ahead and then hopefully work on Geri some so I can truly see where her story goes - I'll keep everyone posted though - E :)

Jenny said...

I'm so glad you continued this story for us.

I am enchanted. I feel like a little kid waiting for my bedtime story.

Thanks for another great little gem of a story.

elysabeth said...

Jenny, Thanks for stopping by and reading the continue saga and since that part I've not concentrated on any writing - been so busy with work and this weekend I'm out of town - just checking a few things before I call it a night. I'll try to see where the prompt takes me when I get home - I think this story is going to go ful blown if I can ever get my head around my state stories and get ahead - E :)