Bea sat at her computer screen. She had NO idea what to write. She had been asked to create an article for the school newspaper about the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday.
“What can I write that hasn’t already been said?” Bea asked herself. As a freshman, she so wanted to impress her editor again. And she knew she had to write something beyond the high school girl Valentine crush article that she had already tried to turn in.
“This is just too…silly, Bea. You’ve got to do something else,” her Senior class editor raised an eyebrow as he said it. Bea did not want to lose her place on the paper. She found such contentment writing. This was something she was good at. But now, she was faced with her first real case of writer’s block.
“Ugh!” sighed Bea. Her head flopped onto the keyboard.
“What’s wrong now?” Bea looked up. Her older sister, Purity, was standing with her arms crossed.
“I don’t know what to write. If I don’t come up with something, I’m going to lose my place on the paper, ” murmured Bea, her face still planted between the keys on the keyboard.
“Bea…you are a sensational writer. Remember what you did at Christmas, writing yourself into that adventure with Prudence? I’m STILL trying figure out how you did that!” Purity sounded very authentic in her encouragement which Bea needed to hear. And, it gave her an idea…
“Let’s write an adventure with Prudence! Maybe she’ll give me some ideas of something to write about!”
“So, let me get this straight,” retorted Purity in her older sister therefore I should know better tone, “You just WROTE yourself into my dream and POOF! You were there?!”
“Yeah, pretty much! Bea smiled. There are somethings older siblings just take such a long time to grasp. But since Purity had been trying, as of late, to be patient with her, Bea was willing to let her in on the secret.
“Ok, so how should we begin?” asked Purity.
“Well, Valentine’s Day…where does it come from?” asked Bea. She quickly got onto Google and discovered that Valentine’s Day was a Catholic (Christian) holiday that celebrates the deeds of Saint Valentine.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C5DnV3GSyrs#
“Valentine was killed by the Romans for helping Christians get married,” Bea said.
“And in Ancient Rome, that would NOT have been a good thing,” recounted Purity remembering her world history. “So if we are going to write a story with Prudence, do we have to go back to Ancient Rome?”
“No, we can go anywhere. Let’s meet Prudence in modern day Rome. We can explore the city for info on St. Valentine,” said Bea.
“How do we start?” asked Purity.
“How do you start any story?” said Bea. She looked down at her computer and began to type:
Once upon a time in the eternal city of Rome, there was a lovely sidewalk cafe along a cobblestone street. Sitting at this cafe, was a woman with red hair and blue eyes. She was called Prudence…