Let's do another show don't tell exercise. In an earlier post, I asked you to tell us something about a character by showing something in his or her home. If you haven't done this and want to, I would love to see what you come up with.
This time, I want you to tell us something about a character by describing either what's inside her purse or what's inside his wallet. Have fun.
In my book, I described a character's purse as having the gittery word PRINCESS across it. These are fun excercises Buffy.
ReplyDeleteFrank opened the blue Velcro wallet he had rescued from someone’s trash can last year. Nothin’ left but the dirty dime he had found on the sidewalk in front of the soup kitchen that morning. He pulled out the Chinese fortune he had tucked inside the coin compartment. The one from the cookie he had found by the courthouse bench. Every once in a while he’d read it. Remind him that there was hope. It read: Good things come to those who wait. Well, Frank thought. I’ve been waitin’ my entire life and the only thing I have to show for it is a lousy dime that some stranger dropped — not even enough for a fuckin’ cup of coffee. He spit on the sidewalk. A fuckin’ dime and a damn fortune that’s not worth shit, he thought. He slipped the dime into his pocket and tossed the Velcro wallet into the trash.
ReplyDeleteDirty Sally watched from the corner of the building. After Frank walked away, she dug deep into the can and pulled out the wallet. She found the fortune and read it then tucked it back inside the wallet and walked away.
oh, I like that, Buffy! Very intruiguing.
ReplyDeleteHere's mine:
Tonight she had a beaded purse instead of her back back, heels instead of sneakers, and diamonds instead of pearls dangling from her ears. Inside her purse, surrounded by white satin, were a few necessities: Burt's Bees, a package of tissues, a comb, mints, and matches, the wooden kind. Missing were the extra pair of jeans rolled up in the bottom of her back pack, her headset tucked into its cushioned pouch, lipstick, hairspray, and a box of blackberry kashi bars.
Evie retrieved her small bag. She was reminded yet again of how different she was from other women. They all seemed to have so much to carry with them; such large, deep, decorative purses. Many accentuated their outfits or stood out in one way or another.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, her little black blag only held a wallet, cell phone and notebook. How pathetic was that? What does that say about me, she wondered.
Awesome posts guys. This is soooo much fun. I love reading your posts. Thanks so much for participating.
ReplyDeleteJoyce doesn't have a purse. She has a small white paper bag. In it she has her school uniform, just one because that's all she has, a nightie, a pair of wool socks, a pair of knickers, a hairbrush (that she shares with her sister), a toothbrush and a hanky...She really should have a church dress, an anarack (sp?) and a pair of slippers, but they were ruined...
ReplyDeleteNice Sharon. I love that you didn't give her a purse but a small white paper bag. That's thinking outside of the box:)
ReplyDelete