Appalachian Writer's Guild

“Your tea sir.” I nod and mutter a quick thanks as the server places the cup and napkin on my table, preoccupied with the stack of papers sitting in front of me. The Raleigh to Washington line requested a new engine as detailed in the specifications in front of me, a letter from the Railway board requesting my opinion on the new Diesel locomotive technology, a slight tinge of concern at some of the success it's been having in Europe. Is it the future? Will my beloved Steam Engines one day be obsolete? I set down the folder and pick up my cup, the cool perspiration a welcome feeling in the steamy Louisiana heat. The cool brown liquid inside is refreshing and sweet, and for just a moment as the blend of tea, cane sugar, and ice cold water fills my taste buds I am transported away from the oppressive temperature and consider the good of this city. New Orleans, wealthiest city in the South. And looking at the cars driving by you could see it, well-dressed ladies and silk-suite...

The gray blankness outside the window draws my already wandering attention away from the hideously mundane task at hand. When I decided to become a literary student, I was filled with anticipation. I didn't expect the very act of reading to become as odious as it has. Before me sits the usual assortment of objects; a half eaten crust of bread, a chewed up pencil, the dreary and miserable half finished paper on Romeo and Juliet , and my faithful and painfully ignored copy of Jane Eyre . A groan escapes my lips without my former knowledge as I push away from my desk. Even the heavy mist outside captures my attention better than the necessary evil of attempting to ferret out the deeper meaning behind the idiotic young love-birds. If you ask me, the meaning isn't all that deep at all. It's beyond me why literary professors insist that Shakespeare was doing more than making a darkly comedic commentary on young love and early marriage. My body contorts in a long overdue s...

The lead of my pencil snapped off with a resounding crack, the culmination of my frustration with how my writing was going, so i pushed my chair back a little and took a deep breath, letting the calm notes of the smooth jazz i was listening to sink in. “Mmmmurgg” i grumbled, the brief respite not sparking any ideas on how to continue forward with the scene, so I tried a different approach, acting the scene out loud like i was directing a screenplay, no dice. I wondered what elements i could add to push the scene along  but everything felt too contrived to actually make sense so i dropped that train of thought. I grabbed a blank piece of paper from the other side of my desk, wadding it up and throwing it into a waste paper basket as i picked up my pencil and rolled my chair over to the pencil sharpener in my studio, but i didn’t stop at it, instead i rolled over to the window to look outside. Just a few hours ago the day had been bright and sunny but a light rain had de...

Did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise? It's not a story the Jedi would tell you. It’s a Sith legend. Darth Plagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith, so powerful and so wise he could use the Force to influence the midichlorians to create life… He had such a knowledge of the dark side, he could even keep the ones he cared about from dying. The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural. He became so powerful… the only thing he was afraid of was losing his power, which eventually, of course, he did. Unfortunately, he taught his apprentice everything he knew, then his apprentice killed him in his sleep. Ironic. He could save others from death, but not himself.

Meeting Date: September 3rd, 2017 Story Challenge Details: Mundane Scene (description) Items: Bread Broken Pencil The next meeting is scheduled for October 1st, 2017. If you have questions, comments, or are interested in joining the Appalachian Writer's Guild, let us know! We are now on Facebook, so check us out there! Email:  appwritersguild@gmail.com Facebook:  drop in and give us a like! -Appalachian Writer's Guild