Write a Story About Meeting a Friend
Tea and cake at Tory’s cafe, Haywards Heath, UK. Photo: Tanya Clarke 2011
Do you meet up with your friends and family like you used to? How was the pandemic for you? How did the lockdowns, isolation and lack of social interaction impact your life?
This week, think about this as you write a story about a meeting between two people. These people could be friends or lovers or siblings or colleagues or distant relatives or a mother and daughter, whoever comes to mind for you.
As you give some thought to who those two people are, also give some thought about where they might be meeting. Your characters could be walking their dogs or sitting in a cafe or walking through a park or visiting a museum or lying on a beach or standing in a meeting room at work.
Do use the photo above if the image helps.
Include Non-Verbal Cues in Your Writing
The necessity here is that your characters are meeting up in person, not across a digital network. The point is to write not only dialogue but also to integrate all those non-verbal cues, the imperceptible signs of body language that might tell your reader something different from what they might be saying.
During the pandemic, when so many of us were limited in our social interactions, people discussed how difficult it was to connect with others through a screen. Zoom made calls possible but not always easy. A poor internet connection disrupts the flow of conversation; the sound and image break down and people are left feeling frustrated.
Imagine if that happened when you met your friend if you only heard half of what they said or their movements suddenly became stilted and broken. There are so many tiny muscle movements that humans sense. The smell of someone you love, the twitch in their eyelid when they're angry, or the sound of them picking their fingernails when they're nervous.
Human Beings Are Social Creatures
Post-pandemic, the desire for remote working could be changing the landscape of work life for some. Those few are encouraged to ask more of their employers, more money, more benefits, more flexibility, and more and more working from home.
How might this change our relationships with people? How will our children learn to be social creatures? Will we become better at socialising or worse? What will happen to our mental health? What does the future hold? Ask your friends, When was the last time we saw each other?
A Story About Sandra and Cheryl
My short (very short) story below is a story of small details. Sandra is the daughter of Cheryl. Cheryl has expectations for her daughter. Sandra is a disappointment to her. They discuss the marriage of someone they know.
It's the start of a bigger story. Who knows where it might go? If you know, feel free to use it. I'd love to know where you might take it.
The teacup clinked on the saucer.
Sandra dropped two sugar cubes into the cup and stirred the tea with slow deliberation before she spoke.
"So...you're telling me she just left? With nothing to say? Packed her bag and left. Doesn't sound like Emily. She must've had a good reason."
Sandra's mother, Cheryl, bit down on a piece of fruit cake. A sultana slipped out of her mouth and dropped to her plate. A pause lingered in the air while she chewed.
"No one knows, Sandra,” she said, “how one really is in a marriage. Unfortunately, you don't know anything about this. Her poor mother must be beside herself."
Sandra took a sip of tea.
"Poor Emily," she said. "I'll give her a phone. Find out what's going on."
"They have children you know. Lovely things. Twins. He won't be able to manage of course."
"I'm sure Richard's not completely incapable," said Sandra picking up crumbs from her plate with her fingertips.
"All men are incapable. Look at my friend Margaret's husband. Can barely choose his socks in the morning."
"Mum, he has dementia."
"Still," said Cheryl. "It's a struggle."
Sandra rolled her eyes and took another sip of tea.
"What about that nice young man you met? He was lovely. Very tall. Are you seeing him again? What was his name?"
"Kevin. He lives with his mother."
"Is that a problem?"
"Mum. I'm a grown woman, not a teenager. I'm not going round his house to sit in his bedroom. She makes us keep the door open. I'm 30 years old for God's sake."
"31. And. Please don't swear. It's not lady-like."
Sandra poured herself another cup of tea, added two more sugars and poured in a little milk.
"You seem to have put on a bit of weight," said Cheryl. "Work okay?"
15.01.21
