A drabble is a VERY short story – one hundred words or less. If you had been a member of the Guardians of Gallifrey last November, you would have had the opportunity to win a copy of The Green Death on DVD, just for writing the best Doctor Who drabble. Here is the winning entry:
“Doctor,” said Bill, “remember that fishing trip we took a couple of weeks ago? You took us back in time to catch… umm…”
“Gumblejacks,” replied the Doctor, “Yes, back in the Triassic period. Lovely trip.”
“Until that dinosaur showed up—“
“Ah, yes,” interrupted the Doctor, “The Cynognathus.”
“–and we had to grab our gear and run back to the TARDIS. Anyway, I didn’t get a chance to empty the bait bucket until the next time we landed and I think, well, am I responsible for THIS?”
She pulled up a news headline on the viewscreen: Ancient Eel Discovered in Palau.
The drabble above was inspired by a real-life news story. To add authenticity (and drama), the cynognathus, a predatory creature of the period, was inserted into the passage.
How about writing your own drabble based on a current scientific discovery? For example, check out these intriguing headlines:
Amateur Astronomer Sees Birth of Supernova
Discovered World Just Like Home
Science Reveals the Answer to the Yeti Mystery: Bears
Self-Taught Rocket Scientist Eyes Monday Launch
Can you find a headline and meet the challenge? If so, send your drabble to Ceronomus@comcast.net for inclusion in the Gallifrey Guardian. If your fan fiction is used in our newsletter, you will receive a free email copy of the issue in which your submission appears.
Don’t care to write, but enjoy reading drabbles? The Gallifrey Guardian newsletter has included seven since that November issue. Join the Guardians of Gallifrey to receive our newsletter every month!
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