A Tale of Two Cats, or, Yesterday’s Writers Guild 3rd Sunday Write

Usually I don’t report on the Bloomington Writers Guild “Third Sunday Write” (though sometimes I do, cf. April 15, et al.); they either end up in ideas that translate into stories, in which case it might come up if/when one sells, or otherwise it’s just an exercise, good for me in crafting first-draft poetry or maybe an essay, but more a personal thing than anything worth sharing.  These are sessions in which a facilitator offers prompts or other bits of inspiration for the rest of us to craft into . . . well, something.  At worst still putting words on paper (last month’s, for instance, on ekphrastic writing based on Renoir’s painting “Luncheon of the Boating Party” produced scenes — from at least four of us, each more hilarious than the last — focusing in on a little lap dog fawned on by its mistress at the foreground table.  But you had to be there).

But occasionally it might spawn an essay that, if not usable in itself, might at least still be fun to share.  And so, yesterday afternoon, after some warmup exercises with lists, ca[image error]me this (based on the item “Cat Treats” on one for grocery shopping):

“Well, first there was Wednesday — the first that I think of — whose favorite plaything was her spider collection.  Black plastic spiders with rings attached for wearing on Halloween, but between that and eight legs lots of things for claws to catch, tossing the toy up into the air, it then falling crazily, bouncing who knows where, to pounce on again.

“There were the crickets, too, but these were live ones that came up from the basement, but the problem was they didn’t last long, generally going limp after the first or second toss.  So plastic was far superior for her.

“Wednesday has passed on by now though, possibly to a home in the sky where the crickets last longer, or even the spiders which would themselves lose legs eventually under the pressure of fangs and claws.

“The new cat, Triana, however is more of a practical cat.  She enjoys the crickets, but her trick is that when they’re no longer good for play she eats them.  Thus she will exerci[image error]se, building an appetite, but then instantly sate it.”

So the lesson may be that timed, instantaneous writing exercises are conducive to run-on sentences (the above is presented without being edited).  Or, for what it’s worth, two others at this session also presented essays at least in part concerning cats.