On its placid surface, Font and Frock seems like a pretty straightforward project. It is dedicated to four dazzling F-words: film, fashion, [flash] fiction, and feminism. Dig a little deeper, though, and you’ll find, reverberating from its core, a bit of experimental weirdness.

What does this mean?

To find out, let’s head behind the scenes with a partial transcript from our most recent staff meeting.

**

Monday, 12 January 2015/11:57 a.m.-12:06 p.m.

• [Charlotte] Shouldn’t someone take the minutes?
• [Effie] Char, we go through this every week! This isn’t a fancy corporation.
• [Frances] No one cares about the time!
• [Effie] Or our minutiae. Just take some notes. Notes are good enough.
• [Frances] Bullet points!
• [Effie] That sounds corporate!
• [Charlotte] I like being precise.
• [Maedez] Then, by all means, be precise. Maybe don’t ask the next time, though. Just dive right in. Otherwise, the first two minutes of every meeting will read exactly like this!
• [Charlotte] Permission granted?
• [Maedez] Yes. Permission granted. Moving on…
• [Frances] Hey, where’s Venetia?
• [Effie] Where she always is during meetings! Not here.
• [Maedez] You know that this meeting isn’t mandatory. It’s just a quick check-in before the final big push of taking the website live.
  
• [Effie] We’re here. We’re always here.
• [Maedez] No, you’re not! You weren’t here two weeks ago.
• [Effie] Well, I was busy.
• [Maedez] Doing what, exactly?
• [Effie] Things. Important things!
• [Charlotte] Such as?
• [Effie] Watching old movies…which, if you’ll remember correctly, is exactly my job.
• [Maedez] This is why we shouldn’t keep minutes. This. right. here. Let’s get started, shall we?
• [Frances] Of course! I’ve wanted to get started for the last five minutes.
• [Charlotte] Fancy you saying that, when  you’re the one who started this whole thing.
• [Maedez] Ahem. Ladies, how exciting is it that Font and Frock goes live in a week? We’ve waited a long time for this, and some of you have come quite far to take part in this little project.
• [Effie] It’s terrifically exciting. I get to watch old movies for a living. How sweet is that?
• [Charlotte] I wish that I could wear clothes for a living, but, I guess that writing about them is the next best thing. Okay. It’s still totally cool. No complaints from me!
• [Frances] To be honest, I’m still struggling a bit with the whole flash fiction thing. I know how to do it, I’m just a bit unsure how to present it to readers so that it makes sense.
• [Maedez] You’re cool-headed. You’ll figure it out, Fanny. I’m not worried.
• [Frances] Thanks!
• [Charlotte] I know that Venetia is really pumped.
• [Effie] Of course she’s pumped! She just texted me a photo of an elephantine cup of coffee, with a caption underneath that says Meeting Mr. Right. She’s baiting me!
  
• [Charlotte] You don’t say? You’ve met her before, right? She’s a bit dilatory, and sometimes her sense of humor…gets in the way of things. But, she’s passionate about her work. Besides, nothing is stopping  you from leaving to go get coffee.
• [Effie] I don’t drink coffee, which is entirely beside the point.
• [Frances] Why are Font and Frock meetings always so weird?
• [Maedez] I think they’re lively.
• [Charlotte] Why are Font and Frock meetings always so weird? Maybe it’s because we don’t actually exist.
• [Maedez] Shut up! Of course you exist. Just not in the usual, boring, corporeal way.
• [Effie] That’s true!
• [Charlotte] Then I’ve no idea.
• [Maedez] You’re just…experimental. Four fictional characters, all writers, created for the slightly odd purpose of being correspondents for Font and Frock. Makes perfect sense.
• [Venetia] Of course it does! You didn’t really think I’d miss this meeting, did you? Who wants coffee? And, Effie, never fear! I’ve a nice cup of Earl Grey for you.

**

 What happens when you combine one very real (and mostly sane) writer (Maedez), four fictional columnists, and 100% genuine content?

We’ll find out.

Please join us for the ride.

❤ Maedez