Writer's Toolbox Day 5: The Protagonist Game

 
Here's another writing from a long, long time ago (February 2009) that I wrote using The Writer's Toolbox. It was my fifth time "playing" with it. I played the protagonist game and was cut off by the time limit. I still wonder what would have come next.  After the date, I listed the prompts I got from the game. I'm posting it all here to submit to the Write on Edge Weekend Link-up. I hope you enjoy it.

Febraury 19, 2009

Protagonist: Liz who reviews books

Goal: to be young again

Obstacle: Fred, the monster

Action: does research at the library

Every book has its story. Liz knew that every author was trying to say something important to them, but someone has to sort out the good from the bad. "It is not that the story is bad, it is simply that the teller has not yet found the right voice," is what she would always say. For twenty-three years Liz has reviewed books for The Chronicle and as she attempted to rip open a new shipment from Scolar Publishing she felt her age weigh upon her - the arthritis was taking its toll on her hands. Liz wished for her youth once again as she rubbed her hands together in a moot attempt to loosen her joints. Luckily, she didn't really need those joints to read, Father Time hadn't figured out yet how to steal that joy from her yet.


After pulling a knife from her drawer to open the package, Liz was surprised to find only one book enclosed. She checked the packing slip to find out which agent had taken so much time to ship only one book - she was used to four or five at a time. On the printed slip there was no agent identified, but inside the box was another piece of paper with some writing on it:

Dearest Liz,
I do hope this book finds you well.
I have an extreme amount of respect for your literary opinion.
I think it is high time that you read the enclosed publishing...
Please take your time with it, this book will change your life.
Respectfully Yours,
Fred

While it was not uncommon for an agent to enclose a private note to a reviewer, the tone of this note seemed off. In all of Liz's experience, she was never asked by an agent to take her time - agents wanted reviews, especially good ones, at lightning speed. They wanted their author to be written about, buzzed about and most of all they wanted quotes for their dust jackets. She also didn't remember anyone by the name of Fred over at Scolar, so it seemed odd that he would think they should be on a first name basis. Besides his off-putting delusion of grandeur, "this book will will change your life," Liz had to hand it to this mysterious Mr. Fred - he had intrigued her. She decided it was high time for her to read this publishing, so she set off to the kitchen to make her ceremonial first cup of tea for beginning any book.

Liz turned off her phone, grabbed her softest throw blanket, turned on her favorite reading lamp next to the edge of her couch and set down her tea on her coasters from Italy, inset with Morano glass. "Okay, Mr. Fred," she began as she set the book on her lap while taking another sip of her tea, "this had better be worth it."

She began with a survey of the cover, it was not much to look at yet, but she knew better to judge the entirety of the book by its pre-first edition cover. The title, The Lost Time, was simple, and not quite telling and the fact that it was written by Abernathie Stone told even less. Liz suddenly became weary of this entire experience - an unknown author solicited by an unknown agent toting that this book would change her life - Liz fought off the negative vibes she was feeling, and decided to dive right in.

On the first page, there was a quote from the American author Carl Sandburg:

"Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you."
~Carl Sandburg