During “The Prompt Party” at The NCWN Writingest State Online Conference, Saturday, November 14, sponsored by Plottr, we broke up into four separate rooms and randomly assigned a genre to the randomly assigned attendees. Then, we gave a prompt:
A scientist manages to reanimate a 300-year-old werewolf that he finds in the museum archive fault, but the werewolf turns out to be nebbish and timid and riddled with insecurities. Meanwhile, a group of kindergarteners are in the hall waiting to tour the lab…
One of our rooms was assigned the genre of “Stage and Screen.” Here’s what that room wrote.
Bad Hair Day
by Marla Dunham, Jane Gatewood, and Katie Winkler
Setting: North Carolina Natural Science Museum
(A group of rambunctious kindergartners are peering through a window. The audience doesn’t see what’s there. Kids are chattering, giggling, Bobby pulls Susie’s hair.)
Susie: Stop that!
Bobby: I didn’t do nothin’.
Tommy: Susie, you are going to be sooooo scared. You’re gonna pee your pants.
Teacher: Hush! Y’all settle down.
(Children continue to push each other and chatter. Teacher says a bit louder)
You know the rules. No sudden movements. Everyone must be very quiet and listen to Dr. Franke. And most of all, don’t touch anything. And that means you, too, Bobby.
(The teacher gathers them together.)
Teacher: Are you ready? I think it’s time to go in.
(Dr. Franke slowly opens the creaking door.)
Dr. Franke: Welcome, children. Come right on into my lab.
Teacher: Don’t touch anything, Bobby.
Susie, Yeah, Bobby.
(They enter the room. Something is lying on the table. Dr. Franke whips off the sheet. The werewolf, with mangy hair and large teeth, gigantic paws and sharp claws, suddenly sits up. He also has pink curlers in his hair. The children, teacher, and Dr. Franke all scream.)
Dr. Franke: What have you done, Wolfie? Your hair. The curlers. Those are mine!!!
(The children quickly stop screaming and start giggling and pointing.)
Teacher: Now, now, children. It’s not nice to make fun of (pause) people.
Bobby: People?
Dr. Franke: Shut up, Bobby.
Werewolf: (Looking around the room that has suddenly gone totally silent) What the hell?
(Kids giggle again.)
Werewolf: What? A guy can’t have a bad hair day?