Once Upon a Writer

Once upon a time in a galaxy not so far away, lived Writer.
Writer was nervous because they knew that today was the day. Their palms were sweating as they opened the email – Day 1, Brief 1… it was now or never.
As with many writers all around the world, Writer had a moment of panic. Before them stood a blank, white page and it was their job to fill it with a story.
Writer needed a strong start, something to catch the readers´ interest, a promise of things to come. With a short story it was important to hit all the marks and keep the narrative moving along. Any dialogue had to be punchy and to the point, with engaging characters, a smooth plot and ideally enough suspense, romance or comedy to please everyone.
After sitting with their head between their legs for a bit, Writer decided to start small and not get ahead of themselves.
The brief was interesting and already Writer could see pictures and hear voices all jostling to be part of the story. Perhaps this time, Writer could try a different genre or style? If there was ever a time and place to take chances, this was it.
Who knew where this story could end up taking them? It was an exciting thought. But what if the idea just deflated like a party balloon? What if Writer got halfway through and realised they had no idea how to end it? What if it turned out that Writer just couldn’t write anymore?
After a quick cup of tea and a biscuit, Writer decided that it was now or never. They had nothing to lose and everything to gain. This challenge was meant to be enjoyed, meant to be fun, meant to be… submitted in a couple of hours!
Writer couldn’t understand where the time had gone. It was true that shopping and cooking and real life had taken over but while all that was going on, the story was growing and taking shape. Now Writer only needed some time to type it up.
Head down, fingers flying across the keyboard, Writer raced against the clock to finish the story.
With time to spare, Writer uploaded, hit the submit button and listened to the melodic ‘ping’ that meant Day 1 of the challenge was done and dusted.
It had been a good day and a good story. With a tired smile and a little pat on their back, Writer headed off to bed, already looking forward to what the next day’s brief would bring.
Goodnight Writer, and may you live happily ever after.
The End
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