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Storytelling is a talent passed down through the generations in my family. It is a way of life in that the more you live, the better the story; the deeper the experience, the broader the plain to connect with readers. Just like life is about people so writing is about people - about their love, their loss, their triumphs, their failures, and their x ever after. I write to understand myself and make sense of life. I share my work in order to find others who can relate to my characters, or their lives, or the moral of the story.

Monday, February 02, 2015

All the Bright Places Contest entry

 (Photo credit: freedigitalphotos.net)


So the prompt is writing about the place that inspires you most in 555 words.
I don't think I'm going to send my entry in, since I don't live in the US and therefore would forfeit the award IF I had won because they don't post to outside the US yet.

There’s nothing all that flash about it. The bungalows are white, square, flat-roofed; fairly unpretentious.  Each bungalow has an arched, terracotta tiled balcony with rounded, steel railings in reds, blues and yellows. A plain, creaky old plastic chair and a small round glass table is the only company on the balcony. 
It doesn’t sound fantastic, or look all that lush, but you can melt into that chair and stare at the view just beyond the railing for hours. The Atlantic licks at the white, sandy crescent of beach, and you can watch dolphins play closer to the horizon. Sometimes, you’d spot a seal or two – and sometimes, one of them will waddle up onto the rocks and bake in the heat of the sun. It’s always best to stray clear of them, and probably of the water, too, since Great White Sharks aren’t shy about coming close to shore here.
 Fortunately, just beyond the rocks where the seals have a rest, is a clear blue swimming pool for everyone to enjoy. It’s probably better, in my opinion, since the water is bound to be warmer than that of the ocean.  That’s just me. There are plenty of people out in the water on body-boards and jet-skis. If it’s a windy day, it’s the best place to fly a kite – or maybe not, considering some of the gale force winds that randomly attack the enclosed area from time to time. 
You can go for a walk on the pier and take shelter under the white canopies of the seafood cafés that line the small promenade, but I prefer the balcony. It gives shade at just the right time of the day, and it gives sun and heat at just the right length of the time, too. You can sit there and relax, let your mind wander across the deep blue surface before you, and write to your hearts’ content. The only interruptions are the occasional shrieks of enjoyment from the other patrons on the beach, or a small flock of seagulls fighting over a chip. 
The sun comes up early and it goes down late. You’d be surprised how late. Chances are you’d miss your regular bedtime because the sun will just be starting to tint the horizon in orange and grey, when you’d suddenly wake up and realize that the day should have ended an hour or two ago – and still, you’d sit there, waiting to make sure the sun is really going to sleep before you let the shadows chase you into the golden warmth of the bungalow. 
You’d wake up the next morning with a refreshed ‘ah’, and do it all over again. It’s a modest little piece of paradise, and the best place to write.

If you're in the US and want to enter the contest, the deadline is 20th Feb. Go to Figment.com and sign up.

Happy writing!