Lesson 1, Assignment 1 AND Assignment 2

Lesson 1, Assignment 1, Pt 1

Samantha cracked her fortune cookie in half while still inside the package, a trick to keep the crumbs to a minumum, and examined the fortune she manouvered out of a slit in the bag. Written in red ink in smaller than normal font was "Sam, quit looking for your destiny in a cookie, you know what you are here to do. Go, do it."

This was the first of many prophetic statements from fortune cookies at Wok 'n Roll, the new Chinese takeaway in the rural town where she worked as grant writer for a government agency. After 18 years with the state, she'd be a fool to leave now. Just two more years and she could get insurance and retirement pay when she is sixty-two. The problem was that she was only forty years old. Samantha felt there was something out there calling her but what, she had no idea. Maybe the fortune cookies at Wok 'n Roll could shed some light on her problem. She had no idea how right she was.



Assignment 1, Part 2

I used a combination of "character first" and "What if".
I do typically start with a character but not so often the "what if" question.
I started off thinking of a relaxation app on a phone that talked to her but thought it was too much like "Oh God" movies with John Denver.






Assignment 2

Dear Jake,
By the time you read this, you will be 19, at least. I am sitting here now watching you run around in your footie pajamas, and all I can think is how absolutely amazed I am that you came from me and your dad. I told mom not to give this to you until after your 19th birthday. I would tell you all of this myself it if I knew I'd be around but my life is, well, lets just say I've not lived up to my potential lately. Don't get me wrong, I'm smart, always made good grades. I was the perfect one. That was, until your father killed himself. I blamed myself for a long time. I'm writing this because I want you to know I told him about you and I was afraid I couldn't go through with the pregnancy. He didn't want to tell his stepmom because she already couldn't have kids and it wouldn't be fair to tell her about you if I was planning to give you to someone who could raise you better than I could. He was 18, and I was just 19. I broke it off with him that night, trying to spare him the pain of even knowing what I decided. He wanted you but never felt wanted by his own mother. He couldn't do the same to you if he and I ended up staying together just to keep you to ourselves. Trust me, it wouldn't have been fair to you. When he died, I couldn't give you away. I moved in with my aunt and mom ended up raising you. I get the best of both worlds and so did you. I get to watch you grow up and you'll have a wonderful childhood like I did before I messed it all up. If you are reading this and I'm not around, just know that I tried to make sure you were okay. Just remember, I love you kiddo and if I'm able to keep myself straight and on the right path, I'll explain this all to you and get you your father's family's address and you can meet them someday, when you are ready, if you are ready. If not, its okay too. They don't know about you, so please don't be angry with them for not being in your life. Most of all kiddo, please promise me that you will never check out of this life early, on purpose. I wish your dad could have seen all the friends who came out at his funeral and he thought no one liked him. Being a teen is hard but by now you'll be older than he was when it happened. I didn't want you to dread being 18. I hope you are happy and this letter doesn't freak you out. Talk to mom or Maggie if it does. Talk to someone. Remember, you are really never alone. I love you so much.

Love Suzy, I mean, your first mom.