Should someone have severe or hostile differences of opinion with another person it’s my hope that the involved parties would settle their disputes in private.
REMINDER: This page is “FRIDAY FICTIONEERS CENTRAL” and is NOT the place to promote political or religious views. Also, you are responsible for the content of your story and policing comments on your blog. You have the right to delete any you consider offensive.
My seventh-grade social studies teacher strode the aisles like a stalking tiger.
“If Seventeen Magazine told you to, you kids would hang beach balls around your necks and dangle pop cans from your ears.”
I squirmed in my striped mini dress that varied only in color from seven others in the room.
“What’s wrong with wanting to fit in?” I asked.
“You know anything about lemmings?”
“Good in pie topped with meringue,” whispered the boy behind me.
My teacher extended his arm, hand straight, palm down and shouted, “Turn in your textbooks to page 245, ‘The Indoctrination of Hitler Youth.’”
.
.
My story this week is dedicated to my 7th and 8th grade social studies teacher, Kevin McShane. Thank you, Mr. McShane for words of wisdom that have guided me through life.
Should someone have severe or hostile differences of opinion with another person it’s my hope that the involved parties would settle their disputes in private.
Through hours of research I’d found the perfect subject for my weekly flash fiction—a family’s battle over wealth with a tragic end.
I posted it to good reviews. But months later, a venomous barrage of remarks sent shockwaves through my world.
“I hate your writing, you ignorant slut. It’s all lies. My father was murdered.”
“I’d take down the post,” said a friend. “But don’t let her anger rent space in your head.”
I learned that day about the power of friendship. I also learned when fictionalizing recent events, it’s best to change real names to protect the guilty.
REMINDER: This page is “FRIDAY FICTIONEERS CENTRAL” and is NOT the place to promote political or religious views. Also, you are responsible for the content of your story and policing comments on your blog. You have the right to delete any you consider offensive.
“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”
THE CHALLENGE:
Write a one hundred word story that has a beginning, middle and end. (No one will be ostracized for going a few words over the count.)
THE KEY:
MAKE. EVERY. WORD. COUNT.
THE RULES:
Copy your URL to the Linkz collection. You’ll find the tab following the photo prompt. It’s the little white box to the left with the blue froggy guy. Click on it and follow directions. This is the best way to get the most reads and comments.
MAKE SURE YOUR LINK IS SPECIFIC TO YOUR FLASH.
While our name implies “fiction only” it’s perfectly Kosher to write a non-fiction piece as long as it meets the challenge of being a complete story in 100 words.
**IT’S NOT A RACE TO SEE WHO CAN POST FIRST. TAKE YOUR TIME. EDIT. POLISH. THEN POST.**
😉
***PLEASE MAKE NOTE IN YOUR BLOG IF YOU PREFER NOT TO RECEIVE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM.***
REMINDER: This page is “FRIDAY FICTIONEERS CENTRAL” and is NOT the place to promote political or religious views. Also, you are responsible for the content of your story and policing comments on your blog. You have the right to delete any you consider offensive.
🙂
😉
Should someone have severe or hostile differences of opinion with another person it’s my hope that the involved parties would settle their disputes in private.
“‘A sunrise doesn’t last all morning,’” I sing and strum the chords that take me back to a New York television studio thirty years ago.
There to meet a friend, I loaned my Martin to an aging musician for his last live performance.
“You don’t happen to have a capo, do you, Miss Guitar Lady?” he asked.
Something in his serene eyes and genuine smile reached to the depths of my soul.
My fingers move on the fretboard where his once did. I never changed those strings.
And as VH1’s cameras recorded history, George Harrison made my guitar gently weep.
******
It’s not the best quality but here’s the clip that inspired my story. If you’re in a hurry and would rather not commit to 14 minutes the impetus for my story really starts at the 10:00 mark on the bar.
Seize the opportunity to free your muse and allow her take you on a magic carpet ride.
Henry David Thoreau said it best.
“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”
THE CHALLENGE:
Write a one hundred word story that has a beginning, middle and end. (No one will be ostracized for going a few words over the count.)
THE KEY:
MAKE. EVERY. WORD. COUNT.
THE RULES:
Copy your URL to the Linkz collection. You’ll find the tab following the photo prompt. It’s the little white box to the left with the blue froggy guy. Click on it and follow directions. This is the best way to get the most reads and comments.
MAKE SURE YOUR LINK IS SPECIFIC TO YOUR FLASH.
While our name implies “fiction only” it’s perfectly Kosher to write a non-fiction piece as long as it meets the challenge of being a complete story in 100 words.
***PLEASE MAKE NOTE IN YOUR BLOG IF YOU PREFER NOT TO RECEIVE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM.***
REMINDER: This page is “FRIDAY FICTIONEERS CENTRAL” and is NOT the place to promote political or religious views. Also, you are responsible for the content of your story and policing comments on your blog. You have the right to delete any you consider offensive.
🙂
😉
Should someone have severe or hostile differences of opinion with another person it’s my hope that the involved parties would settle their disputes in private.
🙂 Two years ago this week, I posted my first flash fiction after seeing Madison Woods’ notice on Facebook. I’m amazed at how fast the time has gone and how Friday Fictioneers has grown! 😀
*******
Henry David Thoreau said it best.
“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”
THE CHALLENGE:
Write a one hundred word story that has a beginning, middle and end. (No one will be ostracized for going a few words over the count.)
THE KEY:
MAKE. EVERY. WORD. COUNT.
THE RULES:
Copy your URL to the Linkz collection. You’ll find the tab following the photo prompt. It’s the little white box to the left with the blue froggy guy. Click on it and follow directions. This is the best way to get the most reads and comments.
MAKE SURE YOUR LINK IS SPECIFIC TO YOUR FLASH.
While our name implies “fiction only” it’s perfectly Kosher to write a non-fiction piece as long as it meets the challenge of being a complete story in 100 words.
**IT’S NOT A RACE TO SEE WHO CAN POST FIRST. TAKE YOUR TIME. EDIT. POLISH. THEN POST.**
😉
***PLEASE MAKE NOTE IN YOUR BLOG IF YOU PREFER NOT TO RECEIVE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM.***
REMINDER: This page is “FRIDAY FICTIONEERS CENTRAL” and is NOT the place to promote political or religious views. Also, you are responsible for the content of your story and policing comments on your blog. You have the right to delete any you consider offensive.
🙂
😉
Should someone have severe or hostile differences of opinion with another person it’s my hope that the involved parties would settle their disputes in private.
*There is only one photo prompt. Any photos appearing after my story go with MY STORY and are NOT in any way a prompt!
Genre: Historical Fiction
Word Count: 99
To escape Paris gossip, a pair of lovers spent the winter of 1838-1839 on the island of Mallorca.
FROM MALLORCA WITH LOVE
“George, let me read this to you.
“‘Estimado Señor,
“‘To have a couple living outside the bonds of holy matrimony under my roof brings shame to my head. Your woman’s cigar smoking and wearing of the man’s clothes is a sin.
“‘All this I have tolerated for the privilege of hosting such a celebrated musician.
“‘While you have my sympathy, your disease puts the island in danger. Please burn the linens and leave.”
Frédéric Chopin lit George’s cigar, set fire to the letter and tossed it on the bed.
“Cherie, I am afraid we must do as he asks.”
Frédéric Chopin succumbed to the dreaded Consumption (Tuberculosis) 17 October 1849 at age 39.
Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin at age 34. A novelist, she went by her pen name “George Sand.”
The only thing better than hearing Nocturne in C-Sharp Minor on piano is savoring its sweetness on piano and violin. If you have an extra five minutes, for your listening pleasure (and mine):
Seize the opportunity to free your muse and allow her take you on a magic carpet ride.
Henry David Thoreau said it best.
“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”
THE CHALLENGE:
Write a one hundred word story that has a beginning, middle and end. (No one will be ostracized for going a few words over the count.)
THE KEY:
MAKE. EVERY. WORD. COUNT.
THE RULES:
Copy your URL to the Linkz collection. You’ll find the tab following the photo prompt. It’s the little white box to the left with the blue froggy guy. Click on it and follow directions. This is the best way to get the most reads and comments.
MAKE SURE YOUR LINK IS SPECIFIC TO YOUR FLASH.
While our name implies “fiction only” it’s perfectly Kosher to write a non-fiction piece as long as it meets the challenge of being a complete story in 100 words.
TO THOSE WRITING HISTORICAL FICTION (MYSELF INCLUDED): While WIKIPEDIA is usually a decent source of information, it’s not always reliable one. As a rule, I use it as a jumping off point to other research threads. It’s a good rule of thumb to use more than one source. I speak from experience when I say that a simple 100 word story can bring serious repercussions.
***PLEASE MAKE NOTE IN YOUR BLOG IF YOU PREFER NOT TO RECEIVE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM.***
REMINDER: This page is “FRIDAY FICTIONEERS CENTRAL” and is NOT the place to promote political or religious views. Also, you are responsible for the content of your story and policing comments on your blog. You have the right to delete any you consider offensive.
🙂
😉
Should someone have severe or hostile differences of opinion with another person it’s my hope that the involved parties would settle their disputes in private.
“I wish my folks were like the Williamses’,” said Cathy. She poked at her ice cream soda with her straw and breathed in the scent of Woolworths’ French fries.
“Aw, they’re just TV phonies.” Doug snickered.
“Look. It’s her!”
At the other end of the counter the perfect mother in starched cotton, pearls and pillbox hat ordered a Coke. With heart-pounding awe, Cathy grabbed her napkin and slipped off her stool.
“Mrs. Williams, I think you’re swell. Could I please have your autograph?”
The actress puffed her cigarette, flashed a red-lipsticked smile and said, “Get lost, ya little brat.”
Seize the opportunity to free your muse and allow her take you on a magic carpet ride.
Henry David Thoreau said it best.
“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”
THE CHALLENGE:
Write a one hundred word story that has a beginning, middle and end. (No one will be ostracized for going a few words over the count.)
THE KEY:
MAKE. EVERY. WORD. COUNT.
THE RULES:
Copy your URL to the Linkz collection. You’ll find the tab following the photo prompt. It’s the little white box to the left with the blue froggy guy. Click on it and follow directions. This is the best way to get the most reads and comments.
MAKE SURE YOUR LINK IS SPECIFIC TO YOUR FLASH.
While our name implies “fiction only” it’s perfectly Kosher to write a non-fiction piece as long as it meets the challenge of being a complete story in 100 words.
TO THOSE WRITING HISTORICAL FICTION (MYSELF INCLUDED): While WIKIPEDIA is usually a decent source of information, it’s not always reliable one. As a rule, I use it as a jumping off point to other research threads. It’s a good rule of thumb to use more than one source. I speak from experience when I say that a simple 100 word story can bring serious repercussions.
***PLEASE MAKE NOTE IN YOUR BLOG IF YOU PREFER NOT TO RECEIVE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM.***
REMINDER: This page is “FRIDAY FICTIONEERS CENTRAL” and is NOT the place to promote political or religious views. Also, you are responsible for the content of your story and policing comments on your blog. You have the right to delete any you consider offensive.
**Please exercise DISCRETION when commenting on a story! Be RESPECTFUL.**
Should someone have severe or hostile differences of opinion with another person it’s my hope that the involved parties would settle their disputes in private.
I chew on a date, savor its sweetness and spit the seed into my hand. The Romans will soon be upon us like ravenous hyenas.
Perhaps someone will plant this seed and a date-palm will spread its leaves in our memory.
“Amrit, my beloved, it’s time.” Yonah unsheathes his sword.
“Aim true, husband. Be swift.”
I drop the seed into a jar, utter a prayer and gather my infant son to my breast. His mouth is moist and warm as my life flows into his. I focus on his innocent eyes and wait for Yonah’s blade to set us free.
Seize the opportunity to free your muse and allow her take you on a magic carpet ride.
Henry David Thoreau said it best.
“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”
THE CHALLENGE:
Write a one hundred word story that has a beginning, middle and end. (No one will be ostracized for going a few words over the count.)
THE KEY:
MAKE. EVERY. WORD. COUNT.
THE RULES:
Copy your URL to the Linkz collection. You’ll find the tab following the photo prompt. It’s the little white box to the left with the blue froggy guy. Click on it and follow directions. This is the best way to get the most reads and comments.
MAKE SURE YOUR LINK IS SPECIFIC TO YOUR FLASH.
While our name implies “fiction only” it’s perfectly Kosher to write a non-fiction piece as long as it meets the challenge of being a complete story in 100 words.
TO THOSE WRITING HISTORICAL FICTION (MYSELF INCLUDED): While WIKIPEDIA is usually a decent source of information, it’s not always reliable one. As a rule, I use it as a jumping off point to other research threads. It’s a good rule of thumb to use more than one source. I speak from experience when I say that a simple 100 word story can bring serious repercussions.
***PLEASE MAKE NOTE IN YOUR BLOG IF YOU PREFER NOT TO RECEIVE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM.***
REMINDER: This page is “FRIDAY FICTIONEERS CENTRAL” and is NOT the place to promote political or religious views. Also, you are responsible for the content of your story and policing comments on your blog. You have the right to delete any you consider offensive.
**Please exercise DISCRETION when commenting on a story! Be RESPECTFUL.**
Should someone have severe or hostile differences of opinion with another person it’s my hope that the involved parties would settle their disputes in private.
“Classic nineteenth century architecture,” I tell my clients, “complete with functional…el-elevator.”
In front of me looms the steel leviathan that’s haunted my dreams for as long as I can remember. A thousand times I’ve clung to its lacquered grate only to slip and fall to my death at the bottom of the shaft.
“Ring-around-the-rosy…”
In a ruffled pinafore, a child skips toward the elevator. With eyes I know like my own she smiles up at me and waves. Transfixed, I watch her stumble through the open gate.
“…pocket-full-of-posies. Ashes. Ashes…”
She screams, grasps at the grate and vanishes like smoke.
My story follows the photo and link tool. I enjoy honest comments and welcome constructive criticism. 
