Video Lives Forever - Part 3

Here I conclude my slightly trashy tale. Again, it was a writing exercise. I blame the mainstream media. Or something. Oh wait, I know, I blame the internet! I learned it from watching you!*

*This story contains strong language, hangovers, staring and something that might rate it a PG-13.

Video Lives Forever - Part 2

This is a continuation of last week's story. Again, I have little to no excuse. It was just a writing exercise!*

*This story contains strong language, drinking, university politics and things left unsaid.

Video Lives Forever - Part 1

I don't have an adequate excuse for this one. A few years ago some friends and I all decided to see if we could write a story based on the line, 'I'm not a porn star.'

I guess I could say everyone was doing it. That's a pretty good excuse. This is the first part. There are two more (short) sections to follow.*

*This story contains strong language, adult situations (what's between PG-13 and R?) and university politics.

Derby Girls - Epilogue

Mayhem vs Bombshells, originally uploaded by Jenn Platt.

One more derby picture for the last derby story.

Madame Secretary finally made it home, but some of her problems have followed her across the river.

Derby Girls - Part 6

nice arches, originally uploaded by Jenn Platt.

This picture is actually related to this installment. If by related I mean that editing this piece at work led to a discussion about whether or not a doorway from one room to another could be rightfully called a doorway when there isn't a door (when an archway must include an arch to be an archway). Thus making a picture of arches completely related.

Right. Back to Madame Secretary before I lose anyone else.

She escaped the river for a nice residential block full of dark shadows, barking dogs, and the neighborhood watch. She might have been better off in the water.

Derby Girls - Part 5

This is a genuine Toronto black squirrel.

But that has nothing to do with roller derby or Madame Secretary.

When we last left Slaughter she was sinking fast. Now she's at the end of her reserves and the river might prove the most dangerous foe of the night.*

*Almost as dangerous as my French. Please feel free to point out any errors.

Derby Girls - Part 4

skulls!, originally uploaded by Jenn Platt.

Back from a very brief break (and with a picture that has nothing to do with roller skates), I give you Madame Secretary's next little adventure.

She's escaped custody, but for how long? With less than a minute to reach the checkpoint into the city and the gate cops on her tail it's going to be a tight race.

Derby Girls - Part 3

I think it's clear I am unable to resist the urge to post a derby picture with each installment. Also, this picture has the infamous Hyper Lynx in it. But she doesn't have a taser.

When we last left Slaughter (or Madame Secretary) she was being held by the cops. Now she has to face down interrogation* and hide from an enemy more dangerous than Lynx.

*There's a little German in here. If I've mixed up any words please let me know. German class was a long time ago.

Derby Girls - Part 2

Bondage EMT, originally uploaded by Jenn Platt.

I couldn't resist one more derby picture to go with the continuation of last week's story. Even the medics have great names.

In this week's tale Slaughter is still running from (Hyper) Lynx and the girls with skates and tasers. She may have found a way out, only to land in a different kind of trouble.

Derby Girls - Part 1

Derby Raffle, originally uploaded by Jenn Platt.

Look at those skaters, blurry with speed!

Also the raffle girls have cute outfits.

This story is inspired by (though not at all based on) a roller derby match I saw on Saturday.

And some tasers I borrowed from these Girl Scouts.

Skates, darkness, and a little blood ahead.

Wish

Beatrix Slaughter, originally uploaded by Jenn Platt.

This week's story has nothing (sadly) to do with this picture taken at the Gotham Girls Roller Derby match. If it did I would have had to come up with puns at least as good as the derby names and I wasn't sure I could top Beatrix Slaughter and Hyper Lynx (#404).

Instead I present a story about a character who has become very good at making excuses for people when what she really wants to do is hip check them into the stands. Maybe it does have a little bit to do with roller derby after all.

And just for fun, here's a clip from the Bronx Gridlock vs The Queens of Pain.

Rhythm

fallout, originally uploaded by Jenn Platt.

This week's photo is of one of my favorite signs. Signs like this one were on half the buildings in my old neighborhood. Walking to the subway I would imagine what the area would be like after the end of the world. Which led to some strange ideas about fighting with giant roaches for food and befriending mutated black squirrels from the park.

This week's story was inspired by the same neighborhood, but without the radiation.

Fire, blood and imagination ahead.

A Smoking Gun

This week's story came from the above picture. I just had to know why it looked like her blouse was on fire. Along the way I found some mutants, an underground video game market, and the real reason subway trains stop so often in the tunnels.

Ghost

purple legs, originally uploaded by Jenn Platt.

This week's story has almost nothing to do with this week's picture. If I really stretch I could say that the legs look disembodied. That's sort of ghostly. Isn't it?

The story is playtime for some characters from a much longer piece. Pilots, pretentious art critics, and ghosts ahead.

The Disguise

This story is based on a customer that used to come in (to a bookstore café I worked in many years ago) and order large decaf double depth charges every night. That's two shots of decaf espresso in a large decaf coffee. He always paid out of the wallet he had tucked in his motorcycle helmet.

Portal

When I was seven years old I saw the movie Howard the Duck. And when I say 'saw' I mean watched obsessively on HBO for months because it was the only thing on and it had a talking duck and guitars. Also there was a crazy monster that came through a hole in space.

I blame the movie for a dream I had many years later during a really high fever. I was sitting up in bed trying to breath through my blocked up nose and get to sleep. I must have already been asleep because the light fixture in my ceiling opened up and a monster with a lot of teeth and tentacles came out. I thought maybe I should move. Get out of it's way before it fell on the bed. Somehow it didn't feel very urgent. Luckily I woke up before it fell on me.

So this story is based a little on my dream and a little on a stop motion animation monster fighting a talking duck.

Perfect

This post was unavoidably postponed due to a severe cold and my inability to do anything but huddle on the sofa and watch Batman cartoons all day.

Don't be surprised if a Mad Hatter makes an appearance soon.

For this week's story we have a perfect world.  Maybe a little too perfect.

Turned Around

This is a little something in keeping with the season. The challenge was to write a story with only dialogue. The rest you have to fill in on your own.