23 May 2025

Published May 21, 2025 by rochellewisoff

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PHOTO PROMPT © Roger Bultot

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Genre: Historical Fiction
Word Count: 100

I YAM WHAT I YAM

To the delight of Elzie and his playmates, Rocky Fiegel made his muscles dance. “I fought my way from Poland to Chester, Illinois.”

“Did you really beat up five men at once?” asked Elzie.

“Tough brutes they was, too.” Puffing on his corncob pipe, Rocky gazed at the boys through his one good eye. “I pulverized ‘em with one hand behind my back.”

Whether true or not, Rocky’s tales fascinated E. C. Segar. As an aspiring cartoonist in the 1920’s he created one of history’s most beloved characters.

“Strong to the finich ‘cause I eats me spinach—Popeye the Sailorman.”

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I was fond of canned spinach as a child. Perhaps this is why. 😉 At any rate it was interesting to find that the cartoon character was drawn from an actual person.

Frank “Rocky” Fiegel

Elzie Crisler Segar and his creation

16 May 2025

Published May 14, 2025 by rochellewisoff

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The next photo is the PROMPT. Remember, all photos are property of the photographer, donated for use in Friday Fictioneers only. They shouldn’t be used for any other purpose without express permission. It is proper etiquette to give the contributor credit.

PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson

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Genre: Historical Fiction
Word Count: 100

ANY DAY SPENT WITH YOU IS MY FAVORITE DAY

“Colebourn, you’ve got rocks in your head,” said Harry’s tentmate. “The army’s no place for a bear.”

“The beast was going to shoot her” Harry caressed the cub. “I’m calling her Winnie after Winnipeg.”

As WWI raged, he realized the best thing he could do was to find her a temporary home.

At London Zoo he buried his face in her fur. “I’m coming back for you.”

When he returned four years later, Winnie had become a children’s favorite. They loved her with treats and cuddles. She returned their affection. Harry bid her a final fond farewell. Winnie was home.

Harry Colebourn and Winnie named after Harry’s hometown of Winnipeg.

For the rest of the story CLICK HERE

9 May 2025

Published May 7, 2025 by rochellewisoff

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PHOTO PROMPT © Lisa Fox

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I admit this is quite similar to a story/rant i wrote five years ago February Nothing’s changed. If anything things have only gotten worse. So you may refer this as a sequel.

Genre: Anectdotal Rant
Word Count: 100

ONE PILL CAN KILL

Every day a new one appears. If you live in these Divided States, you know what I’m talking about. Prescription drug advertisements.

Who comes up with those colorful names? They’re insane, usually starting with the letters X and Z. They treat everything from obesity to bipolar disorder.

Ya gotta love ‘em—from bright and breezy to sensual and sleezy. They all make me queasy. While happy people prance across the screen celebrating life, the gentle voice over recites a list of possible side effects.

Wait! I got lost somewhere between anaphylaxis and cardiac arrest. What was this supposed to treat?

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Okay, this one starts with A. But it’s pretty much what I’m talking about.

2 May 2025

Published April 30, 2025 by rochellewisoff

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PHOTO PROMPT © Ken Arnopole (friend of Ted Strutz)

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Genre: Historical Fiction
Word Count: 100

GENERATIONS RUNNIN’ WILD

Joanna checked her reflection in the full-length mirror. Her white go-go boots offset her mini dress. Swaying her hips she practiced moving to the Jerk and the Watusi. Tonight, she would dance the night away.

Granny Maybelle’s voice startled her. “In my day young ladies didn’t do such suggestive dances.”

Joanna pointed to a photo of young Maybelle in a fringed dress. “What about the Charleston in the 1920’s?”

Blushing, Granny shook her head. “That dance swept the country like wildfire. Not so different from these 1960’s I suppose. But I’ll have you know I was quite good at it!”

And a little history of the dance if you care to READ ON. 😉

25 April 2025

Published April 23, 2025 by rochellewisoff

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The next photo is the PROMPT. Remember, all photos are property of the photographer, donated for use in Friday Fictioneers only. They shouldn’t be used for any other purpose without express permission. It is proper etiquette to give the contributor credit.

PHOTO PROMPT © Roger Bultot

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Genre: Novel Excerpt
Word Count: 100

BRAIN FOG

Elise’s cheeks blazed against the cold tile. The last thing she remembered was writing a check at the register when a wave of nausea and lightheadedness swept over her. The helpless feeling of losing control as she lost consciousness rushed back. She squirmed, wishing she could dissolve between the cracks. How many of those “gentle action” pink pills had she taken in anticipation of dinner?

You know you’re too damn smart for your own good,” her frustrated support group leader had snapped at her night before last. “Why do you even bother coming to meetings anyway?”

To learn new tricks…

*****************

Screen Shot…to watch the interview Click the link below. 😉

To read my friend Diane Yates’ blog and watch our interview CLICK HERE

18 April 2025

Published April 16, 2025 by rochellewisoff

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PHOTO PROMPT © Sandra Crook

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Genre: Fiction
Word Count:100

TRUTH, JUSTICE, AND A BETTER TOMORROW

Mia and Tommy entered the comic book shop. He went right to the Superman section. “Ooh, this one’s vintage. From 1942. Wow! He’s changing from Clark Kent to Superman in a phone booth. What’s a phone booth?”

“It was an eight-foot box where people could pay to make telephone calls when they were out and about.”

“Why didn’t they use their cell phones?”

“Cell phones weren’t invented yet, Goofy.”

As they exited the shop, Tommy pointed. “Look, Sis! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Superman!”

Mia rolled her eyes. “You dork. It is a bird.”

Below is the intro to one of my favorite TV shows as a small child. Incidentally in 104 episodes of this program, Clark Kent never once changed clothes in a phone booth. Great Caesar’s Ghost!

11 April 2025

Published April 9, 2025 by rochellewisoff

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PHOTO PROMPT © Nancy Richy

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PLANT-BASED REALITY?

I was nine years old when I saw Day of the Triffids, a movie about man-eating plants. They crashed through windows and chomped off heads of unsuspecting humans, engulfing the world in an avalanche of terror.

Eighteen years ago, after surgery, my husband was gifted with a houseplant. Pothos—known for its tenacity. It grew from one end of our living room to the other, until an accident broke off its long tendrils.

Still, it thrives.

Maybe it’s my wild imagination, but should I be concerned about those chomping noises I sometimes hear in the middle of the night?

Does anyone remember this?

4 April 2025

Published April 2, 2025 by rochellewisoff

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I’m indulging in a bit more of an intro than usual. I want to share how I got from Jen’s photo to the story I ended up with. At first, I zeroed in on the game Sorry which I played a lot when I was a child. Later, I would play it with my kids. So naturally I Googled the history of the game and came up with George Swinnerton Parker, founder of Parker Brothers and inventor of such games as Sorry, Tiddly Winks and Monopoly. Then as I was playing Scrabble on my iPad, which I do several times a day, it occurred to me I was following the wrong thread. This story is based on my own family history. 😉

Genre: Anecdote
Word Count:100

GAME ON

In 1948 James Brunot redesigned the game Criss Cross and renamed it Scrabble. It was first marketed in Great Britain in 1954.

My parents played on otherwise quiet evenings.

Mom was an avid crossword puzzle worker. Dad’s vocabulary didn’t compare to hers.

She spelled out, “QUA”

“What the hell is that? I challenge!” Flipping through dictionary, he muttered, “Oh, here it is, ‘being; in the character of’” Then he played his tiles. “SCREAM. Double word. Beat that, Mrs. Know-it-all.”

Mom added five letters to QUA to form SQUABBLE. “Triple word and my name for this game. I win. I quit.”

28 March 2025

Published March 26, 2025 by rochellewisoff

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INVISIBLE WARRIOR

The second world war to end all wars raged. Thousands of young men were invited by their draft boards to participate.

Eighteen-year-old Susan read a want-ad in the Baltimore Sun. “Eastern Aircraft is hiring women to be riveters.”

“That’s no job for a lady,” said Mama.

“It could pay my way to college.”

Determined, Susan joined 600,000 black women.

“We ladies worked together as an integrated America.” Ninety-nine-year-old Susan Taylor King, who’d earned two college degrees from Morgan University, told reporters. She fingered her red polka-dotted neckerchief with pride. “I’ve lived long enough to be black and important in America.”

21 March 2025

Published March 19, 2025 by rochellewisoff

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Genre: Fiction
Word Count: 100

SHINE ON

Granddaddy leaned back in his threadbare recliner. The faraway gleam in his faded blue eyes told me a story was coming.

“Ginger stew. Mommy mixed in brown sugar and ginger. According to her it’d cure jest about anything.

“Rainwater made the best moonshine. And ya needed good tree cover in the woods. A-course it weren’t legal. We was always lookin’ over our shoulders for the law.”

“Why’d ya do it?” I gasped. “Wasn’t ya scared?”

“It was our cash crop. Scared? Nah. It’s like dating a woman that’s married,” he chuckled. “If it ain’t got risk, it ain’t no fun.”