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MFA in Writing at Vermont College

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Tupperware

I hate Tupperware! 


I want to start a petition to standardize all Tupperware containers.  I am serious.  They need to be of uniform size and shape and should stack neatly.  This morning I became so angry after drying dishes that I nearly tossed out every container we own. 



Why do they come in different sizes?  We have square, rectangle, circle and pizza slice shaped.  Do you know how hard it is to stack all of these?  Impossible!  Our cupboard reminds me of one of those cans where a snake pops out when you open it.  I never know what is going to fall out on me when I open that door. 





And where did they all come from?  I have never purchased a Tupperware container in my life but somehow I have a cupboard full of them.  Do they reproduce or what?  I mean I even have these tiny little Tupperware containers for salad dressing that look like the spawn of the soup bowl container and the salad container. 


There has to be a better way to go about storing my leftovers.  This current system is simply too jumbled and disorganized for me.


I was reminded of my morning Tupperware disaster this afternoon when I sat down to write the next chapter of my story.  What popped into my head was possibly the best writing advice I have ever given myself.  I decided I must share it with the world immediately.  Here is my brilliant realization:

Creating a story is like stacking Tupperware! 


I am serious… I have all these oddball characters and situations that I somehow have to organize together into a nice story.  At the moment I have a square main character that I am trying to have interact with his rectangle friend.  I have a funny side character that, much like the pizza slice shaped Tupperware container, doesn’t really fit with anything else in the cupboard.  I have a funny scene that I nearly forgot about because it has been stuffed in the back where I wasn’t able to get at it.  And I have a plot line that appears to be tumbling all over me.   


And where did all these subplots come from?   I mean I had a pretty simple story line to follow and all of a sudden I have more side characters and subplots than I know what to do with.  I think plot and theme have reproduced and created several little monsters!



Perhaps I can start a petition to end all subplots... or I could stop writing this blog and get down to organizing my cupboard!