Facebook

07 June 2017

Simon The Time Traveling Cat Plays Monopoly | IWSG


The Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG) is a place to share and encourage, where writers can express their doubts and concerns without appearing foolish or weak. It's a great place to mingle with like minded people each month during IWSG day.

Every month there's an optional question which may prompt folks to share advice, insights, a personal experience or story. Some folks answer the question in their IWSG blog post or let it inspire them if they're struggling with what to say.

This month's question is:

"Did you ever say 'I quit'? If so, what happened to make you come back to writing?"

Check out how people have answered this month's question, as well as the other insecurities and writing topics they may have shared by visiting the IWSG sign-up list here. If you want to see how I answered the question, have a look below.


****


Simon the Time Traveling Cat batted at the dice with his large gray paws and pushed them off of the table. He peered down at the floor waiting for me to pick them up.

“Looks like you rolled a seven,” I said as I placed the dice back on the table next to Monopoly board.
Simon growled. “Lady, you’re blind as a bat. I rolled an eight.”

“Simon, it was not a eight,” I said firmly. “You’re trying to cheat again. Go on, move the wheelbarrow seven places.”

“How’d I get stuck with this stupid wheelbarrow anyway,” Simon said. “You knew I wanted the top hat, but no, you had to go and grab it first.”

“It’s not my problem you were busy lapping up milk while I was setting up the board,” I said as I watched Simon nudge the wheelbarrow down the board towards Park Place and Boardwalk. I just happened to own both properties, complete with three hotels each.

Simon’s tail started to swish back and forth furiously as he realized the wheelbarrow was about to land on Boardwalk.

I rubbed my hands together. “Excellent. That’ll be…”

Before I could finish, Simon shoved the hotels onto the floor and then lay in the middle of the board glaring at me.

“There’s no way, I’m paying you another dime, lady” he hissed. “I quit!”

“Hey, calm down Simon. It’s just a game. Nobody likes a quitter.”

Simon stared at me coldly. “Go get me some more milk, lady. And make it full-fat. No more of that stupid skim milk crap you keep trying to make me drink.”

As I rummaged through the fridge, Simon furiously sharpened his claws on the board, scattering Monopoly money around the room in the process.

“Sorry, Simon, two percent is the best I can do,” I said carefully placing a saucer in front of him. “Are you sure you want to quit? Why don’t we set the board up again and play?”

“You’re the quitter, lady, not me.” Simon sniffed at the milk with disdain. “You’re constantly quitting working on that book of yours.”

“I’m not quitting writing it,” I said. “I just take breaks from time to time when I get writer’s block.”
Simon started to shove the saucer towards the edge of the table. I grabbed it before it could land on the floor with the rest of the Monopoly pieces.

“Is that what we’re calling it - taking a break?” he snarled. “Face it, you’re a quitter.”

“Am not.”

“Are too.”

“No, I’m not!”

“Well then, prove it. Open up that stupid laptop of yours and start writing again.” Simon turned his back to me and started washing behind his ears.

There’s nothing worse than knowing a cat might be right about something. They get so smug about that sort of thing. But was it possible that taking a break was the same thing as quitting?

I sighed and opened up my laptop. I suppose I might as well try to do some writing since Monopoly was out of the question.

Before I could open up the file, Simon landed with a plop on the keyboard.

“Haven’t you forgotten something, lady?” he asked as he rolled onto his back. “You need to go to the store and get some full-fat milk, pronto. Then you can get back to your writing. That is if you don’t quit again by the time you get back.”

****

Have you ever quit working on something? Did it start out as just taking a break, but then you never ended up going back to it? What’s your favorite board game?

Internet connection has been really scarce lately while we've been cruising in the Bahamas, so apologies if it takes a while before I'm able to respond to your comments and/or visit your blog.
 
Thanks for stopping by our blog - we love it when people come visit! We're also on Facebook - pop by and say hi!

56 comments:

  1. I have quit working on writing projects, but only temporarily. I like to give my full attention to the current project. But I always come back to them. Thanks for sharing your story!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There are days when I wonder whether I'll ever return to certain writing projects. Hopefully, I can find the energy to finish some of them off soon.

      Delete
  2. Tell him you're going to quit giving him any milk if she doesn't stop her sassing!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm not a fan of Monopoly. Just sayin...but I also don't agree with Simon. Clearly he's never been a writer. ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I find Monopoly takes way too long. I lose my interest about half-way through. Simon finds it hard to write due to his lack of opposable thumbs :-)

      Delete
  4. I love this post and will have to read it to my son tomorrow. He loved both cats and monopoly. I was always a fan of life. Now...hmmm, I do like some of the games my grandma used to play with me. Rumikube I think. I also like battleship. Happy writing Ellen!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah, Battleship - that takes me right back to childhood :-)

      Delete
  5. I've quite lots of things, but never writing. It's how I get through the day. :-)

    Anna from elements of emaginette

    ReplyDelete
  6. This post makes want to play Monopoly. And drink milk. Hmm, maybe some chocolate milk with my lunch later.... :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chocolate milk sounds so good. I can't remember the last time I had any.

      Delete
  7. This is exactly why I'm a dog person. ;-)

    Stephanie @ SV CAMBRIA

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We might need to introduce a dog character soon to get Simon's attention :-)

      Delete
  8. We often do need to take breaks, don't we? :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. LOL You should play Simon Says with him instead.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love Simon's snark! :) Happy June Writing and Sailing!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hehehe! Oh Simon. Best listen to the cat about the writing, though! :) My favorite board game is Settlers of Catan. My cat loves to play with the dice too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've never heard of Settlers of Catan. It seems like there are lots more board games out there these days than when I was growing up.

      Delete
  12. LOL Simon sounds a lot like my cat. ;) Everyone needs a break, kitty!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Simon definitely has some very characteristic feline traits :-)

      Delete
  13. Good grief! Simon, you make me happy that my husband is allergic to cats. But I'm all for breaks. If there were no breaks, then there would be burn outs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Very good point about the importance of breaks so you don't burn out.

      Delete
  14. Love Simon. He's a smart one.

    Have a fabulous day. ☺

    ReplyDelete
  15. LOL! Simon's fantastic. I need to give a voice to a Muse. Maybe he/she would keep me on track. Or, at least I'd get a lot of milk in the house :D. Hope you're enjoying your time in the Bahamas!

    Cheers,
    Jen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope Simon didn't read your comment about him being fantastic. It's going to go straight to his head :-)

      Delete
  16. Cats really do get smug, don't they? And 2%? Seriously? No wonder Simon's ticked off. I quit writing for 2 months (so I could organize my writing room) and now I'm trying to start up again, which is why I'm visiting blogs and doing social media...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cats can be really smug creatures :-) Glad you're starting up again.

      Delete
  17. And while you're out getting that milk, grab me some cookies!

    Ugh, as you know, I'm just getting out of a break myself. It isn't easy, but I've found a few good words that enjoy being beside one another. Who knows, it might turn into a story of sorts. Happy cruising. Happy writing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Love that thought about find a few good words that enjoy being beside each other :-)

      Delete
  18. Cat's are ALWAYS right. Even when they're wrong. And milk's not really good for them so maybe it's indigestion making Simon snarky.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Milk could be why he's so snarky. But then again, this is Simon we're talking about...

      Delete
  19. Yes, cats definitely get smug. And they definitely need some attention before one begins to write otherwise they'll make sure you are distracted.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cats come before writing and pretty much anything else, at least from their perspective they do :-)

      Delete
  20. Wow, that's one opinionated cat. Some of my favorite board games are Clue, Battleship, Stratego, and Trouble. Haven't played them in a while, though. I should definitely get them out again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I always enjoyed Clue. I played it again recently, but they had changed the board and other things. I was a big nostalgic for the version I had as a child.

      Delete
  21. I liked to play, "Lie, Cheat, and Steal". It's just like Monopoly, except you're supposed to lie, cheat, and steal your way through it. I bet Simon would enjoy it much more.

    ReplyDelete
  22. When cats move into your head and start acting like your own version of Jiminy Cricket, it's time to put them on weak rations. Breaks are essential things in life.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would fear for my life if I put Simon on weak rations. He has sharp claws.

      Delete
  23. Replies
    1. I can just picture Simon in Vegas pawing at the ball on the roulette wheel.

      Delete
  24. Visiting your blog is always a pleasure!
    Now I'm wondering when last I played Monopoly?

    ReplyDelete
  25. I'm with Simon on Monopoly; that game takes way too long! Gee, he sure has a way of making me feel guilty, but I guess that is how cats tend to be :)

    ReplyDelete
  26. My favorite board game is Scrabble. And I never play any game with cats as they make their own rules as they go and I can't keep up with that.


    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

    ReplyDelete
  27. Another entertaining story to battle the question, Ellen! My breaks don't seem to be self-inflicted (except if you call the decision to travel a lot and see friends and family self-inflicted) and I seem to "quit" temporarily when I really, truly have no time to write... Afterwards (in this case, two months later), I feel so guilty that I just have to focus on writing for a while, until the next un-self-inflicted distraction. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  28. Love this! That is exactly what it's like to play board games with a cat.

    I've taken breaks from my novels in favour of finishing other novels, but I know I'll get back to them. A break does not a quitter make.

    ReplyDelete

We LOVE when people leave comments. It's so much more fun hearing what you have to say. If you have a blog, make sure you leave a link and I'll be sure to pop on by.

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.