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 The But/So Game
Guidelines:
The "But" must be something which happens to or around the protagonist, preventing the protagonist from achieving their objective too easily.
It should be a believable clause which grows out of the narrative that has already been established.
The "So" is a believable action attempted by the protagonist in response to the "but". It must be a logical action which is an easy and to some extent obvious reaction to the "but", either to achieve the objective another way, or to adapt, or to choose a new objective.
Avoid going in circles.
You can either write short or long sentences, but the must begin with "but" and "so" in turn.
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Harry had a date tonight. That's why he was so happy. His chin, the smoothest it had felt for some months, now received a spicey splash of aftershave. One eyebrow raised suggestively at its reflection in the mirror as the final checks were made. Then, at last levering himself away from the mirror, Harry made his way downstairs to get his coat...
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dragonia
26-Feb-10, 20:32
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but noticed a hole in the armpit. Damn it. Harry frowned and contemplated his options. He had some other coats upstairs which would not match with his outfit. This was a first date and he wanted to make a good impression. Sewing up the hole might make him late. Using another coat might make him look unfashionable...
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cloop
27-Feb-10, 02:38
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So, as panic crawled up from his stomach to his (tripping tripping tripping) heart, he rushed out, coatless, into the winter night.
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but immediately regretted his decision as the biting chill bit deeply into him. Being a tenacious sort though, he wrapped his arms around himself, shivered, cursed and hurried onwards
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obsteve
27-Feb-10, 03:57
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Deleted by obsteve on 27-Feb-10, 03:57.
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So as he pressed, head down, shoulders hunched, towards his distant date, he put faith in his proud high hair to bravely shield his appearance from the elements.
It gathered the sleet and channelled the melt-off safely away from his face and down the nape of his neck.
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dragonia
01-Mar-10, 16:29
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But, little did he realize he was looking like a complete twonk. It wasn't until he reached the pie cart www.australianexplorer.com where his date should be waiting that he caught a reflection of himself. He groaned and quickly looked around. If only he had his coat because he'd left his comb in the pocket. There was only one thing to do...
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So quickly, before his date should arrive, he approached the pie cart vendor-
Mate, I'm meeting my girl in 5 minutes, but as you can see the rain has twonked me right up. Any chance I can dry myself off in your cart, next to one of your ovens?
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untateve
02-Mar-10, 13:39
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"But of course," replied the pie cart vendor, "I'm only to happy to help. Perhaps we could do each other a bit of a favor here. You see, I need very much to drop something off to a friend but cannot leave this cart unattended. I'll only be gone about five minutes. If you could keep an eye on things here while I run this most important of errands, you may certainly come on in and dry off."
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dragonia
02-Mar-10, 19:31
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'So long then,' said Harry and moved towards the oven. He heard the vendor leave and knelt down on the somewhat dirty floor. It was warm but not warm enough to dry himself, and his hair, in time. He opened the oven door. 'That's more like.' He leaned in just a bit and began to rub his hands through his hair. He could hear the sizzles from within. With bum up and head down he felt like he was making progress.
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But...
Soon he became conscious that the sizzling sound - which he had at first taken for the natural noise one might hear when drying one's hair in a Pie Cart Oven - came not from the twenty or so assorted bakes within dripping distance of his quiff, but from somewhere else entirely. And as he listened, it hissed, or so it seemed to hiss, in a human voice, becoming louder and more urgent:
"SSsssst... ssSSSt... ChriSSsss... CHRIS!"
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So...
Harry hauled his still steaming head from out the oven to look around and see who it might be
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dragonia
18-Mar-10, 01:50
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But
when he stood up he saw his date waiting at the counter and out of the corner of his eye he saw what was making the creepy hissing noises
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so seeing, he ignored it.
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dragonia
18-Mar-10, 15:37
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But
instead turned to his date who was eying him off with some trepidation. Her eyes kept roving to his hair which was, quite frankly, horrifying. And more horrifying than the hissing creepy thing she spotted crawling towards man's feet. Her mouth opened and closed and she backed away from the counter.
'I'm looking for Harry,' she said stammering.
Harry gulped as it was after all, a date set up by his brother who warned him not to mess it up. To admit he was 'Harry' now might work against him
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So
With a smile, born of the confidence in Man's innate capacity for parody, he summoned up a - "hello darling, my name's Chris, I'm your Pie Cart Waiter for today... fancy a pie?" (as he booted aside the creepy thing)
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but the creepy thing stuck to his boot, mewling and squealing as bits flew off.
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dragonia
19-Mar-10, 16:01
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So,
slightly hysterical Harry laughed madly as he wildly shook his leg to get the thing off. With his high frazzled hair now flopping around his face bits of creepy thing flew around into nearby pies, plates and onto his date. Ever the optimistic he thought, 'Hey, things could be worse!'
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But
the thing refused to be shaken and was instead making steady, hissing progress up his leg. It felt warm and moist, and looked for all the world like a large and slightly undercooked chicken and mushroom slice, oozing a dark creamy sauce onto his Armanis as it sucked its way resolutely past his knee.
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so
he relaxed and began enjoying the experience. First time for everything he thought as the thing reached more delicate heights.
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dragonia
21-Mar-10, 19:37
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But
then he caught the look on his date's face.
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so
came crashing into acceptable reality with an embarrassed cough. He decided to bluff through "Help, its shooting pleasure endorphins into me...I'm not really smiling!!" She didnt buy it and he was once again left alone...well almost. He looked at the thing
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But
as the creature smiled back at Harry, any thoughts that he had momentarily kindled (of hot, man-on-pasty action) were promptly extinguished. For it was in the creatures pastry face that our protagonist saw- for the first time, flexing and grinding in it's widening orafice- row upon row upon row of glistening sharp white teeth.
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dragonia
23-Mar-10, 01:37
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So
decided it was time for a bit of man-attack-pastry action. Harry reached across and grabbed the spatula
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But,
in his desparation to attack he fumbled, and watched in slow motion as the utensil tumbled to the floor, landing just out of reach under the counter.
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so
he succumbed to his fate. Some hours later, minus a lower torso, he regained an awareness. Being a zombie, or more descriptively, half a zombie, was going to be very interesting indeed.
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But
he was not alone. Dim, through zombie eyes, he saw a figure above him, dressed in white- the Pie Cart vendor (who's name was Chris) had returned.
"Mate, you ok? WTF happened here?"
Harry's contemplation of existential leglessness would have to wait.
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dragonia
25-Mar-10, 20:29
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So
he grinned up at Chris and said, 'More meat for the grinder.'
And Chris said,
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mrvroom
29-Mar-10, 15:03
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Deleted by mrvroom on 29-Mar-10, 15:03.
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