The Greatest of Muses
It is time for Barbara Beacham’s “Mondays Finish the Story” here at the Drali blog. We get a photo and a starting sentence to prompt us to write our 150 word story.
My title this week is rather ironic since my muse is absent today. I blame it on a very busy day at work. The genre for my story this week, therefore, is “wishy-washy”. It’s a few words over, but after researching the invention date of the typewriter I had to make some last minute adjustments.
The supplied sentence is in bold in my story, and to read this week’s other contributions, click on the little blue froggy.
The old typewriter had a mind of its own. A mind, and a flair for the creative.
As quill, pencil and typewriter, Underwood (for that was now his name) had steered many of the greats. Where would they have been without him? Austen with her ridiculously-titled “Pride and Peanuts”? Or Tolkein’s “The Hedgehog” and planned three-parter “Lord of the Hedgerows”? Underwood had soon put them straight, working tirelessly behind the scenes. Even stubborn Dickens had been persuaded to change direction only three pages into “A Christmas Singalong With Mulled Wine and Whatnot”.
Now everyone used computers. Pah! Soulless machines. He would never stoop to inhabiting such a beast. A typewriter he would remain.
So he couldn’t connect to Facebook. So what? One of the greatest muses of all time, reduced to a paper weight. Yesterday’s news.
So no-one was more surprised than Underwood when his owner’s son came in from school, threw his iPad on the bed, sat at the desk, loaded some paper – and began to type.
Nearly choked on my wine because of “Pride and Peanuts”. You managed fine without the muse in my opinion. Great ending!
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I guess my muse usually tells me to have a twist at the end, but that’s not always necessary 🙂
Glad you liked it!
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The Hedgehog! Brilliant! It’s like Tolkein from a different dimension
And this is without your muse? I think it is great, and that ending is wonderful.
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I’m glad you liked the ending. It took ages to get the wording right 🙂
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Very good Sir, I did enjoy this and yes the mind boggles at what this typewriter could have come up with had it been in the hands of the famous authors.
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Who knows what works of genius it could have inspired? Glad you liked it!
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I had a typewriter exactly like that. I think my son still has it somewhere. I do NOT miss typewriters. My wrists are grateful too 🙂
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I never spent much time with typewriters, but there was quite a bit of hammering involved 🙂
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I laughed over “Pride and Peanuts.” and was laughing hysterically by the time I read the title “Lord of the Hedgrows!” Having my evening cocktail and reading this story made my drink go up my nose over the Dickens titled “A Christmas Singalong With Mulled Wine and Whatnot.”
Oh, my word, thank you for participating in the MFtS challenge! This post is over the top! I was truly hoping that folks would enjoy writing about this 1926 typewriter, and you nailed this story! What fun!
I hope that you come back for next week’s challenge! It should be a jumping fun time! Be well… ^..^
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Sorry about your nose, but I’m glad I made you laugh!
The “Classics” could have been very different without this typewriter involved. I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
“jumping fun time” – is that a hint for next week’s picture? 🙂
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Yes it is!
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LOL! He’s out of paperweight retirement! Very entertaining Drali, I loved it.
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Yep, he’s up and running again. Glad you liked it!
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Your muse today was just hiding in the typewriter! Excellent!
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I think it was my inability to fit this into a particular genre particularly given the humour at the start and then the ending which was – what? – I’m not sure, that made me worry a bit about this story.
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
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Know how you feel 😀
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Good story. I’ve typed on regular typewriters portable, word processors, electrics, and my personal favorite is a computer. I couldn’t tolerate the carbon paper and erasers any more. Well done, Ali. 🙂 — Suzanne
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My Dad had an electric typewriter before I persuaded him to buy a computer. It had a little screen and a memory buffer so at least he could proof-read before committing to paper!
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I like your titles much more than the originals – so much more creative. And who, indeed, needs Facebook? A seriously excellent post, Ali – with or without your muse today. Your sense of humour knows no bounds. 🙂
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Yes, it’s almost a shame that Underwood changed things around. I’m glad you liked it 🙂
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I’m very curious as to what the stories of ‘Pride and Peanuts’ and ‘The Hedgehog’ would have been like! Great story – even without your muse. 🙂
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Maybe I should write “Pride and Peanuts” – the great untold story. It sounds fun!
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LOL! 😀
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🙂
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Oh D-man, you never fail to entertain. Where did you think up those alternative titles? Just brilliant and as others have said, superb ending 😀
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It did take me a little while to think of the alternatives. I’m glad you liked it 🙂
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I agree with “afairymind”–I’d like to see those originals–nice take!
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They sound much more fun 🙂
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I see the typewriter came up with the title for this story! That Underwood…. always the egotist…
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I typed “Some Old Typewriter” but somehow it came out as “The Greatest of Muses”. Weird.
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thats a funny take.. Lord of the Hedgerows indeed!
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I’m glad you liked my alternate titles!
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Very entertaining and funny story. I was LOL as I read. 🙂
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I’m glad you liked it! I had some trouble thinking up a story this week.
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I grew up with the typewriter. I truly wish I could hear my computer click!
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There was something nice about the sound and the feel of the keys (though I never got to use a real typewriter very much).
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If this is what you can come up with when your muse is absent, I am super-envious then!
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Aw, fanks 🙂
I had trouble thinking of a story and just splurged silliness onto the page. It seemed to work out in the end, though.
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