#OctPoWriMo

Today’s OctPoWriMo theme is purple. The suggested form is Villanelle.

I spent the morning pulling out some purple and it turns out purple in my life is related to Mardi Gras and costuming. Purple is feathers and trims and fancy fabrics, costumes and parties, but purple is also mystery and the sky before a coming storm.

A Purple Party

A perceived glow in the dark night
purple mystery of effervescent veil
a mask of concern or sheer delight

Lights to flavor celebration’s site
traditions perverted through history prevail
posing as royalty at its height

Twirling skirts under bodice tight
satin bows crowd the long string tail
spirit a barely tethered kite

Luxurious shine of velvet rite
a horizon line about to fail
shiny sparkles confusing sight

Tickles of feathers not for flight
winds of change that burden sails
the evening turns inducing fright

The veil lifts with the coming light
A broken heel, torn stocking, faces pale
The night could have been good, it might
The memories dropped along homeward trail

Note: This is not a Villanelle. I think this poem will work nicely as a Villanell, as I think the first and third lines of the first stanza will work nicely to end the other stanzas, and I think I’ll play around with that version later.

#Writober4

The image for Day 19 on the Pinterest board is a picture I took of a great Halloween display in New Orleans with digitally choreographed video and music.

My take: This is an obvious haunted house. The house is watching you, like the movie Monster House. But it could also be a take on the “keeping up with the Joneses” kind of story where halloween decoration one-up-manship gets totally out of hand.

Micro-fiction: Jerry had used his life savings to build on his Halloween display each year. Neighbors and tourists alike crowded the sidewalks to see it. He heard that some local leaders were concerned about public safety and traffic issues, so he made sure to donate to re-election bids and attend private dinners. When he heard a local church had made it their cause to protest his display, it hurt his feelings. At first, it bothered him when the people came carrying giant crosses and the preacher opened his over-sized bible and started ranting on in front of his front gate, but then he had an idea. He projected scenes from the Exorcist onto his windows and choreographed his skeletons on his porch to mouth the lines. Everyone thought the preacher was a great addition to the display. Very spooky indeed.

Writing Process and Tools

Celtic Cross Plots: Would yesterday’s plot work for today’s story? Let’s see.
1. Three of coins: Our character is admiring his great creation – perfect! Our character has created an amazing Halloween display.
2. The Hierophant: This gave me the idea that our character comes into conflict with a religious leader.
3. The Knight of coins: He used all his money for the display
4. The Emperor: I could bring in that his father had been his muse. His father had always loved decorating for Halloween. Perhaps he died setting up their family display and that’s what got our character so focused on creating the best Halloween display.
5. The fool: He never keeps building his display bigger and better for the sheer joy of it even though there may be danger.
6. Knight of swords: He has to ride into battle with the religious leader.
7. Four of swords: I’m coming at the story in a moment of rest after being off in battle (the Writer’s Games are over and it’s not yet time for NaNoWriMo, time to just have some fun 😉 ).
8. Ten of swords: People see our character as defeated. He changes his display.
9. King of coins: The religious leader may think he’s fighting for something spiritual, but our character reclaims his earthly realm.
10. The Empress: He wins out by creating a new display that makes the protesters look like they are part of the act.

Looking at yesterday’s read in terms of today’s story provided some useful ideas. I like the conflict with religious protesters. For my longer story, I can add the backstory with the father and the moment when he thinks all is lost before he has the Exorcist idea.

Emotion: love

Creepy verbs: sink, plunge, submerge, dive, wreck, drown

Story Cubes Symbols: building, hand print, clock, alligator, key, padlock, alien, postcard, fish

Woodland creature: elk – a herd of elk, a gang of elk (that puts a funny image in my head – West Side Story with elk, Hell’s Angels of elk)

Collective nouns: a kindle of leverets (baby hares in their first year of life), a babble of linguists

Horror trope: reincarnation

Oblique Strategies: Intentions -nobility of -humility of -credibility of

Happy Reading and Writing!