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NATHAN D DAVIS
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JFK -> LHR:  A Christmas (Chat) Story

12/20/2017

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I'm reposting a story I wrote about 18 months ago. It is a Christmas story written as text messages. In case you wonder why the story isn't told in emoji's, Ben and Laura are Gen-Xers who still send messages in mostly completely sentences and proper punctuation. ;)

I hope you enjoy and have a very Merry Christmas!
Ben 
You still up?



Ben
Soon. Hope no one is seated next me.
​I can 't sleep on these flights



​
Ben
Sorry


Ben
I mean it


Ben
Do you think Max heard us?

​
Ben
​What are we going to do?


Ben
​Once the restaurant opens
everything will change.
U, me, Max we’ll go somewhere



​Ben
​I love u


Ben
I’ll call you when I get to London.
Merry Christmas :)


​
Ben
Hope you're phone is silent
and this doesn’t wake you.
​I can’t sleep.
​Staring out the window


Ben
I can see the Northern Lights...
They are really pretty


Ben
Thinking about you.
I know I made a lot of promises


Ben
​You’re still awake?


Ben
Sorry

Ben
OMG
Ben
Shooting star. right next to the plane.
A red streak


Ben
CRAZY. You gotta see this

Ben
OK that’s weird.
​Took a pic but the streak doesn’t appear


Ben
OMG OMG OMG
​You'll never believe this



Ben
The streak, I think... it’s Santa Clause


Ben
I'M SERIOUS This is nuts!
Santa is flying next to the plan


Ben
Reindeer are much bigger
​than in the movies



Ben
I’m not joking

Ben
​Not a drop. This is INSANE


Ben
I’m not the only one. Kid in 19A sees it too.
​Everyone else is sleeping



Ben
Wait! Something is wrong with Santa
Slumped over
​Reindeer keep looking back at him



Ben
There's an elf! He’s waving his arms.
​Looks like he’s trying to say something



Ben
Just got real
Kid in 19A whispers
“Santa needs our help”
I don’t hear anything.
​Kid says it’s b/c I’m adult



​Ben
Sounds like Santa got into some
bad milk and cookies.
Needs boost of xmas spirit to get home




​Ben
Good idea!








Ben
Turns out waking people
in middle of night ​to sing
does NOT boost Christmas spirit



Ben
19A kid says it’s all wrong.
Santa doesn’t want singing or cookies
​He doesn’t care if people believe in him



Ben
​Dope






​Ben
No wait. HOPE, not dope.
Santa wants us to have HOPE



Ben
Are you hopeful?


Ben
Me too

Ben
​Go downstairs


Ben
I hitched a ride from a friend
​and his reindeer


Ben
I’m home 


​Laura
Yes. Cleaning up a bit. When’s you're flight leave?


Laura
Can’t imagine a lot of people are leaving their families on xmas night


Laura
Ok


Laura
I know


​
Laura
Don’t know. But he HAS heard us

​
Laura
What are YOU going to do?




​Laura
You’ve said that before


Laura
I know



Laura
G’night











​

​
​Laura
​Ben?

Laura
​Heard phone vibrating on nightstand





Laura
​What?








Laura
​Everything ok?



Laura
What? What is it?


Laura
​lol




​
​Laura
ha ha. Goodnight


Laura
​have you been drinking?


Laura
You're INSANE



Laura
​I’m going back to sleep




Laura
Oh no! Is Santa dead?  ;)



Laura
​An elf? Does he look like Will Ferrell?





Laura
well if santa needs help, I guess you better help him. lol




Laura
Maybe you should have everyone sing “We wish you a Merry Christmas”


Laura
I wasn't serious

Laura
Ben?

Laura
Ben!





Laura
You're ridiculous



Laura
​Then what does Santa want?


Laura
​Dope?
Santa wants get high?


Laura
​Not that I can blame him ;)



Laura
<3


Laura
​I want to be





Laura
​huh?

 
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About That Novel

12/3/2017

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National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) concluded with the sunset of November and I am pleased to report the effort was (mostly) a success. I did not reach the 50,000-word count that was the given goal of the project. I did, however, get my entire screenplay adapted and I was able to find time to work on the novel 26 of the 30 days. Coming up short on the word count bothers me a bit, but only because I don’t like coming up short on measurable goals like that. C’est la vie.
 
What’s next? Rewriting. A lot of rewriting. I’m pleased with the story and plotting, but there is work to be done on the prose. I think of it as building a house. The foundation is laid, and the walls are up, but now the walls need to be painted, and the details added that turn the house from a structure to a home. This task feels a bit daunting – eloquent prose is not my strong suit. But I’m learning to be patient with myself and take it one sentence at a time. I’m also watching lectures on building great sentences from The Great Courses hoping the information will absorb and help inspire my writing.
 
I shared the first couple chapters of my book with my writer’s group. They provided some helpful feedback and also inspired the idea that I should consider turning this into two books. One of the biggest critiques of the screenplay is that readers aren’t sure who the audience is. Half of the story is about a kid in a fantasy world, which has appeal for younger audiences. The other half of the story is an adult drama that feels more appropriate for mature audiences.  While no one would consider making two movies about the same story for two different audiences, one could publish two books for two different audiences. One book would be the story, as is, targeting adults. The second book would remove the adult drama and expand on elements in the fantasy world. Both stories end up in the same place. The only difference is how the reader gets there.
 
Though it is fun to think about the possibilities, I know there is still a lot of work ahead of me. I believe the story is worth it. It is a story that needs to be told, so I will do my best to help it find its audience.
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