For Truman’s 40th birthday, Hugh finally caves in and buys a smartphone. Everyone chips in to show him what he can do with it.
All right, y’all. I was lying in bed last night trying to think (and writing fiction in my head, which is what I do when I’m trying to sleep–and most of the rest of the time, too), and it occurred to me that this could be a fun group project.
Truman’s birthday is in November. That’s when I plan to have this story out. Might be free, might be for money, don’t know, don’t care. Should be lighthearted. The first mental draft went dark and I just can’t write more dark for release in 2015.
Here’s the challenge: I will lay out the characters. You will pick the thing they show Hugh about smartphones. It can be a feature, an app, whatever. Just something you think this particular character would pick out as *the* thing Hugh needs to learn.
(I’ve filled in the ones that are already taken, ie, “written in my head”.)
1. The camera/MMS: Will and Molly.
2. Grindr/Tinder: Adam (Wendy)
3. Beccs: some kind of vault app (DWolf)
4. Workout tracker: Nick (Marie)
5. Family tracking something-something: Bernie (SilverKat)
6. Goodreads: Ally (Marie)
7. Jase: crazy espresso machine app (Wendy)
8. Lucy: Candy Crush (Wendy)
9. Podcasts: Leo (Nadine)
10. Cooking-related: Eddie (Brittany)
11. Restaurant app: Andrew (Nadine)
12. The videocamera: Will and Truman.
If I’ve left anyone out, go ahead and throw them in. And: GO! I’ll update as folks chime in.
Adam would totally hook him up with Grindr and/or Tinder, right in front of Truman and Will, and then just stand there grinning like an ass.
Andrew would show him the calendar to set his appointments and how to check his email. Of course the most important use of the cell phone is the e-reader apps. Somebody should introduce him to goodreads so he can track the books he's reading. That seems like an Ally contribution. Nick would show him the work out apps and food apps to watch his nutrition intake. Bernard would be all over the security apps, but I don't remember Hugh even having a security system. At this point if I were Hugh, I'd already be in over my head and wondering why I ever got something with this many buttons to begin with! LOL.
MarieBlack Marie, you can't pick all of them! Actually, your suggestions for Andrew and Nick are exactly what I have in my notes for them, so we'll consider those backup plans. I fucking *love* Ally showing him Goodreads. That would be very Ally. And Hugh and Ally would read totally different books, but be GR friends. Love it.
Bernie's a sticking point. I also can't work out something crazy enough for Lucy.
GWendy Not. Writing. Comment fic. Not writing comment fic. This scene wants to write itself right the fuck now, but I won't do it. SHAN'T!
I can see Bernie showing him a family tracker style app. Get it connected to Truman's and Will's phone so if he wants to surprise them or torment will he can know exactly where they are and if it's an appropriate place to do so. (Also it just seems like the control freak kind of app that Bernie would love).
BrittanyC I imagine that Eddie would suggest a cooking app. It's about the only thing he seems confident enough in that he could lose himself in talking about it and forget that it is Hugh that he is talking to. Otherwise I just can't imagine Eddie being confident enough to suggest something to Hugh.
Do you think Hugh listens to podcasts? I don't picture him listening to music in the car, but someone could show him podcasts and/or audible so that he can listen to books. But who would that be?
Andrew could probably show him how to make reservations online. Friday nights would be a standing reservation at Andrew's, but they'd go out other places occasionally as well (and I'm sure Andrew would know all the good spots).
BrittanyC Hang on, are both of these really you? The website back end is confusing me.
I don't have any idea what a family tracker app is, but oh my god, that's perfect. And Bernie would have fun tweaking the line where Hugh's control issues hit his boundary issues. Good times!
Maybe Eddie's recommendation will be somewhat accidental. Or maybe Lucy will fool him into making one. I agree; if Hugh walks up to him and asks, he won't say anything. Hm…
dinaw I love the idea of someone getting Hugh into podcasts. Maybe Leo? Could also be Jason, but I'm kind of hoping someone will come up with something funny for Jase.
Maybe the restaurant is spearheading a reservations system and Andrew has Hugh test out the app because he's gotta be the lowest common denominator when it comes to comfort navigating? If it's simple enough that Hugh figures it out…
KrisRipper Yeah, that might be cause I changed the username in between making the two comments, sorry.
An example of a family tracker app:  ;http://www.logsat.com/iPhone/familytracker/
As for Eddie I could see Nick kind of tricking him into it also. Maybe gets him caught up in a conversation about cooking apps while they are all at Hugh's house for dinner or something.
You still need something for Jase? He should show Hugh some of the things he's put in other people's houses, like Nest, for the beach house. Or this:   ;http://www.scanomat.com/int because it would intrigue Hugh's inner coffee snob. (And for the record, when I win the lottery I am SO getting one for the industrial loft I would certainly buy. Make a fresh cup of coffee from bed? I'm in!)
Lucy, on a bet, is the one who will get him hooked on a game like Candy Crush or 94%. One of those timesuck games you only start playing to make an old friend happy, and for a couple of days you can't stop playing. Even better, he can be trapped in an endless game loop of Trivia Crack with Eddie, because Hugh thinks he can finally win a bet with Lucy, and Eddie won't stop until Mistress tells him too.
KrisRipper GWendy Write it! Wriiiiiite iiiiiitttttt…
Etc 🙂
Vicky Heysham KrisRipper GWendy I'm with Vicky – write it! You know you wanna…
I see Becs as the imminently practical one who shows him a gallery vault ap. Because some files aren't for everyone's eyes, but you want to keep them, anyway.