The Storyteller and the Princess

I went away at the weekend - I went on my third visit to Scargill House.

(You can read about my first and second visits by clicking on these links - Holy Mess and Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey)

This particular visit was for a special writing weekend organised in conjunction with the Association of Christian Writers.

While away I wrote absolutely NOTHING, but that's a whole other story.

However we were asked to bring a short piece of writing about us and as fairytales seem to be my favourite genre at the moment I wrote this story.

The Storyteller and The Princess


Once upon a time there was a Storyteller who crafted a marionette with blue grey eyes and golden hair. She liked to believe she was a princess – well she was given the name Sarah so that’s pretty much the same thing! 

The Storyteller travelled the land performing tales for those who would listen. The Princess loved all his stories but preferred the fairy tales best of all and wherever they went she was always searching for her very own happy ever after. 

One day they rode to the north east of the Kingdom. It was a strange land with fire breathing dragons that lit up the night sky and wild raging seas that stole their breath away. The Storyteller and his favourite creation were welcomed and the decision was made to stay.

The princess was particularly overjoyed at this because she had met a clockwork engine driver who had set her heart a flutter.

One day engine driver sent her a note

Would you like to go out to dinner - no strings

“Papa, please can I go?” She begged the Storyteller.

He nodded, He had engineered their meeting and this was part of his plan.

“With no strings?” she pleaded.

Her father looked at her, all grown up now but not really worldly wise, he worried she’d get hurt but the time had come to let her go. He knew the clockwork man to be hardworking, good and honest so he gave them his blessing.

In return after they married the Storyteller was invited to live with them in their new home and together they created two perfect little clockwork princes’, blonde haired, blue eyed and absolutely adorable (most of the time).

Despite the ups and downs of everyday ordinary non fairytale life the Princess often believed she had at last found the happy ending she’d searched so long and hard for.

However one day she returned home to find that her clockwork husband had wound down, no matter how much she turned the key to wind him up again she couldn’t get his heart to tick. 

She looked to the Storyteller but he sadly shook his head, the main spring had snapped making the clockwork mechanism irreparable.

“It’s not fair,” she shouted stamping her feet before slumping to the floor in an unravelling puddle.

Moved to tears the storyteller tenderly lifted her up and surveyed her torn and tattered heart. It would take a lot of careful mending to repair it fully, for now he decided to patch it up with scraps of rainbows each piece a promise that he would write her a new happy ending … one day!

easily distracted

My intention was to write about my writing today.  The title was planned - “____ words” - blank to be filled in later as appropriate – I was certainly hoping for a decent 4 figure number.

The morning was extremely productive as I read through unravelling-edges making notes.  I have the structure of my proposed book sorted, taking tips from Stephanie Butland and the writing workshop I attended last November.  There is a beginning, middle and another beginning (my story has not yet ended and I’m leaving space for volume two - re-ravelling!) with planned chapter titles.

I felt like a proper writer, occasionally popping downstairs for another biscuit or cup of tea, some chocolate coins for inspiration, merrily scribbling away in my pyjamas.

Then I thought I’d better get dressed to eat my lunch.

I started watching a new DVD as I ate but was strong enough to switch that off to head back to the laptop full of resolve.

That’s when I got seriously distracted…

Not the normal, let’s check Facebook, have I got any emails, how are my blog stats today?

No this was full scale distraction and it started so innocently.

I have been tentatively looking at a free dating website.  I have worked out you can look at 9 pages of mini profiles with photos before you HAVE to register properly.   So far I’ve not seen anyone who really stood out, no one worthy of taking the next leap for.

Maybe another site would have the man of my dreams?

Ooooohhh look you can check your matches for free on this one – I’ve seen the adverts on the telly and they are kind of quirky, if I’ve remembered the right ad - not guarenteed.

I wonder what happens if…

Well curiosity got the better of me and half an hour later I was still answering the questionnaire.  Isn’t that a good sign that they want to know so much about you?

At one point I had to phone a friend – or rather text a few.

“What 4 words would your friends use to describe you?”

I got various answers back which had me giggling and blushing! 

There was a percentage counter in the corner of the page and I eventually reached the magic 100% complete - hurrah!

Then they told you how much it cost per month – oh the price of true love!

I felt slightly conned but still uploaded my picture, well after all this effort why not?

There were some profiles I could look at - was that a tiny spark of interest registering somewhere in my brain, my heart?  It wasn't hunger I'd had a big lunch on top of all that snacking earlier.

I was enticed by the promise of photos - if I paid now, but all my matches live miles away.

Is this a good idea?  I’m still tempted but going to sleep on it.

Although somehow I think I already know my answer ... but You'll have to come back tomorrow for the next instalment.

What’s in a name?

Last week I went to a life writing workshop.  It was run by Stephanie Butland who started her blog bah to cancer when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008 and has achieved the holy grail of turning her writing into a book!

She is an inspiration, encouraging all of us there to keep writing and giving us invaluable hint and tips. 

 

One was to write fewer words than I usually do in my own blog but to write more often. 

So this is my challenge.

With a change of style I decided to completely start afresh with a brand new blog.  I had been toying with the idea anyway.  Now I have survived the first year of widowhood I was considering a new direction for my blogging.

But what to call the new tome? 

Some say the second year is harder than the first, when the reality of life on your own sinks in.  It is also when people can forget your grief and move on to other people’s needs.  After all it’s OVER a year ago – time to pull your socks up and get on with IT.

How about calling the new blog “The difficult second year…”?  Maybe I’ll even add a question mark to the title and not just the question, leaving a hint of indecisiveness, unsure as to what the next twelve months will bring.

“I’ll still need my tissues then?”  Said my friend today when I told her my plans.

Hmmmmm - I pondered!

I don’t want to write depressing stuff, I want this to be more positive. Would "the difficult second year..." turn out to be a self fulfilling prophesy?

"unravelling-edges" was all about coming undone and the blog was an attempt to mend my broken heart.  Stitch up the raw edges and stop it fraying, patching the holes.  A bit of a stop gap to keep from completely falling apart.

Do you remember Bagpuss?  Remember the mice on the mouse organ.

“We will mend it, we will fix it”  They used to squeakily sing, long before Bob the Builder got in on the act.

Well that was the state of my heart when Andrew died, ripped and torn.  For a while it just kept unravelling and needed some serious repair.  The "mice" (my friends and family etc.)  have been at work and it’s being restored. 

 

REpaired, REstored, REnewed, REnovated,  REfurbished,

Instead on unravelling I’m in a state of being re-ravelled!

But this story is no where near finished, I am still "re-ravelling".

Who know's if re-ravelling is even a proper word?

Who knows where this year will take me but at least I have a title and that's a good start.