Writing Prompt

WRITING OBSTACLE

Write a dialogue that includes an example of verbal irony.

Verbal irony is when someone says the opposite of what they mean, often with the intention of being humorous or sarcastic. For example, "Great, just what I needed, another headache."

Writings

Beading

“Ah!” I curse under my breath as the beads I’m holding fly across the table. The thread holding them together has snapped. “Excellent, that’s exactly what I needed to happen while I’ve got three orders due and finals to study for.” I sigh, not bothering to try to pick up the super small seed beads. The project was going beautifully before this, too. It was an intricate design of pink, bronze, and blue beads woven together using copper wire and thread to form a delicate bracelet. Two hour’s work, spread across my bedroom floor. “Guess I’ll grab the vacuum.” I glance at the clock. “And a snack.”

Padding downstairs, I see my sister sitting on the kitchen counter, holding a mug. She almost throws it at me when I appear silently at the doorway. “What on earth are you doing down here at eleven PM on a school night? I can feel my heart racing, you scared me so bad.” I grin. “Working on an order. I’m behind.” I gesture to her mug. “What are you doing down here? You’ve got school too.” “I was thinking of skipping.” “Really?” “No. Too stressful.” She sighs, hopping off the counter. “Hot chocolate?” “Sure.” I watch her make it, taking her place on the counter. “Do you want any help with the orders?” I narrow my eyes. “What’s the catch?” “None. Actually, I take it back. When you’ve caught up with your work, you could make me one of those necklaces you made for Kari. They’re good enough that I’d order one if I didn’t want to give you the satisfaction.” That’s surprising. “You’d buy one of my products?” “No. But I’ll take one in exchange for a bit of labor.” “I didn’t know you thought they were good.” “Yeah, I like your styles of jewelry. Not the earrings though.” “What’s wrong with them?” “Too flashy. Anyway, so you want help or not? If you give me a pattern or whatever I could follow it. It’s just the designs that I have trouble with.” I consider. We haven’t really hung out in a long time, and I really do need help. “Yeah, that’d be great. It might be a bit before you get your necklace, though.”

A Patron To Forget

It’s her fourth night in a row closing the bar and Dani is exhausted. By the time she gets home, she’s lucky to get five hours sleep before starting all over again. And that’s provided her reveller roommate doesn’t make the sound of a small tornado coming home from a night out. Same shit, different day. Between training for her swim team, classes, assignments, and working to pay tuition fees, rent and, last but not least, food, there isn’t much time left for self care.

Which brings us to this very moment. Poor, sleep deprived Dani mentally crawling her way to the end of a day that just won’t seem to end. The bar is more full than she’d like it to be considering they are closing in fifteen minutes. It means it will be harder for her to herd the remaining intoxicated patrons onto the street so she can get the hell outta here. Something tells her she’s going to get some resistance since one particularly obscene man twice her age has been proudly making his feelings towards her quite clear all night with the encouragement of his equally vulgar mates.

She finishes off wiping the bar and goes on to the floor. She makes her way from table to table, clearing empty glasses and wiping sticky residues. She passes the rowdy group playing darts doing her best to ignore them.

“Hey, sweetheart!” The vile man yells. “Why don’t you come over here and be my lucky charm?”

“Yeah, I’ll get right on that,” she mumbles under her breath as she walks away.