So, I'm interested in knowing what kind of pumpkin carving you do, and whether or not that pumpkin ends up being a reflection of your personality. Or even more interesting, does the face you carve hint at your storytelling style? Mine does.
For me, it all starts with choosing the pumpkin. I tend to pick pumpkins that are slightly...er, misshapen. I call them quirky, but they never quite reach that lofty description. My kids just roll their eyes, but they usually indulge me.
Then comes my favorite part: scratching grooves and hollowing out spaces until a face emerges. I invariably start with the idea of giving my pumpkin a cheerful, grinning demeanor, but things often take a dark turn. Call it a lack of artistic ability. Or maybe there's something lurking beneath the surface of my psyche. Nah...I'll stick with the former option. Whatever the cause, the pumpkin's smile twists sideways, becoming a sneer. The eyes narrow just a bit, growing cold, calculating. If he's lucky, I might give him a nose. Then again, maybe I won't.
When I'm all done tinkering and strike that match on Halloween night, there's a whoosh of recognition as creature and creator stare at each other for the first time--the flicker of candlelight, the glowing eyes which seem to read my every intent. I've set it all in place, brought this being to life with my own hands. Snuffing out that light at the end of the evening is like killing off a much-loved villain in one of my books. Except, in this case, my husband is brought in to do the deed. Then it's over.
The night. The candy. My pumpkin.
It's like ending a book and grieving over characters I'll no longer spend time with. Until a new and exciting pumpkin (or plot) captures my imagination, and I start the process all over again.
What about you? Are you a pumpkin carver? If so, are you a simple traditionalist? An intricate plotter? Slightly dark and twisted? Or fun and quirky?
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