This is a short story I wrote in an online writing event: Stories Unraveled 3.0
Writing Prompt (Colour: Orange):
In a bustling city, a shy artist finds the courage to share their work with the world for the first time. Describe the transformative journey of self-discovery and newfound confidence as they navigate the ups and downs of pursuing their passion amidst the backdrop of a supportive community.
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Pearl & Paul
Chapter 1: Paul meets Pearl
She was never an extrovert to begin with. An inherent introvert is what her college mates described her when inquired. Some of them even had difficulty remembering her. I was utterly fascinated. A timid young girl graduates out of college, getting hired by a top corporate. Her survival is ensured with no financial difficulties and now she turns to her hobbies. What does she see? Opportunities! Fast Forward 5 years. She is the leader of a huge community which is an understatement. To rephrase, she is the leader of a community which manages a book club, writers club, movie club and a gaming club. She shines bright in her life leaving many women galvanized. Her name is Pearl.
I’m Paul. A member of the writers club. Needless to say, from the writers club of Pearl’s community. Our Community name is Plot Twist! Yeah you read it right. She named it so because her life story in itself had a plot twist. She transformed into an extrovert from being an introvert all along. From a girl who had issues in making friends and talking to people, she became the inspiring founder and exhilarating leader of many clubs. She was becoming sensational now. Brands, Corporates and even government schools were reaching out to her and the community, to collaborate for productive and educational events. So, I decided to write about her journey in a book, kind of a biography but written by someone else. I did seek her consent before this intriguing endeavour, making Pearl shine better through a book.
On a cold rainy day, lying on my couch and surfing my mobile, I happen to come across a writers event in one of those “A-world-for-all-those-bored-people-out-there” app. I signed up for it and surprisingly ended up participating in this writing event. That’s how I met her, Pearl. I was there at the venue, a fancy Starbucks. She was just there, sitting in a corner, all alone, a laptop, a tablet, a book, and couple of notepads spread across a huge table. On first sight, anyone would frown upon her, 'Why does this girl have to occupy an entire table?'. Even I did and without realizing she was Pearl, I started scanning the room looking for her. I called the number mentioned in the event and to my embarrassment, the corner girl waved a 'hi' and called me over to her table.
"Hi, I'm Pearl"
"I'm Paul. Am I the first participant?"
"Yeah, I'm surprised that you turned up because I had already scheduled two events before and had many folks signed up but no one turned up on the day of the event. So, great to have you here. Hope you bring some luck for me today and we have more participants for our event."
"Oh nice." But I was beginning to feel uncomfortable. If I and she were going to be the only participants in a writing event, then this event is going to go pretty awkward.
To be continued…
Author's Questions to Readers:
My vision for this story is oscillating between Romance and Self-discovery. Which genre should I choose?
Should it be mainly about Pearl or both Pearl and Paul?
Note: This is a raw copy of what I wrote in the online writing event.
MaddiE's Note:
If you find any mistakes or need for improvements please comment or reach out to me.