Timewaster's Guide Archive

Hi all, I am a former Cleveland farm boy, who went to school and law school on the east coast and ended up staying there and becoming a corporate attorney.  From a writing perspective, I am a poet first, a song writer second and a story writer third.  As I am too old for American Idol and I was born in the wrong era to make a living as a poet, I have recently been spending more time with short stories and world building exercises (no novels yet, but lots of ideas).  I have no formal training (law school doesn't count), but I am always reading something (mostly science fiction, fantasy and classics).  I am one of the group of readers that will reread entire series of books over and over again (kind of like putting on a comfortable sweater or meeting up with an old friend).   I am looking forward to reading other writer's works and participating.

-Mike  a.k.a. "madelste"

Prompt: Write a five- to ten-page two-character dialogue with no tags or blocking. Try to evoke character, conflict, and plot using only dialogue. Include: a problem, two distinct individuals, a fantasy/sf element. Avoid: long monologues, exposition. Use context, not explanations.

Title:  Two heads are better than one

“That Lavian seemed interested, she had her twelve arms all over you.”

“I don’t like talking to strange creatures in a bar and she was way too touchy-feely.  One, two, three -- Lift!”

“Please.  I saw you staring at her and you did nothing but drink.  We are off work for one night and you just waste it.  You want it here?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.  No!  Don’t try to sit in it, just leave it there.  Lavian consume their lovers during sex, do you really think that would have made for a pleasant evening?  Pass the cutter, please.”

“Here -- but seriously, did you get a good look at her.  If I was interested in letting go, that would be my first choice.”

“You sound like a cliff walker -- letting go -- think about slow digestion.  I need that green wire now.  Thanks.”

“I heard that she secretes a kind of venom that causes amazing hallucinations.  Shouldn't you be connecting the red one to that black one?”

“No, red, green blue and then black -- think about it.  If you are having hallucinations, then you might as well be with a rock.  You wouldn't know it.  Do you have that red book handy?”

“Nah, I left it with Molly at the compound.  Here is the other cutter.  You know, you might want to seriously consider giving that girl a little more attention or someone might take her for himself.”

“Please.  She follows me around like a Karian Mutant, its disgusting.  Did you forget the control device?”

“It’s in the side pocket of the pack.  I don’t think she is disgusting.  Her blond head is rather attractive.”

“What about the grey slime that constantly drools from her green head?  Can you imagine waking up to that every day?  I don’t see it.  Are you sure it is in the pack?  I need it to complete the circuit.”

“Pass it over to me, I’ll get it.  Heads can be replaced.  Give her a nice brown one on her feastday.  She’ll love it.  Wait, I found it.”

“Finally.  Giving her another head isn’t the problem.  How would I ever convince her to give up the green one?  She’d just run along with three heads and I’d get three times the misery.”

“You aren’t thinking like Molly, mate.  She has all those clothes with six holes.  She’d need seven holes for another head.  I think you have that backwards.”

“I just need to turn it to the side and push.  I think you are backwards -- you are giving her a prime excuse to take my credits and get a whole new wardrobe.  I’m not made of platinum you know, ignoring the third arm, that is.”

“Well, I still say that if you don’t do something soon, she is going to leave you.  Something is still off -- don’t you think?”

“I’d know if I had the red book, but someone left it at the compound.”

“You know Molly always tells you not to use your platinum arm like that, it could become severely damaged.”

“Do you want to get this finished or not?  If you weren’t mooning over Molly, we wouldn’t be in this predicament.”

“I was not mooning over Molly, I just thought that if you were not interested that I might ask her out.  Tarian has a twin filet meal that I know she has been dying to try.  Is it going to work now?”

“Maybe -- give it a charge.  If you want to ask her out, you don’t need my approval.”

“You will be going with me, I need you to be ok with this.  There -- all charged.  Shall we try it out.”

“Lets just sit in the chair.”

“It seems to be working fine -- a perfect cut.  What do you think?”

“I agree, the two heads are better than one hair salon is back in business.  We can get people through here twice as fast now for half the time and twice price.”

“Isn’t that a little steep?” 

“If we are going to Tarian with Molly, we need the cash.  We are cutting two heads of hair in half the time.  It’s a fair price.”

 “Thank you so much -- I can’t wait to ask her.  Where would I do without you?”

 “You’d have one less head and, for the record, the blond head is all mine.”