Free Charmed Life by Jacqueline Druga Page A

“So I went to Bargain-Mart yesterday, and who did I see?”
    Grace shrugged. “Us.”
    “Oh, I didn’t see you. I saw Freddy. I didn’t want to bother him because he looked so intense with that large fella,” Marybeth rambled. “I went back today to get that paper towel special.”
    Freddy said, “Twelve rolls for five bucks?”
    “That’s the one. So I was looking for you. The manager said everyone was looking for you. Said to come back on Friday, you were off. And I thought. Gee whiz, what a coincidence, I’m off, too. My boys just left to go spend time with their dad for the summer. I get so bored. I also hate to go to the movies all by myself. I was wondering if you all wanted to go catch that new Julia Smith movie. I know it’s one of those things called a chick flick, but I figured with you being gay and all, you may want to come along.”
    Freddy stood up. “I love Julia Smith.”
    Marybeth placed her hand on her chest. “Oh, me, too. I can drive. Movie starts in a half hour if you want to go.”
    “Love to,” Freddy said. “Grace? You’re coming right?”
    Grace shook her head. “No, I want to work on my novel.”
    “Novel?” Marybeth grinned. “What are you reading?”
    Freddy corrected. “Not reading, writing. She is writing a book.”
    Marybeth gasped in excitement. “How thrilling. What kind of book?”
    Grace replied. “A conspiracy novel.”
    “You have to let me read it when you’re done. An author,” she sighed out. “I am so honored to meet an author. Oh! Wait. Lodi has this author lady that comes to town and does signings. Heard she’s gonna be at the Library next week for a signing. Then back for the Sweet Corn Festival next month. You ought to go down and talk to her.”
    “I think I will, thanks,” Grace said.
    “Well, Freddy we ought to be going,” Marybeth stated. “Grac,e you sure you don’t want to join us? They got the best buttered popcorn.”
    “No, but thanks. You guys go.”
    “Let me grab my man bag.” Freddy darted from the couch to his room, he returned with his bag.
    “Ain’t that just the cutest thing,” Marybeth sang out. “I love it.”
    “I made it.”
    She responded with a gasping, ‘no.’
    “Yep. I can make you one, too.” Freddy walked over to Grace. “Tap away my literary word generator. I expect a chapter.” He kissed her on the cheek.
    Grace watched them leave. She really didn’t mind the alone time. Her novel had been flourishing in her mind, and it was time to get it on paper.

    +++

    Grace didn’t know the first thing about writing a novel. For the last couple of days she had been on line looking up instructions. There really wasn’t any, but there were guidelines.
    Her characters were mapped out, and she had to make the determination of whose point of view to tell the story. She was going to go first person, which was easiest, but decided she couldn’t get reactions if she didn’t. So she found a solution. A third person Omniscient point of View was the see all know all.
    Perfect.
    She could write in first person, but write them as third person omniscient. A see all, know all. And she had the best character to do so. She would make the narrator God. But she did so and wanted to do so without letting her readers know who was telling the story. Not yet.
    How to write it. She wanted to tell it in present day. How Gabriel wanted to tell the secret because he was sick of the ‘Jesus saves’ Christian movement.
    Motivated by the pressures of Christianity.
    She hoped that Freddy would give crucial feedback. He did do a lot of reading and if anyone could tell her if she was writing it correctly, he could.
    Once she mentally mapped her direction, and tweaked her first portion outline, she took off.
    ‘Was it my imagination, or did he want to reveal the secret. He didn’t have a clue that I had been watching him forever.’
    Grace was proud of her first line and the sequential four pages to follow. Not bad for a couple hours, not