Can You Run Out of Things to Say When You Never Say Anything At All?

Posted on June 26, 2007 by Dave Pollard
My newest short story is an exercise writing in an unfamiliar (female) voice, and using fiction as a medium to expose provocative ideas. Let me know if you think it succeeds at either, or both.

pool candle
Natalie, dear friend, I need your advice!…
 
I know you always told me that a girl had to be crazy to answerthose personal classifieds, but this one was just too unusual to resist… (more…)

Category: Short Stories
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9 Responses to Can You Run Out of Things to Say When You Never Say Anything At All?

  1. Jordan Mechano says:
    June 26, 2007 at 23:17

    Well, the voice I heard in my head was female, so you did your job well. Until the last one or two paragraphs, when I thought the voice changed just slightly. But still, really good story, and such a good lesson.

  2. Michael Yarmolinsky says:
    June 27, 2007 at 08:34

    Interesting results by The Gender Genie: http://bookblog.net/gender/genie.phpWell Done!

  3. Mariella says:
    June 27, 2007 at 09:47

    hmmmm…..! If I had to judge the story by the effect it produced in me….. : Delicious…! Both exiting and scary, dangerous and lovely…Well Done!

  4. Dave Pollard says:
    June 27, 2007 at 10:39

    Thanks. Mike, I’d forgotten about the genie. I tried it when it first came out and it said my writing was female 55/45% on average. This article was more like 62/38% female, so I guess it was a success, though just using ‘we’ a lot seems to be cheating ;-)

  5. Dale Asberry says:
    June 27, 2007 at 10:42

    Girlfriends this close don’t need to say “dear friend,” or “you know I trust you like a sister.” You already imply they are like this… maybe additional indirect implications?

  6. Dale Asberry says:
    June 27, 2007 at 10:45

    also, if natalie was expecting the phone call, some of the setup at the beginning of the letter is redundant. distracted me somewhat.

  7. Ann says:
    June 27, 2007 at 12:44

    A very enjoyable read, Dave, thank you. Sweetly sinister!I wouldn’t have spotted thae fact that it was written by a male, except that a female might/would have thought the guy could well be married, and wonder when his wife would return from vacation or suddenly appear on the scene. :-)

  8. Jon Husband says:
    June 27, 2007 at 13:59

    Shouldn’t ” he must of guessed” be “he must have guessed” or “he must’ve guessed” ?Picky picky me, esp. given all the typos and crappy writing I practice.The stroy reminds me of a French film I love titled “Une Liaison Pornographique”, which starts of with a women and man meetiung through a personal ad, and building a relationship of sorts with very little talking. The movie is of course anything but pornographic .. it is instead a delicate, nuanced and ultimately both sad-making and uplifting commentary on hman communications and intimacy.Those French film makers .. always so earnest …. ;-)

  9. Andrew Brunelle says:
    June 29, 2007 at 11:14

    Hey, Dave, great story. Maybe the man in your story was taking a vow of silence for world peace. Or maybe he was just so tired of talking, talking, talking. I sure hope they don’t get married because I guarantee there will probably be no “I do”‘s.

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