07
Mar

March 7, 2012
Second Campaign Challenge

For this challenge, Rachael gave us a variety of prompts. I’ve chosen option 1, write a pitch for a book in 100 words or less, and a combination of options 2 and 4, to write a flash fiction story less than 200 words and a story in five sentences with each sentence based on one of the prompts. (My pitch is 34 words and my five sentence story is 166 words, for a grand total of exactly 200 words.) This is a little out of my comfort zone in adult science fiction. (I usually write YA.) I’ve pasted the prompts over to the right, and the source information is on Rach Writes. If you enjoy my entry, please click “like” on the linky list here. Thanks for stopping by!
Here is my story, titled “DRY.”

John spent his boyhood summers playing near his grandfather’s beach house, never imagining the tragic fate he shared with the water.

Someone who doesn’t know any better than to move a pouch of toxic chemicals with a wooden kitchen spoon probably doesn’t have any business being a university research assistant, but John took the job because his grandfather pulled strings for him to get it.

When the pouch exploded, an errant spray splashed into his thermos, swirling like a liquid gold flame in the black coffee and creating the perfect chemical reaction to turn water into crude oil.

Years later beneath the bridge where John had played as a child, he relished the cool sweat on his forehead as his grandfather nursed a scrape he’d suffered on the climb down.


“No bank account or Nobel Prize was worth this,” John whispered, drowning in guilt and smog as they stared at the boys sifting through a sea of garbage where the Pacific Ocean used to live.

Logline/Pitch Challenge:

In 2025, a single drop of FastFuel turns water into gasoline. Can accidental scientist John Dowling stop the world from using his discovery, before the human race wastes every drop of the earth’s water?

This was so much fun! Thanks for making us stretch, Rachael!

46 Responses
  3. Morgan
    Reply

    So clever. And awesome work. It's obvious you know your stuff 😉 "Liked"

    And new follower here… I'll look forward to your posts… you have a fab blog! 😀

  12. Cynthia
    Reply

    Your story really drew me in and it sheds light on how ethics that must be addressed along with scientific exploration. I like your pitch too. Great job!

  16. Humpty Dumpty
    Reply

    You did a marvelous job of incorporating so many aspects of the challenge in an unexpected way. Great job! 🙂

    (BTW, it's Susan from My Withershins, forced to use my Blogspot profile instead of my WordPress one)

  46. Rachael Harrie
    Reply

    Well done Laurie, what an intriguing concept – I would have liked to have read further 🙂 Congratulations, I've awarded you twelfth place in the Judging Round! Make sure you check out my post to see the cool prize you've won 🙂

    Congrats again!

    Hugs,

    Rach

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