Friday 9 March 2012

#RomanticFridayWriters - Challenge No 33 - My Vignette - I Love You Because...

Hello there!

Does reading books inspire you? Of course it does. I've been reading Tony Davis' 'F. Scott, Ernest and Me,' a rollicking tale of an Aussie writer heading to Paris to write his Great Australian Novel, but ends up writing about Paris instead. Ah, that Grande Dame is a seductress...Anyhow, I thought, great idea for the current RomanticFridayWriter prompt - I Love You Because. I could just imagine a girlfriend languishing while the Great Unpublished Novelist heads off to the delights of Paris without a moment's consideration for her. Therein lies my little tale, vignette, whatever. I hope you enjoy it...


While His Guitar Gently Weeps


He lay in the hammock strumming his guitar, the notes weeping to the ground.
‘I love you, Ernest,’ Zora whispered from where she lay under the tree, watching his foot dancing in the air. 
Regret smote his heart, but he was determined to remain steadfast.
‘I must go, my darling Zora. I must write my novel, my magnum opus.’
‘Plenty of people write novels in Australia, my darling, at least one or two. Think Peter Carey and er, well, why can’t you stay?’
She caught his foot and kissed it, washing it with her tears.
Discordant notes crashed around her. She jerked upright, banging her head on his bottom. ‘Tim Winton! He’s the other one!’
‘You temptress. You would have me stay, but I must go forth to where the giants of twentieth-century literature have gone before me. I must find my true voice in the city where Ernest found his and F. Scott wrote between drinks.’
Happy notes plunked on the air.
‘Are you going to live in a garret and starve? Will you find inspiration in the towers, arches, domes and flying buttresses?’
‘I’m not approaching my novel from a standing start, my sweet Zora. I’ll have you know I had a poem published in a literary anthology once, and a major publisher showed interest when I pitched my YA vampire idea just five years ago. I framed the note from the editor.’
‘But Ernest, that’s hardly in the realm of Hemingway and Fitzgerald. They were prolific! You’re such a dreamer. I fear you will be greatly disappointed. And the money it will cost! Where’s that coming from?’
Da…da…da…deah,’ he sang. ‘I’ve sold the music shop.’
‘What! What about me? I’m the manager! Why?’
‘Because it was keeping me from my higher ambition. I awarded myself an arts grant. With my monumental literary idea, I’ll tackle the task of producing something that will outlive me, that will fly beyond the towers, the arches, the domes and flying buttresses.’ He tinkled the strings.
‘Ernest, all you have in common with Hemingway is his Christian name. I blame your parents for putting ideas of literary grandeur in your head at birth. I love you because you’re you!’
‘It’s going to be a tour de force, my pièce de résistance, a work of greatness. Just you wait and see…’
He lay in the hammock strumming the guitar, the notes laughing to the skies.


 ©DeniseCovey2012


WORD COUNT: 407
FCA - Full Critique Acceptable.

Click on the names below to read more stories and poems.





52 comments:

JANU said...

Who can understand the heart of a writer? Nicely penned.

Anonymous said...

Great scene setting. It conjours Virginia Wolf's era for me for some reason.

Unknown said...

Poor girl! If he really loved her, he would ask her to follow him to Paris and share his adventure. But he doesn't even see her. I feel sorry for her.
Well done!
Best wishes,
Anna
Anna's RFWers Challenge No.33 'I love you because...'

Talei said...

Ah, regret. I feel he may be moving on from his dear Zora. Alas, the life of a writer, one must keep moving - and writing, right? Lovely piece my dear! ;)

Jai Joshi said...

Sounds like a cautionary tale against delusions of grandeur! Poor Zora, she's got her work cut out for her with this one.

Jai

Francine Howarth said...

Hi,

Hee hee, why do I get the feeling he's going nowhere!? That he's a dreamer and drifter, forever on the cusp of writing but never actually putting pen to paper with E(a)rnest intent! ;)

Loved it...

best
F

Jemi Fraser said...

Time for Zora to write her own book! :)

Botanist said...

OK, I laughed out loud at the ‘I’ve sold the music shop’ bit. Was I supposed to? :)

dolorah said...

I like the inherent sarcasm when Zora asked if he'd live in a garrett and starve :) What a dreamer he is.

Such a lovely, poetic voice in this Denise. I could see him languishing there in the hammock, strumming his guitar and dreaming of his greatness. And Zora told him "I love you because" through out her reasoning with him.

Poor girl, losing her love, her employment, and her hopes. Why do we love a dreamer :)

........dhole

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Denise .. Poor Zora .. I think Donna says it all .. and Jemi's idea .. yes, lots of ways of looking at this .. great post and I loved it - cheers Hilary

Sarah Tokeley said...

Awww, Zola loves Ernest and Ernest loves ... Ernest. Or at least the romantic idea of novelist Ernest. She'll never win :-(

PK HREZO said...

Nice writing style. Awesome verb usage! Well done, Denise. :)

N. R. Williams said...

Hi Denise
The title, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, has been playing in my head for two days. Does that me we have a psychic connection? (Just kidding.)I absolutely loved this story. You captured the heart of a dreamer and a selfish man while reminding the reader of great writers that a so-so writer compared himself to favorably. This is not an exclusive trait held just by writers.

At the end, we see the heart of a true hero. She uttered her hope in one line and was shut down. How often do we do the same in our youth. Both my girls are always coming to me with their woes over the insignificant choice they've made.

Well done.
Nancy

The Poet said...

Hello.
I know for me, nothing could keep me from the one I love. Poor Zora...unemployed & in love with a soon-to-be-gone selfish dreamer! Nice scene setting & conversation.
Thanks for sharing.

Adura Ojo said...

What a cruel selfish man and a dreamer too...the worst combination. I bet he'd come crawling back in a year after he's spent all the money from the shop sale on his silly half-baked dreams.

I hope she doesn't dream of talking him back when he comes begging!

Really nice flow to the storytelling, Denise and great dialogue. You do male voices brilliantly.

Laura said...

Oh yes - the stubborn author's dream! Try dissuading them from dreaming... you're on a hiding to nothing and trying to get in between them and their true love :)
Lovely read
Laura x

Nas said...

Great writing Denise! I feel for poor Zora because she loves him.

It is so good.

Denise Covey said...

Hi Nas! Glad you like it. Yes, I feel sorry for Zora too, but she's better off without him don't you think? D.

Denise Covey said...

Thanks Laura. I'm sure we can all relate on some level. D.

Denise Covey said...

Hah, Adura, why do I do male voices brilliantly? I wonder. Maybe I'm a bit cynical?? Ah, I loved writing this. It's very tongue in cheek. D.

Denise Covey said...

Thanks Andy. Poor Zora. D. I have your new link up on RFW now. D.

Denise Covey said...

Oh Nancy, I love that song and it's how I got my first line of course. Thanks for seeing Zora as the true hero. D.

Denise Covey said...

Thanks PK. Love me an awesome verb. (Hee hee, I learned that from Hemingway!!!) D.

Denise Covey said...

You got it right. Ernest loves Ernest earnestly! D.

Denise Covey said...

Hilary, you're right. Many ways to read this, but of course that is a deliberate ploy on my part. D.

Denise Covey said...

Ah, I love me some sarcasm. Maybe because I'm doing satire atm with my students, lol! (The Importance of Being Earnest!) D.

Denise Covey said...

Hey Botanist, laugh all you want. I like to think I'm funny in a wry sort of way. D.

Denise Covey said...

Ha ha, Jemi. I can just see the subject matter. D.

Denise Covey said...

Ah, the road to nowhere, but he must follow the dream, eh? D.

Denise Covey said...

Yes Jai, a cautionary tale all right. I think it's poor Ernest too. D.

Denise Covey said...

Thanks Talei. Lovely to have you here too. And posting this week! Great stuff. Yes, the life of a writer or a writer wannabe. Well, he might make it if he puts the guitar down...D.

Denise Covey said...

Well Anna, he only loves himself! D.

Denise Covey said...

I love being a reference to one of my heroes. Yah Virginia Woolf! D.

Denise Covey said...

Thanks Janu. D.

Kiru Taye said...

Hi Denise,

I had to laugh out loud when I read this. He sure is a dreamer. Really nice inspiration.

Cheers,
Kiru

Denise Covey said...

Thanks Kiru. D.

Charmaine Clancy said...

Very cheeky and funny! Great fun and a little heartbreaking (I think I've been her).
WaggingTales

The Poet said...

Hello Denise.
Just back for my second reading.
Thanks for correcting my link. <3

Denise Covey said...

Thanks Charmaine. Sorry you've been her! Painful! D.

Margo Benson said...

I love this, Denise! Beautifully written. I think Zora will come to her senses and write a bestseller about a selfish dreamer called Earnest.

Denise Covey said...

Yeah, I can see that Margo. Write about what you know! D.

Golden Eagle said...

I feel sorry for Zora. She's getting pushed aside, even though she obviously cares about him!

Great writing.

Romance Reader said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Romance Reader said...

Meant to say that I love the writing but there's no Happy Ever After? Lol!

Riya

Denise Covey said...

Hi Riya. Romance writing = Happy Ever After, Romantic writing = not necessarily HEA! RomanticFridayWriters is definitely romantic, just an element of...

Denise

Denise Covey said...

Thanks Golden. Yes, but Zora is the strongest person. She'll be victorious. D.

Romance Reader said...

Thank you Denise for clarifying the HEA- for me! Lol! For me as I'm always looking for HEA!

Talli Roland said...

Oh, I love that last line! How poetic.

Diane Fordham said...

Well done! I enjoy reading. Short stories and novels opens up the world to other writer's styles.. what works and what doesn't work. I've learned a lot from reading! :-)

Denise Covey said...

Thank you Talli. D.

Denise Covey said...

Thanks for your kind comments Diane. I'm glad you enjoyed it:) D.

Anonymous said...

I'm laughing with the notes too, Sis! I LOVE the I guess what you'd call satirical humor. Ah yes, those famous authors "did their thing" in Paris and elsewhere. Men! Sometimes women too!!

Can't find a thing "wrong" with your take on the self-centered "dreamer." He sold the music shop?! I'd leave the bum. But you're right when you say, above, that she's strong. She'll survive!! And, I suspect, will be much more successful than he ever will be in whatever she chooses to do!!

I came over from your email, which I'll be replying to soon. Today's my day to try to catch up on blogging.
Ann Best, Author of In the Mirror & Other Memoirs