Fiction, Ltd. Story #082 current revision | explanation and main page

Seen:
WALK YOUR BIKES * WE HAVE A WAR TO WIN.
CONSTRUCTION NEXT ___ MILES RETURN TO MS DEPT TRANSPRT IF LOST
Do you want a HOWDY? HOWDY'S Subs & Liquor
RECUMBENTS only * no STANDARD bikes, CHOPPERS, UNICYCLES PLEASE
DESIGNATED UNPOPULATED AREA * County seat 20 miles
Your $$$ at work! Stop and say hi!
FIREWORKS ALCOHOL LUXURIES BEST PRICES

Welcome! NO SOLICITING. Property of MSZS, Dr. Jean Thorson, Chair.
Hexapodous . . . o O o . . . Quadrupedal
MAMMAL [illegible] enclosure - NOT FOR DISPLAY - DO NOT LIFT
Feeding 3xd Water 4xd
Herpet. intake technician please see me. -JNT
Kids! Did you know...
NOW SEE MANATEES 3pm 4pm 6pm 7:30pm 9pm
Keep dark * access restricted

Please check yourself in - Dinner follows 6:00 cocktail hour
TOWEL RETURN
Tips will be politely declined THANK YOU
Activity partners? Sign up by room 14.
Polar-bear rug by main fireplace not to be moved THANK YOU
Please join us!
Tasting menu may vary nightly with availability.
COURTESY TRANSPORT STOP * other vehicles excluded

9am PLENARY SESSION Welcome and thoughts on the rapid growth of our field (A. Solano)
10am Do Not Disturb: Climatic perturbation and its effects on lower primates (D. Ross)
12pm Environmental triggers for old-age syndrome in moles (J. Thorson)
2pm The Stuttering Cow! What adaptation really tells us (F. Berstein, D.  Carroll)
4pm A review of recent changes in international animal policy (guest L.  Sung, Esq.)
6pm Informal reception for new MSZS members; close of day 1

SCHOOL ZONE * PLEASE WALK YOUR BIKES
$2 special every day - all styles
Look up! Pollution is EVERYONE'S problem.
KEEP MISSISSIPPI GREAT * Ben Amberg, Democrat for Congress
ANARCHY IS THE ANSWER FREE IT UP
What does the Bible say about feminism?

... really loved me you would have taken down the
... better for morale than anything those jackholes in Annapolis ever
... repeatedly, like very very repeatedly, I just hope
... pistachio, okay, caramel, two, fudge, get me at least as
... excuse me sir, but this park closes at

Delicious new flavor * E-Z travel dispenser
HEAVY - _17_ pounds over allowance - FREIGHT PAID
Undulating Western Snakes ADVANCE REVIEW COPY
Twin pull rear derailleur / CLEARANCE - May not be RETURNED or EXCHANGED once open
Safe to use on bites and stings
EVERYONE RESPECTS YOUR PATIENCE IN A BAD SITUATION * LUCKY NUMBERS 3, 11, 26, 30

written for Claire Woods in the big room 9/12/04
Claire's words: undulate, manatee, solicit, stutter, recumbent, perturb, hexapodous, morale, polar-bear rug, Mississippi.

I credit myself with realizing this concept would be better if it were executed realistically, except that I only realized it after the first few lines were written. I didn't have anything in mind with that first line; it just sounded good and I was irritated at myself that I hadn't started yet.

Other problems: The fourth section isn't particularly interesting. I wanted to do something more concrete to keep myself honest (i.e. to commit myself to a particular idea about what was going on) but...

And then there's the problem that I know nothing about Mississippi college campuses, and that the sixth section, which I intended as overheard snippets of conversation, wouldn't count as "seen".

I guess I would say that I'm happy with what I got when I explored the idea, but not especially thrilled with the final execution. Back when I used to do these more often I had a whole set of ideas about the difference between improv writing and conventional writing which I no longer remember well enough to judge the relevance of.

Anyway, part of the deal here is "results vary". I look forward to giving this another coat of paint. And I was so out of practice that I *forgot* I was allowed to use words implicitly, not just verbatim. That would have made "perturb" easier.

- everything is by Aaron Mandel; please ask first if you're about to steal something -

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