[Working Draft]

<img src="https://i.ibb.co/mmmx63Z/1.png"\> [[Iowa City huh...]]

''INT. WRITERS RETREAT (BUDGET EDITION) - AFTERNOON'' You arrived at the airport after whatever long hours you spent on the plane to Cedar Rapids... but then you need to take another shuttle bus to Iowa City. (text-colour:#4dabf7)[//Why does it take forever to get here...//] Your housing for a week is a spare room in the back of someone's house you found on Craigslist. You admit firsthand that the idea of living in the backrooms of a stranger you know through the internet is a little dangerous. But turns out, the house is pretty well-kept. Your host, a middle-aged man in a Hawkeyes T-shirt, welcomes you in. //"You're not the first writer I hosted here, kiddo. The city basically comes alive during this week."// (text-colour:#4dabf7)[''Oh, is that so?''] You thank him for his hospitality and retreat to your room. Lets [[review the schedule for the Summer Writing Festival in the email]]

You think about the idea of hauling your stuff for a week long retreat on the other side of the world sound very... romantic. Holed up in a cozy nook in front of your laptop. Freshly brewn cup of coffee on the table. Writing stories that feel like your own. (text-colour:#4dabf7)[//Gosh, that does sound like a dream.//] [[That does sound tempting..->Accept the offer]] [[But, my deadlines!]]

<img src="https://i.ibb.co/QFSYmYPm/WD-Assets-Instagram-Post.jpg"\> ✴ ''THE END'' [[Acknowledgements]]

''[working draft]'' is a (work in progress) life simulator centred around the (colour:orange)[''Iowa Summer Writing Festival.''] While the characters you interact with on this journey are fictional, the plot beats, locations, and events mentioned in the stories are not. You may notice some real names being mentioned in the story, but the characters are composites based on real-life anecdotes of people attending the writing festival and the workshop. Check out the links below to learn more about the literary culture in Iowa! (link: "''Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature''")[(goto-url: 'https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/')] (link: "''Litcity''")[(goto-url: 'https://litcity.lib.uiowa.edu/')] Special thanks to ''John Keynon'' for taking the time to share his observation as the program director of Iowa City of Literature. The wonderful image you painted of the core of Iowa’s Literary Culture as ‘The People You Meet’ is the central theme of this project. //Now, why don't you try to check out the (link: "''Summer Writing Festival''")[(goto-url: 'https://iowasummerwritingfestival.uiowa.edu/')] or send your own manuscript for the (link: "''Summer Writers Workshop?''")[(goto-url: 'https://writersworkshop.uiowa.edu/summer')]// ✴ [[Go back to the beginning ->Intro]]

(text-colour:#4dabf7)[//Isn't a week a bit too long to take a break from work?//] Just admit it. ''Real life'' is written by someone who has a vendetta against happy endings. You close off the email and open your to do list. There’s still that manuscript due next week for that wellness influencer you ghostwrote for because it paid good dough. And you're still stuck on describing how taking multiple ice baths using the purest water from some secret members only spa is good for maxxing your aura and banish negative thoughts. (text-colour:#4dabf7)[//Oh well, the grind continues.//] ✴ ''THE END'' [[Acknowledgements]]

<img src="https://i.ibb.co/spnVR8K1/4.png"\> (text-colour:#4dabf7)[//I should learn more about the venues that I'll be visiting for the week..//] Read more about the [[Dey House]] Read more about [[Prairie Lights]] Go to your [[orientation dinner]]

''INT. DEY HOUSE FOYER - AFTERNOON'' You present your draft to the workshop on the final day. And you end up with.... (b4r:"double")+(b4r-colour:navy)[''A 2500 word memoir about how spending your time at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival rekindled your confidence to write the stories you wanted to write''] To be honest, in its current stage, it’s pretty rough. Probably not of publishable quality yet. But for once you’re glad that you got to write something meaningful using your [[own words]]

''INT. AVERAGE LOOKING APARTMENT - LATE NIGHT'' You're knee deep into a passage about describing a 20 step morning routine starting at 4:00 AM is the key to success when the familiar chime of your email client registers in your ear. (text-colour:#4dabf7)[*sighs*] You've been sending your manuscripts to various publishers. The words '//we regret to inform you..//' are basically burned at the back of your head. So it's fair to assume the worst when you glance at the subject email containing the words (text-colour:orange)[''Iowa Summer Writing Festival''] . . . From your mentor? (text-colour:#4dabf7)[*Hold on, they haven't contacted me in months.*] [[Open the Email]]

<img src="https://i.ibb.co/jvL7gvNT/WD-Assets-Instagram-Post-4-1.png"\> Read more about [[Prairie Lights]] Go to your [[orientation dinner]]

<img src="https://i.ibb.co/LXhZV50c/8.png"\> Read more about the [[Dey House]] Go to your [[orientation dinner]]

''INT. FOYER OF THE DEY HOUSE - EVENING'' After a quick opening speech from the program director, you found a nice corner to brood and people-watch while sipping champagne. Not after that, a woman wearing large glasses greets you. (text-colour:#fab005)[''WOMAN WITH LARGE GLASSES''] So much for opening speeches, am I right? A guy passing by, who looks like he could be on the cover of some finance magazine, invites himself into the conversation. (text-colour:#fa5252)[''WALL STREET LOOKING GUY''] Eh. Not the worst networking event I've been to. (text-colour:#fab005)[''WOMAN WITH LARGE GLASSES''] You look like you've been to a lot of these types of events before, haven't you? The woman - //argh!// [[Can you guys just introduce yourselves?]]

''CONT'D'' (text-colour:#fab005)[''WOMAN WITH YELLOW BLOUSE''] Sorry, where are my manners? I’m Luna. (text-colour:#fab005)[''LUNA''] (She looks at Wall Street guy) And you are? (text-colour:#fa5252)[''WALL STREET LOOKING GUY''] (Offering a stiff handshake) It's Greg. Gregory Marsh. Luna raises an eyebrow. But then turns back to you expectantly. (text-colour:#fab005)[''LUNA''] You're also here for the fiction workshop? You and Greg both nod. (text-colour:#fab005)[''LUNA''] Alright, brace yourselves, guys. This is not my first Rodeo, and I'll tell you you're going in for a wild time. [["Did you attend this last year?"]] [["Uh.. I'm kind of scared.."]]

''CONT'D '' (text-colour:#fab005)[''LUNA''] Yup. And the years before that too! Worst case, you leave with a notebook full of bad ideas and who knows - maybe those bad ideas can be good too someday. (text-colour:#fab005)[''LUNA''] Try to think of it as going on a week long vacation where you just do nothing but write. Who wouldn't want that? (text-colour:#fa5252)[''GREG''] There's something magical about it, wouldn't you think? The thought of going away on a one week retreat, with nothing but words spilling out to the page while smelling the air of the midwest- green, breezy, and a bit bittersweet. You and Luna look at each other. (text-colour:#fa5252)[''GREG''] But. It's also practical too you know? A daily workshop and a clear deadline. It's a pretty tight week. The conversation continues on with (text-colour:#fa5252)[''GREG''] and (text-colour:#fab005)[''LUNA'']. Over canapes you learn that the whole 'finance guy' vibe you got from (text-colour:#fa5252)[''GREG''] is legit - he actually works at an investment firm back in Chicago. Meanwhile, (text-colour:#fab005)[''LUNA''] mentioned she actually graduated from the MFA - as if that's not a whole feat in itself. (text-colour:#4dabf7)[//The acceptance rate is ridiculously low.//] [[Go back to your room]]

''CONT'D'' (text-colour:#fab005)[''LUNA''] Oh, don't be scared! You'll have a blast. (text-colour:#fab005)[''LUNA''] Try to think of it as going on a week long vacation where you just do nothing but write. Who wouldn't want that? (text-colour:#fa5252)[''GREG''] There's something magical about it, wouldn't you think? The thought of going away on a one week retreat, with nothing but words spilling out to the page while smelling the air of the midwest- green, breezy, and a bit bittersweet. You and Luna look at each other. (text-colour:#fa5252)[''GREG''] But. It's also practical too you know? A daily workshop and a clear weekly deadline. We have a pretty clear target. The conversation continues on with (text-colour:#fa5252)[''GREG''] and (text-colour:#fab005)[''LUNA'']. Over canapes you learn that the whole 'finance guy' vibe you got from (text-colour:#fa5252)[''GREG''] is legit - he actually works at an investment firm back in Chicago. Meanwhile, (text-colour:#fab005)[''LUNA''] mentioned she actually graduated from the MFA - as if that's not a whole feat in itself. (text-colour:#4dabf7)[//The acceptance rate is ridiculously low.//] [[Go back to your room]]

''INT. WRITERS RETREAT (BUDGET EDITION) - LATE NIGHT'' As you stare at the ceiling of the rented room, you ask yourself: (text-colour:#4dabf7)[//Is coming here a mistake?//] It's only the orientation dinner - yet you already learned that other people joining the workshop are actually far more accomplished than you. . You're just a ghostwriter - strapped for cash peddling influencer nonsense cause it [[paid the bill.]]

(text-colour:#4dabf7)[//When are you going to finally own the words that you write on the page?//] (text-colour:#4dabf7)[//When are you going to start to write the stories that you want to write?//] [[Right Now]] [[... Maybe never]]

''INT. WRITERS RETREAT (BUDGET EDITION) - AFTERNOON'' As you tap away on the keyboard, you feel a steady stream of words flowing through your fingertips. Did you unlock some superpower by just writing from the deepest part of your heart? (text-colour:#ffa94d)[''Mary Allen''] said one of the Eleventh Hour Lecture Series that the best way to overcome perfectionism is to write entirely with your intuition. Things turn up easier when you’re writing from the deepest parts of your heart, right? [[And so, the days keep passing by..]]

''INT. DEY HOUSE FOYER - AFTERNOON'' The whole week flew by. Just like that. It's like your brain went into autopilot or something. Yes, you attended all of the Eleventh Hour Talkshows. Yes, you attended all the workshops and listened to the feedback. And you end up with.... (b4r:"double")+(b4r-colour:navy)[''A 2500 word memoir about a self made entrepreneur peddling wellness tips and tricks.''] Isn't that just the same thing you wrote before [[coming here?]]

''INT. FOXHEAD TAVERN – NIGHT'' The place is buzzing with survivors of the workshop. You see.. a lady wearing large glasses stands up to the mic. (text-colour:#fab005)[''WOMAN WITH LARGE GLASSES''] Alright, so it's tradition to roast people at the end of the week! So let's start with this guy over here! She points to a guy looking like he should be negotiating deals on some swanky office building on Wall Street, but somehow looking like he's more interested in the mergers of the heart. (text-colour:#fab005)[''WOMAN WITH LARGE GLASSES''] Your passage about that Civil War soldier missing having her in his arms? Still sounds like it’s about that ex you never got over. (text-colour:#fa5252)[''WALL STREET LOOKING GUY''] Hey! The room laughs. The woman scans the room and meets your eye. (text-colour:#fab005)[''WOMAN WITH LARGE GLASSES''] As for uh... you. Where do I even start? To be honest, I don't know anything about you. Are you a [[ghost?]]

And maybe, that’s all you were meant to be. <img src="https://i.ibb.co/C3whcbW1/6.png"\> ✴ ''THE END'' [[Acknowledgements]]

You wrote a paragraph, but it just felt like you were rambling. (text-colour:#d9480f)[''DELETE''] You wrote a sentence... but it doesn’t sound nice when you read it out loud. (text-colour:#d9480f)[''DELETE''] [[Maybe we should just start with something simple?]]

''INT. UNIVERSITY OF IOWA MAIN LIBRARY - MORNING'' //Keep it down!// The librarian gave you the nastiest stink eye cause you screamed in a Quiet Zone at Macrohard Word. ''The Draft Dodgers'' - which apparently is the unofficial nickname for you, Luna, and Greg, because you kept making excuses to delay showing off your work to the workshop are huddled together at a corner table in a corner of [[the library]]

<img src="https://i.ibb.co/hRSW4qG0/5.png"\> ''[["ARGH!!!!!!"]]''

You glance at your wristwatch. It's 1:50 PM. Workshops gonna start in 10 minutes. But you still got nothing to show for. The least you can do is [[show up]]

''INT. GEORGE'S BUFFET - NIGHT'' (text-colour:#fab005)[''LUNA''] That session today was pretty rough, wasn't it? (text-colour:#fa5252)[''GREG''] I need a drink. ''The Draft Dodgers'' downed a pint of beer on the dinghy counter. (text-colour:#fab005)[''LUNA''] I mean, the feedback is pretty good, and everyone seems so nice. (text-colour:#fa5252)[''GREG''] They didn't judge me for overusing flowery prose to describe the love interest in my book. [['She was as sweet as a delicate rose blooming on the battlefield' really, Greg?]] [[I actually found the part about being the only brown kid in your high school yearbook to be… quite disturbing.]]

''CONT'D'' (text-colour:#fa5252)[''GREG''] (blushing) Oh, shut up! You and Luna laugh. Greg turns out to be quite a big softie. (text-colour:#fab005)[''LUNA''] Um yeah! Cheer up, you guys. We still have a few days to go. How about we go out tomorrow and have some fun? [[What fun?]] (set: $spentTimeWith1 to "greg")

''CONT'D'' (text-colour:#fab005)[''LUNA''] (pained smile) Yeah. Growing up here as a Filipino was hard. It's not like New York where theres a lot of people going out and about. A melancholic smile paints Luna's face. She may look lively and happy now, but you know whats it’s like to be a fish out of water. (text-colour:#fab005)[''LUNA''] Um yeah! Cheer up, you guys. We still have a few days to go. How about we go out tomorrow and have some fun? [[What fun?]] (set: $spentTimeWith1 to "luna")

''CONT'D'' (text-colour:#fab005)[''LUNA''] There's that children's book festival happening tomorrow. My friend Marnie is doing a reading of Maisy Mouse. (text-colour:#fa5252)[''GREG''] That reminds me. Yesterday I talked to this guy.. Zayn was his name I think? (text-colour:#fab005)[''LUNA''] Zayn Dorsey! He's that famous spoken word cellist from Brooklyn. (text-colour:#fa5252)[''GREG''] Ah yeah, the spoken word cellist. He's going to perform tomorrow night at the Englert. Luna and Greg are deep into conversation about the merits of attending a children's book reading and dissecting what it means to be a 'spoken word cellist' You pick up your phone. Look up the [[children's literature reading -> One Book, Two Book Festival]] Look up the [[performance at Englert -> MusicIC Festival]]

<img src="https://i.ibb.co/hjPws7K/9.png"\> Look up the [[children's literature reading -> One Book, Two Book Festival]] Look up from your [[phone]]

<img src="https://i.ibb.co/353F6Jz2/10.png"\> Look up the [[performance at Englert -> MusicIC Festival]] Look up from your [[phone]]

''CONT'D'' (text-colour:#fab005)[''LUNA''] So, you're up for a little [[storytime?]] (text-colour:#fa5252)[''GREG''] I think Zayn's poetry cello thing sounds more [[interesting.]]

The power of words surges within you. You tap away on the keyboard. (if: $spentTimeWith1 is "greg")[ (text-colour:#fa5252)[Your prose blooms, like the grass and wildflowers on a Midwestern summer's day.]] (if: $spentTimeWith1 is "luna")[ (text-colour:#fab005)[You're diving into the deepest part of your memory, channelling the courage to describe the world as you lived through it.]] (if: $spentTimeWith2 is "zayn")[ (text-colour:#40c057)[You turn to the window, hoping your words will call someone from the other end of the crumbled cliff]] (if: $spentTimeWith2 is "marnie")[ (text-colour:#be4bdb)[The rhythmic tap of your keyboard mirrors the melody of Maisy and the inflections of Panda]] Click Clack Click Clack [[BAM!]]

(b4r:"double")+(b4r-colour:navy)[''1 YEAR LATER''] ''INT. (STILL) AVERAGE LOOKING APARTMENT - AFTERNOON'' The familiar chime of your email client registered in your ear. <img src="https://i.ibb.co/nq2W59Fq/2.png"\> [[Open Attachment]]

''INT. FILMSCENE AT THE CHAUNCEY - MORNING'' (text-colour:#be4bdb)[''Marnie ''] was her name, wasn't it? With a soft clap and a warm smile, she beckons the children around the library to come closer and create a circle around her. You and Luna are more than content to watch her from a distance. She opens the book and reads a [[story]] (set: $spentTimeWith2 to "marnie")

''INT. ENGLERT THEATRE - EVENING'' The lights dimmed as you and Greg made your way to your seats. A single light shines on (text-colour:#40c057)[''Zayn Dorsey''], a cello balanced against his knee, melding like it's an extension of his own body. With one hand, he draws the bow across the instrument. A soft, calming melody reverberates through the small theatre as he somehow adjusts the mic and starts reading a verse from a piece of [[paper.]] (set: $spentTimeWith2 to "zayn")

''INT. FOXHEAD TAVERN – NIGHT'' The place is buzzing with survivors of the workshop. ''The Draft Dodgers'' settle down at a small table near the stage. Apparently, roasting people at the end of the week is a tradition at the festival. Luna takes the stage and points to Greg, looking like he's deep in thought about the mergers of the heart. (text-colour:#fab005)[''LUNA''] Your passage about that Civil War soldier missing having her in his arms? Still sounds like it’s about that ex you never got over. (text-colour:#fa5252)[''GREG''] Hey! The room laughs. Luna scans the room and [[meets your eye]]

''CONT'D'' (text-colour:#fab005)[''LUNA''] Oh, so you think you're on top of the world, huh? (if: $spentTimeWith1 is "greg")[ (text-colour:#fa5252)[Gregs all about roses and beauties, but can you cease the perpetually difficult confab in your prose?]] (if: $spentTimeWith1 is "luna")[ (text-colour:#fab005)[You think you're the fish out of water, but you feel more like the needle in the haystack.]] (if: $spentTimeWith2 is "zayn")[ (text-colour:#40c057)[Zayn can multitask playing the cello and spit poetry at the same time, but can you type with your left hand and write with your right?]] (if: $spentTimeWith2 is "marnie")[ (text-colour:#be4bdb)[Marnie has different inflections if she's Maisy or the Panda, but the people you write in your stories sound the same.]] [["Luna, thats harsh!"]]

''CONT'D'' (text-colour:#fab005)[''LUNA''] (laughs) But in the end. I'm glad we had the chance to meet. See you on the top of the bestseller’s [[aisle!]]

As you drink away the night, surrounded by the people you meet during this one whole week at the (colour:orange)[''Iowa Summer Writing Festival.''] A clear thought passed through your mind. (text-colour:#4dabf7)[//Maybe the real treasure was the friends we met along the way.//] . . . . Damn. That's a ridiculously cliche outlook on this whole experience, but your mentor's got a [[point-> 1 YEAR LATER]]

<img src="https://i.ibb.co/gLDf3Gyz/11.png"\> You were greatly moved by the elegance and the sheer talent of Zayn being able to play the cello and read poetry at the same time, a flash of inspiration passed through your mind. [[back to the drafting doc]]

<img src="https://i.ibb.co/CpBfmg6f/12.png"\> You were deeply moved by the ups and downs in Marnie’s voice and the shift in her body language that differentiated between Maisy and The Panda, a flash of inspiration passed through your mind. [[back to the drafting doc]]