19 April 2019

Published April 17, 2019 by rochellewisoff

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

A SHOT IN THE DARK

Dora never took “no” for an answer. As a wife and a balabusta extraordinaire, she kept her Bronx apartment in immaculate order. With her children she was a rough taskmaster.

She doted on her eldest son, a docile, studious boy. “Always your head’s in a book—destined for greatness.”

She kvelled when he exceeded even her expectations.

After his City College graduation with a Bachelor of Chemistry degree, he informed her he had set his sights on law school.

“Lawyers are a dime a dozen, Jonas,” said Dora Salk. “Go to medical school. The world will thank you for it.”

Yiddishkeit Glossary:

balabusta – homemaker

kvell – burst with pride, to boast (What? You never kvelled over your kids? Say it isn’t so. 😉 )

***

*Remember Polio? If you don’t, Jonas Salk is the man to thank. I, for one, am grateful for those times I had to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into Dr. Cohen’s office for polio shots. A stick in the arm beats Infantile Paralysis any day of the week. 😉

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GIRLS’ NIGHT OUT

Published April 14, 2019 by rochellewisoff

This week Pegman is in Portland, Oregon. Your mission is to write up to 150 words inspired by the location. Feel free to use the image supplied with the prompt, or choose your own view of Portland in streetview or photosphere.

Once your piece is polished, share it with others at the link up below. Reading and commenting on others’ work is part of the fun.

Congratulations to Karen for passing her certification test. Did we have any doubts? Thanks to Josh for holding down the fort in her absence.

Below is the photo I chose from Google.

Click Mr. Froggie to join the fun!

Genre: Wishful Fantasy

Word Count: 150

GIRLS’ NIGHT OUT

“Portland is amazing.” Dale snapped a photo. “Especially at night.”

Rochelle breathed in the rain-soaked air, relishing the salty aroma. “What a fabulous way to celebrate Karen’s certification and Dale’s birthday.”

Lish ruffled her fingers through her auburn hair. “Let’s find a place to sit, shall we?”

The ladies found a table at a local tavern. Karen popped the cork of a bottle of champagne.

Rochelle raised her glass, shifting her gaze from face to face, etching the details of each one into her memory. “To writing challenges and great friends.”

Without warning, the floor rumbled beneath them. Glass shattered.

The bartender screamed. “Earthquake!”

Karen, Lish and Dale vanished amid the rubble.

“No!” Rochelle cried. “The party’s just starting.”

“Honey, wake up.”

Rochelle rolled over and looked up at her husband. “What day is it?”

“Sunday. Why?”

“Oh crap. It’s April 14^th. I forgot to send a card to Dale.”

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DALE!

Weekend Writing Prompt-CHARLATAN

Published April 13, 2019 by rochellewisoff

A word prompt to get your creativity flowing this weekend. How you use the prompt is up to you. Write a piece of flash fiction, a poem, a chapter for your novel…anything you like. Or take the challenge below – there are no prizes – it’s not a competition but rather a fun writing exercise. If you want to share what you come up with, please leave a link to it in the comments.

Thank you for the prompt Sammi.

The public school system failed my son. Desperate to help him succeed, I enrolled him in a private school. Although he liked his teachers, too often he locked horns with the principal.

At first I chalked it up to my son’s difficulty with authority figures. Not so. When push came to shove, that charlatan expelled my son for telling the truth.

The boy has grown up to be a man I’m very proud of.

12 April 2019

Published April 10, 2019 by rochellewisoff

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Please be considerate of 70 or more participants and keep your story to 100 words. Thank you.

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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Get the Code

This Friday, April 12 is my 7th Anniversary as a Fictioneer!!! I posted my very first story 12 April 2012

(I didn’t start as the facilitator and I had a lot to learn about reciprocation.)

Genre: Memoir

Word Count: 100

This man influenced me more than I realized all those years ago.

YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, UNCLE CHET

My drama teacher intimidated me. With meerschaum pipe in hand, he commanded center stage.

Etched forever in the cloisters of my memory is the day he offered my partner and me a few pointers on our duet for a drama contest. Mr. Landes dropped to his hands and knees. Tongue hanging, he yipped and sniffed.

It took every ounce of self-control to deliver my lines. “Atta boy, Snoopy, it’s a beautiful day for chasing rabbits.”

After completing the scene, Chet Landes adjusted his ascot and resumed his dignity, then turned to Kent. “That, sir, is how it’s done. Any questions?”

Note: I’ll count this as a comment. I shared the story with the other half of the duet and this was his response: “What a sweet … and hilarious … memory!And you better believe I remember this very moment. Mr. Landes playing Snoopy? Hah! Thanks for sharing, Rochelle. This is very special. Kent.”

Kent onstage

Chet Landes Yearbook Picture

A cherished note. He addressed it to Lucy after the character I played in the scene from You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.

Mr. Landes intent on a student.

Linus and Lucy, still friends after all these years.

SANCTUARY

Published April 7, 2019 by rochellewisoff

Today Pegman takes a trip to Tbilisi, Georgia

This ancient cobblestoned city has a complicated history of Persian and Russian rule. Its diverse architecture encompasses Eastern Orthodox churches, ornate art nouveau buildings, and Soviet Modernist structures. Walk around and see what strikes your fancy.

The purpose of this prompt is to inspire you to write 150 words about this place. You can use the Google link to stroll around until you see something that strikes your fancy. When you’re done, remember to link your story to the others using the InLinkz frog below. Reading and commenting is half the fun.

Enjoy yourself and do good work!

CLICK ME! PLEASE!

I considered not participating this week. But as it often happens I found an historical nugget that couldn’t be ignored. Thank Josh for the prompt this week.

The Great Synagogue in Tbilisi, Georgia

SANCTUARY

Aaron prepared his Torah reading for his special day. “Tell me about your Bar Mitzvah, Didi Babua. Wasn’t it during terrible times?”

“No.” Aaron’s great grandfather stroked his thick white beard. “It was a beautiful time—in this very synagogue.”

“But you were thirteen in 1943. What about the camps? What about Hitler?”

“May wheels run over his skull for eternity. Before me, my father read from the holy scroll in this same place in 1905.” Didi Babua’s faded brown eyes brimmed. “His family escaped from Kishinev.” He kissed the cover of his threadbare prayer book. “This has been our safe haven for five generations.”

“Were there never any pogroms?”

“According to our rabbis, anti-Semitism has been unknown here in Tbilisi for twenty-six centuries. Enough questions already. Study hard and make me proud.”

Grinning, the boy read, “Hodu L’adoshem ki tov, give thanks to Adoshem for He is good!”

Weekend Writing Prompt – Silence

Published April 6, 2019 by rochellewisoff

A word prompt to get your creativity flowing this weekend. How you use the prompt is up to you. Write a piece of flash fiction, a poem, a chapter for your novel…anything you like. Or take the challenge below – there are no prizes – it’s not a competition but rather a fun writing exercise. If you want to share what you come up with, please leave a link to it in the comments.

Thank you, Sammi.

In another world

Beneath the waves

Water speaks to my spirit

In ripples of silence.

ORIGINAL ARTWORK Copyright – Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

5 April 2019

Published April 3, 2019 by rochellewisoff

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As always, please be considerate of your fellow Fictioneers and keep your stories to 100 words. (Title is not included in the word count.) Many thanks.

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.

CLICK THE FROG TO JOIN THE FUN!

Get the Code

Genre: Historical Fiction

Word Count: 100

BEYOND THE BUCKSKIN CURTAIN

Wide-mouthed comic, Joe E. Brown gave Harry a movie extras card. “You oughta be in pictures, handsome.”

Harry had gained notoriety in boxing, wrestling, and lacrosse. Thoughts of seeing his name up in lights enticed him.

After playing several bit parts, he answered an audition for the new medium called television. He soon found fame to be a mixed bag of blessings and curses.

In 1963, Harry, now known as Jay Silverheels, founded the Indian Actors Workshop to encourage aspiring Indigenous performers to shoot for roles with better lines than, “Sheriff have sickness in head, Kemosabe—cannot fix with medicine.”

To learn a little more about this Canadian-born hero CLICK HERE

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Weekend Writing Prompt – Anathema

Published March 30, 2019 by rochellewisoff

A word prompt to get your creativity flowing this weekend. How you use the prompt is up to you. Write a piece of flash fiction, a poem, a chapter for your novel…anything you like. Or take the challenge below – there are no prizes – it’s not a competition but rather a fun writing exercise. If you want to share what you come up with, please leave a link to it in the comments.

Thanks to Sammi Cox for the challenge.

History class was the bane of my high school existence. Anathema.

Who cared what happened fifty years ago?

Fast forward fifty years. Discuss Vietnam, the Kennedy assassination, or even adjusting the horizontal on a television with a millennial and watch her eyes glaze.

Now I understand what my teachers tried to say.

Quotation-George-Santayana-Those-who-cannot-remember-the-past-are-condemned-to-repeat-25-87-01

YOU CAN GET ANYTHING YOU WANT

Published March 30, 2019 by rochellewisoff

The purpose of this prompt is to inspire you to write 150 words about this place. You can use the Google photo above or stroll around until you see something that strikes your fancy. When you’re done, remember to link your story to the others using the InLinkz frog below. Reading and commenting is half the fun.

Enjoy yourself and do good work!

Click the Frog to join the Party!

Thanks to Josh and Karen for hosting the challenge.

When I saw the name of the place, I was hooked. I love it when the muse takes it and just runs with it.

Genre: Realistic (?) Fiction

Word Count: 150

YOU CAN GET ANYTHING YOU WANT

After forty-five years Alice still missed Johnny who had been drafted and died in Vietnam, leaving her to raise their twins Phoenix and Sunshine.

Sunshine, a successful lawyer in Manhattan, had children of her own. They, in turn were forging their own careers in Corporate America.

Phoenix had enlisted in the Marine Corps a few years back. After his fateful tour in Afghanistan, he’d taken up residence in Arlington.

“Leaving for Australia,” she texted Sunshine. “Going to open a restaurant.”

“Right. Alice’s Restaurant. Mom, are you smoking weed again?”

“I’m serious.”

“Big case. Call you later.”

***

Pushing a lock of long white hair from her forehead, Alice flipped veggie burgers on the grill in her thriving café. She gazed at the mountains kissing the cerulean sky outside the window. Her town—peaceful Alice Springs—three hours or less from anywhere in Australia and thousands of miles from the Divided States.

Just for fun (if you have 18 minutes to spare) Click Here for the original “Alice’s Restaurant”

WEEKEND WRITING PROMPT – IMPERVIOUS

Published March 24, 2019 by rochellewisoff

The challenge is simple: each week you will be given an exact number of words you can use to write a poem or piece of prose. You can use any format or style you like; go wherever your inspiration takes you.

Thank you, Sammi

Does the name Kenner ring a bell? If you grew up—or had a child—between 1960 and 2000 it should.

Remember Stretch Armstrong? You could tie him in knots, stomp on him and extend his body from Kansas City to St. Louis. What Kenner advertisers never bothered to tell you was how the impervious super hero didn’t stand a chance against a four-year-old boy and his comrade.

I’m not sure how the indestructible paladin met his Waterloo. I can only tell you what it’s like to scrape ten pounds of gooey innards from the basement floor. R.I.P., Stretch.