The Scheherazade Project

November Theme - Randomness

2007-11-01T16:36:00.000-07:00

I know that the last two months have been relatively 'heavy' themes and it would probably make sense to make November's theme a little lighter......

I tried. Honestly I tried.

I figured I'd pull two songs at random that I have saved on my XM and use their lyrics as the theme. So I pulled up my List, closed my eyes and scrolled.

The two winners?

Poison by Alice Cooper
&
Trying To Love You by Beth Nielsen Chapman

Not exactly light. But pick one and have fun with it.

October Theme - You, the Killer

2007-10-01T06:23:00.000-07:00

First of all, I want to say thanks for the absolutely powerful entries from September. There was some writing there that really represents the best of what the Scheherezade Project can be. I was honestly overwhelmed by the honesty and visceral soul-searching. I know you guys didn't owe me anything, so I really appreciate you coming through like that.
Even though that month has past, feel free to finish anything else that you may have started and drop in in there.

So for October, let's write (hopefully) fictional stories about you killing somebody else. It could be accidental. It could be deliberate. It could be a complete stranger. Or it could be someone that you're intimately familiar with.

Thanks in advance for your help with the Project.

September Theme - Things We Don't Allow Ourselves To Want

2007-09-12T17:59:00.000-07:00

I've been a big fan of the Scheherezade Project for a long time. I think it was an inspired notion of Trista's to establish a forum where people of all ages, pursuits, ideologies, etc can put their own unique spin on a common theme. Most of the time, we surround ourselves with the same people/ideas/convictions/emotions. It was brave of Trista to put something together that would challenge that.
But now her baby has started to languish a little bit. I'm just as guilty as anyone - I'll read the monthly theme and make a mental note to write something up. But then...?
Nothing.

So I'm going to do something about it. I'm going to hound each and everyone of you until you contribute. I'm going to beg, plead, pester and even blackmail. You'd be surprised how much I can degrade and humiliate myself to get what I want.

And I'm going to ask a lot from you.

If you're going to contribute, I need it to be personal. I need it to come from a place you don't show to even the people closest to you.
If that's too much for you to post, you can email it to me and I'll post it anonymously (no speculation as far as whose is whose shall be permitted).

August Writing Prompt

2007-08-08T15:48:00.001-07:00

Write about a time that you thoroughly embarrassed yourself.

July Theme: Harry Potter Mania

2007-07-06T06:22:00.000-07:00

This month's theme comes to us courtesy of Soleil. With Harry Potter Mania upon us--the 5th movie releasing on 7/11 in the U.S. and the last book making its appearance on 7/21--it seems appropriate to do something related to the Harry Potterverse.

You can write your ideal ending. You could do a 'ship story. You can do a detailed character sketch of one of your favourite characters. Go wild. Have fun.

June Theme

2007-06-04T05:59:00.001-07:00

Find a photograph of someone in a magazine, or in the newspaper. Find a news story that intrigues you, but doesn't tell you many details. Or do some people watching while you're having lunch or getting coffee.

After you've picked a person, flesh out a character sketch or a short story or a poem about that person.

If your source of inspiration is from an online news story or photograph, be sure to link to it. And when you've finished writing, come back and leave a link for your item so we can all ooh and aah at how marvelous you are!

May Theme

2007-05-04T06:57:00.000-07:00

We haven't used a photograph as a writing prompt in a while. There's not going to be a drawing or anything, but you'll still find plenty to write about when you start with this poignant photo.

I've been hard at work on a project for MoMentuM about the murders in Juarez, and I found this photograph one day when I was doing some research. There are hundreds of photographs like it--photographs of pink crosses have become the standard symbol when one is talking about the murders in Juarez. I feel like I should apologize for posting a photograph on such a somber topic. But the stories need to be told. These women need a voice. I hope that as you give them a voice you can connect with them for at least a little bit. It's been an amazing project to be a part of.

April

2007-04-09T15:15:00.000-07:00

Ok. April is Poetry month. Now, I know that most of y'all here don't write poetry. But, still, it's poetry month. I think that should count for something, you know?

So. I want you to take a poem, any poem you like, and re-write it as prose. Twist it if you like. Bend it completely out of shape if you must. But make it have SOME connection to a poem in it's inception... even if it's just that they both start with the same word.

Come back here and leave in your comments a link to your piece, and to the original poem so we can ooh and ahh at your cleverness.

Yes. There will be a random drawing. No, I don't know what for yet.

Now, go.

And the Winner Is...

2007-04-02T10:40:00.000-07:00

The often imitated, never duplicated----

Clew!

If you haven't read her entry yet, you seriously don't want to miss it. She did a fabulous job inserting herself into an old James Whitcomb Riley poem, updating it and twisting it so that it still accomplishes its original intent of frightening children to death. Well, perhaps not quite to death, but it's dang scary.

Thanks also to Jess and Izzybella for participating. It's been a delight reading what you have come up with, and I'm looking forward to more this month when Trista tells us what we get to write about!

What Makes You Tick?

2007-03-31T06:01:00.000-07:00

In years of writing and the creation of characters, I have learned that every character I create is me. Just as Gustave Flaubert said, "Madame Bovary c'est moi," so could I say Geoff Ryker is me.

But let's take it a step further. Fictionalize yourself. Find a poem or a short story or something that moves you, and insert a fictional version of yourself. Show us how it changes the dynamics of the story or poem. What unique qualities or features are you bringing to the situation? What things about you will alter the outcome? Or is the outcome even altered?

This month's prize is a $10 Amazon gift certificate, to be e-mailed to the winner of the drawing. You'll get one entry to the drawing for each item you submit. So get writing!!

This entry will remain on top throughout the month of March. If you want to know who won February's prize, scroll down.

???

2007-03-27T07:17:00.000-07:00

Okay, fine, if nobody wants to win a $10 Amazon gift certificate, fine, I'll just give it to myself.

Sniffle.

But it's not that difficult a writing assignment. It was actually kind of fun, to insert myself into a fairy tale, and I was really looking forward to seeing what everyone else came up with.

So if you'll excuse me, I'll just go sit in a corner and eat worms. Bit fat juicy ones, long skinny slimy ones, and woolly ones, too, because apparently nobody likes me.

Sniffle.

WINNER

2007-03-14T10:26:00.000-07:00

ok, ok, I'm still behind on everything I was supposed to do since I got back from vacation... I still feel like it's just barely March, but really March is half-way done!

Anyway, without further ado...

PLIMCO is the winner of the lovely journal. Did you read her post? It was really good. I truly enjoyed it. But that's not why she won. It was a totally random drawing. I liked all the S Project entries that I read. I did. You people are all such liars, I can't believe it. Good thing I'm so unbelievably honest.

And The Winds of Change...

2007-02-28T23:59:00.000-08:00

This post is going to stay on the top through the end of February... scroll down for new stuff...

Ok. Hi. It's me. Trista. Remember me? Well, Faith has kicked my ass back in gear and I'm here, with bells on, ready to participate again.

Here's the deal... things are changing.

New theme every month instead of every two weeks. Each month we'll take all the participants and put their names in a drawing for a monthly prize. For each separate piece of creative writing you contribute to the Scheherazade Project you'll get an additional entry in the drawing, up to three.

This is February's prize.

My photography sucks, but it's an Italian leather journal in brown and shiny shiny gold. And this beautiful baby can be all yours...

And now, February's theme:

Lie

Lie on that table. Sing sweet lies in my ears. Spin a web of lies with your looks and your dancing. Heck, dip me in lye if you want to take it that far. Make me believe it or make it so outrageous you couldn't fool a child.

Just lie to me, baby. You know you want to.

On Creation

2007-02-07T08:14:00.000-08:00

Writing is creation, pure and simple. That seems like a "duh" statement, but it really is.

Think about your favorite books as a kid, the ones you read over and over and over. For me it was Anne of Green Gables, Eight Cousins, and although I blush to admit it now, Pollyanna. I had no doubt that there was a place somewhere that I would meet those people. Part of me, many years later, is still convinced that Anne Shirley Blythe exists.

When my sister and I wrote our first novel together, we delved so thoroughly into the backgrounds of our major characters that there aren't many questions you could ask us about them that we couldn't have answered. Virtually none of that information made its way into the novel, but that's not why we needed to know it. We needed to know that about our characters so that we could understand what went into making them who they were, why they acted the way they did, why they thought what they thought. It made them complete.

When I was 19 or 20, I remember trying to write a Twilight Zone type story. It involved a doll that was possessed by a demon, and the story's been written dozens of times by better writers than I. But I made that doll come to life. I got part of the way through my story, and was tired and lay it down so I could go to bed. But I could not sleep for anything. It was like the doll itself was sitting on the table waiting for me to go to sleep so it could rip my throat out. I tossed and turned for a while, and then got up and took the story downstairs. I tried again to go to sleep, but just knew that damn doll was going to come upstairs and get me as soon as I went to sleep. I finally gave up in disgust, ripped up the story and threw the bits of paper in the trash bin outside. Some stories are not meant to be written, at least by me, because some things are not meant to be brought to life by my hand.

I keep a notebook of ideas for books. I'm obsessed with Chaucer, and will spend the rest of my life telling the Canterbury Tales in one way or another. But aside from that, I want to tell my own stories. So I have this notebook of things that I've dreamed, or overheard, or flashes of inspiration from my muse. Most of them I'll probably never write. Some I've written a few pages, where I've written a few chapters of others. Some I realize that while they may be fantastic tales, I'm not capable of bringing them to life, for various reasons.

If I'm going to write a novel, or even a short story--and I really struggle with my short stories--that means I'm going to spend a lot of time with my characters. They're going to become real to me. I will know everything about them. I will be their creator, their deity. I cannot make them do anything against their will, as they will act as they will, regardless of my desires. And I just got another flash right there, another idea for a story that I may write someday.

Writing is creation. Be careful what you create, because it will be real, to you, even if to no one else!

Watch this space!

2007-02-02T09:17:00.000-08:00

There are going to be some fun changes coming soon to the Scheherazade Project. Be sure to check back on Monday, February 5th, to make sure you don't miss out.

In the meantime, it's not too late to get some writing done on the last prompt. This woman has the kind of face you could look at all day, and never figure her out. I know I could write several different stories about her; I'm still dissatisfied with what I finally wrote, despite changing it several times and spending more time than I care to admit working on the story.

Enjoy your weekend, and write! Write! Write!

Theme - 1/22/07 - 2/5/07

2007-01-22T13:15:00.000-08:00

Let's see what you make of this--surely it will inspire some creativity amongst you!

I did keep my promise and write on the cars theme, although I was still late posting a new theme. I hope to see more of you back here writing. And I finally got around to getting my calendar purchased, so I'll try to be more timely about getting back here and getting the new themes posted. (Or perhaps Trista will get back here, as she seems to be better than I about coming up with intriguing themes!)

Write away, everyone!

New theme: 1/3/2007 - 1/16/2007

2007-01-03T07:31:00.000-08:00

Here in my car I feel safest of all. I can lock all my doors. It's the only way to live: in cars.

Huh? What? Oh, sorry--you caught me singing along to Randy Numan. Okay. Well, first of all, I should apologize for being so extremely tardy with posting a new theme. And then I should apologize for not writing anything for the last theme. If Trista were here, I'm sure she'd apologize as well. She's been really, really, really, really busy, and there's been trauma and all kinds of things going on in her life.

Apologizing. Apologizing. Apologizing. Profusely apologizing.

Okay. Done with the apologies.

Now, write a story, a poem, a whatever you want to write. It has to have something to do with cars. It can be about your favorite car. It can be how you lost your virginity in the backseat of a car, or how you didn't lose your virginity in the backseat of a car. It can be about wrecking a car. It can be about anything you want it to be about, as long as it has something to do with cars.

And I promise I'll write this time.

Theme 12/7/2006 - 12/19/2006

2006-12-07T08:49:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I know this is late. Sorry 'bout that, she says unrepentantly.

Let this picture inspire you to much writing.

HIATUS

2006-11-14T12:10:00.000-08:00

Hey, everybody--Faith here, just popping in to say that The Scheherazade Project is officially on hiatus during the month of November. Yeah, I'm late, sorry about that. Anyway, for those of you who are more successful than I at NaNoWriMo, Trista and I didn't want to add to your burden. For those of you who, like I, are 10,000 words or more behind at NaNoWriMo, we didn't want to add to your guilt. Either way, check back here on December 4th for a new theme. Until then, write on!

Theme 10/24/06 - 11/7/06

2006-10-24T17:51:00.000-07:00

Think about the worst blind date you've ever had. Remember every excruciating, agonizing detail. Where you went, what you did, what s/he wore, said, smelled like. Now write about it.

From the perspective of your date.

And if by some freak circumstance you've never had a blind date--lucky!--use your imagination and enchant us all. Or else leave us rolling on the floor laughing hysterically as you make it painfully clear that you've never had a blind date.

And remember that answering personals ads count as blind dates.

Have fun! Because something good has to come out of that awful experience, right?

theme 10/10/2006 - 10/24/2006

2006-10-10T06:24:00.000-07:00

I ripped this off from The Writer's Block, a fun book of writing prompts, and Trista was nice enough to say she liked it and thought I should post it. So here you go:

Invent a character who sees a phone number on a restroom wall. Describe what happens when he or she dials it.

theme 9/26/06 to 10/9/06

2006-09-26T08:40:00.000-07:00

A slow sort of bad

Now go. Write.

Theme for 9/12 -9/24/06

2006-09-12T11:21:00.001-07:00

Have I mentioned how much I suck at leading things? An intrepid leader I am not. So I'm late with the theme, I hope you're still all out there...

Anyway, I also changed the rules. That's the cool thing about being the leader is that I get to change the rules.

Here's the change. (I posted them already in the How To Play post so don't worry about that). The change is that I am too busy to put up a list of participants. And you all put your story urls in the comments anyway. So, from now on, look in the comments to see where the action is at. And then come back here and discuss.

Ok. That last part's not a rule. But still a nice thing to do, don't you think?

Ok, this week's theme...

Someone suggested "What exactly IS a bergamot, anyway?"

And then I came up with the simply fabulous idea of: someone confronts a hard truth.

So pick which one you want. And come back here and fill us in...

And, if you've got better ideas for themes, um, let me know, ok?

Theme for 8/28/06-9/10/06

2006-08-28T08:34:00.000-07:00

8/26/06
Originally uploaded by lake monsters real.

Well, I mostly chose this picture because I really like the dress...

Theme for 8/14-8/28

2006-08-14T09:03:00.000-07:00

The Ravages of Time
Originally uploaded by L of TL.

Ok, back to pictures. At least for now. Hey, if any of you have any ideas for themes, email them to me, K? I'm not promising that I'll use them, but I'll at least think about using them...

For this week I give you a decrepit house. A real fixer-upper. Let's see what you make...

Participants (newest on top)

A sentence by Naive-no-more
"Tumble Down" by Trista
"Fly on the Wall" by the Contrary Goddess
"For Sale By Owner" by Milfie(Hot Brownie)
"Quickie" by RC666
"Ravages of Time" by Dick the Boomer
"Ravages of Time" by Sam Wright
"Ravages of Time" by Spin_Doc
"Dreaming of Yesterday" by Faith
"Starlight" by Izzybella (Liz)

Housekeeping, apologies and a new theme

2006-07-31T13:43:00.000-07:00

First off:

Theme for 7/31/06-8/13/06:

"I guess s/he was just born that way."

Work this sentence into your story. Change the gender to whichever you need. Good luck!

Housekeeping:

SeaRabbit has generously offered this button to the participants of The Scheherazade Project. I think it's beautiful. If you like, put it on your blog to let people know that you're a participant. Fame and fortune soon to follow. I'm sure. Right. It's true. To get this lovely little button, email me (or SeaRabbit) and I'll send it to you.

Apologies:

Any of you who read my personal blog know that I've been a bit... shall we say... obsessed with something for the last week. Actually, I've been obsessed for longer than that, but I've only been writing it out this last week. So, I didn't do a dialogue. But I love dialogue, so I am planning on doing it. It's just gotta wait until I get my breastfeeding series finished.

Because of my obsession, not only have I not been as quick getting the links updated as I should be (there's a new story for the Blue Monkey, too!) but I also haven't been reading and commenting like I would like myself to. Give me two more days and I'll start catching up. I'm sorry.

To everyone who has been carrying on... GREAT JOB, GUYS!!!! Keep up the good work! I'll deobsess soon, I promise!

Participants (newest on top)

"The Ghanian Summer" by Naive-no-more "Born that Way" by the Contrary Goddess
"from No Normal Love (A Sci-Fi Lesbian Pirate Bodice-Ripper) Part the Twelfth In Which Our Heroine Discovers She Isn't Exactly Ordinary" by Trista
"That's Just the Way it is" by Faith
"Mercury Rising" by Dick the Boomer
"bornthatway" by AndyT13
"Untitled" by Navalgazing Midwife
"Success" by Sam Wright

Theme for 7/17-7/30

2006-07-17T09:24:00.000-07:00

Ok folks. Enough with the pictures for now. I want to try something a bit different.

This time, I want you to focus on dialogue. Your piece doesn't have to contain only dialogue. You can have some setting, some reactions. But try to make most of the movement and tension in the piece come through dialogue. The dialogue doesn't all have to be verbal; some people are capable of upholding their end of a conversation with body language alone. But, let's see how much detail and interest you can generate through conversation...

As always, please link your piece to this specific post. That way people can click the "links to" link and see who has participated even if I'm slow on the list-making.

Participants:

"What Did You Bring?" by The Road Less Travelled
Collard Greens and the Boston Monkey
"The Puppy and the Almighty Queen Tiny Cat" by Shannon
"Tell Me" by Milfie (Hot Brownie)
"God's Message is Loud and Clear" by RC666
"Good Morning" by Searabbit
"Bus Ride" by Calliope
Clover's dialogue
"The Rotary Club" by Dick the Boomer

Theme for 7/3-7/16

2006-07-03T09:26:00.000-07:00

Don't fear the big blue monkey...
Originally uploaded by visio0815.

Ok, last week's entries (THANK YOU, all you new people!) were just so dark! Since a picture worked so well last time, I thought I would try it again. But with something a bit lighter in tone. Let's see what y'all make of the big blue monkey errr... gorilla!

Participants:

"Monkey on her Back" by Hooluvsyababy

"Large and Fluffy Things" by Lauri

"The Walrus" by Plimco

"Boyfriend dot crazy" by Calliope

"Bobby" by Dick the Boomer

"Perspective" by Naive-No-More

"Not Ever Gone" by Trista

"Heartbreak on the High Seas" by Theresa

"The Blue Monkey" by The Road Less Travelled

"The Blue Gorilla" by Leandra

"The Blue Monkey" by Spin_Doc

"She Said No" by Hot Brownie

"I'm Blue" by RC666

"Blue Gorilla" by Shannon

"Dream of the Blue Monkey" by AndyT

Theme for 6/19-7/3/2006

2006-06-20T09:13:00.000-07:00

emptiness
Originally uploaded by elfis gallery.

Participants (so far)

Emptiness by Anonymous Assclown
Emptiness of a Yearning Heart by Jill Terry
The Emptiness by AndyT13
Emptiness by Ditto
Press and... wait. By Plimco
Emptiness by Calliope
Alone by Shannon
Emptiness by Naive No More
Emptiness by The Mystery Assclown
Draining Her by Meaghans Discontent
Emptiness by Faith
Harlot by Jo Anna
Emptiness by Theresa
Loyalty by The Road Less Travelled
Fading From View by Trista
A Day in the Life of Phil by Dick the Boomer
Emptiness by Greenman

Theme: 6/5-6/12

2006-06-07T09:32:00.000-07:00

Ok, Ok, Ok... I'm late. I know. So sue me.

And I didn't get a story written for Lauri's excellent theme.

I have a good excuse, I swear!

I was cleaning my house. Or something. Whatever, moving on...

This week's theme is: A pane of glass is broken

make of it what you will. I can't wait to see what y'all write!

Maybe I'll combine the theft with the breakage and catch up!

Participants:

"A Hairnet, A Bowl" by Trista
"Brick" by Plimco

Theme: May 29 - June 4

2006-05-28T21:11:00.000-07:00

I feel very ashamed. I was in charge of this during Trista's vacation, and was SO excited to be in charge of it. But I dropped the ball. This is my clumsy attempt to pick it back up again.

This week's theme: someone steals something she does't need.

I think this theme matches nicely somehow with the picture that sparked the S Project, which I would link to if I knew how. Something about the reflections and the manequins and the movement make me think of that something covert is going on, although it's a anxious and perhaps noble kind of covertness.

Participants:

Lauri
Faith
Liz
Plimco

Theme for 5/15/06-5/22/06

2006-05-11T12:28:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know I said that I would post these on Monday, but I started this last Thursday, and here it is this Thursday and I want to get it started. Consider it extra time since this is the very first one.

The theme:

Fear

Participants in this theme (so far):

Trista
Faith
Kiker
Amy
Mel

How To Play

2006-05-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

In the beginning there was a picture. A picture of the reflection of a woman walking in front of a high-end department store. One lovely woman by the lovely name Calliope suggested the creation of "Short Story Saturday". Many other lovely people thought this was a great idea, but left it up to me to organize. Since I don't blog on Saturdays with any regularity I was left in a bit of a quandary: how do I organize something that I can't count on myself being able to participate in? The answer, after many trials and much agony, came to me as if a messenger had delivered it from a far-off land. Remove the Saturday portion of the idea. Make it something that people can work on all week, and post at their leisure. Create a new blog and link all the stories together so everyone can read them as they wish. Call it The Scheherazade Project.

And so the project began.

Here's how I envision it will work.

Every Monday a theme will be posted here. It may be a word, it may be a picture, it may be a phrase or a paragraph. Regardless of which form it will take, it will be posted on Monday. (ETA: Ok, Ok, I can't do it every Monday. I just can't write a story every week. So, so I'm not urging people to do what I can't do myself, it'll now be every OTHER Monday. Maybe as we get more participants where even if people don't do it every week there's still enough interest every week, I'll change it back. But for now, look for a new theme every TWO weeks. -- Trista)

Take the theme and run with it. Run far, cradling it in your arms the entire way, or take a few steps, toss it to the gutter, and continue of your merry way. I don't care, just write and then post it on your blog (or other website) with a link back to the specific theme-post that inspired it. If you link back here, then people should be able to find your story through the "links to this post" link at the end of the entry.

And let me know, too, by emailing me (starsandjars at gmail dot com) the URL of your individual story post (NOT the URL for the homepage of your blog). I'll go back and make sure that your story is showing up in the backlinks and if not, edit the theme post and include links at the bottom to the individual stories inspired by the theme. (ETA: Ok, I really suck at getting the particpants posted on the theme page. So, like your story to the page like above so it'll show up in the backlinks, and then put the url in the comments. That's where the action's at. In the comments) I'll also (ETA: eventually) post your blog in the "Seducers of the Muse" blogroll in the sidebar.

If you would like constructive criticism of your writing, let people know and we'll try to give it to you. If you don't want constructive criticism, say nothing, and people will give only praise and other non-critical comments. (Side note to this: if you're reading a linked story and they don't say that they want constructive criticism DON'T give it. Though I (and, I know, others) like criticism on my writing I don't want people who are shy or unsure of their abilities to refrain from participating for fear of criticism.

If you don't get to a particular theme during its week, it's ok, go ahead and write your story on the theme you wanted to do. I'll still post the link to you, and if the theme isn't too old, people will probably still see it.

Your story can be fiction or non-fiction. Micro or Macro. Any sub-genre or none. Though I might post themes that will guide participants into a particular sub-genre, if you can resist that guidance, more power to you and your imagination!

Everyone and Anyone is welcome to participate. If a story has material that I would deem possibly objectional (such as graphic violence or sex) I will still post a link, but I'll let people know to expect possibly objectional material. Fair?

LouAnn (by Liz) (for the stealing theme)

2005-06-06T13:04:00.000-07:00

It wasn't that LouAnn liked to lie—it was more that she just couldn't help it. If someone told her about a fabulous vacation taken to Europe, LouAnn countered with her own fabulous vacation to Egypt. It didn't matter that LouAnn had never been further north than Kansas, further west than New Mexico, further east than Arkansas, or further south than San Antonio. LouAnn read voraciously and knew lots and lots of things about lots and lots of different places. When she felt a twinge of guilt for lying, she justified it by reminding herself that she intended to visit Egypt one day and certainly would do so as soon as possible.

One day LouAnn, who was taking an Intro to Psychology course at her community college, entered into a spirited discussion about that day's reading—compulsions. The red-haired freckled boy who usually sat at her left admitted to being obsessive compulsive when it came to cleaning his apartment. The ultra-skinny long-haired girl who sat on LouAnn's right intimated that someone she knew, not herself, of course, had a horrible eating disorder born of compulsions regarding food and her self-image. LouAnn nodded sagely and contributed her own compulsion to steal. This wasn't true. LouAnn's compulsion was not stealing, but lying, which made telling the truth about her compulsion rather difficult. Stealing seemed much more sophisticated than lying. Besides, she'd recently read an article in Glamour about compulsive stealing and felt she had enough facts to back her story.

Skinny was terribly interested in LouAnn's story, which would have worried most people who told such tremendous lies. LouAnn, however, seemed to enjoy the attention. She expounded on her "compulsion" after class as she and Skinny walked to the College Center. "It's horrible," she said, her lower lip quivering. "No matter where I go, I feel compelled to steal." Skinny was terribly sympathetic, considering her friend's compulsion regarding food, a problem, she assured LouAnn again, that she herself had never suffered from.

As LouAnn and Skinny weaved their way through the Market, the convenience store located on the first floor of the CC, Skinny gave LouAnn an encouraging smile. "Are you okay in here? Should we maybe go elsewhere, so you don't…um…in light of your problem?"

LouAnn sighed a sigh of one who constantly suffers. "I'll be alright." But even as she spoke, she remembered how the girl in the Glamour story found herself unable to resist stealing no matter where she was or who she was with. In order to add verisimilitude to her story, LouAnn felt it was imperative that she steal something—anything. Her face burning red, because after all lying was quite different than stealing, LouAnn picked up a Twix bar and pocketed it in her oversized sweater. She glanced around guiltily to see if Skinny had noticed, but she appeared to be immersed in reading the nutritional information on a bag of Doritos.

LouAnn selected a soft drink from the cooler and placed it front of the cashier. "One diet coke, please. That's all. Don't want anything else," she said, blushing furiously.

The cashier, apparently distracted with the textbook he had leaned against the cash wrap, barely looked up as he scanned the barcode on LouAnn's drink. "One-oh-nine," he said.

LouAnn pulled out a one dollar bill and meticulously counted out nine pennies. "There you go," she said, "one dollar, nine cents." The cashier took the money and resumed his studies and LouAnn stood at the doorway waiting for Skinny, who had abandoned the bag of Doritos and was now paying for an apple at another register.

"So were you okay?" Skinny asked LouAnn as they left the Market together.

LouAnn blushed, then sighed again. "I never am," she said pulling the Twix bar out of her pocket. And for once, LouAnn wasn't lying.