On Writing for Viva
Challenge #2 Tag You’re It!
This is my response to James and Oneg's "Tag, You're It" challenge. It is the second in their Summer Writing Challenge Extravaganza.
As is stated in Oneg's entry Pick a Vocal community and tag/nominate another writer to write a poem or 100-word micro fic about it BUT you only have 15 minutes to write!
I have been challenged to write about the Viva community. This is my, uh, micro.
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The wannabe writer sat staring at the screen. Her fingers parked firmly on the keyboard, she wondered how she could possibly complete the assigned task in the time frame she was given.
As she continued to gaze, mindlessly, at her laptop, she chided herself for her inability to form one intelligent thought on the subject of Women. Why should this be so difficult? After all, she is a woman. She should know them inside out.
That’s when the “aha” moment came. Of course, she knew about women.
From the teasing of schoolboys to the catcalling from socially awkward men. From first periods to relationships to menopause. All the enlightenment of getting to know her true self and her true worth, and all the degradation of being made to feel that she is somehow “less” because of her gender. She knew all of it.
The problem was it was never something she considered sharing. It never occurred to the writer that her insight or her feelings would matter to anyone. She asked herself why that was, and even still, she didn’t have an answer.
She wondered if some parasitic remnants of a time when “children should be seen and not heard” morphed into “you don’t know anything about that, you’re a woman,” were stubbornly clinging like leeches to the life of her past.
As she sat, still staring at the blank screen, fingers still frozen in place, she felt a smile form on her lips when she noticed the sparkle in her reflection on the monitor. The writer typed the first few words…
Once upon a time, there was a girl named Cathy…
*Yes, I can count. I know this is way more than 100 words. Blame Oneg! They didn't tell me about the word count until after I wrote my piece, and being the stubborn Newf that I am, I refuse to change it. (Sticks tongue out at, or gives the middle finger to Oneg.)
About the Creator
Cathy holmes
Canadian family girl with a recently discovered love for writing. Other loves include animals and sports.
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Very well written. Keep up the good work!
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More stories from Cathy holmes and writers in Fiction and other communities.
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If this is how sobriety feels, maybe it’s better to go through life a little buzzed… this, along with other hits like, I want to kill myself, I wish I was dead, and I’m going to throw myself off a bridge have been the only thoughts on rotation these past few days. I promise myself that if, in a month, I still feel like this (‘this’ meaning despondent, full of rage, and simultaneously numb) I can go back to smoking. Until mid-February though? Nicotine is off the table.
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Comments (12)
I feel almost sad that this this one passed me by, but then I am very hit and miss with challenges.
Phenomenal work Cathy!
My favorite thing about this is the pov and your voice! Clever way to spark the writing flow…sometimes all you need is a meta moment! Great entry!
I loved to hear your voice in this fun piece. Well done 😍
How the hell did you do this in 15 minutes? I too like the writer would have been so lost at first but unlike her, I would have been so lost at the end of 15 minutes 🤣🤣🤣🤣 You are bloody brilliant! And I liked the middle finger LOL!
You stick to your guns, Cathy. Well done.
Wow, you should give yourself 15 minute time limits more often. This stream of consciousness was something every woman can relate to, and also explains why I haven’t written for Viva. You nailed it with this challenge.
Yes!! This was really well put together in 15 minutes...you are a super star!! And I felt this one too. Loved it :)
Well done!
This is BRILLIANT. I don’t know how you wrote such a beautiful and intuitive piece in such a short time. And also, 🤪🤪🤪 f*ck word counts (says the person who made the rules 😂)
Aw, this has all the feels! Definitely such emotion tied up in what it means to be a woman ❤️ Wonderfully done, my friend!
Nice one, enjoy the challenge