I have this cool little book called The Playful Way to Serious Writing. It's supposed to help me become a serious writer, but in a playful way. The author, Roberta Allen, has stuffed the book with dozens of cool little exercises designed to get the creative juices flowing. Exercises like this...

What's her secret? (You have 5 minutes...go!)

Her name is not Leslie. At least not tonight. She hates her name. Always has. Tonight she will be Kyle, or Ryan or maybe James. She'd always heard that guys dug girls with boy names. It made them more unique. (As if you can be more unique, which means "one of a kind".)

It wasn't her name she hated so much as her skin. Somehow it didn't fit right. Like the sleeves were too long and her finger tips didn't quite reach the end. Tonight the skin would fit, but it would be someone else's. She would dance to too loud music. Drink too many watered down cocktails. Lie to not enough people.

Tomorrow will be different. She'll go back to being Leslie. Dr. Phelps actually. She'll tease her clients back toward "reality" as they spill their guts about their addictions, obsessions, and how much they hate their parents.

Tomorrow night, she'll try out a new name.

———————

That took me roughly four-and-a-half minutes. I’d love to read what you think about her secret if you have a minute. Or five.

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Stuff I Write

what's her secret?