Doug

Thanks again Lynspotter!!! Here are the list and rules. The word count on this ThinkWrite is a strict 200, no more no less. This does not include the title or byline. All ten words (or phrases) must be used in the story. Any story idea will do. You can do any style writing, poem ,etc. as long as it is 200 on the nose.

Here is the list and the 10th word shouldn't be hard to figure out!

Purple
Urban
Petunia
Pelican
Yellow
Cashmere
Helicopter
Onerous
World

That's it, may seem like 9 live words, but its not. lol.

Doug

As an added incentive, if you get someone to post a story on this ThinkWrite XIX you will receive bonus points and this will affect the winner and next torchbearer. That person must note your invite. Good luck!!!

The winner will be chosen probably next Sunday being this is a Holiday week for some, excluding yours truly of course who works.

Arw65

um- it is hard to figure out for me- i have absolutley no clue- unless it's birthday- happy birthday by the way. um a little help?
is it a puzzle?- next word in the sequence? one of those words with a space to make it 2 words. I'm at a loss.

Robindcr8l

Arw65, look at all the words downward. First letters.

Arw65

doh!

Robindcr8l

I don't like to title things, so I won't. Here's my submission, 200 words if I counted right:

I’m thought of by the people who know me as a world-traveler. I guess I can see where I’d get that reputation, given that I own a helicopter and a leer jet. One week I might be relaxing in my urban penthouse apartment in the heart of Manhattan, and the next week I will be observing a rare purple pelican on the shores of an Argentinian swamp.

I try not to be pretentious. I wasn’t always wealthy, so I know how it feels to be one of the working-class crowd. I remember setting my alarm and dreading Mondays. I can almost feel the heat of those synthetic fabrics from WalMart, instead of the yellow cashmere sweater I don today. I recall wondering whether I’d have to eat puppy chow with my dog Petunia for my next meal, since payday was three days away.

Winning the lottery comes with its own burdens though. I have to decide what charities are worthy. I feel a responsibility to improve the world. I still have an onerous life, it’s just that I can usually pay to fix the problems. And I can live in the lap of luxury while pondering my social conscience!

Doug

Right on the nose Robincr8l. I didn't think it would take too long to find the 10th word. Its not a Baldur puzzle. lol. I thought about doing that first letter thing if I ever won and this morning I passed our dog Harley's Puppy Chow bag and bang I had a 9 letter phrase. Nice story. I especially like the "rare purple pelican". Nice touch.

mouse

The setting is a new urban development. Most of the homes are bland in color: white, tan or cream. But, one is a cut above the rest. A bright yellow two story with purple shutters. There are several flowers boxes along the porch railing overflowing with petunias of all colors. In the yard is a large glass globe of the world perched on a terra cotta base. Attached by a wire is a helicopter that circles the globe.
The owner is an artist. She frequently sits on the porch in her yellow & purple cashmere sweater.
Some might call her decision to paint the structure in such stand out colors an onerous one, but, I really like her independent nature and I think the house is grand.
In the back yard is a dog house. A miniature version of the larger house, complete with a puppy. The bred escapes me but I think he/ she maybe a mongrel. The water bowl and the food bowl are also purple and yellow and made by the artist on her pottery wheel. Of course the bowl is overflowing with puppychow and the birds are feasting on the scattered tidbits.
Ah! Home Sweet Home.

Dragon

Ah, what a wonderful, idyllic setting mouse. Loved your story, I could really see that bland little street with it's one wonderfully outlandish house!

Doug

mouse: Not my style of "home". I always dreamed of living on a large lot with lots of trees and a deck in the back I could sit on with my rifle at hand for tonights' dinner. But you did bring alive the "artists" house. I loved the large glass globe with the helicopter circling overhead (nice thought). I'm sure it was a typo, but the word is "breed", not bred. Looking forward to more stories from you in ThinkWrite!

midnightpoet

"Here it is"

Here it is.
This is my confession.
I hope you don’t laugh
if this seems out-of-fashion.

I dream every night
of your hand wrapped in mine
with the sound of pelicans
and the smell of brine.

I wear my heart
on my cashmere sleeve.
It’s hard to clean up
when the damn thing bleeds.

I’ve told you I’m smitten
but you don’t know how deep
the passion consumes me.
Your voice makes me weak.

I want to get lost
in your deep, soulful eyes.
We’ll sit there and talk
under bright purple skies.

A spark burns inside.
I can’t put it out.
I’m left with no water
during this drought.

A summer of endless
rain falling down,
but it’s in your arms
that I want to drown.

I know this seems cheesy
but I need you to see
these onerous feelings
trapped within me.

I don’t want you to plant
petunias for me,
or take me on a helicopter
over yellow-orange trees.

We don’t need to go out
to a fancy dinner.
We can eat puppy chow…
and probably get thinner.

I just want you to know,
in this urban world,
there’s a story book love
inside of this girl.

Doug

midnightpoet: Can I pour a little maple syrup on that? lol. Actually I thought it was quite splendid indeed. I love the way people are using the word pelicans. Nice poem, enjoyed it!

Robindcr8l

Mouse, I loved your submission, and, like Dragon, can visualize that house perfectly and smile while doing it! Midnightpoet, you KNOW how much I love rhyme and rhythm. Great job! Now, where are our other writers?? We need some more submissions. Login and Marius, you've been holding out on us. I saw your literary creativity on Robin Radio today. And Dragon, you're always one of my favorites on Thinkwrite. C'mon guys!

Doug

I echo robin's comments. Sorry I had to take a little break. The 2 year old had dental surgery (with general anesthia) and is having some complications. Please keep writing and invite your friends and neighbors or maybe someone new. Remember I said bonus points will be awarded for this challenge if you invite someone and they submit.

Login

As Robin invited me to take part I can’t sit back and just enjoy everyone else’s efforts, so here goes … exactly 200 words.

I loath this city; the urban sprawl has swallowed the smaller towns that once surrounded it. Gone are the green fields that separated it from its neighbours and I now have the onerous task of completing a deal that will contribute to its ugliness.

The car park at City Hall is full. Yellow lines border every street, forcing me in the direction of the one place that I don’t want to go. The pelican crossing lights change to red and a woman, dressed in purple cashmere, crosses the street. My resentment is transferred to her; she now seems to resemble a petunia. I am reminded of Grandma who was about the same build as this lady but never did she own such expensive clothes.

As I turn into Puppychow Street I can see the terraced house that had belonged to my grandparents. It was the one and only thing of value that they had ever owned. It had meant the world to them.
Now the terrace is to be compulsorily purchased, to make way for a block of luxury apartments, complete with a rooftop helicopter pad … and I am about to sign the death warrant of their beloved home.

Robindcr8l

Bravo, Bravo, Login! And LOL, I mean really really LOL @ Puppychow Street!

Doug

Good one Login! I too liked the Puppychow street. At least one misspelling that I noticed, but it didn't distract from the story. The funniest part and an image is still in my head is looking at a woman with purple cashmere on. That's a hoot!. Thanks Robin and bonus points to you.

Now lets see more stories. The winner will be picked Sunday so there is time. Its back to work for me. With the Steeler town hubb-bub and all the craziness that goes along with that I got some work to do!

midnightpoet

Hey, all...

I've been pretty much gone for a while...dealing with stuff in my life and what not. I've been here and reading everything but haven't been able to find the energy to comment on anything. I haven't been writing here either cause I've been working on something else, a story that isn't appropriate to be posted here. I'm sorry about my lack of participation, because it really makes me sad to see how few are participating now...but I'm glad the few who are are keeping it alive...

I've just gotta throw in my 2 cents worth here...Doug, ThinkWrite was NEVER about winners. Giving bonus points seems to defeat the purpose of what ThinkWrite is, in my opinion. I think, yes, it's a great idea to try to get more people to participate, but it makes it too much of a contest...and that's not what it is. That's why Ron decided there would be no winners, just torch bearers....so that the current torchbearer could just pick whatever story struck his/her fancy, and not making it into a competition for points or to see who's the best...

I don't want to stir up any trouble, this has just been bugging me. I'll go back to my corner and hide now.

Doug

midnightpoet: Glad to see you're still around. Being the current torchbearer I do have the right to make the rules. I only added the so called bonus points as a "it might incline me to break a tie in my head over which one I like best" kind of thing. And you are right about the winner thing and if I said that it was unintentional. ThinkWrite has from the beginning been about using your mind to take a jumbled list of words and making a story out of it. I think I've stayed true to the original idea with a little twist, which has been done quite frequently. Don't hide in your corner please...

Login

Don't worry about the points, midnightpoet. Doug didn't say how they would be used, or even IF they would be used. Baldur gives points all the time on Channel Baldur but nobody's counting. It's just like a pat on the back ... and lets face it, anyone who manages to get someone else to contribute, deserves a pat on the back.

We miss your contributions and we know that this is a difficult time for you. Even so, don't go and hide in the corner ... your input is too valuable for that.