Thank you. That was lovely!
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| Drabble Challenge - Questioning http://www.the-cbb.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=5866 |
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| Author: | ChubbyMonkey [ 24 Mar 2009, 18:15 ] |
| Post subject: | Drabble Challenge - Questioning |
Written for the drabble challenge, and posted under direct orders to do so. - X - Jo turned it over, glanced incuriously at the monogram on the back, and then slit it open. A typewritten sheet dropped out, and she unfolded it, wondering what it could be. Two seconds later, Madge was startled into a violent jump by a wild yell from her sister. “Joey! What on earth is the matter?” she demanded. Then she dropped the letter that she was holding, and sprang to the girl’s side. “Jo! What’s wrong? Tell me this instant!” Jo raised dazed black eyes to her face. “Oh, Madge! Oh, Madge!” ”Joey, what is it? Tell me at once before I shake you!” In answer, Joey pressed the letter into Madge’s hands, her face pale apart from her eyes, watery pools of deep black that stared anxiously at her sister’s face. But then, when she saw Madge’s face fall, she knew that she hadn’t misread the jumbled black print which had jumped off of the page at her. She gave a tiny sob. Then, before Madge could catch her, she ran from the room, unable to stay. Without really knowing where she was going, she ended up in the garden. Enough sense had come back to her to know that she mustn’t be out in the heat without her hat, and so she retired under the shady boughs of a tree, hands still shaking from the shock. She had expected it to be rejected, of course she had, and had, in truth, nearly forgotten that she had sent it. But, despite all of this, and her feigned nonchalance to this date, it had been a blow to hear that they rejecting her precious book. She couldn’t help but think that there must be some good reason why her book wasn’t being published. There had to be something about it, something she had done wrong, some point where she wasn’t good enough. Or perhaps all of it had been such an abysmal failure that they hadn’t even finished reading it. Perhaps it was her; perhaps, despite what everyone said, she wasn’t cut out to be a writer. She had always been told that she was so brilliant; she had won a prize in the competition, hadn’t she? And while Madge might be nicer to her than strictly necessary about her writing, she couldn’t see many of the others not saying what they felt. She couldn’t help but be reminded of Malvina, though. ‘Malvina Wins Through’ had been her first serious attempt at writing, and even she had ended up hating it. Why shouldn’t Cecily have been any different? Was it just that she wasn’t supposed to be an author? Had she overestimated her own ability? Was she so conceited that she thought she could write a novel, when really she could do nothing of the sort? Or was it just the genre; would she be better at writing her historical novel? Would she find success somewhere else? No, she couldn’t possibly. If they rejected Cecily, after she had put her heart and soul into it, nothing else she wrote would meet their standards, either. Her wretched thoughts were broken off by the gate opening to admit Dr Jem and Dr Jack. They came over to ask if she was ok and, in Jem’s case, remind her that that was her last clean dress and she would be better not to get grass stains on it. She mumbled something but, when Jem also reminded her about proper English, sighed and explained, “My book got rejected from the publishers.” Jack sat down next to her, while Jem, taking the hint, went to find his wife. Joey looked up at the doctor she had known so long and, despite herself, smiled a little. Slowly she began to make a daisy chain, unable to meet his eyes after this initial contact. He watched her in silence for a little while, until she broke it. “Do you think that I would make a good authoress? Honestly?” “Yes,” said Jack slowly, his head on one side. He considered her, but could see that she needed cheering up, and so added, “You’re good at knowing how other people are feeling, and combined with that you have a writing style of your own. I’m not just saying that because I like you, either.” “It’s just so difficult,” replied Jo quietly, piercing another daisy stalk. “I was so sure that Cecily was good, that I’d written the best novel I possibly could. If they reject that then how can I ever write anything publishable?” “I don’t know,” confessed Jack, getting out his pipe. He was watching her all of the time, and his eyes softened as he saw her struggling to hold back tears. If it was a rare thing for Joey to talk about herself, it was even rarer for her to cry, and she would certainly scorn doing it in front of him. In the end he decided to say what he thought. “I think that you can, and so do a lot of other people that have read your work, but none of us are experts in the field, either. You must remember that you have lead a very sheltered life until now; you need time to branch out and have new life experiences. Maybe you should try writing in a different genre, or for a different audience. All I know is that God has given you a brilliant gift, and He will find a way for you to use it.” Another minute of silence convinced him that he had said everything he could say to her, and so he stood up, brushed himself down and prepared to go. He hadn’t gone more than a few steps, though, when a hand on his arm made him turn back. Joey was blushing, but all the same she slipped the daisy chain over his neck and smiled at him. “Thankyou.” “No problem,” he replied, taking her hands in his own. “Just promise me you’ll buck up; moping doesn’t suit your style of beauty, you know.” She chuckled, dashed a hand across her eyes, and began to walk into the house with him, already slightly cheered by his words. |
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| Author: | JB [ 24 Mar 2009, 19:40 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Drabble Challenge - Questioning |
Poor Joey. I wonder what she'll decide to write or what life experiences she'll try. Hint, hint. I love Joey and Jack drabbles that show their friendship between Joey leaving school and the pair of them becoming engaged. Thanks, Chubby Monkey. |
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| Author: | Liz K [ 24 Mar 2009, 19:44 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Drabble Challenge - Questioning |
Nice one, Chubby Monkey, thank you. |
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| Author: | Lexi [ 24 Mar 2009, 20:38 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Drabble Challenge - Questioning |
That was lovely, thank you. |
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| Author: | Nightwing [ 24 Mar 2009, 20:42 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Drabble Challenge - Questioning |
Thanks ChubbyMonkey - am I allowed to say that this was one of my requests? Because it was, and your drabble was absolutely perfect! I love Jack's encouragement, but in truth I imagine that everyone goes through this moment when they get their first book rejected - and I'm sure Jo is strong enough to give it another go. |
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| Author: | Alison H [ 24 Mar 2009, 23:32 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Drabble Challenge - Questioning |
That was brilliant! It's horrible when you get any sort of rejection, but it was far more likely to happen that way than that her book'd get accepted straight off - and how lovely that Jack was there to help her deal with it. |
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| Author: | blue1 [ 24 Mar 2009, 23:51 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Drabble Challenge - Questioning |
Thank you. That was lovely!
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| Author: | Elbee [ 25 Mar 2009, 10:03 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Drabble Challenge - Questioning |
I'm sure that was more realistic than getting her first book immediately accepted! I like the way Jack was able to comfort her. Thanks, ChubbyMonkey. |
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| Author: | Abi [ 25 Mar 2009, 23:08 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Drabble Challenge - Questioning |
Poor Joey, even if she wasn't expecting to be accepted it would have been horrible. Still, I can't see her tamely giving up. And lovely Joey-Jack moment there! |
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| Author: | Miss Di [ 27 Mar 2009, 03:47 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Drabble Challenge - Questioning |
That was really well done, and like everyone else I loved the Joey Jack interaction. |
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| Author: | Mia [ 27 Mar 2009, 13:56 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Drabble Challenge - Questioning |
So sweet, thank you. |
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| Author: | Fiona Mc [ 28 Mar 2009, 13:23 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Drabble Challenge - Questioning |
Thanks, that was really good |
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