Writing Samples for Polygoat:
Ana, who dreams of fame:
Ana and Diego sit down at a restaurant. They order their food, and when it arrives, Ana begins rearranging the items on her plate.
“Ana, what are you doing?” Diego asks.
Ana looks up, surprised to be interrupted. “I’m dressing up my food, of course,” she replies, before going back to her work.
Ana drapes her napkin over her shoulder like a painter’s smock. She pushes a pea to one side, a carrot to the other, and waves around her fork with creative flourish. Fixated on her creation, she frowns with concentration.
“Don’t you want to eat?” Diego is confused.
Ana finishes arranging her artwork, then raises her phone above it.
“Oh, of course, a photo for your social media.” Diego rolls his eyes.
“This is my life, Diego,” Ana replies dramatically.
She focuses hard, trying to get the perfect angle. Ana’s phone slips from her hands and splatters her food all over the table. There is food everywhere! Diego wipes mashed potatoes from his face as Ana pulls a pea out of her hair.
“You are the Picasso of your generation,” Diego laughs.
Ana looks at the mess, then raises her phone, wipes it off with a napkin, and snaps a photo.
“Perfect,” she says with a happy smile.
Diego, who’s always chasing money:
Diego wakes with a start to the sound of his phone blaring. It is early morning and the sun is not even up yet. Diego pulls on his work clothes, tightens his tie, then wanders downstairs. He pours himself a cup of coffee. He yawns, stretches, and makes a bowl of cereal. He reads on his phone, then gathers his things and heads out the door. The sun is still not up. Curious, he thinks. He walks down the sidewalk a little bit, before running into Señor Torres and Tia Carmen, walking toward him and laughing. .
“Diego, you’re up,” Señor Torres says with surprise.
“Señor Torres, you’re up…” Diego is even more surprised.
“Well of course, it’s Saturday!” Señor Torres exclaims. “We’ve been dancing the night away!”
He twirls Tia Carmen, who laughs.
“Saturday night,” Diego stutters. “No, it’s Monday morning! My alarm went off an hour ago.”
“Your alarm? No, Diego,” Señor Torres says seriously. “That was me calling you! We wanted you to come to the party!”
Diego looks at his watch and slaps his forehead.
“You’re too late now,” Tia Carmen says. “It’s time to go to sleep.”
“Yes,” Diego sighs. “I think it is time to go back to sleep.”
Grandma Lupita, a tech-savvy abuela:
Grandma Lupita is getting into a game on her gaming console. She dips, swerves, jumps up and down, and yells as she plays. Ana comes in and asks if she can have a turn. Grandma Lupita doesn’t respond. She keeps whooping and yelling, ducking and diving. Ana asks again if she can play, again to no response. Grandma Lupita is focused. Ana sits down next to her and looks at the screen and Grandma Lupita tells Ana that she is winning. The screen shows Grandma Lupita is grocery shopping online. Ana asks Grandma Lupita what this game is called.
“Deal Hunter,” Grandma replies.
Ana asks Grandma Lupita if it is fun, to which Grandma Lupita puts the controller down and stares at Ana. Grandma Lupita takes Ana’s hand, looks deep in her eyes, and tells her, “Ana, not everything in life has to be fun. Sometimes, the most mundane tasks can be the most fulfilling.”
Ana is surprised by the seriousness of Granma’s tone.
“Just kidding,” Grandma says.
She picks up the controller and turns on one of her video games. “Now watch me steal a car and jump it over a helicopter.”
Señor Torres, secretly in love with Tía Carmen:
Señor Torres walks through his garden, admiring all the beautiful flowers he has grown. He uses scissors to cut some from one garden bed, some from another, and soon gathers together a beautiful bouquet. He wraps the flowers in brown paper with a yellow ribbon and takes them inside his home. Ana asks him who they are for. He doesn’t answer. Ana asks him why there are only yellow flowers, and he does not answer. She looks outside the window at the garden bed, and sees that he has grown only yellow flowers in every garden bed. Ana looks at Señor Torres questioningly. There is a knock at the door and Señor Torres opens it to Tia Carmen, who enters.
“Your garden is beautiful, Señor Torres,” she exclaims. “Yellow is my favorite color!”
Señor Torres blushes, and Ana grins.