The members of a Creative Writing group are asked to work in pairs to produce a duologue to be
performed to the rest of the group.
Rita: A duologue? She wants me to work with Snooty Sebastian, both of us sharing our ideas? Some hopes. God, why did I sit here this week? I could have sat next to Derek. I reckon I could have worked with him. He's got that earthy sense of humour; that nudge, nudge, wink, wink way of writing. I'd have enjoyed bouncing some ideas off him; and not just ideas either, wink, wink.

Sebastian:  Oh my goodness, what is our illustrious leader thinking of pairing me with ‘Our Rita’ straight from the ‘soaps’. I cannot think why she comes to this class. Creative Writing? I'm not sure she didn't take a wrong turn on the way to basic literacy and our illustrious leader took pity on her. It must take twice as long to mark her efforts at creative writing with spelling, grammar and punctuation errors. And we are supposed to share the muse, as it were. No doubt I shall be asked to produce the final document. What’ll we write about? What interests could we possibly share? I wish she'd at least given us subject. That might have given us some common ground.

Rita:  I bet stuffy Seb will want to do something historical. No doubt his ancestors ruled the world, or at least the bit he lives in. It’ll be all the upper classes looking down on us plebs. Still, I suppose we'd better grit our teeth and go for it. Well, Sebastian, any ideas? Did you have something in mind?

Sebastian: I was just thinking about something we were discussing at our History Group last week. It was about the relationship between William Wilberforce and John Newton, you know the ex-slave trader who found God. I thought it might be worth considering what might have happened when they first met. It's a wonderful story, you know, Newton was the slave ship captain caught in a powerful storm who struck a bargain with God, promising to set the slaves free if the Almighty saved their lives? And after God calmed the storm, Newton instantly converted to Christianity, freed the captives and quit the slave trade? He wrote the words for ‘Amazing Grace’ you know.

Rita:  It's a wonderful story and such a pity it's not true. Newton was a passenger on the ship, it didn't have any slaves aboard and he captained slave ships even after he had found Christ. Also, it was twenty-four years later that he got round to writing ‘Amazing Grace’. Apart from that, it's a great story. Perhaps we ought to have a duologue where Wilberforce berates him for being a Christian and still working as a slaver. That could be interesting.

Sebastian:  May I ask where you came across these little gems? I don't think it was in the film. Rita: Ah well, that's films for you. You can't believe everything you see in films, you know. Same with the internet; you have to be a bit choosy. Take that Wikipedia. Wonderful site to find information from but you can't take it as gospel. Anyone can make an entry in Wikipedia. I know. I've done it myself.

Sebastian:     Wikipedia?

Rita:  Yes, Wikipedia. Don't tell me you've never heard of it. Well I'll go to the foot of our stairs. You are on line aren't you?

Sebastian:  I have an email address. My son set it up for me, but I don't ‘surf the net’, is that what you say?

Rita:  Oh Lord, you're not in a History Group, Sebastian, you are a history group. You're a little bit of the last century, aren't you? OK, we'll bring you up to date. Let's do this conversation with Wilberforce and Newton - it'll be a challenge. I like challenges. I've always had a soft spot for Willy Wilberforce; local boy makes good and all that. I rather like Andy Marvell as well, for much the same reason, though his poetry's good as well. ‘Had we but world enough and time, this coyness lady were no crime’, randy sod. I wonder if his eloquence was enough to get him his leg over. Never found that out. That might be a good idea for the next book you know; Sexy poet using his work to get his end away.

Sebastian:  Next book?

Rita:  Oh yes, looking for an idea for the third, you know. ‘The Pilgrim's Progress’ was the first, it was rubbish really, but the public liked it. It was about a young lady in the fifteenth century who finds love on the way to Canterbury. Historical Chik Lit I call it. I think I found a niche market. The second was ‘Batter My Heart’. That was about John Donne's daughter finding love with a lowly cleric. That went ever so well, though I think half the people who bought it thought it was a murder mystery, you know, assault and battery.

Sebastian:  You've written two books?

Rita:  Yes, what, did you think I was a bit thick then? You did, didn't you? Just because I dress like this you thought I was a dimwit who got lost on her way to basic literacy. You did, didn't you?

Sebastian:  No; of course not. I just thought it was strange for a successful writer to be in a creative writing group.

Rita:  I had to start somewhere, Sebastian. I like coming here. I get some great ideas listening to other writers and having to write what someone else tells you to is good writer's discipline. Besides, it gets bloody boring staring at that screen at home when the ideas are slow in coming. You see, I've had an idea this morning talking to you. It may not get off the ground but it’s one to think about. Right then. who do you want to be Wilberforce or Newton?