21 April 2023

Published April 19, 2023 by rochellewisoff

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PHOTO PROMPT © David Stewart

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Genre: Anecdote
Word Count: 100

TITANIC BLUNDER

Remember renting VHS movies in the 1980’s? We’d make a big bowl of popcorn, put the cassette in the VCR and settle back for cheap entertainment on the small screen.

One Sunday, my husband, a huge John Wayne fan picked up a copy of “The Conqueror” starring his hero as Genghis Khan, infamous Mongol conqueror.

As the Duke uttered his lines, he sounded more like a Texas cowboy. “Your treacherous head is not safe on your shoulders—(Pilgrim).”

“Are you into this?” asked Jan, remote in hand.

“Are you?”

I’ll never know how the movie ended… Nor do I care.

***

Here’s the trailer for this miscast disaster:

To read more about this epic failure of a movie and the deadly consequences of shooting location CLICK HERE

14 April 2023

Published April 12, 2023 by rochellewisoff

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PHOTO PROMPT © Lisa Fox

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Today I’m kind of cheating. The following story is an edited snippet of my soon to be published novel LAST DANCE WITH ANNIE. It’s about a 40 year old woman’s struggle with anorexia nervosa. This scene is early in book and based on a personal story. Oh those voices in our heads that distort any sense of reason! It’s a mindset that counts calories in a piece of chewing gum. No food is truly safe.

Genre: Fiction (sort of)
Word Count: 100

EAT YOUR HEART OUT

House of Hunan had something for everyone, including Tony. He filled his plate with egg rolls, crab Rangoon and bacon-wrapped Rumaki. Plenty of fried food to keep him happy.

Elise’s inner-voice crooned. “Buffets are great places to hide.”

She studied the huge mound of lettuce and sautéed green beans on her plate. How many calories? 200? Maybe less. Iceberg only had 50 per head. Her empty stomach roiled with the laxatives she’d gulped down. At the same time, it growled with hunger.

“It’s too much.” The voice sang. “It will make you fat. Huge as a hippo. Fat, fat, fat!”

7 April 2023

Published April 5, 2023 by rochellewisoff

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PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

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To many this is Holy Week. Not only is the Christian celebration of the Resurrection coming up this Sunday, the Jewish observance of Passover begins Wednesday night at sundown. Here’s my own little glimpse into what one family scene might have been like.

Genre: Historical Fiction
Word Count: 100

L’DOR V’DOR*

Before Yosi could open the door, his mother whisked him into her arms. “No, my son! The Angel of Death lurks out there!”

Dafna sat him on the floor beside the infant who slumbered in her basket. “Watch your sister while I prepare for our journey.”

“Where are we going? Why is this night so different?”

“So many questions, Yosi, my firstborn.” Oriel dripped lamb’s blood on the doorpost. “Someday you’ll understand and teach your own children.”

***

Forty years later, Yosi prepared the Passover in the Promised Land.

“Abba,” Yosi’s son asked, “Why is this night different from all others?”

*From Generation to Generation

Although not reflected in the following video, the questions mentioned are preceded by the youngest child at the seder asking, “Why is this night different from all other nights?” TRADITION!

And just for fun…

31 March 2023

Published March 29, 2023 by rochellewisoff

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PHOTO PROMPT © Amanda Forestwood

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Genre: Historical Fiction
Word Count: 100

THE LANGUAGE OF EMOTIONS

“Mrs. Powell, I’ve never seen such a gift in a child so young,” said Mr. Lewis. “But your daughter is bound to encounter difficulties in the music world.”

Cradling her violin, ten-year-old Maud poised the bow over the strings. As she played, a lilting melody filled her ears and blotted out the grownups’ conversation.

In that moment there was only Tchaikovsky.

Eight years later, in 1885, eighteen-year-old Maud boldly interrupted a rehearsal of the all-male New York Philharmonic and demanded a hearing with America’s foremost conductor Theodore Thomas.

He hired her on the spot and dubbed her his “musical grandchild.”

CLICK to learn more about Maud Powell

24 March 2023

Published March 22, 2023 by rochellewisoff

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PHOTO PROMPT © Liz Young

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Anyone remember playing solitaire with real cards you held in your hand? Those who don’t will probably never know the “joy” of playing 52 Card Pickup. 😉 I still remember the colorful backs of my parents’ plastic coated playing cards. I learned early how to shuffle them and became adept at making a tunnel. A playing card turned your plain old bicycle into a motorcycle like magic. All it took was a clothespin to clip the cards to your wheel spokes.

I could go on about the joys of playing cards. Instead I’ll leave you to your own memories and musings and present my story for the week.

Genre: Fiction-ish
Word Count: 100

SOLITAIRE

“Two of hearts joins the ace of hearts.” Ten-year-old Elise arranged the four suits in neat rows on her beach towel. “King of clubs marries his queen.”

Elise’s mom, who worked full time, had found the perfect summer babysitter when she joined the pool. Leave childcare to the lifeguards.

Hot sun beat down on Elise’s bare back. She stacked and shuffled the cards. “I win,” she said to no one. “Time for a swim.”

Diving under the waves she imagined herself to be a mermaid with iridescent fins. The water caressed her. Immersed in her chlorinated haven, who needed playmates?

17 March 2023

Published March 15, 2023 by rochellewisoff

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Genre: Pure Fiction
Word Count: 100

YOU CAN GET ANYTHING YOU WANT

After fifty-five years Alice still missed Johnny who’d been drafted and died in Vietnam. Their daughter Sunshine, a successful lawyer in Manhattan had little time for Alice.

One day, Alice texted Sunshine. “Leaving for Australia. Going to open a restaurant.”

“Mom, are you smoking weed again?”

***

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.

Alice Springs, Australia

And if you have 19 minutes to spare CLICK HERE to enjoy Alice’s Restaurant.

10 March 2023

Published March 8, 2023 by rochellewisoff

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PHOTO PROMPT © Jennifer Pendergast

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Genre: Hysterical Fiction
Word Count: 100

DOMESTIC GODDESS

After reading the book Fascinating Womanhood, Shelley prepared a special candlelight dinner.

In anticipation of a romantic evening, Shelley fixed her hair and put on her sexiest dress to greet her husband when he came home.

At 5:30 she heard him pull into the garage. Heart thumping, she opened the door for him.

Walking past her, Greg surveyed the dining room. “Did we have a power outage?” He flipped on the overhead light. Then he flopped on the couch and turned on the television.

After hitting him over the head with it, Shelley decided Fascinating Womanhood made a dandy doorstop.

You may or may not remember this book. Maybe it worked for some. 😉

Launderette Trauma

Published March 1, 2023 by rochellewisoff

TAKE A SPIN AND CLICK

I double dipped this week. The sight of the laundromat triggers a not so pleasant memory for me. I’m sure I’ll be able to let it go one of these days.

Genre: Memoir
Word Count: 100

LAUNDERETTE TRAUMA

As we crammed our bedspread into an industrial-size dryer, my iPhone pinged with an email from my agent. “Last Dance with Annie” was in the subject line.

“Good news?” asked my husband.

I bit back tears. “Maybe I’m not meant to be an author.”

The well-known publisher who’d expressed an interest in my novel based on personal experience turned it down flat. My agent released me from my contract.

“Failure,” intoned my inner voice.

A year later, at a writers’ conference, struggling with doubt, I pitched LDWA to a new publisher. Within twenty-four hours my book had found a home.

If I’d had a few more words (blasted word limit! 😉 ) I’d go on to share how my manuscript was turned down a few more times before my agent released me from the contract. I ignored the manuscript for more than a year I think. At the Ozarks Writers conference in October I met Lia Wu who owns Ozark Hollow Press. She was interested in my story of a middle aged woman’s battle with anorexia (A fictionalized version of my own struggle). I sent her the manuscript Sunday morning and she offered me a contract Sunday night. Hopefully Last Dance with Annie (title negotiable) will be out this year.

3 March 2023

Published March 1, 2023 by rochellewisoff

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March is upon us, but I couldn’t resist adding one more neglected African American. She made laundry a little easier for the average housewife back in the 1800’s.

Genre: Washable Ficton
Word Count: 100

OVERHEARD AT THE LAUNDROMAT

Dale reached into the washing machine. “Laundry is such a pain in the tush.” She tossed wads of damp clothes into the dryer. “I suppose it’s better than scrubbing them on a washboard.”

Rochelle folded a T-shirt. “Well, ya know—now that you mention it.”

“Uh-oh. She’s bringing on the history lesson.”

“We can thank Ellin Eglin who invented the wringer in 1888. She sold the plans for it for $18.00. When asked why, she said, ‘You know I am black and if it was known that a negro woman patented the invention, white ladies would not buy the wringer.’”

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24 February 2023

Published February 22, 2023 by rochellewisoff

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Genre: Historical Friction
Word Count: 100

BRIGHT LIGHT

“Besides being the leader in rushing and scoring, he was my friend.” A former football player for Drake University recalls. “There was nobody like him. Next to impossible to bring down.”

Another player remembers October 20, 1951, “We’d heard Oklahoma’s head coach quoted as saying, “We have to get his black ass out of here.

“Ha! Even after Wilbanks Smith busted his jaw, John threw a 61-yard touchdown pass.”

Johnny Bright later forged a brilliant career in Canada as both athlete and educator.

It wasn’t until over twenty years after his death Oklahoma State University issued an apology to him.

As a Kansas City area resident (and native) you might guess I was glued to the TV Sunday Night, February 12 for the Super Bowl. How ’bout those Chieeeeeeeefs! With most of our best players, including MVP Patrick Mahomes, being black, what Mr. Bright went through is unfathomable.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AN AMAZING HUMAN BEING

If you have six more minutes, this video says what my 100 words could not.