Glimpse of Snippet

I'd had a novel in mind that I wanted to begin working on later in life. I had filed away the idea with the notion that it would take a lot of research to make it work. Then, my creative writing instructor asked that we compile a short story of fiction. I decided that I'd take my novel, tentatively called "Snippet," and just turn it into a short story for the class assignment.

Here's the premise of the short story.

A budding young author finds himself being sued by a host of angry literary professors, due to a possible plagiarism & copy write infringement. His novel, called "Snippet," comes under fire as it becomes a best seller, yet none of the story itself was written by the author. Instead, the author decided to take sections of some of the best literary masterpieces in history and fit them together to create an altogether new story. These snippets, while unrelated, come together in a literary puzzle of sorts and create an epic tale which captures the hearts and minds of readers around the world. The problem arises when an Ivy League university professor questions the legal validity of the novel. Though the author cites each snippet, he may need to justify the overwhelming magnitude of his bibliography and the impact it had on his novel's success.

Remembering Elementary School

I had a memory come back to me that I hadn't recalled for years. I was thinking of a new novel idea and I was reminded of something that I did as a young guy in about 5th grade. My teacher, Mrs. really-hard-to-pronounce-German-name, gave us a spelling word assignment. She told us that we had to use about 10 different spelling words from our list and write a short story which included all of those words.

I don't remember what the words were, but I do remember how much of a wise ass I was and so I decided to use all my brain power to cheat through the assignment without getting in trouble. So, I ended up writing a story about a young man who was in class one day and given an assignment by his teacher much like my own. He was to include the following words. Then I put my spelling list words down. The story ended by stating that the young man didn't quite now how to use them, so he just didn't do the assignment.

When I turned it in, my teacher read it aloud and realized what I had done and smiled. She told me that I was supposed to use them in a story and I explained that I had. My story did in fact include every word she gave me and so I should get a passing grade. She thought it was funny and gave me a passing A, but then the next time she gave a similar assignment, you bet your sweet biscuits that she gave a disclaimer: No writing stories like the one that voidwalker did. (insert my real name for voidwalker).

Any of you have any funny writing stories from your childhood years that bring a smile to your face?

Old Writing

I found this burried deep in the depths of my old writing. I'm not sure what I was going for, but it may have been an attempt at a short story contest or something. Anyway, aside from the grammer problems (yeah, I know I'm terrible) I hope it's somewhat enjoyable.

Here ya go:

Ten seconds felt like eternity to Brandy as she held her grip on the cliff wall. Her heart raced at a dangerous pace, but kept tempo as a surge of adrenaline flew through her body.

“How stupid,” she said to herself as she held tight to the roots jutting out from the cliff wall.

“I knew my love for bugs would get me killed some day; I just figured it would be by a poisonous sting or something,” spoke Brandy as she clawed for a better grip with her other hand. She watched with irony as the beetle, she had leaned over the edge to pickup, crawled along her hand blissfully making its way to a nearby root.

“Shut up Brandy, don’t talk like that,” yelled the young man above her on the cliff’s edge. He fumbled as he took off his belt hoping it was long enough to reach her. “You're gonna be fine, just hold on and stop talking,”

“Why, you afraid my words are going to weigh me down more,” Brandy sarcastically spoke as she glanced over her shoulder to the drop below her. She had never been afraid of heights, but even her nerves of steel were being tested as she hung a few hundred feet from death.

“No, you’re just annoying me, now grab on!” Brian wrapped his end of the belt around his wrist to provide extra support as he dangled Brandy’s salvation in front of her face.

Brandy reached up with one hand and replaced her grip from the root to the belt now hanging in front of her. Slowly Brian lifted with all his strength.

“Geez, could you go any slower Brian,” she asked as she crept up the cliff wall.

“You know,” grunted Brian in between tugs, “I’ve got half a mind to let you go, but then again, I’m no good at lying and I wouldn’t be able to explain my way out of that one.”

Brandy smiled. Even in her current situation, near death as she was, she still appreciated the humor that came from her boyfriend. The two of them had a dynamic that she had never felt before in any relationship. It comforted her as she clenched the belt with all her strength.

“Oh no,” yelped Brian.

“Stop joking around Brian,” chimed the girl as she waited to be lifted, slowly losing her own strength. “Hurry up and pull me, I can’t hold on much longer.”

Nothing was further from the truth, thought Brian as the belt began to slip from his hand suddenly under the pressure of Brandy’s weight.

Without warning, the belt slid out of Brian’s hands and Brandy’s face bore a look of fear as she began falling.

“I love you Brian,” shouted the girl as she plummeted to the rocky floor below. Her body paralleled Brian's spirit as he watched in horror.

It was the first time Brian ever heard those words from her. It was the only time Brandy would say them.