Friday Fictioneers: Rainbow Faeries
This week, Madison Wood’s Friday Fictioneers has a picture prompt. We get to allow the prompt to stimulate our imaginations, and are allowed 100 words to express ourselves. I love these challenges – be sure to go check them out at the link. This week is about Rainbows, just look at this beautiful picture!
Rainbow Faeries (100 words)
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“It’s perfect!” said Purple.
The seven sister fairies all nodded in agreement. The rainbow was indeed perfectly beautiful.
“Our best yet” said Indigo.
“Uh oh,” said Blue “I think we messed up.”
“What’s wrong?” asked Green.
“Nothing’s wrong.” said Yellow. “Look at how it’s blended, the colors are spectrum perfect.”
“I agree,” said Orange. “We followed the formula perfectly, I’m sure teacher will give us a top grade on this.”
Red pointed behind them. “We must have added too much energy.”
The seven sister fairies turned to look. They broke into giggles and spoke as one,
“We made an echo!”
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Friday Fictioneers: Wednesday
I’ve missed a couple of Friday Fictioneers, and I admit I’m not doing my best work, but this one came to me from the picture prompt, so I decided to post it. My mind is going sixty directions, but I tried to focus it for just a moment. Be sure to click on the link for Madison Woods’ fiction response this week. In the comments section you will find links to other Fictioneers and their creative responses.
This weeks picture inspiration (slightly cropped for emphasis) for 100 words:
Wednesday 100 words
Every Monday and Thursday, after his doctor-ordered “health walk” he would come to this quiet place to sit and plan the rest of his day, lazily. No rush now, He’d never thought he’d live out his retirement alone.
On Tuesdays and Fridays, she came here to her favorite place, to sit in the fresh air, letting the sun ease her rheumatism. Sometimes she’d read a book. Mostly she just enjoyed the morning air. No one to rush home to, but she didn’t mind. Not really.
One week it rained heavily on Monday and Tuesday. That Wednesday, they met.
Perfect timing.
Flash Friday – Kill Shot
I’m turning this in a little late, but hey, there are things called Time Zones, so even if it’s not Friday, many of you are still asleep and not yet wakened to your Saturday morning, so I’m sneaking it in. 😉
Madison Woods has again given us a challenging picture for this weeks 100 word flash for Friday Fictioneers. To see what she and others were inspired to write, just click the link.
This week’s picture prompt:
My entry: Kill Shot. 100 words.
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A twig snapped under her boot, cracking into the distance. Amanda froze.
Distant voices, coming closer, “This way! Over here!”
Amanda ran.
The first shot came from behind, hitting her right shoulder, spinning her around with surprising force. The second shot hit square in the chest, She stumbled back, falling to the ground.
They surrounded her. “Kill shot!”
She glanced down at the bright blue paint.
“Game over.” Josh reached down to help her up.
Amanda couldn’t lift her arm. Hot pain stabbed. “I think I may have broken something.”
A dark red stain spread out from under her shoulder.
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100 Word Challenge & Friday Fictioneers
Okay, due to lack of time, I ended up combining a couple of challenges here, I hope you don’t mind. The first is the 100 Word Challenge for Grownups, hosted at Julia’s Place, and the second is for Madison Wood’s Friday Fictioneers. You don’t have to read both, but they are kind of a two part tale all in one. I think each could be fine as a 100 word drabble (I learned a new word!) I tried to make them open and close in ways that they could be independent, but at the same time, they were inspired together and so kind of fit together. Don’t forget to click the links and see what others have done.
Here are the Prompts:
phrase prompt this week:
“but I turned it off”
And for Friday Fictioneers, a photo:
Oh and btw – this is based on a true event.
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100WCGU (Prompt: “but I turned it off”)
Strange Things (part 1) (100 words)
Janet walked into the kitchen, squinting at the brightness of the overhead light. “But I turned it off …didn’t I, Bo?”
“whuff” Bo answered. He nudged her hand.
“Patience,” she ruffled his ears, “I’m getting it.”
She bent into the fridge, reaching into the back for the baloney. When she closed the door, the room was in darkness.
“What the…?”
“whuff.” Bo insisted.
Absently, she tossed the baloney to Bo as she walked over to the light switch – it was down. She flicked it up, and the light came on. What’s going on?
Bo gave a low throaty growl.
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Friday Fictioneers (picture Prompt)
Strange Things (part 2) (98 words)
Bo growled at the kitchen door. Janet tensed. Bo never growled.
From behind the door came a strange mechanical sound followed by
“click”
then…
“Cuckoo!”
Janet laughed in relief, it was just the cuckoo clock, sounding the half hour. Bo followed her into the darkened hallway. She looked up at the old clock as it ticked off each second with a soothing rhythm.
Bo whined, not soothed at all.
“What’s the matter, Bo? It’s just the – ” she broke off, memory sending an icy chill up her spine.
The clock had been wound down for over a week.
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Flash Friday: Brothers
I’m posting this a bit early as I have to be out this afternoon, but will link to Madison’s page when I can. Meanwhile you can check out the rules for Friday Fictioneers . To read what others have done with this weeks prompt, go HERE.
I would like to quote this, which is on this week’s Prompt Page : 100-words isn’t a *rule* and some of us write more than that. My goal is to have The Friday Fictioneers use 100-word stories as an exercise in choosing concise phrases and strong verbs. It’s an excellent way to show your stuff to the world without exposing too much. It’s okay if you use more words, but if it’s much more let us know in the comments so we’ll know how to allocate our time if we’re trying to read all the posts.
I added that caveat, because this week, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t whittle my tale down to 100 words – this is the first time it has happened, but there was simply nothing I could omit. I even feel I omitted some of the “flavor” by cutting it down so much, but hey, that’s the rules, and I like to follow as closely as possible. Anyway, here is this week’s
Picture Prompt
And here is my tale:
“Brothers” 118 words (eeps!)
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Johnny peeked through the small hole between the rocks – what was his brother Mike doing there with those guys?
As he watched, one of the guys handed Mike some money. Mike slipped something into his hand, then ran off.
The guys walked by where Johnny was hiding, One of them said “I can’t believe you finally got him to sell you that card.”
That card? Mikes special limited series baseball card?
Johnny sat for a long time, getting madder and madder. Mike shouldn’t have caved. Johnny was gonna tell him what for! He rushed home and into Mikes room.
“Happy Birthday!”, Mike said, handing Johnny a new baseball glove. “Now I can teach you to play catch.”
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critique is welcome – if anyone has ideas how to make it shorter, or what might be missing, I’m open to hearing it.
Flash Friday: Alive
It’s Friday, and that means Madison Woods Friday Fictioneers are writing again. Each Wednesday Madison posts a photo prompt for us to write about. The only limit is, no more than 100 words. Then, on Friday, she posts her own flash fiction and we comment and leave our links for others to read. Madison’s page and all the other entries can be found HERE, so go take a look. If you want to try it yourself, check the rules on the FF link above. This week’s photo:
My entry, 100 words:
Alive
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Her senses were alive with contrast; hot sun on her face, icy cold water rushing over her bare feet, the rock’s warmth seeping through the fabric of her jeans, cool breeze caressing her cheeks.
Her mind was alive with contrast: Divorce papers / freedom papers; I’ve never lived on my own / maybe it’s time; I’ll need a job / I’ll find a job; I’ll never manage / yes I will;
Her heart was alive with contrast; hot stabs of anger, icy chill of panic, warm rush of hope, cool splash of joy. Free at last? Yes, and even better –
Alive.
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Flash Friday: Soup du Jour
Time for Madison Woods Friday Fictioneers challenge, where each week she posts a photo prompt, to which we are to respond with 100 words. If you want to see her own short tale and the responses of others, click This Week’s Friday Fictioneer and it will take you to the page. The comments section will have links to others creative efforts.
This week’s prompt is the following picture:
My entry – 100 words –
“Soup du jour”
George plopped down at the table and started spooning soup into his mouth, slopping a bit out of the bowl, careless of the drips that fell on the tablecloth.
Maude watched him in resignation. Marry in haste, repent at leisure. She had been repenting for years now. Too many years.
“Soup’s good.” George grunted between spoonfuls. “What’s in it?”
“Hand-picked mushrooms fresh from the forest.”
George glanced at her and frowned. “You were careful?”
“Of course, I took the book. I know exactly what kind of mushrooms are in your soup.”
George grunted and finished his bowl.
Maude smiled.
Exactly.
Friday Fictioneers Feb. 03, 2012
It’s Flash Friday, time for the Friday Fictioneers challenge, at Madison Woods blog. It’s short fiction of 100 words, created in your imagination with the aid of a picture prompt (or not). If you want to join in sometime, here is the link to Madison Woods Friday Fictioneers instruction page. To see hers and the other entries, go HERE to this weeks entries.
The picture prompt:
My entry, 99 words :
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Your soul shines forth as you stand in the doorway, intense flares of illumination reaching into this dimly lit room, like the last bright gasp of the sun before it sinks behind the horizon.
Is it time? The brightness in your eyes tells me it is so. The radiance spilling from you comforts me, assures me there is nothing to fear. A sweet smile of parting touches your lips, and you nod to me, as if to say, “all is well.” The door closes, leaving me alone; knowing, and at peace.
I wake, and wait for the phone call.
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Thank you for reading.
in tuit 