Dangerous Kids' Games

Hmm, David wants us to use an object around us to design a kids' game that might go horribly awry. I look around and see the following items:

• huge, plastic trash can
• easel
• big, round tables
• coffee mug
• laptop
• thumbtacks
• chairs
• salt and pepper shakers
• water fountain
• fake tree

Kids' game? Okay, I'm at a loss. I don't usually invent kids' games; that's Wes's domain. I just take kids to the hospital later--no, not really.

I flounder, wanting to invent a funny, scary game, but my mind refuses.

I check my watch: 9:15. Hmm, twenty to thirty minutes of writing time stretches before me. Hmm, what to write? I sip my coffee; it's lukewarm at best.

"Stop whining," I tell myself. Words usually flow during freewrite time. Not today. Today I sigh and look for ideas, for words, for humor, for cleverness, all of which elude me. Today skitters away, refusing to let me focus on it. I look beyond today, to tomorrow, to the closing ceremonies, to the luncheon, to fall semester when we try to keep the community going.

Here's my contribution to the community. I want to take charge of Write Nights by Blackwater Writing Project, one night a month when we gather and write, perhaps at Hildegard's if the music isn't too loud or maybe at Starbucks or The Daily Grind, somewhere comfortable to sit and write. Maybe we can move Write Nights from town to town to encourage more participation. Ooh, it would be cool to always do it somewhere with Internet access--Hildegard's has that. Then we can post the topic to the blog for the people who can't come to wherever we're holding it. I like that idea. Even if we move around from town to town, we should stay in Valdosta every other month since we have more Valdosta people in BWP than we have people in other towns. Also, I know that we have Internet acess in at least one place here.

What night would be best for Write Nights? I'd rather not do it on the weekend. It's a professional activity, so I'd like to schedule it during the week. Wednesday nights won't work. Monday nights people may be too stressed about the week ahead. Thursday nights might be the best nights, but I would have to miss it occasionally when I travel to conferences. I'm sure someone else would step forward to bring a writing prompt.

Okay, that's the plan: freewriting for one night a month. I'll double check what night is best, but it will be the second Thursday of every month or the first Thursday of every month--something like that. Yay! I have a plan.