Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Breaking Out Is Hard To Do

Cap Failure

So I had this idea about a week ago when I saw this image (full image set here).  It was simple enough... a prisoner somehow changes gender to escape.  He takes his normal striped uniform and makes it into a hip hugging dress to help him out. I didn't have more story than that, but figured it would come.  So I started working on the layout and design.  While playing with the color I was listening to this song, hence the title:

Breaking up is hard to do - Neil Sedaka

It took me awhile to get the background devoid of color, and it took a surprisingly long time to get the title to work (getting both the black and white letters to stand out over a black and white background was a pain!), but I finally found myself with a perfect little template.  So I opened up Word and.... nothing.

Beyond the little bit of a prisoner breaking out of prison, I didn't have anything.  I didn't have an idea of how he changed (finding a spell book in the library?, having another con change him?) I didn't have an idea on how he used his new body to escape, nor did I have any idea why he was at a train station.  I normally don't have all the details when I start writing a story, but I almost always have some direction to go.  Not having that this time I just saved the iamge back and figured I'd work it out later.

Well... I've looked at this template about a dozen times and still have no idea for it.  So I'm calling it done and posting what I have here.  If you have an idea of a story that would fit the image, go ahead and post it here.  I'll gladly put it into the layout and post it as a collaborative cap!

6 comments:

  1. I might take a crack at it when I get home from work. Depends on what is on my plate when I get there!

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  2. Sent you something to your email. Nothing fancy but I wanted to see what I could do.

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  3. Love the story Dee! I went ahead and published both your cap and one of my own design here: http://caitlynsmasks.blogspot.com/2013/04/prison-hate-prison-love.html

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  4. I Spent four years doing hard time before I finally broke out. I didn't escape from steel bars and cold grey concrete walls...not literally. The prison imagery is metaphorical, the little black and white striped dress is symbolic...plus, I think it's kinda cute. In four years I went from Tom to Tanya. Four years of pain, loss, fear, and self doubt. It takes a toll, when your own body is a prison. When you look in the mirror and you can't see yourself. When your family and friends are judge and jury. I don't blame them (much)...after all, they live in their own little prisons. When you spend nights trying to beat back the thoughts telling you that you're a freak and don't deserve to be free...that you're not strong enough...that no one will ever see you the way you see yourself. Like I said, hard time. I kept my head down and did what I had to do to survive...the drugs, the surgeries, all the legal crap. I found a way to accept people even when they couldn't accept me, and more importantly, i learned to accept myself. I even learned to love myself(most days anyway). So, here I am...standing on this platform waiting for a train to take me to a place where I can start over, somewhere warm I think. My paperwork is all in order and signed by the warden. I have enough money to rent a place and look for a job. I'm ready to start a new life, and the irony isn't lost on me that it was my "hard time" that set me free. Jenna

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    Replies
    1. Me, in case you weren't sure.

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    2. Thanks Jenna! I added your story to a new layout and posted it here: http://caitlynsmasks.blogspot.com/2013/04/break-free.html Let me know what you think!

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