Below is the transcript for Season 1, Episode 128 of Freely Written, a podcast by author Susan Quilty:
Welcome to Freely Written where a simple prompt leads to a little unplanned fiction.
[Light piano music]
Hi, friends! I’m Susan Quilty and today’s prompt is Pumpkins.
This story is coming out in mid-November, though the weather here today feels more like summer. There were a few cold days last week and more are on the way, but we’re having so many warm and sunny days that it’s hard to remember it’s November—except for the mingle of post-Halloween pumpkins and pre-Christmas lights showing up all over town.
I would rather we stick with the pumpkins and fall décor for a while, especially since we haven’t had a run of good, crisp fall days yet. With that longing for fall, I decided to use Pumpkins as a prompt and hold off on getting into the winter holidays until we’ve at least passed Thanksgiving.
If you’re new to Freely Written, here’s how it works: I sit down with a prompt and write whatever comes to mind, with no planning and very little editing. Then, I record the story and share it with you. Each story is a simple exercise in free-writing, letting go of perfection, and hoping you will be inspired to explore your creativity, too.
Beyond this podcast, I write novels—which are carefully planned and edited. You can learn more about my books and other projects at my website: SusanQulity.com. That’s where you will also find my blog and all the ways to connect with me through social media. There are also links in the show notes.
Now, let’s get on to today’s story:
Pumpkins
Davis was a quiet man who had once been a quiet boy. He lived on a quiet street in a quiet town. If Davis chose to walk to the heart of town, which he often did, he could reach the cluster of quiet shops and restaurants within 15 minutes. The drive was much faster, of course, even allowing for parking, which was always easy to find. But driving to town was too fast, too easy.
When Davis drove, he watched for children and pets who might appear in the street, but otherwise noticed very little from the time he started the car until the time he slipped it into park. When he walked, Davis noticed everything: the shift in the air as the seasons changed, the minor signs of disrepair as paint began to fade and gutters overfilled, and the following results as owners found and fixed these ongoing bits of maintenance.
The homeowners in town, like Davis, cared about keeping up their homes and keeping up the community. They never let general upkeep lapse for long. They mowed their lawns, raked their leaves, and put out seasonal décor. They cared, and Davis appreciated their care.
Davis often felt proud of his neighbors while walking to and from town with his shopping or takeout dinner. Many owners had changed since Davis bought his home, but each new family saw the care their neighbors took with their homes and happily followed suit.
At this point in the story, you may be expecting a change in that status quo, an introduction of conflict. Perhaps Davis might see a for sale sign on a nearby house, leading to new, disruptive neighbors. Or Davis might stumble across upsetting graffiti, be accosted by rowdy teenagers, or even pass by police tape marking off a troubling event.
This isn’t that kind of story.
Davis walked to town on one of the few November days where the weather actually matched the season. The air was cool and crisp while the sun made it a comfortable day for a sweater and slacks. Davis had added a hat to keep his head warm and had gloves tucked in his shopping bag, just in case.
There were more leaves on the ground than in past years, as many homeowners had adjusted their raking to protect the pollinators, like bees and butterflies, that lived in the fallen leaves. It had been a point of contention that was quickly resolved with an agreement to rake front lawns while letting leaves gather in side yards and flower beds.
Davis approved of the compromise and began following the new custom. He felt proud of his progressive stance, his ability to evolve his beliefs, while also being glad to have less leaves to rake. This solution did mean more scattered leaves blowing in from side and back yards, but overall, the front yards were tidy enough and the few leaves added a festive air.
Now, as Davis walked, he noted how many houses still had pumpkins on their stoops well past Halloween. They weren’t carved pumpkins, as those had been disposed of before melting away. They were whole pumpkins that had been painted with Halloween themes.
Davis supposed they were still on display because uncarved pumpkins lasted much longer, especially now that the weather was cool. Though he did wonder if they were seasonally appropriate after Halloween.
Nearing town, Davis noted a few more houses with painted pumpkins. Some had faces, like carved jack-o-lanterns. Many were painted with ghosts, witches, spiders, or monsters. A few, likely created by his littlest neighbors, had dabs of paint splashed with no discernable pattern.
They could turn them around, Davis thought as he approached the door to the local market. If the pumpkins were turned, their Halloween designs would be hidden, making them more appropriate fall décor.
He entered the store, nodding to the owner and smiling softly at the cashier before picking up a shopping basket.
But the kids might not like that, Davis realized as he looked through the canned goods. He imagined how excited the kids had been to show off their artwork. Would their feelings be hurt if their parents hid their work? Or could it be done as a sort of post-Halloween game? Could parents tell their kids that the designs were part of the Halloween magic—signs that had to be tucked away after All Hallows’ Eve so the spirits could rest?
Davis quickly rejected that idea, knowing that many kids only knew Halloween as a night for costumes and candy, not a time of old superstitions about ghosts and a thinning of the veil. As it should be, Davis conceded, feeling that superstitions and magical thinking had no place in a modern world.
With his basket half-filled, Davis walked past the bakery section and his hopes lifted at a display of fall pies. There were apple, pecan, and, yes, pumpkin pies.
His mind began to spin up a community project: flyers encouraging a new tradition of painting pumpkins for Halloween, then making them into pies in early November. Perhaps a community event, an annual pumpkin pie contest on the Saturday after Halloween.
Now, at this point in the story, you may be waiting for the unexpected downside to Davis’s plan. Maybe a scenario where no one wants to bake pies after the rush of Halloween. Or maybe some neighbors who take issue with Davis offering a solution to a problem no one else sees.
Every good story needs conflict. A challenge to overcome. A villain to defeat. Or does it? Are we so conditioned by fiction that everyday life is too boring without drama?
What if Davis approaches some of his neighbors and they love the idea? What if they help him organize an impromptu pumpkin pie contest for the following weekend with a plan to move it to the weekend after Halloween going forward? What if the kids get excited about it, extending Halloween into a second fun, fall event for the whole family?
Davis hesitated in front of the pumpkin pies, second-guessing his idea. He participated in many town events, but he had never suggested one. If he tried now, he would have to introduce it at a town meeting. He might have to start a petition, knock on doors to see who might be interested, talk to strangers about the pumpkins on their porches. He shied away from the idea, content to let it go, when his neighbor came over to say hello.
“Buying a pie?” she asked casually, and Davis remembered that there were two painted pumpkins on her porch.
With a small smile, he asked, “What do you do with those pumpkins your kids’ paint after Halloween is done?”
“Why? Do you want to bake a pie?” she asked with a laugh.
“Something like that,” Davis admitted. “See, I have an idea…”
And that is how a quiet man started an annual pumpkin pie contest in his quiet town.
The End
Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this story, please share it with your friends! Remember, you can also read my blog, learn about my books, and connect with me at: SusanQuilty.com. Or check the links in the show notes.
Until next time, try a little free writing of your own. Let go of any planning and see where your imagination takes you.
[Light piano music]
