10 May 2024

Published May 8, 2024 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 © Lisa Fox

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Happy May, Everyone! It seems whatever issues WP has had with sign ins and commentors continues. I had a few comments from Annonymous last week. I noticed also that I’m not the only one. A few times I’ve had to sign back in to leave a comment. It is rather irritating. If you could leave your name it would be helpful. Thank you.

Genre: Coming of Age
Word Count: 100

MUZAK TO MY EARS

In my teens I was a raving Beatles fan. Oh, the memories each of their songs evokes from different stages of my adolescence.

I still have my collection of vinyl 45 rpm records. Not familiar? Look them up. No time to elaborate in one hundred words.

One afternoon my mother came into my room as I was rocking to “I am the Walrus.” With a disgusted look she said, “You only tell yourself you like that dreck.”

Seriously I still love the crazy cacophony.

Imagine my surprise the other day when I heard it as background music in the supermarket.

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Last Dance With Annie, by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields, will be available June 4th in paperback, hardcover, and ebook. Preorder on Amazon, Nook, Kobo, and more!

“Much flows through the pages of “Last Dance” and all of it is worth reading. In this well-written, poignant story, Wisoff-Fields offers the reader a front row seat into less-spoken-of and rarely seen realities of lives weighted by years of expectation, exploitation, secrecy, trauma, and turmoil; but also to the powers of love, truth, and creativity to offer healing and feed hope. As Elise and those around her lose, then seek to find their step, we weep with, cheer for, and dance with them. Hurrah, Rochelle, for a story well told!”

Na’ama Yehuda, MSC SLP (Author: Communicating Trauma, Emilia, Outlawed Hope, Apples in Applath)

19 April 2024

Published April 17, 2024 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 © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

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Genre: Non-Function
Word Count: 100

AROUND THE BLOCK

Who chose this prompt anyway? Oh, yeah. I have only myself to blame. Not only did I post this photo, I snapped it as well. It’s one of those cute little shops in the Cotton Exchange in Wilmington, North Carolina.

One would think, given the place’s rich history, I could find something to write about.

Lemme see. I could write about the Chinese Laundry that resided there in the early 1900s. Or what about the barber shop that was destroyed in a fire? Nope. Google’s leading me nowhere and my mind’s stuck in neutral.

Sorry, y’all. Nothing to read here.

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WE HAVE A BOOK!

LAST DANCE WITH ANNIE is still set for release June 4th. But this past weekend I received two hardback author copies of the book at our Ozarks Writers League conference. My publisher had a few advance copies for sale as well. 😀 The first autographed copy goes to my husband. 😉

12 April 2024

Published April 10, 2024 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 © Susan Rouchard

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Genre: Anecdote
Word Count: 100

IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO PROCRASTINATE

“It’s time to clean this cluttered basement.” Stacks of boxes from our last move wait on shelves to be gone through—later.

Opening a cardboard box, I sneeze at the musty odor. I pick up a tattered paperback and thumb through its yellowed pages.

Bunnicula.

How my now-grown son and I laughed at the antics of the family pets. I lose myself in the adventures of the dog, cat and, of course, the titular vegetable-sucking vampire rabbit.

“Look at the time.” I return the novel to the box. “I’ll get back to cleaning—later.”

Note: Bunnicula was a fun read. And my story is true. I really could use some organizational help here. 😉

And on the subject of books:

My book LAST DANCE WITH ANNIE is available for ebook preorder on the following sights: HERE, HERE and HERE! Release Date is June 4! If you’re not an ebook fan, paperback and hard back copies will be available on and after that date. 😀

1 March 2024

Published February 28, 2024 by rochellewisoff

*Note: The frog is no longer just blue. 😉 Click on the caption under the Santa frog. Glad you can join us!

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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 © Fleur Lind

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I admit, my story’s connection to the prompt is tenuous at best. But it’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Genre: Pure Non-Fiction
Word Count: 100

YES VIRGINIA, THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS

The minister summed it up as she delivered his eulogy with, “This sucks.”

I couldn’t agree more. Santa Claus isn’t supposed to die.

That’s who my friend and high school classmate was to the hundreds of children he enthralled with his mellifluous, “Ho! Ho! Ho!”

Two years ago in a cheerful conversation, he told me he’d been diagnosed with cancer, but he and his doctor were optimistic. Remission was almost a certainty.

Then a couple of months ago, I received that dreaded phone call from him. “I’m calling a few people…”

“Farewell, John. You made me believe in Santa Claus.”

Taken four years ago. He was coming from one of his housecalls.

John was Santa all year round.

13 October 2023

Published October 11, 2023 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 © Rowena Curtin

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Genre: Non-Fiction
Word Count: 100

ON THE EDGE

She stands on the edge of the pool, her head filled with the events of the weekend. Terrorism. Rage. How long can her world exist?

Securing her goggles, she calculates the distance. Twenty-five yards each way. Fifty yards is one lap. Thirty-six laps equal one mile.

Earlier this morning she messaged her cousin who has been in and out of bomb shelters, sleeping in her street clothes.

Reports of atrocities bombard the internet and fill the swimmer’s head. Life goes on as planned on this side of the planet.

She dives in, and for a while, she’s immersed in peace.

21 April 2023

Published April 19, 2023 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 © David Stewart

CLICK TO JUMP IN!

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

Weekend Writing Prompt – Tenacious

Published January 17, 2021 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 Sammi’s Comment Section.

AMERICAN LEGACY

Nineteen years ago, I experienced southern hospitality in Selma, Alabama with friends

A restaurant we went to served wonderful food with a side of grisly history. A pit beside the front door had been a holding cell for slave auctions. I lost my appetite.

As we drove over the Edmund Pettis bridge my heart swelled. I imagined the hundreds of American citizens who marched across it, tenaciously fighting for what was rightfully theirs.

No fiction in this story. Guess it’s the time of year. Martin Luther King Jr. day is tomorrow in the States. He was a true American Hero who leaves behind a legacy…for all Americans. (At least that’s how I see it.)

23 October 2020

Published October 21, 2020 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.

CLICK THE FROG TO JOIN THE PARTY

This week marks my 8th anniversary as Friday Fictioneers facilitator and my 5th anniversary as a retired sign maker/cake decorator. So I’m taking the liberty of sharing a twofer.

Genre: Hysterical Faction

Word Count: 100

HONCHO DORI

My coworker and best friend was fired for saying, of all things, “Hunky Dory.” Her flippant reply to my “How’s your day going?” at her register. I kid you not. The charge was “sarcasm to a customer and, therefore, misconduct.” Seriously?

The company’s plan to purge the “old folks” put a target on my back, too.

At an emotional low I joined Friday Fictioneers. I tried it. I loved it. By October 24, I inherited the blog challenge.

Eight years later, my friend’s victorious lawsuit is a story we retell with glee. Friday Fictioneers? Yep, I’m still steering the bus.

It’s still hunky dory with us.

YEE-HAW!!!

I ran out words to tell you my friend was fired March 7, 2012 and I joined Friday Fictioneers a month later on April 12.

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Now for the second go around as promised. 😉 I posted this 24 October 2012, after inheriting Friday Fictioneers from creator Madison Woods. This was the only time I didn’t title my post with the date. I was told by a fictioneer that it was too confusing for me to post my title because it gave the impression that my title was part of the prompt. I complied and never saw her again. Go figure. There are some fictioneers who stuck with me, even though they were here before me. You know who you are. 😉 If I list them I’m bound to leave someone out. At any rate here’s my first story as facilitator. Same photo prompt.

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Word Count: 100

OF SIGHT AND SOUND

A stunning contradiction of cropped black hair, bronzed skin and sea foam blue eyes, Aggie McKewen’s face reflected her Inuit and Scottish parentage.

Keith, who worked at his uncle’s café in Seward County, Alaska, longed to speak to her but didn’t know sign language and she was fencepost deaf. Every Saturday he served her grilled salmon in shy silence.

After six weeks of night classes he felt ready to declare himself and asked her out.

With a voiceless giggle she snatched his pen and order pad. There she wrote, “I’d love to but why did you call me a tampon?”

Weekend Writing Prompt – Somnambulist

Published March 15, 2020 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 Sammi’s Comment Section.

It’s funny how word prompts take me to an altogether different place than a photo prompt. 😉

Nope. Not telling you how long ago this was.

SLEEPWALKER

Sleep like a baby? What baby actually sleeps “like a baby”? Most mothers of infants will tell you, “Taint so.”

To be fair, it depends on the child. My first one slept through the night at six weeks.

Between my second and third babies, the term “nightlife” took on a whole new meaning. It meant nursing every two hours while watching MTV. Sing it Lionel. “All Night Long.”

During the day, eyes glazed, I became the quintessential somnambulist.

Here’s one of those videos I enjoyed in the middle of the night. 😉

Weekend Writing Prompt – “EPOCH”

Published February 29, 2020 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 Sammi’s Comment Section