If You Give A Writer A Laptop

Reposted in honor of the FIRST Carnival of Christian Writers Don’t forget to check out the rest of the carnival! You’re in for a wild ride!

by Gina Conroy
based on “If you Give a Mouse a Cookie” by Laura Numeroff

If you give a writer a laptop she’ll want a cup of coffee before she writes. She’ll go to the kitchen to make herself a pot and realize she drank it all yesterday.

She’ll reach for her purse and realize she can’t find her keys. She’ll dump the contents of her purse onto the table and find her lipstick. That will remind her that she doesn’t have any make-up on, and she’s still in her pajamas. So she’ll splash a little color on her face and pull on her favorite jeans.

Bending over to tie her sneakers, she’ll split her pants and realize she’s gained more than a couple of pounds. She’ll throw on her sweats and decide to jog to the coffee shop since it’s just a couple of blocks away.

As she’s jogging down the street she’ll see a paper sack and clothes scattered in the road. She’ll stop. Her writer’s imagination kicks into high gear (unlike her slow jog), and she imagines a kidnapping gone awry, a teen runaway falling off the back of a truck she just hitched a ride from, or an angry housewife kicking her cheating husband out.

As she stoops down for a closer inspection, she’ll notice a wallet. Seeing the empty wallet will remind her she was on her way to get some coffee. And chances are if she reaches into her pockets for her money, she’ll realize she spent it all on the laptop.