Date:         Fri, 3 May 1996 10:49:46 EDT
From: broken dreams <mbarker@MIT.EDU>
Subject:      EXERCISE: T.J.'s Panties?

[and a one, and a two, and a three to six?  Get your dice
hot, `cause here we go, ready or not...:-]

A. Take a number!  One to six!

Got it?  Okay, see what you picked:

1.  a flower (roses, maybe?)
2.  a wine goblet
3.  a beautiful Japanese doll
4.  a coffee table book
5.  a fine silk scarf
6.  a porcelain jewelry case

B.  Now another number?  One to six, of course.

1.  dirty underwear (T.J.'s panties?)
2.  a dead rat
3.  a very ripe fish head
4.  a pig's foot
5.  used tissues (someone has a cold...)
6.  a well-used toothbrush

C.  Last, but not least, another number?  One to six:

1.  a gift wrapped box
2.  a paper grocery bag
3.  a violin case
4.  a pillow case
5.  a CD carrying case
6.  a black leather purse

Got your three items?  Put the first two objects in the last
one.  So now your pillow case has a wine goblet and a pig's
foot in it, and we're ready to begin.

Pick a character or two, put them in a scene with the little
wonder set of three objects you've just put together, and
ponder.  In the course of this scene, one character will
find and open the container, getting out the good and the
not so fine contents.

Your assignment, should you choose to try it, is to make us
feel the emotional responses of the characters.  I kind of
like having the people respond in a way which surprises the
reader, then explaining, but it's up to you.  You might not
feel right having your romantic lead laugh heartily at the
single rose, then plunge into tears when the panties off
T.J.'s bum come to life in our hands...

So, that's it.  Start with a little sleight of mind playing
with the three objects and a character, and see where your
fingers lead you.

[What?  You began AND ended in T.J.'s drawers?  Well, I hope
you washed well afterword, you never know where that
furniture has been...]

Incidentally, you may put other objects in the container as
desired.  After all, it's your story!

Single Sentence Start?

        "I never thought she would give it to you," he said.

[tickle, tickle, giggle, I hear a neuron snapping, I hear a
synapse popping, is that the sound of a brain frying?  Out
of the pan and into the frying fingers, here come words,
punctuation, and flickering flame of a story!]

tink