MY PRECIOUS

Published October 6, 2017 by rochellewisoff

An unusual week for me. A second story came to mind and I felt compelled to share it. Thank you for your indulgence. 😉 

PHOTO PROMPT © Ted Strutz

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:

 

 

68 comments on “MY PRECIOUS

  • 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

    Liked by 3 people

    • 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

      Like

  • 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.

    Liked by 5 people

  • 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.

    Liked by 3 people

    • 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

      Liked by 1 person

  • 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. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • 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

      Like

  • 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

    Liked by 2 people

    • 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

      Liked by 1 person

    • 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

      Like

  • 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

    Liked by 2 people

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