My Perfectly Dreadful Novel

Well, I seem to be making progress, but my characters are running completely amok.


an excerpt:

“La la la la la! What have we here?” caroled a perfectly coiffed young man who came running up to kiss me on both cheeks twice and immediately began to chatter animatedly. “I hear you’re in theater? Oh, you must tell me all about it! In the Commedia dell'arte I was understudy for a Pierrot once—that’s a clown you know— I was supposed to sing songs in a brothel scene, only I didn’t get to go on— layringitis. So I’m just doing set design until my next big break.” Here he paused for breath and looked at me expectantly. “Did you study anwhere in particular? Are you in anything n—“

“Oh,” I said, “well, there isn’t much to tell…”

“Yes?” He clasped his hands and leaned in to listen.

“I had the starring role in Les Misérables—“

“No!” He clutched his chest.

“Yes, but—you know how they say ‘break a leg’?” I asked.

“Yes….”

“Well I did.”

“Oh that’s simply terrible!” he gasped, full of obvious pity.

“So I don’t really like to talk about it…” I added, trailing off feebly.

“Oh, I understand completely!” he agreed. “I won’t mention it again—Oh, do let me get you a drink, though. How about a Tickled Nipple? ” And he trickled off to the bar.