Letting myself be silly

As I mentioned last week, I wrote a little story for Natalie Whipple’s contest. What I didn’t mention is that the main characters are a fairy and an elf, and that is SO out of the realm of my normal subject matter.

But I think that was a good thing for me. I approached this abnormality as an exercise and a challenge. To let myself write what I’m not familiar with. To be a little silly. (Which is not to say that all fairy or elf stories are silly, just that I wanted mine to be a little lighter in tone.)

With that in mind, this is the idea that came to me:

Melora (elf) and Linnise (fairy) are Partners. Meaning the Administration has bound them together and given them an assignment. If they don’t complete it, they get incinerated. There is no escaping this. So Linnise would very much like to complete their assignment (which is to find and kill a certain goblin) and then get un-bound and go on her merry way. Melora, on the other hand, would like a puppy.

Okay so… it’s not 100% light. I guess some habits die hard. Anyway, click here if you care to read my short scene. Or click here if you’d rather read the stories that won the contest. The 3rd place entry is hilarious, and the 1st place entry is beautiful.


10 responses to “Letting myself be silly”

  1. Sonja Avatar

    Yours was a cute little story, and it was interesting too. It had potential to be something larger. I like how you hinted around at some other stuff going on in the (non-existent due to length restrictions) back story.

    The winning entry was quite beautiful, as you mention. However, I found its connection to the picture to be tenuous at best and totally absent otherwise.
    .-= • Recent post by Sonja: Quinn’s moral compass =-.

  2. Kimberly Franklin Avatar

    Aww…Kristan, you’re story was great! And funny! The last line was my favorite. : )

    Good job! Isn’t it fun to write stuff outside of our realm, sometimes?

  3. Dara Avatar

    I liked it! It fit the picture more than mine did :) I don’t know why but it’s hard for me to write light-hearted things. I need to try it at some point.
    .-= • Recent post by Dara: Contest Entries =-.

  4. Kristan Avatar

    Sonja-
    Thanks so much! It does have potential… but I’m not sure I have passion for it. Maybe as a longer short someday.

    And yeah, I thought the same thing about the winning entry.

    Kimberly-
    Thanks. :) And yes, haha, I usually put off having to push myself out of my comfort zone, but I almost always find that when I finally buckle down and do it, I really enjoy it! And get a lot out of it.

    Dara-
    Mine technically fit the picture better (the fists on the hips, etc.) but I think yours was more in the spirit. I really liked yours!

  5. Sonja Avatar

    I wasn’t thinking that you would make that short into something longer. I only meant that I liked that aspect of it – that it seemed like part of something larger. You know, I wondered how they got partnered and what other partnerships were like and why goblins had to be killed and what was up with the mother, etc. etc. etc. Not that you should fill in the blanks. Only that it made me think and wonder. And actually, now that I think about it again, the partnership of the elf and the fairy is a pretty interesting idea. Maybe I’ll steal it one of these days. ;)
    .-= • Recent post by Sonja: Quinn’s moral compass =-.

  6. Les Avatar

    How very different for you, I like it (but it’s of course a little more along the lines of stuff I would normally read/write) so I might be a bit biased ;)

    Very cute!
    .-= • Recent post by Les: Back to business =-.

  7. Kristan Avatar

    Heh, that’s true. Thanks! But yours are so beautiful and descriptive! I don’t think I really developed the visuals in this scene.

  8. Kevin Johnson Avatar

    Don’t sell yourself short with a little darkness in more fantastical and creative writing. Remember, Harry Potter, a “children’s” book, is quite dark most of the time. Kids can handle a lot more than given credit for.

    Remember Goosebumps? :)
    .-= • Recent post by Kevin Johnson: A Relic from the Past? =-.

  9. RenaissanceTrophyWife Avatar

    Light and funny! You pulled it off quite well and gave the characters a lot of personality in only 500 words.