Don’t Miss Posts. This MonsterHearts, I’m also having one regular post a day, if you should prefer that kind of thing. Just look at the posts before or after this one.
MonsterHearts is a 14 day event (named after a pervy RPG) wherein my writing group votes on a monster each day to include in a story concept. As we march toward Valentine’s Day, the theme is supernatural romance. This year, I’ve been trying to just use “edit” mode in MidJourney to iron out irregularities, even trying to make a legible title in the AI program. While it’s cool you can now hammer the hands and text into shape, as opposed to just photoshopping what you need to fix, there are advantages to doing it the older way. There’s a lot less control of where and how the text is placed, and what it looks like. Surprised I’ve kept up the effort this long; looks like I’m gonna go all the way with it.
MONSTER HEARTS DAY TEN: DREAMER
TITLE: M-74S
CHARACTERS: Sra. Seagrave: a Bureaucrat of the Dream World, Sra. Grijalva: a Dreamer.
PREMISE: Señora Grijalva is asleep. She fell in love at first sight, as you do in dreams, with an elegant lady working the office of Dream Bureaucracy. To have excuses to get back in line, get to her window, to see and talk to her again, she takes it upon herself to perform increasingly arcane bureaucratic tasks – getting licenses for her pet licenses, special ordering sub-certified copies of her passport application application, etc. Heartless monster Señora Seagrave isn’t making it easy for her.
THE HOOK: The last and worst form is M-74S, which needed so many stamps and signatures, Sra. Grijalva’s sleep is nearly at an end by the time she has it completed. The form needs an extended private review by Sra. Seagrave, which is everything she’s been fighting for.
But as she wakes up, the world begins to disintegrate. It feels like she’s dying, like she can’t make sense of anything. Sra. Seagrave realizes the affection was mutual too late. Or does she just seem like she does, because dreams forget their own rules as they draw to a close?
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These MonsterHearts ideas are a lot of fun!
thanksalot bud. glad to know somebody is giving them a peruse.
I love the cover!
The fear of bureaucracy (is there a word for that?) is common and deep. I actually squirmed when I read that.
thanks, marcus. idk if there’s a word for it, but i think social anxiety plays a big part. what do you mean i hafta talk to the judgmental person at the counter? that they’re going to judge me based on whether or not i did the puzzle right?