An unusual week for me. A second story came to mind and I felt compelled to share it. Thank you for your indulgence. 😉
Genre: Fantasy
Word Count: ONE HUNDRED (Title doesn’t count)
MY PRECIOUS
Waves lapped against the boat’s hull. Moonlight made the water sparkle. Thoughts and ideas flipped inside the author’s head like Spanish dancers.
She opened her laptop and, for a moment, stared at the blank screen. With relish, she typed sentence upon sentence, her excitement mounting. Her fingers seemed to take on a mind of their own, tapping across the keyboard.
She grinned. “Too good to stop here.”
Before she knew it, 100 words grew to 200. Not one of them could be spared.
A gossamer-winged faerie settled on the writer’s shoulder and whispered, “Way too good to meet the challenge, eh?”
In case you wondered about the Spanish Dancers:
Nice last sentence.
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Thank you, Frank. 😀 and thank you for swimming by. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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🙂 🙂 Precious is sooo appropriate as a title. And if I could have that Spanish Dancer playing on my bedroom wall, I might never pass another sleepless night again. Well done.
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Dear Sandra,
Some things need to be said. I’m glad my precious story spoke to you. 😉 I wonder if there’s a way to play that Spanish Dancer video on the bedroom wall. Hmmmm. At any rate, thank you for taking the time to read and comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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That would be fabulous indeed, Sandra. I’m done with the sleepless nights!
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Dear Rochelle,
Love It! A story can take a mind of its own. In a challenge like this, the writer has to be the boss and be ruthless. Or, he/she can keep that story that just can’t be cut for another place and start again with one he/she çan…
Lotsa love,
Dale
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Dear Dale,
Those stories do take on minds of their own, don’t they? It’s a challenge to keep the word count, too. I get that. But that’s what we’re about, right? Thank you for your continued support and most excellent contributions.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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That they do. And this is a great exercise to get rid of the fluff…
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I’m laughing out loud over this one! Oh my precious words.
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Dear Karen,
Your laughter is my reward. 😀 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Remarkable last line, Rochelle. 🙂 Once we jump into the idea sea we just like to dance like those “Spanish Dancers”. It’s hard to resist.
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Dear Norma,
Thank you for your words. I’ve been dubbed a Spanish dancer by a dear friend for my love of swimming. Glad you liked the last line and took the time to say so. This one is precious to me. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Which is more respectful of your reader? This?
While I’m sitting her in my chair at my desk in front of my open laptop typing on the bluetooth keyboard and thoughtfully ruminating on how the best frame a response to this delightful short story, a sudden realization pierced the usual fog of my early morning routine (all the more because I had not had my coffee, the artisanal beans I generally favor for my personal blend being momentarily sold out) that the course of my life was to change; I was not, as I had been pretending since my sophomore year at an excellent east-coast college where I was at one time in contention for the prestigious William Lowell Putnam Medal for Advanced Theoretical Mathematics, but rather a writer of prose––and not just prose, but the lean, tense fiction I had been reading for years and knew as well as a seminary student might know the Gospel of Mark (“And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan / And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him / And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”) or the Psalms ( Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. / For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. / In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.) and that I owed it not only to myself but to my future readers, people much like myself who may themselves have the germ of inspiration lying dormant deep within and need only the tiniest breath to set the fire glowing.
or this?
This morning I hoped I might write something worth reading.
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Dear Josh,
Don’t tell Karen, but I think I love you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Back atcha 🙂
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Brilliant, Josh! Love, love, love this!
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😉
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Love it
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😘
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Josh’s closing line cracked me up. I still hoping to write something worth reading. The good news is I continually amuse myself, so I guess that’s worth something. 🙂
I enjoyed the video. I’ll have to share it with the rest of my Competitive Sleeping team.
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Dear Illya Slumberchov,
Josh’s closing line and the rest of that cockamamie point-making comment made my day.
Glad you enjoyed the video. What a great sleep inducer it would be. Best thing since my 8th grade science teacher. 😉 Thank you for stopping by.
Shalom,
Dr. Drowsy I. W(T)F
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oh you are spoiling us this week!
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I’m glad you feel that way, Claire. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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🙂 Hightlight of the week 🙂
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Those days where the words dance and skitter across the screen really are precious. I’m sure the lapping waves had something to do with it, lulling the writer into a transcendent space. 🙂
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Dear Sarah,,
And when the writer is up to the 100 word challenge it’s even more precious to me. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Just to tease you a bit, Rochelle, my word count shows 101 words. But then again, who’s counting. And the real question for me is: what you do with the two hundred word story? Cute..
Randy
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Dear Randy,
101? Who notices from one extra word. I’m talking 80-100 or more over. We had two of them this week. They weren’t innocent misunderstandings but blatant entitlement. Glad you liked and took the time to say so. 😀
Shabbat Shalom,
Rochelle
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Wait, I’m hitting my forehead, as i now realize that you meant that between the two stories you had written 200 words, not that you wrote a second story of 200 words but had to pare it down, unhappily, to 100 to make the correct word count in order to post it as a 100 word story, but it was actually a 100 word second story to begin with.
And now I might have to jump out of a second story myself, slow learner that I am.
But I truly hope that I might, a la Mr. Carroll, write something worth a storied reading.
Ha.
Randy
Bob Dylan:
Abe said, where do you want this killing done? God said, out on highway 61.
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SMH
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me, too.
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that spanish dancer video is cool – and I will be back to read the story – I am just finishing mine and i do not to taint my flow – ha and ideas might change after reading – :L)
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I’m the same way, Yvette. This week I posted two. I had my reasons. 😉 Hope you like them both.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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be back to read – and be back with my entry in a little bit
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Oh, how I have labored over too many words! The art of writing flash fiction…of being succinct…of learning to let go of beautiful words to meet a challenge! It is not for the faint of heart Rochelle.
Peace to you my friend,
Kat
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Dear Kat,
I have a deep appreciation for those who labor and succeed. Although I’ve been writing flash fiction for so long I wonder if I’m still capable of writing longer stories. 😉 Thank you for your diligence and participation.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Um… ever hear of this fabulous trilogy about this Jewish family that flee the Russian Pogroms? I’m fairly certain there are way more than 100 words in there.,…
Capable… I should smack you!
xoxo
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Okay okay!!!! Uncle! I give. I think it’s time for me to flex my longer story muscle…but not, I repeat NOT ON FRIDAY FICTIONEERS!!!
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❤
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LMAO! Definitely NOT THERE UMMM HERE…. you know!
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I have never written longer stories. Mostly poetry before I discovered flash. But I do believe if I ever cross that bridge I will be a better writer for having exercised my craft in flash. 😊
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And that, my dear, is the idea behind this. I discovered Friday Fictioneers (nope, I didn’t create it) in 2012.I think it’s one of the best things that happened to my novels. There are places where you do want a lot of exposition but there are times it’s more powerful to be brief. The more you write these, the more discerning you become. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. 😉
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It’s a good story Rochelle! 😊
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Thank you, Kat. ❤
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Love this! Always mindful of the 100….chop, chop, chop, add, add, add. It’s a spiritual adventure!
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Dear Sascha,
I so appreciated those, like yourself, who are mindful. Thank you. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Amazing story, Rochelle.
Thanks for hosting the challenge and being such a wonderful role model.
Regards,
Moon
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Dear Moon,
Just a little fantasy to make a point. 😉 Thank you for the lovely compliment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I’ve never seen the Spanish Dancer before. Amazing, beautiful. And I like your story, too. I think all of us can identify 🙂
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Dear Linda,
A few years ago a dear friend and fellow writer dubbed me Spanish Dancer for my love of swimming. I take it as a compliment. 😉
The 100 world limit isn’t always easy…that’s why it’s called a challenge. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Excellent. I think each time you outdo the last. How do you do that? 🙂
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Dear Linda,
Thank you for such a lovely compliment and adding your voice in support of the 100 word limit. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Every writer needs a faerie just like that to land on their shoulder while writing, Rochelle. Good writing as always. The Spanish Dancer is beautiful. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Dear Suzanne,
I think that faerie is a permanent fixture in my office. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Yes , Rochelle, it’s often difficult to reduce the story to 100 words, but the effort is a priceless exercise in tightening our prose and revealing the essence of our story. Less is more!
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Dear Luccia,
I absolutely agree, which is the point of my little fantasy. 😉 Every so often someone will decide that their story is too precious to trim, thus missing the point of this exercise in brevity and word conservation. Thank you for understanding.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Hi Rochelle, when I saw your title, I could almost hear Gollum whispering in my ear 🙂 The substance of the write was refreshingly different however. Good write!
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Dear Lavanya,
I, too, heard Gollum whispering when I chose the title. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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if only we could all be as fortunate. most days, i just stare at a blank screen. 🙂
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Dear Plaridel,
The words aren’t always so forthcoming to me either. This time they were. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Loved this story Rochelle like the Spanish dancer it flowed effortlessly. And another thank you for the video – I have to steal it 😉
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Dear Dahlia,
Feel free to take the video…I copied it from You Tube. 😉 Thank you for your kind words.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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That faerie sounds a bit like the slave on the roman chariot whispering memento mori at the point of triumph… love it.
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Thank you, Björn. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Oh, you little double dipper! I love this! Ideas like Spanish dancers and fingers tapping across the keyboard is what we writers want, expect and are things we writers want so badly and when it happens? Hallelujah Chorus!
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Dear Lish,
Your sweet comment dances gracefully across my screen. 😀 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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oooo – loved this – and I know some folks liked the last sentence – but for me – the entire second paragraph is what grabbed me – you captured the joy of writing in a setting that envelopes.. ahhh
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Dear Yvette,
The last line has a pertinent message 😉 However, we are united in the joy of writing, aren’t we? Thank you for the lovely comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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