Flash Fiction Day Three

Three days and three pieces of flash fiction! It's harder than I thought it would be. After doing the first day's writing I thought, "I might not make it to the end of these 10 days..." but so far I'm still going!

What's helping is reading the other writers' flash fiction pieces. They've come up with some amazingly creative pieces, all with these little twists and turns. It's pure fun to read. Also, the textures of all the writing vary greatly, I love the variety.

If you're not in on the fun, you're missing out!

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Here's day 3 of my flash fiction, called Date Night:

She sure loved her shoes. Heels mostly. Though why on earth women tortured themselves with heels he’d never understand. That’s not to say he didn’t appreciate the display, but…seriously. So not worth it.

She favored those clunky platform-wedge things, the ones that looked like sandals, only propped up a good three inches. She also owned a dozen black flats that looked identical to him. Apparently they were each “adorable” and distinct. From what he could tell the only difference was the spunky strip of fabric on the inside. Really? Women bought essentially two of the same shoe for the look of the *inside*?

Randy shook his head, pawing through the shoe-mountain at the bottom of her closet. Somewhere under the avalanche she had a pair of stilettoes. Red, shiny, you-only-wear-them-to-get-some stilettoes. Unless they’d been swallowed up by her shoe-army.

 He loved those stilettoes.

She’d be home soon and he wanted to surprise her. He had her outfit all picked out for the night. She might squirm about how short the skirt was and how flashy the top was, but secretly she’d love the freedom to be wild for one night. He laid the items gently on the bed, fingering the vinyl of the skirt. He loved to surprise her. Just the other night he had surprised her with roses, waiting on the doorstep. Before that it was a bottle of her favorite perfume.

He lovingly placed the stilettoes on the floor at the foot of the bed, toes in, all ready for her to slip her feet into. He had his own final touch to add to the shoes, but, he’d wait til she was wearing them. It would be so much more personal that way. Special. And he wanted tonight to be special.

After all, he thought, as he slid his clown mask down and moved into position in the shadow behind the door, this was their first date.

Flash Fiction Day Two

Here is my second day of flash fiction over at the SHU writers' flash fiction event on Facebook:

The fairy floated just off the ground, tiny feet trailing, toes down, skimming the grass. Glitter streamed in her wake. Only she and that shimmering trail lit the night. Flowers bloomed in her faint glow and faded into obscurity once she passed.

Closer, closer I urged her.

It was a little known fact that fairies, while twiggy, were delicious. Wrap them to a stick, wave them over the flames, and poof! Their dust burst forth all at once, cooking them to medium-rare perfection.

This fairy was healthier than most. She looked like a somnolent bumble bee floating here and there on wings barely strong enough to hold her.

The wings I could do without, except maybe as a toothpick once I’d finished dinner. I readied my lasso. The woven vine was coiled perfectly, ready to fly at a moment’s notice.

Closer, closer.

I’d caught my first fairy by stealth, tracking it all night long and bringing it down by poisoned dart. It had ruined the flavor. I didn’t bother with that this time. One quick toss and it would be all over for the little fairy.

I swung the vine. One. Two. Three!

A flick of my wrist and it sailed to the fairy. To and through.

What the—

She darted after it too quickly for my eye to follow. I could only see her glowing trail as it sped straight toward me, the spiraled around my body. My arms were trapped before I understood the frantic circling. I struggled, to no avail, cringing back as the sprite flew into range and landed on my face.

A glint caught the edge of my vision. Another. Then another. Something landed on my head. My shoulder. Clung to my pant leg.

“Little known fact,” the fairy pinching my face said in a tiny voice, “humans, while fatty, are delicious.”

Fanged teeth sank bit off the tip of my nose first.

Flash Fiction Day One

When I woke up this morning, I think six people from SHU had already posted their flash fiction pieces! Reminded me I needed to get on the ball. I'm not one for writing flash fiction, as you can tell by my aiming for a 95K word count on my novel and considering that "short," but I wanted to try it.

Here's what I wrote. I was trying for something subtle, but, I am not sure it came across. Anyone get how it ends?

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A New England Sunday morning, two men unrelated but joined at the engine, stood together in the sun. Neither noticed the sweat rolling down. One picked at an acidic science project, one scavenged the right funnel. The impending trip hung between them as they fiddled with fluids and caps. Their camaraderie was new but comfortable. The thing families were made of.

The women came out, beckoned by the activity. The older resisted the sun, the younger needing to be close enough that she risked a burn sitting on the front steps. They spoke low to each other. Each minute was held, both aware of time speeding past.

“I’m all right,” the younger one said. “All right” didn’t mean much to her these days. It meant “I’m not bawling my eyes out in this precise moment,” and the elder understood that.

“He talks to him like he does Cameron,” she said instead, nodding to her husband, speaking of a beloved nephew.

“He takes it well.” The younger man wasn’t Cameron, but knew just about as much about cars as the nine year old did.

The morning was a first of its kind and already one of the last.

“They came again last night.”

“The robbers? What is that damned driveway bell worth if no one can hear it over the ACs?”

The elder woman shook her head, careful not to be overheard. “Not the robbers.”

That sank in. What to call them? “The Others” was so sci-fi tv, “The Aliens” too far-fetched to be believed.

“What did they take?”

In answer the elder woman opened her mouth wide. Back in her molars, jagged broken tooth-pits gaped like mini-black holes.

“What the F?! Your fillings? That’s F’d up, mum.”

“What can I do? They were all on the pillow beside me when I woke up. I look like a crazy woman who pulled all her fillings out in the middle of the night.”

“How would you even accomplish that? Seriously. We need to tell someone.” The daughter looked again at the men, at her fiancé bending over a battery cable. “What if they hurt you? Or… one of us?”

“They won’t touch him. They haven’t bothered anyone but me.”

“Mum—“

“You’ll be leaving soon. Maybe they will too.”

The Visitors had come with the daughter but never messed with her life the way they’d taken the mother’s computer apart, moved her car, broken her dishes. No mother wished that on their daughter, but…

“Maybe they’ll leave too.”

The daughter glanced then over at the men, at her fiancé wielding pliers, at the tiny screwdriver he’d used to pry the corrosion from the battery terminal.

“Maybe they’ll leave with me.”

Author Extraordinaire Jen Brooks

One of my two awesome critique partners, Jen Brooks, received not one but TWO offers for representation from agents this week. Two wonderful agents fell in love with her novel (currently titled World Maker) and with her as well after some phone chatting!

Jen spent a tense couple of days in deliberations, talking with the agents, doing yet more research on their agencies, speaking with their clients. . . . It was something of a nerve-wracking week, but, she finally decided yesterday.

I couldn’t be more excited because this means that her novel, a YA psychological fantasy, is one step closer to publication! Squee!

Be sure to follow her blog, Jen Brooks, Writer to keep up to date on her latest news, or check her out on her Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jen-Brooks/204436282955580

Congratulations Jen!  

Flash Fiction Challenge – 10 for 10

The fine folks from the Seton Hill Writing Popular Fiction program are getting together for a little writing challenge! We’re doing a public Facebook event starting this Sunday, July 15, 2012 where for 10 days you write a piece of flash fiction every day, then post it to the FB event page.

https://www.facebook.com/events/323603501066411/

Word count is 500 or under, so brace yourselves to be painfully concise!

I’m in—you coming?

Bump in the Night – Writing Contest

I found a neat little contest for paranormal/SF writers of all types. It’s the Bump in the Night flash fiction contest. It’s sponsored by one of the RWA chapters, but their guidelines say the story doesn’t have to be romantic at all, or in any particular SF genre. It just needs to have a strong paranormal element.

I’m going to enter for sure. It’s like an extended writing prompt!

Entries should be under 1000 words, and are due by noon, October 31^st 2012.

Here’s how to submit:

_________________________________

Full name:

Pen name if preferred:

Address:

Phone number:

Email address:

Title of Entry:

Complete entry of 1000 words or less.

_________________________________

Email entries to wprwriters@gmail.com

Or, if you prefer, mail to:

Bump in the Night
WPRW President
P.O. Box 266
Irwin, PA  15642

Here’s the nitty-gritty:

Judged by published authors from the Western PA area. Entries will be evaluated in three areas.

1. Does the story engage the reader? This is an overall judgment of the story.

2. Readability – This evaluates the ability and craft of writing.

3. Paranormal theme – story does not need to be romantic or in any particular genre but must include strong paranormal elements.

What can you win?

Finalists will be published on the WPRW website!

1st -4th place receive award certificates

TOP PRIZE – $10.00 gift certificate for Barnes & Noble.  One year Membership in WPRW. (Must be member of RWA)

For more details, check out Western Pennsylvania Romance Writers’ website!

Rough Draft Progress -- Empress Game

Wow, it's been a while since I've posted the progress on my latest wip, Empress Game. I've made great strides, and I'm closing in on the end! okay, I'm closing in on the "holy moly I need to start wrapping this up" spot!

78,000 / 100,000 (78%)