Entries, Featured, You Didn’t Write That: Entries
…and all the men and women…
Sep
…merely players. They have their exits, and their entrances...(William, you DID write that!)
Literati!
Mac Eagan returns for a curtain call. This is his second entry into our contest You Didn’t Write That.
With an election just a month away, this piece is appropriately titled:
Power and Responsibility
by Mac Eagan
“John, look at me. You had nothing to do with this.”
John’s only response was to take a slow sip of Scotch and set the glass back on the table.
“John, you told the truth. Like always. And you know she had issues to begin with.”
John ran his finger around the rim of the glass.
“You aren’t being fair, John. To yourself or me. I can’t stand seeing you suffer this way.”
“It’s true, Sarah,” he sighed, “the pen is mighty.”
“Not this time. No mightier than it has been in the past, anyway. I know you. So do your readers. They know you didn’t write that to be hurtful. You may not sugarcoat, but your reviews don’t have razors embedded in them, either. It was a bad performance – especially for Opening Night. You were honest. What happened was her doing, not yours.”
John emptied his glass, then looked back at the newspaper he was holding. Without speaking he stood up and dropped the paper on the table.
“I’m getting a refill,” he said as he headed toward the kitchen.
Sarah felt the tears as she re-read the paper’s headline:
STAGE ACTRESS COMMITS SUICIDE AFTER NEGATIVE REVIEW
Fabulous! I never thought it would end with a suicide. Caught me by surprise. Very well done.
I like surprise endings, but they are a challenge to write. No hints and the twist comes from nowhere and feels disjointed. Too many hits and there is no surprise. The key is to find enough to build the suspense/anticipation, but not so much as to spoil the ending.
Excellent… I will remember that!
It’s great to have the crew all here along with some new faces!
Mr. Egan at his best. There is truly nothing like it when you are on your game. A hook to the very end.
Thank you very much, Mr. Stang.
Ain’t it great to be back?
Yes indeedy, my friend, indeed it is.
Another reaction which is hard to get out of me is to have me reach up to my chest as if I lost my breath…because your story made me breathless <3
Thank you, Stefanie. Just what I needed to hear.
This is an intense story, one that made me suspect something of the sort as soon as it said “bad performance.” I like it. Well-written, sir. Well-written.
Thanks, Vincent.
He nailed the ending!
Thank you. Will we be seeing you in the future as a spectator or a participant?
With a name like Dante, we BETTER see him as participant. Dante, by the way, is on our board of Directors for Kid Expression.
His Disqus avatar only shows the name “urgent costomer.” Thank you, Thorn, for revealing his secret identity.
Like a trail of bread crumbs, I followed to the very end. First Class flash for the final curtain. What I especially love about you is, you teach us how to do It!
You are too kind!
The pen IS mighty, but I think she had issues to begin with! Ending surprised me, didn’t see it coming! Excellent!
Thank you, Barbara. Her issues are a key part of the story as far as raising the question, “Where does personality responsibility begin and end?”
She was only 47 per cent responsible
Right on point Mr. Eagan! Not only is your piece brilliant, it speaks to me as a writer personally…
“the pen is mighty”….. oh yes it is! It poses the question of just how much responsibility does a writer have towards their readers???? Hmmmmmm ……
Exactly. Thank you, Miryam.
They say a bad review can kill you, but that’s hardly true or I’d’ve died many many times before my death than I care to admit. Mac, I especially like your time-realistic dialogue.
Thank you, Sal.
I really liked this story. Perfect ending.
Thank you, Debi.
And the point is Sir Mac – that our words do have an effect. Not always what we want maybe – for we never know in writing just what that effect will be. Fantabulous!
Words definitely have an effect. The effect from written words is longer lasting.
Ah, and there is another gem slipped from your genius mind. I am fantabulously grateful.
Oh the acid pen of truth and the shattering of fateful addictive delusions. Such an age old story, and still every stroke of fates answer is a fresh wound. Such a shame that human beings can’t recognise the lessons, rather then the disappointments. Beautifully enacted in this type.
Thank you very much. How ya been? How’s Chugger Charlie doing?