Do you play a musical instrument?

If you do, have you ever dreamed of being really, really good at it and being on stage in front of a cheering audience?

I have. I play a guitar … badly, I’m afraid! But that doesn’t stop me dreaming. And that’s just what the hero in our story does … dreams.

Read the first half of DREAM ON, RON and then think what might happen. Will it be a happy ending? Or will Sophie triumph and tease poor old Ron.

So … here it is. It’s called …

 

Dream On, Ron

First half by Trevor Todd

The rest of the story by ( …. your name …. )

 

Ron pressed his nose to the music shop window. He stared at the guitar. It was the one he’d always wanted. What a guitar! It was the same one that his hero, Jet Jade played on stage. A light seemed to shine from behind the guitar. Ron knew that his mind must be playing tricks on him … but the instrument glowed.

It was a Fender Telecaster. The body was white and the neck of the guitar was a beautiful mellow maple colour. Ron could imagine himself on stage and playing it. The end of year school disco was on next week. He’d be up on stage with his group, The Dynamix, and he’d have his battered old guitar round his neck. It was okay but there were so many scratches that it was hard to work out the original colour. It used to be his dad’s guitar.

Ron’s eyes closed. He had a dreamy look on his face. There he was: on stage in front of the whole school. The hall was decked out in streamers and party lights. Everyone stared at Ron. They marvelled at his shiny new guitar. His fingers flew over the fretboard. He’d never played so well. The crowd cheered.

"Dream on, Ron," said a voice from behind him.

In a moment Ron’s eyes were open. The crowd disappeared. The beautiful guitar no longer hung from his neck. He blinked.

"Sophie!"

The girl grinned at him. "You thought you were playing that guitar, didn’t ya?

"No," Ron lied, his face starting to go red.

"Fender Telecaster. Special maple wood neck. No way, Jose! Only in your dreams!"

Sophie walked on. She was laughing. Ron watched her go. His heart beat fast. How did she know what he was thinking? He called out after her. "One day, Sophie Wellman, you’ll eat those words!"

"Dream on, Ron," she cackled as she disappeared round the corner.

Ron thrust his hands deep into his pockets and pounded off in the opposite direction. "That girl! She was always teasing him about his band. The Dynamix would be good one day, he just knew it. If only they could afford better instruments.

Ron stopped. Across the road two ladies sat behind a card table and were selling raffle tickets. The hand painted sign behind them read:

SAVE THE SEAGULLS

TICKETS ONLY $2.00

FIRST PRIZE: $2,000

The dreamy look came into Ron’s eyes again. The Fender Telecaster was $1,999 … he could buy the guitar and still have a dollar left! Yes!

Ron crossed the road, a broad smile crossing his face. He approached the ladies.

"Like to save the seagulls?" asked the first lady.

Ron felt in his pocket. Two dollars. It was his bus money. It would mean a long walk home. He took a breath.

"Yep!"

 

*********

 

What do you think will happen?

Don’t be in too much of a hurry to get to the end of the story. Whether you choose for Ron to get lucky …or for Sophie to be able to tease Ron, have some interesting things happen before you get to the end of the story.

Try and tease your readers. Write it in such a way that just as your readers think that Ron won’t win the raffle, some other unexpected thing happens so that your readers are surprised. Readers and listeners to stories love to be surprised. It’s boring if they can guess what’s going to happen.

So … sit up straight … fingers poised …and get ready to finish DREAM ON, RON.

E mail your FINISH THE STORY to: LisKidz@mail.liswa.wa.gov.au

Good luck and bye …

Trevor


2. You can email it to us at this address: LisKidz@mail.liswa.wa.gov.au with "Unfinsihed Stories" as the heading of your email(if you can't do it yourself, ask Mum or Dad to help you with your email).
 

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