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Sunday, April 30, 2017

2017 WRITE: PEOPLE: Jane, Plain Jane: Part 7 No Dragons

  Jane, Plain Jane:  Part 7 No Dragons
The writers group at Nara's Nook has started a learning and production project using the guide book  "The 90-day novel," by Alan Watt.  To contribute to the project without spending the time on a novel, I am writing a short story or small play using some of the guidance from the book.  
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    Part 7 No Dragons 

    "There aren't any dragons out there."   That's what Hermione told me when I told her I was too scared to do it in front of an audience.  I had to tell her the truth on that.  I couldn't think of any more excuses.  

    "No Dragons" doesn't solve my problem.  I'm not scared of dragons.  I've killed thousands on my computer screen.  And dragons are imaginary.  Just made up in your mind.   Or on your computer.  I haven't been scared of imaginary things since I was, maybe six or seven, or maybe eight.   

    That was when I killed the monster under my bed.   Yeah, you know I didn't really kill anything.  I just got out of bed, turned on the lights, and crawled under there to confront the monster.  I was just a little scared then, but I was pretty sure there wasn't any monster there. And I looked carefully before I crawled in.   There was nothing there but a dust bunny.  

    So I crawled in.  Right into the monster's lair.   And I remember, I feel good about that.  I felt like I had banished him from under my bed.  I had taken over the place under my bed for my slippers.  And later for my light saber.   

    Funny I remember that so clearly.  And why did I think of that right now--oh yes, Hermione said there are no dragons out there.  Right.  No imaginary dragons.  And no monsters under the bed.  I've already dealt with those.  Maybe that's why I liked to kill them on my computer screen.   I cut their guts out--that's what they deserved for scaring me.  Okay dragons, you won't scare me any more!  

    But those people out there in the audience are real.  Nothing imaginary about them.   I might screw it up and they would laugh at me.  Well, they're supposed to laugh at me--or really at Beth, since it's her line.  

    "Don't focus on yourself,"  Hermione told me.  "Focus on those people in the back row.  Make sure they hear you."

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    Well I did it!   I took that leap of faith!  Well, tentatively, anyway.  I told Hermione I would try.  I will come to rehearsals.  

     "No, " Hermione told me.  'Don't try.  Do.  There is no try"

      Wow!  I remember that line.  I liked it then, but I didn't really understand it till now.  Okay,  I will get up enough nerve to go onstage and do it in front of a live audience.   Hermione is my understudy and she says she will do it if I drop dead of a heart attack.  But I believe I can do it.  

    I guess the only way I could screw it up is to get really mousy and timid.  People don't get mousy  and timid when they order at dinner.  Even I don't do that.  I do have to make it louder on stage than I would normally do it ordering dinner.  Louder than most people would do it.  Except maybe Jason.  He is so loud ordering beer that everyone in the place can hear him.  

    Some times people look around when he orders beer.  Doesn't bother him at all.  He may not even notice.  Not that he orders beer that often.  Some people in our Friday crowd think he doesn't buy his share of the beer.  I started to think that, but then I realized that he doesn't get paid that well in printing and mailing.  

    And the funny thing is everyone in the place knows I am supergeek.  Yes, he still calls me that, but it stopped bothering me.  He's so dumb he thinks it's a compliment.  And it didn't do anything to me except get more people asking for help on their computers.   I don't mind fixing computers.  It's just like working jigsaw puzzles except I don't have to buy puzzles.  

    So I sort of borrowed Jason's voice the other day when I ordered beer.  And everybody in the place heard me and looked around.  Hermione noticed and nodded approval.  The funny thing was it didn't bother me when everybody looked at me.  I guess it was because I expected it.  I would have been disappointed if they had not looked.  But they heard me--all the way to the back of the room.  That stage voice might be useful if you are not getting good service.  

    Next week is a full dress rehearsal.  I will turn that over the Beth.  She can do it.  She's been around.  No dragon is safe around her.

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    This (the multi-part series including this part) could be a short story or a one-act play for one or three actors.  I relinquish all claims to the copyright and declare all work by me under the title "Jane, Plain Jane" to be in the public domain.   

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    • The writer's meeting at Nara's nook is on Mondays, 6 PM California time. 
    • HG address: 
    • world.narasnook.com:8900
    • In a virtual world connected to the Hypergrid:
    • put the HG addrress in the Find bar of the world map, click Find, TP
    • If you are not connected to the Hypergrid: 
    • visit Nara's Nook and find out how to join Nara's virtual writer's colony.

    Related

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    News and Notes

    The Hypergrid WIP Show

    • The Hypergrid WIP is a one hour "show & tell" of works in progress or recently completed. 
    • Everyone is invited.  Building, scripting, promotion, entertainment-- whatever you are working on.
    • Selby will be doing test video capture of presentations in voice.  These may be posted on YouTube.
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    • Presentations are in voice and text.  
    • For text presentations, best bring the text in a notecard and paste it into chat.  
    • Voice presentations may be captured in video.  
    • Stills and videos from the show may appear in this blog and elsewhere.

    Next WIP show

    • Next WIP show: Sun. May 14 Noon SLT 
    • Cookie II location (fourth Sunday of the month)
    • Cookie II location (fourth Sunday of the month)
    • HG address below: paste into the World Map next to Find. Click Find, TP
    • grid.kitely.com:8002:Cookie II 
    • in Kitely: paste into Nav (top) bar of Firestorm, Enter.
    • hop://grid.kitely.com:8002/Cookie II/68/369/22
    • Pandora Location: (second Sunday of the month)
    • Pandora allows presenters to run high threat OSSL functions.
    • world.narasnook.com:8900
    • Put the line above in your World Map next to Find.  Click Find. TP
    • At Narasnook, use World Map to search for Pandora

            Previous Articles from the WIP show 

            HG links-- depending on your interests 

            Communities in the virtual worlds

            Radio in the virtual worlds

            Metaverse beginner help

                                  Schools in virtual worlds


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