300 and twist
Flash 300 words for Writers’ Forum. I cut the possibilities from 9 to 5 so-
2. is in the hospital waiting room ans Leah the doctor has been instructed by the patient not to tell his relatives that he is dying. He’s maybe the husband/ brother, the father and father-in-law of the people waiting. They are quite calm but one starts to question Leah. He’s got cancer maybe and the questioner wants to know if it is in remission or terminal. The challenge is for Leah not to tell the questioner the truth but not to lie. I think what will happen is that the someone will guess and stay behind when the others leave. Maybe the old man’s wife or sister. That will mean the old man will not die alone. A lot to do in 300 words.
5 is in the theatrical agency and Leah is there for an audition. She’s had no formal training but has been in amatear dramatics for a few years and her director has arranged this audition. The others seem calm while she is nervous. It turns out from their talk, the others have years of experience and Leah feels like leaving but hangs on and is called. The main auditioner is not impressed, just let’s get her over with is his attitude. She starts to recite The quality of mercy but stammers at strained, as her director told her to do and the main auditioner looks up. Now she has his attention, she gives a brilliant performance and gets the part. I like this. It’s for writing up.
7 is the school interview. I see this as a mother, Leah, and her daughter in the waiting room. The daughter is worried. These other girls have better clothes. You’ll be in uniform. and other worries and answers.
I’d like to do this twice, the second maybe as a twist, where the girls are from disadvantaged backgrounds. Maybe this is a longer story with some girls looking down their noses at others. Somehow the headmistress mentions disadvantaged and the girl pipes up, ‘I’m not disadvantaged, my father and my mother both love me.’
8 Leah is at the palace for an award and feels nervous compared to the others. Maybe she feela she doesn’t deserve the award, it should have gone to the team or something. Then someone drops something nervously and they talk. That’s how we learn of Leah’s reticence over the award. Take it from there. Everyone is dressed expensively but Leah maybe. The idea is good but needs more of an edge somehow.
9 The waiting room is in a remote part of Australia perhaps. I don’t think I can make it sing in 300 words but 1500, OK. It’s overcast but Leah, the pilot, can hear rumbles of thunder. The passengers are relaxed, not knowing the danger of flying in thunder. Leah explains but one man insists they leave, he has a wedding or an important meeting.
I’d like to make this a twist story where the man is going to be best man at his brother’s wedding and creates hell about being delayed. In the end we disclose Leah is the bride. There could be other plots for this. He needs to get to a will reading. An uncle he never knew. The lawyer has told Leah she’s the beneficiary, if no one else turns up.