"You impudent child!" said Merryweather. He absolutely hated that name. "The Knight's Codes of Honor booklet only has 218 codes in it, and code 218 says: 'Dragons must be avoided at all times because they may be guarded by beautiful, but deadly, maidens.'"
~An Afternoon with Tea & Dragon
The ides of March are not always unlucky. On this date in 1985 I entered Fremont Unified School District's Young Authors Contest... and I won first place!
My fairytale, An Afternoon with Tea & Dragon, grew out of a desire to see what would happen if a smart maiden (who was definitely not blonde! I was actively trying to break the blonde princess stereotype, you see) met up with a Dragon more interested in drinking tea and exchanging stories than fighting knights in armor. Throw in a bumbling knight and a talking horse (who later turns out to be Merlyn in disguise) and you've got my recipe for greatness.
I actually shared this story with a couple friends of mine recently. I read it aloud and, you know, the story really held up rather well, considering the passage of time. We were laughing our asses off, but not, I think, about the things I originally intended to be funny. What is the significance of the teapot being kept on top of the dragon's hoard? If Vanessa is such an independent maiden, why does she earn the dragon's admiration by fulfilling the traditional woman's role of making a pot of tea? Does the statement, "She makes an excellent pot of tea" mask any sly double entendres? I mean, you gotta wonder what all that talk of devouring maidens is all about. And what about the lance and javelin references? Phallic symbols, I say, Phallic symbols all over the place! Wipe away a tear for my lost innocence! I'm an English Grad student now! [snicker!]
Yes, it was my 15 minutes in the sun. You've got to wonder what I've been doing in the past 22 years. Well, I've been refining my technique, that's what. You just wait, one day the world is going to realize just how amazing I am...
Current mood: Relieved, because my migraine has finally gone away...sort of.
Current music: Sweet, beautiful Silence.
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