29 minutes

I nearly missed it.

It is a testament to my careless and forgetful nature when I dump in at 2008’s 24hr playwriting competition at 15:59, one minute from the start time, without an indemnity form and without formal parental consent, having only informed them of today’s event an hour before. Maybe I didn’t want to wake up father up because I didn’t want to talk to him. Maybe I was overconfident about being able to reach the venue on time. Maybe I just forgot, like I forgot so many other important things. All that matters is not that I’m here, but it is the most paramount task I have right now, because of the time pressure.

Less than 23 hours to pull off a winning script – I say winning because it would be a shit in the face if I grab anything lower than second place. Last year could very well have been a fluke, I admit that. Maybe the competition was weak then. Maybe I’ll be facing real playwrights now. Regardless, writing is not just my niche; it’s going to be my life.

The participants will be provided stimuli that they will have to include in their scripts. Stimuli may take the form of an object, a snatch of dialogue, even a sensation (last year they made us drink some tasteless tea).

Last year’s first and second stimuli had me pondering in circles fruitlessly for roughly seven hours before I began to really type. I think I’ll wait for the second stimuli before I seriously pick my direction and start running. I don’t want to have to reconsider my whole convoy of creativity unless I have to.

I have some roughly preconceived ideas this year. First stimulus seems simple enough. It’s dialogue: “I don’t know. It has always been like this.”

A short list of what I’m packing:

This laptop (the same one I used last time, thanks Ms Zee)

A couple of unused ideas

My playlist

Headphones

An useless goodie bag, except for the free mug

My collection of Mikana pics (I was going to bring porn, but what if I get disqualified?)

Island Voices (School Literature text)

A wireless connection

A dictionary

Thesaurus

Rhyming dictionary

Malay-English and English-Malay dictionary

Toilet Paper

12 bucks

2 thumbdrives

Stationery

Umbrella

My list of ship names (posted in Pebble Fort before)

And over 9000 spartans.