This is the writing exercise from our January allaboutwriting/continued session. Try it yourself and stand the chance to win a R200 gift voucher from Boekehuis bookshop. Email your attempt to allaboutwriting@worldonline.co.za by midnight on Thursday January 28 2010.
Shirley (38-42) has spent two weeks in Greece with her best friend Amanda. She fell wildly and inappropriately for a young diving instructor, Vasilli, who made her feel beautiful and for whom she experienced an intensity of emotion she hasn’t felt in years. They made frequent love. This is her first marital transgression. The scene you will write is set on her first evening back in SA. Her husband, Basil, has sent their teenage children to her sister for the night. He’s anticipating a warm welcome. He’s gone to a great deal of care to prepare dinner for them. Exploit the emotions inherent in their interaction as much as possible. ‘Show’ as much as possible, although you can use some inner life. This is a relationship-driven story: we don’t want to see too much plot development.
