Green Room Drabble....

[concertigrossi]

This is a trick a friend of mine turned me on to ages ago. The theory is that, when you're blocked, take the characters and write something, anything with them, just to get yourself started. It worked pretty well on the story I was writing at the time, so I'm introducing the conceit here, just for fun. :)

The Green Room. It’s an elegantly-appointed virtual space on ConcertiGrossi’s computer. There’s an extensive library, a full kitchen and bar, and an entertainment center with a very nice flat-screen TV. A schedule is posted on the door, detailing when The Author expects to be working on which scenes, and which characters she’ll need to be present for each session. Currently, the couch and chair are occupied by Admiral Norrington and Lady Chalfont. Caroline is unconsciously humming, but not quietly enough.

“Please stop. I can’t bear that song one more time.” grumbled James.
“It’s not my fault! I can’t get it out of my head!”
“I warned you about the modern music. Of all the horrible, off-key caterwauling I’ve ever heard…”
Theo came in. “Is everything all right?”
“I have a song stuck in my ear, and it’s driving James up the wall.”
Theo grinned. “Is it... Ma-ia-hii..?”
She grinned right back. “Ma-ia-huu…”
They started singing together. “Ma-ia-haa… Ma-ia-HAHA!”
James put his head in his hands as Caroline and Theo got up and started dancing enthusiastically.

“Vrei sa pleci dar nu ma, nu ma iei,
Nu ma, nu ma iei, nu ma, nu ma, nu ma iei.
Chipul tau si dragostea din tei,
Mi-amintesc de ochii tai!”

“You two look spastic, dancing to that, I hope you realize….”

(If you don't know the song, go to YouTube and search for Navy Numa Numa. Watch it twice. Now just try to get the tune out of your head, I dare you.)

Comments

[rexluscus.livejournal.com]

Just reading about it got it stuck in my head all over again. Damn you. :)

[concertigrossi.livejournal.com]

Misery loves company. :)

[pink-siamese.livejournal.com]

GREEN ROOM! GREEN ROOM! Oh my God...someone else knows about the green room! ::does jig of joy::

[concertigrossi.livejournal.com]

?

Is that a common trick? I've never taken any creative writing courses.. I figured my friend called it that because we were both theater geeks. :)

[pink-siamese.livejournal.com]

I don't know if it's common, but I know there's a green room in my head, and my characters talk to me and to each other while waiting in it for me to write something. I'm just glad I'm not the only one who has this...problem?

I hung with the theatre geeks in high school, so maybe that's where I get it from.

[concertigrossi.livejournal.com]

:) Well, there's me, and my friend, so that makes three of us.

And it's SO hard to explain to other people. "The characters talk to you. Really. And what drugs have we taken lately?"

It's not my fault they have minds of their own.

[pink-siamese.livejournal.com]

They do have minds of their own! I swear, I let them do all the work for me. If I had to sit down and think up each individual word of dialogue, I would've given up on writing long ago: way too much work. Of course the flip side is the green room, where you have Norrington and Beckett and whoever else all talking to each other, dancing to Justin Timberlake, or peeking over your shoulder and offering commentary while you're busy with everyday life. I've thought about writing 'green room fics' so many times, just to purge the really silly shit.

[concertigrossi.livejournal.com]

Thanks. :) They're fun to write, and it helps get the silliness out, when that's a problem.

It's all good! Don't worry about it. I know you guys have lives. :)