The Beloved and I are part of a Short Stories group. The group gathers every few weeks and about 10 people read or tell a short story. The story can be one you have written, or one you like. This next one will be the first where we have 'read'/performed. The Beloved is great at reading stories. Dyslexic little me is absolutely pants at reading someone else work. I stumble and falter, but I can tell stories.
My favourite one from last time was about a conservator at a museum. He was cleaning an old oil lamp. The story is told from hiss perspective, until billowing clouds of smoke start coming from the lamp. He grows light-headed, stand up quickly, and his world turns black. A genie pops out, and says in an exasperated tone, dripping with sarcasm, "Oh great! Another fainter!"
I've been puzzling over a story for the next meeting, and have been struggling with the 'twist in the tail' element of it all. I'm so used to making up stories on the spot that I haven't learned how to construct them from scratch. Last week, I was at a workshop, and at the start, the leader explained there are two main types of writer, the architect and the gardener. The architect plans everything meticulously, and the gardener plants, waters, watches, and prunes. The gardener sees how things develop. I suspect I am much more an architect.
I'll been looking around for inspiration, and this morning an idea popped into my little noggin. Thankfully, the idea included a nice little ending too. The story's working title is 'How to kill your husband'.
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